2015 in Review

[uruzalari]

My choice of favourite actors of 2015 :

1. Kamal ( #UttamaVillain ) - Manoranjan was a masterstroke from Kamal Haasan. He was a bundle of emotions - an ageing superstar fighting an illness,a guilt ridden father and a romantic with a fair share of women in his life. Yet the striking aspect was the underplay of it all. The father - son conversation that moistened most eyes too was so subtly done. Somehow this performance did not get it's due. The general perception seems to be that unless you are hidden behind layers of prosthetic or speak a different slang, it is not really great acting!!!

2. Vignesh and Ramesh ( #KaakaMuttai ) - The two kids literally hit the ball out of the park. This was one of the most endearing as well as restrained performances you would see from kids in a feature film. They remained cute bringing a smile on your face but never once went overboard.


3. Vikram ( #I ) - A performance that took physical transformation to new levels. Though it did not work as a package for me there were a few sequences that brought out the 'ace actor' in Vikram. The scene where he visits Suresh Gopi in his clinic and reveals his disfigurement for the first time was one such occasion.

4. Dhanush ( #Maari ) - Shouldering a mass masala and letting the audience care a hoot about logic is no joke. While the film was average at best Dhanush swaggered along with panache. To pull off the kind of dialogues that he spoke in the film in this day and age where meme creators and anyone with an internet connection is waiting to ridicule a small miss is an achievement in itself.

5. Ajith ( #YennaiArindhaal ) - A performance where the actor in hiding managed to come out of the star image that was camouflaging it. Just watch 'Unakenna Venum' song and you will realize what I am talking about.

6. Jayam Ravi ( #ThaniOruvan ) - A neat performance from Jayam Ravi. He could have easily been swept away by the characterization and performance of Aravind Swamy. But he did hold onto his own as the sincere, honest and angry cop.

My choice of favourite actresses of 2015 :

1)Iyshwarya Rajesh ( #KaakaMuttai ) - This would remain as one of the best portrayals from a leading lady in Tamil cinema. There was a gamut of emotions on display and yet no melodrama.

2)Radhika Prasidhha ( #Kuttramkadithal ) - The movie for the most part revolved around her character. The way she carried her guilt that arises from an impulsive action was life like and you kept forgetting it was a movie on display.

3)Jyothika ( #36Vayadhinile ) - A nice and clever choice by the actress to choose this remake as her comeback vehicle. You do associate over enthusiasm at times with Jyothika. But 36 Vayadhinile saw her at her subtle best.

4)Nayanthara ( #Maya #ThaniOruvan #NaanumRowdythaan ) - A year that saw the versatility of Nayanthara come to the fore. While she carried the film in Maya the other two films had her play sensible and important characters in mainstream commercial cinema.

5)Anushka ( #InjiIduppazhagi ) - An actress undergoing physical transformation is mostly unheard off. Despite the film being a mixed bag there is no denying the charm that Anushka brought to this character.

My choice of favourite villains of 2015 :

1) Aravind Swamy ( #ThaniOruvan ) - As the suave villain he breathed fire but with an ice cold expression. This has got to be one of the most well etched characters of a villain in commercial cinema and Aravind Swamy literally rocked it.

2) Pattiyal Sekhar (#Rajathandhiram ) - As the cunning Azhagappan he was the man to watch out in Rajathandhiram. With minimum fuss he came across as an extremely capable actor. The entire cat and mouse game between the hero and him was elevated greatly by his demeanor which looked infallible.

3) Sathyaraj ( #Isai ) - Sathyaraj seemed to have had a ball playing the egoistic ageing musician with a sadistic streak. His interludes with Ganja Karuppu left you asking for more. This was a reminder that old school loud villainy can still be made enjoyable by acting prowess.

4) Parthiban ( #NaanumRowdyThaan ) - Parthiban probably had the least screen time compared to the other villains in the list but he did hold his own in this quirky character. The climax that made the film end on a high owes a lot to this man's idiosyncrasies.

5) Arun Vijay ( #YennaiArindhal ) - This was a double edged sword. You could turn out into a no one sharing space with a mass hero. But Gautham laid out a decent platform for Arun Vijay and he did grab it with both hands. He looked like a man possessed towards the climax portions of the film where he takes Ajith head-on.

My choice of top 10 favourite films of 2015 :

1. #KaakaMuttai - A socially relevant film that silently pricked you while you enjoyed it. It left you with pertinent questions about our society but without getting into a preachy mode.Most importantly it proved that critical acclaim and entertainment need not be mutually exclusive.

2. #ThaniOruvan - The film showed the hitherto unseen dimension of Mohan Raja.It was the most rewarding experience you got from a mainstream Tamil actioner in the recent past. Never in the film were the two principal characters who were at opposite ends of the spectrum made to look like fools to glorify the other.

3. #Baahubali- Rajamouli's magnus opus had his gargantuan dreams take an almost perfect shape on celluloid. Beneath all the hype was an identifiable good vs evil battle that did manage to hold our attention.

4. #Rajathandhiram - A con film that sucks you in is always fun. Sometimes the makers with their overindulgence and by underestimating the intelligence of the audience con themselves. Rajathandhiram thankfully belonged to the former category. The compromised climax was the lone dampener.

5. #IndruNetruNalai - An outstanding debut from Ravikumar. The best thing about the film was it's simplicity. The idea was complex but the presentation was least complicated. Above all the film did reach the masses but without spoon-feeding.

6. #KuttramKadithal - A much needed topic that needed to be discussed was dissected beautifully without making any judgement and taking sides. Kuttram Kadithal is cinema that has the power to educate you and the presentation was painstakingly real as it can get.

7. #Kirumi - An assured debut from Anucharan, Kirumi was a very well made film. There was a strong authority over the medium in every frame. The casting was brilliant and this was a film about a protagonist and not a hero.

8. #TamilukuEnOndraiAluthavum #TEOA - A social thriller that tried to keep the narrative lively with humour as the pivot. While the maker can surely better a few things in the film you cannot deny that the film stood out from the crowd.

9. #Paapanasam - An almost perfect remake of an almost perfect film !

10.#UppuKaruvadu - The making was reminiscent of a decade gone by. Still the humour worked. There were silly gags as well as some solid humour. Uppu Karuvadu was probably the only true blue comedy film of the year that worked.(apart from the quirky 144 that had it's moments)