1983 Movie Review from Veeyen!

Reverberating with vibrant voices, Abrid Shine's directorial debut '1983' roots itself resolutely in a vivacious milieu called the game of cricket. The sense of warmth that the film exudes arises out of the upbeat air of hope that lingers around, as a cricketer who had had his dreams razed to the ground, relives his reverie through his gifted son.
Ramesan (Nivin Pauly), one among the thousands of youngsters that remained glued to their television sets as India won the Cricket World Cup in 1983, realizes at that very spectacular moment that cricket will forever remain a part of his life. Fascinated by the game and becoming increasingly obsessed by it, he does emerge a brilliant player, but one who is destined to remain a sensation at local club matches.

1983 Pictures   18 Pictures

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When you hold fast to a treasure in your heart, everything else at times, appears trifling in comparison. Ramesan comes to terms with this vital truth a bit too late, when he watches his childhood sweetheart Manjula (Nikki Galrani), walk by with an affluent looking hubby and a baby in tow. Academics take a back seat as well, and the once diligent boy who was expected to turn out an engineer, ends up helping his disillusioned dad (Joy Mathew) at his lathe.
There is something very special about the characterization in '1983', and the crisp detailing is almost faultless. And this eminence spreads across almost every character in it, be it the namesake Sachin (Jacob Gregory in a side-splitting role) who drops in like a thunderbolt from Mumbai to play a match, or the beautician (Priyanka) who looks like a flustered peacock with a hair job gone all wrong, who decks up Ramesan's bride Susheela (Srinda Ashab) at his wedding.
I should admit I have never been a fierce aficionado of the game, and if Abrid Shine still manages to make my hair stand on its ends in sheer euphoria, it's apparent that the man has delivered a perfect shot. Above everything else, its Abrid's love for the game that drives this film forward with a gusto, making us, in the process fall in love with it as well.
It cannot be left unsaid, that the film itself is a luminous tribute to the greatest batsman ever, Sachin Tendulkar, and Abrid leaves no stones unturned to emphasize how ardent an admirer of the sportsman he is. In a very obvious tirade against Sachin's detractors, Abrid spells out in clear terms through the words of Vijay (Anoopm Menon), as to why he believes they don't make great players like Sachin anymore. Tendulkar, believe me, should be proud.
It goes without saying that this is perhaps Nivin's best performance as yet, and as a forty year old man who stills holds on to the stars in his eyes, he is out-and-out impressive. Nikki Galrani looks refreshingly stunning, while Srinda Ashab delivers a self-assured feat. There is a huge supporting cast that includes such names as Anoop Menon, Joy Mathew, Seema G Nair, Saiju Kurup and Shereej Basheer, and a few amazingly talented child actors as well, all of whom pitch in their worthy bits to this remarkable film.
'Olanjali..' is undoubtedly one of the best melodies that I have listened to in years, and if Gopi Sunder has succeeded in spluttering some exquisite glitter with his remarkable musical score, Pradeesh Varma makes sure that '1983' is a visual delight, with his dazzling frames that further add to the delectable charm of this film.
'1983' casts a spectacular nostalgic spell over a nation that is known to breathe cricket, and in the process gifts us with the first cinematic gem of the year. It does a magic trick that makes you smile, that breaks your heart and that inspires you to the hilt. Match splendidly won, Abrid, and further matches keenly awaited!

Rating:****.

http://www.nowrunning.com/movie/12120/malayalam/1983/4541/review.htm

Om Shanti Oshana Review from NowRunning!!

Girl falls in love with boy. Boy does not reciprocate. Girl persists. Boy relents.
That pretty much sums up 'Om Shanti Oshana' for you. Pooja Mathew (Nazriya Nazim), the sole daughter of Dr. Mathew (Renji Panicker) runs into Giri (Nivin Pauly) at Veegaland, where he rescues her from a bunch of hoodlums who have been busy twisting her hand. She doesn't think twice before deciding that he is the man, and follows him around like a dutiful puppy.
If you ask me about the best scene in 'Om Shanti Oshana', I would say that it's the one that precedes the film. There is the customary statutory warning against tobacco use here as well, and it's way too good. Way too good.

Om Shanthi Oshana Pictures   90 Pictures

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The film kick starts in the late 90's and spans a couple of decades, and the girl transforms into a lovely woman from the gawky, wide eyed teenager that she once was. Her love for the man remains steadfast throughout, and 'OSO' underlines the fact that many an Indian film had emphasized time and again - true love NEVER fails.
The video cassette shops, the contessa car and the Nokia 3310 all suggest those years that were long gone; and yet there are several other things all around that point out without doubt that the year is 2013. The straightened hair, the watches, the swish spectacles, the drapes, the interiors and the slim fit jeans and attire - all are out there as if on an anti-vintage campaign.
The light hearted moments that occur at a regular pace keep you focused on the proceedings, and the young lecturer at the Medical College (Vineeth Sreenivasan in a cameo) is part of quite a few of them. It doesn't require an Einstein brain to find out where the doc has got his sight fixed, and with all those twists and turns that we have been witness to, the observant viewer puts two and two together in a jiffy.
There are a few other characters that grab your attention, David Kanjani (Aju Varghese) being one among them. Pooja's despicable cousin brother who spends more time in exile than otherwise, is a man who brings about a smile to our face, with the antics that he is upto. There is also a beautiful lady by the name of Thennal (an even more beautiful name) floating around, albeit in a few scenes, and Nikki Galrani sashays in and out like a real breeze.
Despite being a film that belongs to its heroine, I should say that it's the male lead who scores big time here, with an assured performance. Nivin Pauly looks every bit the almost ascetic youngster who is way too practical and clear headed to be lured into an unrealistic romance. Nazriya hams it up (especially in the few initial scenes) when she has to be the tomboy, declaring vehemently through her maneuvers that she is way too feminine to be one. But when her Bambi-esque eyes brim up with tears, you forget everything and reach out to her, hoping that everything ends up well in her world. Renji Panicker is a man whom I would love to see on screen more often and the screen dad that he plays is near perfect.
'Om Shanti Oshana' works no wonders when it comes to the tale that it narrates. And yet, if it manages to leave an impression, its courtesy the uncanny moves that it makes in the account, some of which leave you surprised and pleased as punch, and a few stray ones missing the mark by a mile. 

Rating:**1/2

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Happy Journey Review from Now Running!!

'Happy Journey' starts off where the recently released '1983' left off, with a child cricket prodigy named Aaron getting selected to the under-15 state cricket team. The boy and his mom Alice (Lena) dream of a spectacular sports career ahead, when an unexpected accident renders the boy blind.
Boban Samuel's new film tracks the boy's journey into his youth, where he matures into a charming youngster (Jayasurya) who skillfully manages things on his own, despite being visually disabled. And he starts telling his story to a fellow passenger (Aparna Gopinath) in a bus bound for Chennai, and she even ends up writing a book on it!

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Some themes do manage to capture our attention when it comes to the distinctive milieu that they are set on. As someone asks in the course of the film, how many of us have in fact heard of the Blind Cricket team of the country? Or for that matter how many of us have actually watched these blind sportsmen play?

Not many of us, I'm sure, and even then, 'Happy Journey' turns out to be a yawn of a film. There is only the script that does not have any specific purpose or aim that has to be blamed for the miserable state of affairs that the film finds itself in.

The last half hour of the film, in particular, is insufferable, with the audience literally taken for a ride. So when a song spurts out all on a sudden, only to be followed by yet another in quick succession, you realize that the journey isn't half as happy as it claims to be.

There are a few light moments in the first half of the film, and surprisingly they have nothing to do with the central theme as such. They concern Aaron's cousin Freddy (Balu Varghese), who is the sole lively spirit in the entire film. Wait, there is another fellow named Pranchi with whom Freddy is always engaged in a war of words, and together they are a blast.

The 'Chak De' team, that coach Gopikrishnan (Lal) assembles together is indeed reminiscent of the Bollywood film. However the representatives from the different states in 'Happy Journey' make a clumsy group, with none of their identities explored. And when there is the rare attempt to delve into the lives of one or two of them, like for instead the Tamilian (Chemban Vinod Jose), the results are corny and disastrous.a

All said and done, Jayasurya does come up with an endearing performance as the blind sportsman, and its purely on account of the actor's mode of delivery that we patiently sit through the entirety of the film. Of course, there is Balu Varghese as well, who makes you smile, which is saying a lot, when it comes to a film as this.

The interest quotient in Boban Samuel's 'Happy Journey' remains the minimum, and at the end of it, its nothing more than a series of disparate scenes that try their best to hold together. It's a bit sad, since the source material that the maker had in his hands could have evolved into something infinitely better, with perhaps a bit of a shift in perspective.

 Rating:**

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Jilla Review from Times of India!!

Movie Review: It looks like Vijay has realized that he can be in mass masala films that are not only entertaining to his fan base but also to every segment in the audience. He did this earlier with films like Ghilli, Pokkiri and Thuppakki, and does it now with Jilla. This time, he shares the glory with Mohanlal, who plays his godfather in the film. The plot revolves around Sivan (Mohanlal), a don in Madurai, who brings up Sakthi (Vijay), whose father died for him, as his own son. The two are a formidable force in the city but circumstances force Sivan to ask Sakthi to become a cop. But when an accident results in the death of several innocents, Sakthi wants his father to turn over a new leaf. But the older man is not in the mood to heed his advice, and soon, the two are on opposing sides.

As far as commercial films are concerned, Jilla is definitely assured filmmaking. Neason understands that the conflict between Sivan and Sakthi is what powers his film and sets up the initial clash between these two characters very well. Sakthi's realizes the error of his ways after a horrible blast, which happens because of Sivan's decision. The scenes following this blast are quite horrific for this kind of film but they are so effective in making us understand why someone as loyal as Sakthi will shift sides and decides to take on the person who is his father figure. The confrontation scene is very well shot and the dialogues too are punchy in this scene. Vijay and Mohanlal are very good here. Vijay utters Sakthi's lines in a nonchalant way (Unakkaga enaku pidikadha khakhi potu police aanen illa, enakkaga nee ippo nallavana maaru) while Mohanlal treats Sivan's lines with seriousness, and so we get to see where each character stands — the son only wants his father to change but the latter will not give an inch from his position and is even ready to banish him from the house. When the intermission point arrives, we eagerly anticipate what might come next.

Neason also keeps Sivan's character in the grey area — he never has any remorse for the blast, he even brokers for a pharma company which is banned everywhere in the world; he is so egoistic that he wants to put Sakthi in place at any cost. Which is why, we feel cheated when the director decides to bring in another antagonist who wants to bring down the father-son duo. Thankfully, our disappointment doesn't last long as this character poses a formidable challenge to Sakthi and that keeps this segment engaging. He even has a minor victory when he manages to kill a character close to Sakthi and Sivan.

The lighter portions too are done with confidence. Neason understands the irony of a guy who hates the khakhi falling in love with a woman who is a cop, and treats the romance in a playful manner. He even approaches the scene in which Sivan urges Sakthi to become a cop in a similar vein. A godfather asking his son to do something he hates is heavy duty drama material but the director sidesteps this by going for a good-humoured tone, and just to not make it appear too frivolous, makes Sakthi tell his mom that he will do anything to not see his dad tearing up again. He also manages to get away with the implausible scenario of a don's hireling becoming a cop.

The main issue with Jilla is that it is overlong. Neason, probably in an effort to make it a wholesome entertainer, keeps packing in scenes oblivious to the running time. So, we have an unwarranted sub-plot involving Sakthi's sister and forcefully fitted songs which only make the film lengthy. Also, his tendency to cut to a childhood moment every time he wants to make an emotional statement becomes gratuitous after a point — the film itself begins with Sakthi as a boy; when Sakthi is injured, he recalls a moment when Sivan rushed to him when he injured himself as a boy; when his brother talks about growing up holding Sakthi's hands, he cuts to a montage of two boys holding hands.  

Rating:***1/2
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/jilla/movie-review/28650403.cms 

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Thalaimuraigal Review from Rediff!!

After more than four decades in the film industry, ace filmmaker Balu Mahendra, who has given us some memorable films in Veedu, Sandhya Ragam and Moondram Pirai, makes his acting debut in Thalaimuraigal. He has also written, directed, edited and wielded the camera for the film.

This is the first time that the 74-year-old director, who started his career as a cinematographer, has shot a film in the digital format with a still camera, the Canon 5D DSLR. Thalaimuraigal is produced by M Sasikumar`s company, Film Productions, and he also makes a cameo appearance in the film.

The film stars Ramya Shankar, Vinodhini, S Sashi and Master Karthick. Ilaiyaraaja has composed the music for the film. The story opens with a phone call to Dr Siva (Sashi) from his childhood friend Govind, who informs him that his estranged father is recovering from a massive stroke.

It is 12 years since Siva has last seen his father Subbu (Balu Mahendra). Siva was thrown out of the house by his orthodox father for marrying a Christian girl, Stella (Ramya Shankar).

Though deeply upset at the news, Siva is in a dilemma as he is not sure that his father will accept him back. Stella, however, convinces him to go and Siva makes the journey to his village to see his ailing father. Subbu is rude and overbearing initially, but he cannot hide the joy and pride at seeing his son, a successful doctor.

Stella, who is very keen to give their son Aditya (Master Karthick) an opportunity to know his grandfather, also joins him after a couple of days.
At the very first glimpse of his grandson, Subbu is overjoyed, and all the anger and hatred just seem to melt away. Even the contempt for his Christian daughter-in-law vanishes.

Subbu is now just an old man trying to understand his grandson, who does not speak a word of Tamil. Unfortunately, Subbu not only does not understand English, but even hates the language.

Is there a common meeting ground? Can they break the strong barriers of caste, religion and language and find love and respect for each other? All this is revealed with a lot of sensitivity and simplicity in the second half of the film.
Balu Mahendra’s effortless performance in Thalaimuraigai proves that acting is yet another skill to be added to his already long list of accomplishments.
He plays an angry father, who eventually comes to regret his orthodox beliefs; his perception of caste and language differences are changed by his grandson and daughter-in-law.

Despite all the differences, the underlying love and pride between the father, son and grandson is brought out beautifully. Master Karthick plays the bright and intelligent grandson, whose curiosity and earnestness will definitely make you smile. All the others too, have excelled in their respective roles.

There are no songs to mar the narration and the background score by Ilaiyaraaja remains inconspicuous, subtly bringing out the depth and intensity of the film, while enhancing the natural sounds of the singing birds and the flowing water. Balu Mahendra is a master of cinematography and his love for shooting in natural light is evident throughout the film.

Director Balu Mahendra's Thalaimuraigal is a heartwarming tale of a grandfather coming to terms with his own conservative values and beliefs, while at the same time instilling in his grandson, a sense of pride and appreciation in his language and culture.

Rating:***1/2

http://www.rediff.com/movies/report/review-thalaimuraigal-is-brilliant-south/20131223.htm