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Raja Ranguski (2018)
Filmmaker Dharani Dharan who made the fairly impressive
Filmmaker Dharani Dharan who made the fairly impressive Burma and Shirish who made his debut with the acclaimed crime drama Metro have joined together in Raja Ranguski, a whodunit murder mystery thriller.
An old lady Maria(Anupama) an antique collector is brutally murdered in her villa and all the evidence point towards a young constable Raja (Shirish). An inspector Arokyam (Vijay Sathya) and CBCID officer KK (Jayakumar) chase the constable to put him behind the bars. On the other hand, Raja gets the help of his writer girlfriend Ranguski(Chandini) and his constable friend(Kalloori Vinoth) to find the real murderer...
One of the strength's of Raja Ranguski is the crisp runtime (120 minutes) and unpredictable twist which we get to know only in the climax. Although the romantic portions featuring Shirish and Chandini were not convincing, the investigative scenes are quite intriguing. Yuvan Shankar Raja is in top form and his background score is easily the biggest selling point of the film that he elevates the thrill factor with his music.
Performance wise, Shirish has the physique for a cop role but the actor should improve on his expressions. Chandini has ann important role but her performance isn't quite convincing. Anupama Kumar shines in the brief yet pivotal character while the characterizations of the two cops - Jayakumar and Vijay Sathya are fascinating in the mystery thriller. The comedy one-liners of Kalloori Vinoth is also enjoyable in many places.
The trouble with the script is that the romance between Raja and Ranguski is badly written and not convincing. There are some red herrings thrown in to confuse the viewers but they are almost immediately eliminated and you can guess the murderer towards the climax.
Cinematographer Yuva perfectly captured the mood of the characters, his shot divisions within the limited landscape of the villa is very impressive and the constantly moving frames also helps to hold the attention of the viewers. The editor has packaged the film within the perfect duration and there is no needless gimmick.
Overall, Raja Ranguski is a thriller which is watchable for some twist and the intelligent screenplay of director Dharani Dharan.
Raja Ranguski review - Verdict: Decent thriller
Theeran Adhigaaram Ondru (2017)
Theeran Adhikaram Ondru Movie Review: Karthi Delivers a Power-packed Performance in This Gripping Cop Story
In a seminal scene in Theeran-Adhikaram Ondru, DSP Theeran (Actor Karthi plays an upright police officer endowed equally with brains and rippling muscles) storms into a den of outlaws in the badlands of Rajasthan. He advises his team to stay inside the car as he walks on purposefully, the dusty hamlet is all eyes; it's the territory of Omah Singh, a much-feared highway dacoit responsible for a breakout of murders in rural Tamil Nadu. As the dust motes ripple upward in the desert air, Theeran slams one after the other until Singh sits up and takes notice, his hookah forgotten
The face-off defines the movie. Can a district police chief trace murders all the way to the North-West, surmount the crippling bureaucracy of multiple governments and bring to book a dacoit gang wreaking havoc on the crime numbers in TN? An emphatic Yes!
H Vinoth, who deftly portrayed the lives and tricks of a gifted conman in Sathuranga Vettai is telling us a cop story this time. The usual clichés are in order: Theeran is transfer magnet, courtesy his sky- high morals and commitment to policing. His stay-at-home wife (Rakul Preet) is content with chiding him now and then about not being home most days. He chooses to go after the criminals when a dilemma presents itself after he gets to know his wife is dying. Even during training days, Theeran shows signs of precocity – he knows how to handle a crime-scene weapon (We are informed the usual handkerchief method of securing it will not protect the prints! Theeran holds it between two fingers at points where the criminal might not have touched the weapon).
Neatly parted hair and a razor-sharp mush and almost-always wearing a dark shirt straining against his chest, Karthi looks every inch the ideal police officer. Assisted by a team of devoted cops, Theeran leads a national hunt for fingerprints that lead them into the history of Indian outlaws with origins in the British era. These huntsmen have no targets but gold, unless you leave out savagery. How Theeran bumps off each one of them form the crux of the story.
Negatives include a bit of drag in the scenes describing the Rajasthani outlaws, or when the action sequences gets a little too long – Theeran beats the villain to pulp in searing Rajasthani heat before dragging him through the desert sands on a horse! Classic. A few songs are plugged here and there in the movie and they pass without causing inconvenience. The background scores for the Dakotas are particularly effective in accentuating their bestiality. Overall, music director Gibran is very good in many parts.
The story itself rests on actual history. Dacoity at homes along the highways was a menace in Tamil Nadu during the late 90s. Apparently, Tamil Nadu had ranked high in taking it seriously and wiping such crimes off its map, although the policemen behind the job had gotten little credit.
True to that, Theeran spends the twilight of his career behind a desk, complaining about a rickety chair not replaced for months. A young officer having known his deeds drops by just to salute him, and Theeran betrays that old glint of uprightness still bright in his eyes.
After all these years? If you are Theeran, You would say "Always."
Kadugu (2017)
Kadugu is a return to form for Vijay Milton, and a make-good Film as he did with Goli Soda.
Kadugu is a return to form for Vijay Milton, and a make-good Film as he did with Goli Soda, Milton narrates a story whose plot points are familiar, but he injects freshness into the film by giving it a unique setting and populating it with characters who are unusual and fascinating.
Paradesi (2013)
Based on 1940's Real life incidents of Tea Plantation workers.
Story: Ottuparuki alias Rasa (Adharvaa) is the local messenger, who travels across to different villages, delivering the news! Angamma (Vedhika) is a bubbly village belle, with a soft corner for the lively Rasa! However, the villagers are against Angamma getting involved with him, and warn her against it. Sensing the need to prove himself he decides to work in Zameendar's tea plant. Rasa's struggle for freedom at tea plantation forms the crux.
Performances
Adharvaa is stunning throughout the movie. His big expressive eyes bring out many emotions. His extreme physical and mental effort can be seen clearly on screen. Climax act was top notch.
Vedhika is sure to make a mark with her character which has both shades. She brings out some relief from proceedings during interval.
Dhansika gives some quite subtle reactions. Her character is contrary to Vedhika's character but still she is the show-stopper. The others in cast like the villainous landlord and the granny of Adharvaa are excellent in their performance.
Technical Analysis
Cinematography by Chezhiyan is brilliant, the locales of 1940 village and tea plant are well captured and camera work stands out in the film. Musical scores are excellent while background score is quite impressive. Action sequences are fantastically shot. Bala has succeeded again in direction department while screenplay is interesting. Editing by Kishore Te, who made the cuts perfect without any flaws is outstanding. Paradesi is technically brilliant.
Analysis
Director Bala has come up with innovative story line.. Paradesi is based on novel The Red Tea (written by Paul Harris). The film depicts the wretched lives of tea plantation workers. Director Bala shows us the lives of carefree and poor villagers who are forced to work as slaves for rest of their lives with no trace of freedom. The first half is smooth going with few heart touching scenes and interval bang is absolute outstanding. In the second half of the movie Adharvaa steals the show with his sheer acting skills along with Dhansika who plays the role of abandoned mother of 2 children. Climax is remarkable.
With no commercial elements, we are yet to see how the Tamil movie lovers will receive the film. Nonetheless, the film will be loved by Bala fans and remains as one of his best works.
Final Verdict
Paradesi is surely going to be a landmark film for Tamil cinema.