Films recently watched & worthy of some discussion

[mappi]

Year 2016

The year 2016 has my favourite actor's film 'Kabali' as it crown, yet, 2016 marks itself as a dark year for Tamil Cinema, mainly for lack of competent directors.

Fabulous stories were ruined and even when screen writing moved ahead, it was not well supported by the director. The year saw no variety in female leads and lacks new faces, which made the year seemingly dull. Youngsters are always the boost for any environment and they paint an energetic colour to the industry.

Before listing out (my) top ten films of the year 2016, here is a special mention to 24, Saithan & Iru Mugham. Drug Valkyr produced under Project Valhalla by Aesir Corporation in the fiction Max Payne is the prime theme adapted in the movies Saithan & Iru Mugam. Hats off to Prathi Krishnamurthy & Anand Shankar for bringing in such stories to TFI, both films work well under Sci-Fi genres. 24's time travel theme was refreshing, but all the three films diluted the core substance with their over dosage of cultural elements that did not match with the theme, resulting in decreasing the momentum of the narration respectively. The directors should start working on identifying the lag in the script and take measures to either correct them or remove them completely from the screenplay.

10/ Kashmora
Written & Directed by Gokul

A remarkable film that used much of digital cinema technics. The headless ghost of Raaj Nayak talking and fighting are the major highlights of the films. Kashmora enters into long shot list in TFI, when the Bhai visits Kashmora who walks him through the interior of his mansion up to the exit door on the other end, all the while dressing himself up. The only film this years in which I found the dialogues been well written & spoken.

09/ Jil Jung Juk
Written & Directed by Deeraj Vaidy

A film under my favourite genre, Jil Jung Juk was fabulously narrated and picturised. The fictional situations and the characters reaction correlated with each other. The interval block and the pre-climax shootout were well presented.

08/ Manithan
Directed by Ahmed

A faithful adaptation of a Bollywood film which succeeds after a line of disastrous remake films results. Apart from the known characters, what clicks in the film is its casting. Right from Udhayanidhi to Raja Rishi, all the artists suited to the story and have given applause worthy performance. Santosh Narayanan's Aval & Poi Vazhva provides the needed revelations that the narration demands.

07-06/ Rajini Murugan, Remo
Writen & Directed by Ponram / Bakkiyaraj Kannan

An all-in-all film, stabilising the new category called "A Sivakarthikeyan Film", a style that the artist masters while delivering a complete entertainment under a rural and/or urban backdrop.

05-04-03/ Kadhalum Kadandhu Pogum, Iraivi, Sethupathi
Writen & Directed Nalan Kumarasamy / Karthik Subbaraj / Arun Kumar

Ka Ka Ka Po, a remake of a foreign film, sees Vijay Sethupathi as a depressed man looking for his future. His life crosses with an intelligent girl, and the hero learns a major lesson through her - how to pick up the right choice in life. A matured tale of love painted with emotions and stroked with relationships, Kadhalum Kadandhu Pogum is a sweet tale of romance caught in the rain of sorrow.

Iraivi, which features Vijay Sethupathi amoung various other artists, showcases another world within an existing one, where people, irrespective to their gender, not only live to eat & drink, but are pulled and massacred by their own desires.

Sethupathi, a police story that I enjoyed the most after Vikram starrer Sami. Vijay Sethupathi appeals generously as a Police officer and the highlight of the film is its gripping tale - a self-investigation where the consciousness has to find ways to prove its existence and then, its innocence.

02/ Zero
Written & Directed by Shiv Mohaa

One good feature of the Year 2016 is that it provided multi-perspective films based on women and the role they play in monitoring a platform. Zero-the film, goes ahead and talks about a newly married couple where the wife is locked inside her own mind while living inside closed doors. The walls and doors play a major role to illustrate a caged situation of woman where she had to fight both the horrors - the self and the other. Spiritually set high, Zero-the film adapts several biblical materials and projects them in a non-preachy manner.

01/ Tharai Thappattai
Written & Directed by Bala

One other reason for the year 2016 to be quite dull is absence of a commanding villain, the one who stands before the hero and looks straight in his eyes with a crooked smile on his face. The only film this year which had a solid villain is Tharai Thappattai. But unfortunately the film was judged for its violent content rather than taking in the impact a film work can deploy on its viewers. Tharai Thappattai talks about a society where several cultural values are sold for a materialistic price, including art and human behaviour - an outstanding fictional work of the Year 2016.

To summarise, the films released in the Year 2016 wanted more for itself than the next film that they ate out each other. It also punctuates the need for good directors who can handle the same materials differently that light up curiosity.

As usual, I had fun talking about films here and I wish all the artists, technicians, film makers and the members of this community success.

Year 2016 - Vanity Fair