Custody Movie Review:

Venkat Prabhu’s films are known for their cool plots and quirky situations that they bring in. After a blockbuster Maanaadu and a very enjoyable Manmatha Leelai, the director is here making his Telugu debut with Custody. The film is a race-against-time thriller that is set in the 90s,with Naga Chaitanya playing the role of a constable. Shiva (Naga Chaitanya) is a honest police officer who is finding it hard to get married to his love (Krithi Shetty). Enter Raju (Aravind Swami), a criminal who has just been caught by the CBI. When the CBI officer and Raju get on the crossroad with Shiva, it starts off a fun run where Raju has to be produced before the Bangalore court within the next 48 hours. The first 40 minutes of Custody are tedious with two bad songs and a boring romantic track, but the film picks up after Aravind Swamy’s entry and moves at a very good pace from there. The police station fight sequence in the first half along with the pre-interval block speed up the proceedings and make the film better than what it begins from. The second half has a surprise cameo and an emotional flashback episode that tries to come over as the core of the film, but it is again the action sequences and the speedy parts of the film which make it work to an extent.The former in particular is really good, with his one liners evoking good laughter. Priyamani and the rest of the cast are fine fits.The music by the combo of Ilaiyaraaja and Yuvan Shankar Raja is very disappointing, given the fact that they already have a good combination with Venkat Prabhu. The songs don’t feel that they’ve been composed with good intent, and the BGM is loud and over the top. Visually, the film has been treated well with impressive cinematography

Cast: NagaChaitanya, Krithi Shetty, Aravinthswami, Sarathkumar, Priyamani

Review by 

P. RANJITH

Kazhuvethi Moorkkan Movie Review:

In his debut film Raatchasi, director Sy Gowtham Raj worked out a serious film in the backdrop of a school, with a nice twist. In his sophomore effort, Kazhuvethi Moorkan, the directors opts for a caste politics backdrop and adds a lot of rage to it through his lead actor in Arulnithi The film is based on the relationship between Moorkan (Arulnithi) and Bhoomi (Santhosh Prathap), and the friendship that they share despite belonging to different caste sectors. The first half of the film is decent with Arulnithi’s character being introduced as the angry man, and the character establishments being done one after the other. The film moves at a fine pace here, and is lit up by Dushara Vijayan who is superb as the female lead. Her portions with Arulnithi are so nicely done, with the love scenes not diluting the film’s core content which is the caste politics. Into the second half, the film moves into various territories and packs in lot of action sequences, rage, a few twists and quite a shocking climax that offers reasoning that is somewhat debatable. The second half is the better of the two in the film, and makes the film an engaging watch on the whole.

Cast: Arulnithi, Santhosh Prathap, Dushara Vijayan,

Review by 

P.Ranjith

Viduthalai Part 1 Movie Review

 

Viduthalai Part 1 Movie Review: 

The mere mention of Vetri Maaran's name invokes high expectations, and Viduthalai Part 1 surpasses them with ease. The film opens with a striking single-shot sequence depicting the aftermath of a train blast, setting the tone for a captivating experience. Viduthalai Part 1 centers around the conflict between the police department and an activist group striving to protect indigenous people and their resources.Soori plays Kumeresan, a police driver stationed in a sensitive hilly region where the conflict is most intense. As he becomes more acquainted with the area, he inadvertently saves the life of an indigenous woman, inviting the wrath of his superiors and exposing him to the brutality of the police unit stationed there. The department launches "Ghost Hunt," an operation to capture Vaathiyaar (Vijay Sethupathi), the leader of the activist group, and impede their progress. While no one knows Vaathiyaar's whereabouts, Kumeresan claims to have certain leads on his location. As Kumeresan falls in love with one of the tribal women (Bhavani Sre), the police force begins exercising their authority over the people to capture Vaathiyaar. Caught in the crossfire, Kumeresan has no choice but to pursue Vaathiyaar to save numerous lives. Vetri Maaran, known for his compelling writing and staging, delivers another engrossing narrative with Viduthalai Part 1. From the opening moments, the film captivates the audience with tension and takes them on a journey of impactful conflicts. Though the events leading up to the conflicts are simple, Vetri Maaran's vision behind projecting them is exceptionally powerful, inducing an adrenaline rush in the audience.The climactic scenes are masterfully executed action sequences that smoothly transition into Part 2. The brief glimpses of Part 2 provide a satisfying ending, leaving viewers eager to uncover the truth and politics behind the conflicts. While there are instances of police brutality, Vetri Maaran's portrayal is neutral, showcasing both sides of the issue. The cast is skillfully chosen, with Soori fitting into his role with ease and Vijay Sethupathi delivering a menacing performance as Vaathiyaar with minimal screen time. Ilaiyaraaja's background score is a standout feature, completely immersing viewers in the film's landscape and brutal events. Some sequences may be hard to watch due to their realistic portrayal of brutality. While there are occasional technical flaws, they are forgivable given the film's scale and the terrain it was shot in.Other actors, including Chethan, Rajiv Menon, and Gautham Menon, contribute well to the film's progression. Bhavani Sre delivers an intense performance in a few scenes, making them particularly memorable. At two and a half hours, Viduthalai Part 1 maintains a consistent pace and keeps viewers engaged with moments of high tension. It stays true to Vetri Maaran's style and artistry, making audiences eager for the sequel.

Review by

P.Ranjith

Ponniyin Selvan: Part 2 Movie Review :

Ponniyin Selvan: Part 2 Movie Review: Having set the plot in motion in the first part, with Ponniyin Selvan: Part 2, Mani Ratnam dives right into the heart of the novel - the ill-fated romance between crown prince Aaditha Karikalan (Vikram) and Nandhini (Aishwarya Rai Bachchan). PS2 begins with a prelude that captures the romance between these two characters when they were young, and without saying too much in the form of dialogues, the director shows us the blossoming of love between a prince and an orphan girl, and the heartache it leaves in the wake of them being separated by forces beyond their control. In fact, right until the climax, this doomed romance is what sustains the tension in this tale and drives the characters to make decisions that have far-reaching impact. Even when he realises that an acceptance of an invitation to the Kadambur palace - a place where his own chieftains plotted against him - could be a folly, Karikalan is unable to turn it down. For his sister, Princess Kundhavai (Trisha), the mystery around Nandhini's lineage drives her actions. And the young prince Arulmozhi Varman (Jayam Ravi) ends up fending off the Pandiya rebels, who have sworn an oath to kill Karikalan, whose romance led to the murder of their king.Up until the intermission, the film continues with the brisk narration that we got in the latter half of the first film, proceeding more like a swashbuckler. We witness the daring attempts to murder Arulmozhi, who is recovering from an illness at a monastery, and Vandhiyathevan's (Karthi) efforts to foil them. We get a sizzling romantic scene between Vandhiyathevan and Kundhavai, a truly heartwarming moment in a reunion of the siblings, and a thrilling pre-interval action sequence (with a rousing AR Rahman background score) that's a masterclass in shooting chaos while retaining spatial clarity. The latter half is more concerned with the fate of Karikalan, and Mani Ratnam fills the much-anticipated moment between Karikalan and Nandhini with so much dread and pain that we even forget the rest of the characters for a brief while. Vikram and Aishwarya are terrific in these portions, delivering performances that are so naked and deeply heartfelt, filmed largely in close-ups by cinematographer Ravi Varman, and adding to the vulnerability of their characters.In fairness, the climactic portions are hugely impacted by this emotional high, as the events that follow a major character's death cannot match the suspense and the drama the narrative held until then. And given the serious nature of the proceedings, they have a rather sombre tone — something we don't associate with period epics, especially in this post-Baahubali era. Unlike those films, which were about larger-than-life, imaginary heroes, Mani Ratnam hews closer to the spirit of Kalki's novels, a fictionalised account of historical personalities, largely focused on the interpersonal drama. The action might happen in a palace, but the grandeur comes mainly from the emotions of characters within its walls. Mani Ratnam seems to realise this too, and decides to have a war scene in the end to give viewers an instant adrenaline rush, but this portion lacks strong emotional grounding (and stunning visual effects) to truly leave us with a high.But the more underwhelming moment is the climax. Even in Kalki's book, we get a rather low-key ending, with one too many twists, but here, while the writers (Mani Ratnam, Jeyamohan and Kumaravel) sensibly give us a more agreeable twist, they fail to pack a punch with the speech that Arulmozhi delivers in the end while making the supreme sacrifice that makes him the titular hero of this sprawling epic.

 

Review by

P.Ranjith