The number of films watched in a cinema hall is a good indicator of how one's vacation/break has been. The scorecard goes like this: On a normal vacation time - without any festival releases - an average of three films a fortnight is supposed to mean a peaceful vacation, where one could do everything planned, at one's own relaxed pace. Going by that this has been my most hectic break. Considering the festive mood spanning across Christmas and Pongal for about a month - I have managed to see just four movies in cinema halls. The first one being Kallori, while the finishing touch was given by Pirivom Santhipom, a Pongal release.
Directed by Karu Pallaniappan I think this film tries to explore the plight of a gregarious girl when she is made to sit at home by her husband, who spends most part of the day at work. Complicating the matters is that there are not many neighbours in their area, also the fact that the girl got used to the happy joint-family of her husband before the couple got shifted to the new location devoid of friends. This concept has the power to create a psycho thriller or a new look at life style issues or a captivating family story. Even films like Chandramukhi can be made out of this theme. Caught between some of these ideas and that of making a realistic family drama the director ends up giving us nothing that stays with us.
For more than two hours of watching the film I was expecting some thing to happen - a twist here and there or an intelligent sub-plot somewhere or a refreshing song or some fine comedy that does not stand apart or an interesting screenplay - but what I got to see at the end was closing curtains. I think this film was made with the sole intention of making a contra film. With films like Paruthiveen/ Mirugam/ Polladhavan etc going rounds the producers thought it was the best time to make a family drama with no single negative character, thus breathing a new life into the Tamil cinema world. In short you feel like coming out of watching a few episodes of a typical mega-serial at one go. However this film does not exaggerate life. I also liked the novel way of the initial title rolls. The song sequence that shows the Chettinad marriage is well-done.
Bombay Theatre - this is the only DTS/AC cinema hall in our city. This was my main criterion while deciding on this film. The other one being the proximity to my home. My next choice was Vikram's Bheema.
