'Old wine in a new bottle' is a phrase that fits Chellame perfectly. The film, that could be classified as a romantic thriller, offers nothing new in its story of a young couple and a young man kidnapping the woman since he is obsessed with her. But with a youthful touch, fast pace and glossy feel, the technically top-notch film is a brand new bottle that makes the wine very enjoyable too.

Raghunandan(Vishal), an income tax officer, is conducting a raid at the house of Rajasekhar(Girish Karnad), a rich businessman when he encounters Mythili(Reema Sen), Rajasekhar's neighbor. He falls for her and soon manages to win her over too. The young couple get married and move to Goa, much to the dismay of Rajasekhar's son Bharath, who is very attached to Mythili. With the attachment turning to obsession, he follows the couple to Goa and finding an oppurtune time, kidnaps Mythili.

Youthfulness and a fast pace are the twin strengths of Chellame. The scenes with Vishal and Reema are sweet and charming and though they are married for most of the movie, there is no dearth of cuteness. In fact, one could say that their marriage actually helps since their intimacy and naughtiness seem more natural instead of vulgar since they are a young, married couple that is very much in love. Barring Girish Karnad, there are no major elder characters to be found in the movie and consequently, sentiments are nowhere to be found. The romance itself is marked by short and sweet sequences rather than artificial, long-winded dialogs or sentimental actions.

The director keeps things moving at a fast pace throughout. Though the thriller elements in the second half lend themselves to the fast pace, the romance and comedy that dominate the first half are handled well and don't let the pace flag either. The romance moves fast and Vivek's comedy provides the right breaks with some funny sequences (the one where he attempts to buy a bra is the pick of the lot).

The movie really picks up its pace after Bharath kidnaps Reema. Though the plot begins to resemble movies like Gunaa and the more recent Kaadhal Konden from this point, the nature of Bharath's obsession makes the proceedings seem different. The fact that Reema still cares for him and is convinced that she can get him to take her back home by knocking some sense into his head lends a different touch to the proceedings. Her gradual realization of the seriousness of the situation is captured well. The climax is predictable and doesn't succeed in raising the level of tension.

Tall, dark but not particularly handsome, Vishal seems quite comfortable in front of the camera, especially for a debutante. Fighting and dancing seem to come naturally to him though his emoting needs some work. Reema Sen provides a nice mix of both glamour and acting and leads us to wonder why she found no good roles after Minnale. Her scenes with Vishal are naughty but not vulgar and she gets better as the movie proceeds, expressing well the confusion after she is kidnapped. Bharath is initially quiet but becomes quietly chilling in the second half. His gruesome acts, while professing affection for Reema, are very effective. Harris Jayaraj and Vairamuthu share equal credit for a wonderful soundtrack that has no misses. All the songs manage to be catchy without resorting to duppanguthu or fast beats with unintelligible lyrics. Gummiadi... is soft and pleasing while Aarya Udhadugal..., Kaadhalikum Aasai..., Vellaikaara Mutham... and Chella Kiliye... are all duets with a pleasing mixture of catchy tunes and romantic and subtly naughty lyrics.