The crème de la crème of Tamil
Cinema ‘04
By
I wanted to present a “Top Ten Movies” list for 2004. But as I started compiling the list, I realized, much to my dismay, that I really couldn’t come up with 10 movies that I would recommend, wholeheartedlyL Maybe, this reeks of superciliousness on my part but to be really honest, I could come up with only three that I thought were classy, thought-provoking and off the beaten track (the title of this write-up only refers to the top three in my list!). But I decided that I’d be less rigid, and added a few that I thought were definitely worth a watch—these fall into the ‘entertaining but scarcely memorable’ category. These seven movies that I added are features that I would recommend, with some reservations. As with any list, I don’t expect anyone to totally concur with me, but this is not a poll; it’s just an opinion. And, also note that I haven’t checked out some of the end-of-the-year releases like “Manmadhan” and “Attagaasam.” So, this is not a comprehensive list either. But, just for kicks, here’re my picks:
10. Shock: Here purely for technical reasons (pun very much intended!). A faithful remake of Ram Gopal Verma’s “Bhooth,” this movie boasts a pair of fine performances, by the lead pair- Prashanth and Meena. The story of a woman being possessed by a ghost was superbly directed by Verma, and Thyagarajan (the Director of “Shock”) does a good job of recreating the aura of “Bhooth.” But as with the original, the second half is a bit of a letdown after a rather chilling first hour. Nevertheless, the movie’s worth a watch for its slick photography and sound effects.
9. 7/G Rainbow Colony: I absolutely *loved* the movie…for the first two hours but absolutely *detested* the last twenty minutes. The movie is so delightfully realistic – sometimes even making us cringe with its extreme realism – in its depiction of a wayward youngster and his love for an apparently snobbish girl, that I thought I was watching a great movie. Great songs, great dialogue, realistic situations and nuanced performances but the director (Selvaraghavan) lets everything go down the drain in the last 20 minutes. I felt like I was being jerked around by the screenplay in the end (I wont reveal the ‘twist’ here) that I yelled, “Is that the damn point of the movie?”
8. Gilli: Director Dharani, the man behind unpretentious commercial ventures like “Dhil” and “Dhooll” gives us more of the same. The story is as old as the hills – the aggressive youngster (Vijay) rescuing the meek heroine (Trisha) from the clutches of the villain (Prakashraj)—but Dharani is a virtuoso of fast-paced screenplays and serves one more “masala” offering that is entertaining but instantly forgettable too. The action is well-choreographed and of course, Prakashraj’s, “Chellam, I love you!” will go down in the history of Tamil Cinema as one of the most popular phrases! And, the sequences involving Vijay’s family were good, clean fun.
7. Adithadi: I am sure the selection of this movie is going to raise a few eyebrows. Well, Satyaraj is an acquired taste. Some people, including yours truly, love his insouciant attitude but others (especially the fairer sex) feel repelled by his in-your-face raffishness. “Adithadi” is the story of a 50-year-old bachelor (who happens to be a dreaded don!) who falls hook, line and sinker for an 18-year-old (the underrated Rathi). “Adithadi” relies purely on situational comedy and the Director is fairly successful in eliciting laughs most of the time. Napoleon turns in a fine supporting performance as Satyaraj’s brother. But too much “masala” towards the end combined with mediocre technical aspects drag the movie down a bit. And, did I say that Abbas has a small role too? Girls, maybe you should check out the movie, after all!
6.
Aayitha Ezhuthu:
Mani Ratnam’s much-anticipated, star-spangled feature turned out to be a bit of
a disappointment. While entertaining in parts, the movie had something
that was conspicuous by its absence—a soul. The story of three youngsters
– a quixotic student (Surya), a cold-blooded criminal (Madhavan) and a dreamer
(Siddharth)—whose paths cross each other’s, could’ve been developed into an
arresting 2 ½ hour picture but Ratnam falters with perfunctory
characterizations (except Madhavan’s and Meera Jasmine’s) and half-baked
situations. But as with any Mani Ratnam movie, music,
photography and editing were all top-class.
5. Virumaandi: I am one hell of a Kamal fanatic. After having lapped up his profound, affecting masterpiece “Anbe Sivam” (2003), I had sky-high expectations for “Virumaandi,” a rustic tale of a violent youngster and his face-offs with a rich, influential man (Pasupathy). While Kamal, the director and script-writer, proves his intelligence with his deft handling of multiple perspectives and compelling drama, I sort of had the feeling all along that “Virumaandi” was all storytelling but hardly any story! This was even more conspicuous because there was hardly any scope for Kamal, the actor (not that he has anything to prove, anymore!). But Pasupathy’s terrifying portrayal lent villainy a new dimension. Abirami was more in the news for her lip-to-lip kisses with Kamal, a real shame considering the fact that her raw performance was one of the highlights of the movie.
4. Perazhagan: A breezy entertainer, with a fantastic lead performance to boot. Surya, with his well-rounded portrayal of the hunchback Chinna (okay, okay, let’s call him the way he likes it—Prem Kumar!), proved that he is every step his father’s equal, be it voice modulation or facial expression. The beauty of the characterization lay in the fact that his façade of confidence is torn every now and then due to the most painful aspect of human nature- vulnerability. But how he, in spite of his own disappointments, lights up the lives of the people around him is what “Perazhagan” is all about. The second role for Surya was poorly developed but the hilarious comedy and the general upbeat tone of the movie (except the final ½ hour) more than made up for the minor flaws. Of course, where there’s Surya, there’s always Jothika! And if there’re two Suryas, then hell, there will be two Jothikas! Though quite artificial in the blind girl role, she was at her charming best in the other role.
3. Azhagiye Theeye: First-time director Radha Mohan could give a lesson or two, to the veterans who faltered this year. In terms of classical moviemaking, “Azhagiye Theeye” was almost a throwback to the glorious 60’s and 70’s where the script, and the script alone, was the reason to check out some of the movies (of course, the performers mattered too but…). But I’d take this any day over movies that seem to place style over soul. “Azhagiye Theeye” is a simple story of the travails of four youngsters aspiring to make it big in the movies (if you think this sounds like “Pudhu Vasantham,” well you’re right—it “sounds” like the Vikraman movie but the presentation here is totally fresh). The characters seem real, the friendships seem genuine, the twists seem plausible…and more than anything else, the movie raises several laughs out of the simplest, most natural of situations. Prasanna and Navya Nair are very good but the movie’s real scene stealers are its secondary performers- Prakashraj, M.S. Bhasker and Kumaravel (debut). All three of them demonstrate the fact that the real magic is not in the lines, but in the music.
2. Kudaikkull Mazhai: Unjustly ignored by the mass audience, “Kudaikkull Mazhai” nevertheless was one unforgettable, hypnotic waltz into the darker corners of a deeply disturbed mind. In taking a strictly one-line story (a man’s experiences after ‘failure’ in love), Parthiban daringly explores dark tunnels that virtually have no light at the end but he nevertheless, manages to shed light on the plight of the central character- an auto driver (a wonderfully understated performance by Parthiban) who falls to the wiles of a TV anchor (Madhumitha, making a very impressive debut). Though Parthiban’s second-role as the libertine twin brother of the auto driver, is strictly meant for his hardcore fans and the movie, admittedly, is a bit too abstract and philosophical for the mainstream audience, the mesmerizing finale alone is worth the price of admission. It is the perfect point of termination for this emotionally overwhelming experience. Here’s what I wrote in my review- “Irrespective of the highlights or the flaws of ‘Kudaikkull Mazhai’ I will take home with me that expression of satisfaction on Parthiban’s face, in the final frame.”
1. Autograph: Without any hesitation, I can shout out from my rooftop that “Autograph” was the best movie of 2004. Cheran’s sixth directorial venture was nothing more than a simple “trip down memory lane.” But what a trip it was! The story of a man’s (played by Cheran) journey through childhood, adolescence and youth is told in three parts, involving three women. All three segments have a number of unforgettable moments—the playfulness of the school scenes, the insidious transformation from immaturity to maturity during and after the romance portions (in Kerala) and the grittiness of the city scenes all boast of a great script and assured direction. Authenticity has always been a plus point of Cheran’s movies and the situation is no different here. Right from the settings and costumes to the different dialects, “Autograph” is the closest that Tamil Cinema got to a “slice of life” in 2004. Nothing is given short rift here—be it friendship (Sneha), childhood crush (Mallika) or romantic love (Gopika), every relationship in the movie strikes the right note. Especially the Sneha portions really touched a chord in me, not just because she is the best among the current crop of actresses, but because she is given a fabulously etched character that reminds us how great it is to have true friends. The climax at the protagonist’s wedding is symptomatic of the whole movie—down-to-earth, with no ‘shocking’ twists or even heavy dialogues. Just the artistes’ mastery of body language and subtle expressions work real magic on our senses...hats off to the “Autograph” team!