Vinnai Thandi Varuvaaya review
- Karthik loves Jessy. There is nothing so attractive about Jessy’s personality that we know of. So what made him love her? The director does not have time to explain anything of that sort, that too in a love story. Very intelligently he makes the protagonist ask the same question to the audience twice or thrice and tries to get away.
- Once the heroine accepts the love, they say ‘I love you’ to each other a few times, go around in bike, eat good food, watch movies. Pa! Very different. Total class!!!
- And for the hero’s passion for film-making. There are a few references in dialogues, some shots where he carries the clip board, and voila he is a film-maker. He could’ve as well been a two wheeler mechanic, only that it would not sounded as ‘aspirational’.
- Why America? Gautam Menon knows going to America for shooting is the in-thing. So America!
- Simbu and Trisha are decent in this film. But the way the media folks rave, looks like both will get a National award. Aandava!!
- The film has ARR’s music and that’s one of the few redeeming features. ‘Aromale’ stands out for the voice and music. It’s a great piece to listen. But film music is also about conveying the emotions of the characters I thought. No? We can simply replace the ‘Aromale’ lyrics with English and we’ll get a proper English song. And the emotions in this music is at best confusing to me. Why that song for ‘that’ situation? Blame it on globalization. Local flavor does not sell as well.
In short this is yet another ‘once watchable’ but pretentious, ‘no depth’ Gautam Vasudev Menon film which unfortunately gets raved about as the ‘great thing since Ulundu vadai’ in the media. The best thing one can say is that its not a terrible insult on one’s intelligence as a Vijay movie. But that apart he has imbibed all the bad aspects of Mani Ratnam style of film making. I was disappointed with his ‘Daddy Daddy ‘Vaaranam Aayiram’. I am equally disappointed with his ‘Jessy Jessy’ VTV. I now think his ‘Pachai Kili Muthucharam’ was very watchable except for the last 30 minutes.
Gautam Menon and Microsoft have one thing in common. Discerning folks in general talk good about their previous effort when compared with their latest offering.
I think it’s not the occasional flop that kills a film maker. It’s the inability to hit the RESET button every two-three films and come up with something fresh that eventually gets the better of a director. People who have survived have been able to do that. Gautam Menon must hit the RESET button NOW. Otherwise he will soon join the elite company of R V Udayakumar, R K Selvamani - folks who were once thought of as ’one of the top directors of tamil cinema’ but who did not hit the RESET button quick enough.
March 7th, 2010 at 8:14 pm
PK - Nicely written . ‘No depth’ as you’ve rightly said. I couldn’t sit thru the 2nd half…was too long !!
March 7th, 2010 at 11:29 pm
I haven’t seen VTV yet. All the reviews i read were aha, oho, superb. Even then somehow i felt Gautham Menon was churning the same maavu. I too felt disappointed with all his recent movies. I dont know why, but we expect something more from him thinking he is capable? but he lets us down.
March 8th, 2010 at 12:04 am
Yen Boss, Unga Orutharukku dhaan petti vandhu seraliya ? Free preview showsukku koopadaliya ? Ippadi Aayirathil oruvanaga irukireergaley …
March 8th, 2010 at 3:17 am
i loved the movie…realistic…nice characterisation.. lovely acting.. could have chopped down a bit in teh 2nd half.. but life is like that no….it is a lovely movie…. there was a lot of depth…thats y u see only two ppl, karthik and trisha….
why does he like her? Love it just happens.. like i fell in live with my hubby… and if 2 people really dont get along.. something somewhere doesnt happen fine…they break up like it happened in this movie….
lovely lyrics.. each song is so apt for that situation.. and like you i dont understand heavy duty malayalam.. so i didnt get that song.. but the rest had lovely lyrics.. picturisation can be better…except for mannippaayaa and aaromale… the others were a let down…
the romantic scenes between the two were great… i liked it over all….
or to say a line from the movie.. may be u didnt see the movie through my eyes…
March 8th, 2010 at 6:50 am
Monu,
I really tried to see through your eyes
Kannuku kulurchiya naalu edam, kekka sugama rendu paatu irundha podhum nu nenaikara varaikum thamizh naadu will only get movies like this
March 8th, 2010 at 6:53 am
Vidhya,
If you know about gautam menon’s packaging ( like the camera goes handheld to give a feel of ‘up close and personal’) + a regular romance story… then my two cents…you are not missing much from not watching…
March 8th, 2010 at 9:53 am
BNB,
>>Aayirathil oruvan
Ahhaaaa… venaam en vaayai kelaraadheenga!!!
maha kodumai adhu… but one thing… selvaraghavan is more likely to stay in this profession longer than Gautam Menon. This is my josiyam
March 8th, 2010 at 1:07 pm
Monu - Did you hubby like the movie? What are his thoughts..! Just curious ! Lots of people around here tell me, they felt it was a - CHICK FLICK.
March 9th, 2010 at 12:39 am
Bang on point.. you even used the same words that i usually use to associate a Gautham menon film “pretentious”..
i havent even watched the movie yet.. but i know how it would be.. i hated the daddy daddy thing in Varanam ayiram too.. it is inspired from Kurosawa’s ‘Ikiru’, wherein the dad calls out the sons name.. even the shot is the same.. but any scene makes sense only when the emotion goes along with it.. only reason why pachai kili muthu charam was good was that it was lifted from the movie ‘derailed’(which was based on a book by the same name) and the bad part is no credit is mentioned and the reason that the last 30 minutes was a disaster is becoz that is Gautham creativity/innovation to change the story from the original
March 9th, 2010 at 6:07 am
Mani
Thank u:)
Reg.. pachaikili, informed sources tell me he had indeed given credit (obviously in the smallest font) for Derailed.
Last 30 minutes sema comedy andha padam
BTW VTV layum last 30 minutes la adhey madhiri creativity/innovation twist undu :p
March 10th, 2010 at 2:48 am
Dude, VTV is the one of the best movie ever made in Indian cinema history, don’t you know?
:)
If only I can see just the songs (for ARR) and Trisha once again with the rest of the parts removed.
;)
March 20th, 2010 at 12:00 am
Good review. The film was very average IMO. The great reviews and the balachander letter came because of it being a Red Giant pictures production. Remember, if your arm is twisted behind you, you’ll move forward at a pace people want you to.
March 20th, 2010 at 12:05 am
@PK: I think Mysskin will stay in the business for longer than both Selvaraghavan and Gautham.
I hate Tamil cinema for one thing: For not know what cinema is. Why don’t they realize writing and directing are two completely unrelated roles? Why does any Asst director have to “kadhai pannify for top heroes” to become a director?
March 20th, 2010 at 3:02 am
pradeep
thank you.
Some of the N-IMDBs in my family also say the same thing about Mysskin. They have high regards for him than other ‘top’ music directors.