THUPPAKKI MOVIE REVIEW

Starring: Vijay, Kajal Aggarwal, Jayaram, Vidyut Jamwal, Sathyan                                        
Direction: A. R. Murugadoss
Music: Harris Jayaraj
Production: Kalaipuli S. Dhanu

Thuppakki released today amidst gargantuan hype and high fan frenzy. The expectation is high from this Vijay – Murugadoss association which has an acclaimed crew comprising cameraman Santosh Sivan, editor Sreekar Prasad and music director Harris Jayaraj. Have the team succeeded in giving the perfect festival entertainer?
Thuppakki is basically about Jagdish (Vijay), an army captain, who returns to Mumbai for a 40 days’ vacation. He has a loving family, comprising two sisters and his parents, who wish to get him married to an appropriate girl. Along with his romantic escapades, he also has a greater task at hand as he has to eradicate sleeper cells that are out to bomb and terrorize Mumbai across 12 prominent localities. Banking on the ever-dependable Vijay, this extravagant and stylish entertainer is all about how Jagdish takes on this terror network.
The film gets off to a slow start after Vijay’s mass intro with the ‘Kutti Puli’ number. The romantic episodes with Kajal Aggarwal are bearable thanks to some high-voltage songs by Harris Jayaraj (Alaikaa Laikka and the wildly popular Google Google stand out) and Jayaram’s (playing Jagdish’s senior in the Army) funny interventions.
Kajal is the typical commercial cinema heroine who makes glamorous appearances in the songs and is also there for some comic relief. The tomboyish voice that has dubbed for her, enhances her character. Her stylish costumes and youthful beauty are a nice distraction from the main action packed plot. Jayaram’s legendary comic timing is intact while Sathyan has a commendable and sizable presence in the movie as Jagdish’s police friend. His proficiency in the English and Hindi speaking portions is a pleasant surprise. Vidyut Jamwal looks a million bucks with his long locks, stubble and macho physique. He is a nice matchup for the invincible hero.
Coming back to our main man Vijay, he looks ever youthful and the V shape that he so painstakingly maintains looks even more tight and muscular in Thuppakki. His prowess at dance and fights is well-known and Murugadoss has packaged and presented the movie perfectly in sync with Vijay’s skills at commercial cinema. While on the one hand, Jagdish is a brainy guy who uses the Rubik’s cube and his apple laptop to decode maps, on the other hand, his brawny side is also prominent thanks to his blazer, glares and a stylish gait. The pre-interval scenes with the twelve sleeper cells and the fight scenes with a sniffer dog in tow in the second half are a royal treat for Vijay fanatics. The star’s comfort level with Hindi and English makes his character as an urban Mumbai Thamizhan appear more genuine and real.
Harris Jayaraj’s songs are a raging hit already and this is a nice score on the whole from Harris. The music that repeats while Vidyut makes an appearance on screen is pulsating.
Santosh Sivan’s camerawork is flawless and has captured the raw energy and crowds of Mumbai very well. The VFX for the blast scene at the start could have been better. Sreekar Prasad’s editing is seamless and makes sure that the movie is not boring one bit. Even though the locations in the ‘Vennilave’ song are a treat, the song overall seems redundant and could have been avoided.
Vijay’s costumer and stylist deserve a big round of applause for making the star dazzle in a suave manner with stylish and trendy clothes. His Tees are truly rocking thanks to his toned arms and dashboard abs.
On the downside, the last encounter between Vijay and Vidyut could have been better given the nice manner in which the movie was laid out for the finale. But, this is just a minor blip in an otherwise wholesome commercial treat. The manner in which Vijay manages to keep his mission wrapped in secrecy from his higher authorities in the Army is another question mark.
To wrap it up, Thuppakki should turn out to be a hugely profitable venture for the makers and a rewarding experience for the audience. The last dialog, about Army men living in tough conditions for 11 months based on the memories of their short vacation, makes Thuppakki’s intentions of being an ode to the Army, a commendable one.
Verdict: A fully loaded festival package from Vijay, Murugadoss and co
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Courtesy: behindwoods.com

"PIZZA" MOVIE REVIEW

Starring: Vijay Sethupathi, Remya Nambeesan  Direction: Karthik Subburaj 
Music: Santhosh Narayanan 
Production: CV Kumar

The moment of truth for director Karthik Subburaj has arrived. After making numerous short-films that received wide appreciation on the internet, he attempts to try his hand at making one for a bigger screen and a wider audience with his first venture Pizza.
The movie revolves around Michael played by Vijay Sethupathi, who works as a delivery boy for a pizzeria. He is in a live-in relationship with his high school sweetheart Anu, Remya Nambeesan, who is an aspiring fiction writer, specifically of the horror genre that she follows very intently.
Things begin to take a rash turn for Michael, first with the unexpected pregnancy of Anu that forces him into wedlock and then with a routine late evening delivery.
The first half begins by taking its time to set up the central characters, Michael and Anu, and their romance. Their chemistry is sweet but it doesn’t set the screen on fire. The action truly starts with Michael’s forsaken delivery, where the director successfully draws the audience into the haunted house and immerses them into his fears. When the intermission bell rings, the movie will have you guessing the various possibilities of the script unfolding but you will have to wait till most of the second half to pass before you find out if your guess was right. Revealing any more would be an absolute crime to the movie and the film maker, but one thing is for sure, the director does pull a rabbit out of his hat!
Remya Nambeesan looks the part of a girl next door but one might feel a little more attention could have been given to her makeup. She plays her part effectively. Vijay Sethupathi will be banking on this film to be his big ticket and has delivered a performance that can back it up. His character demands fear and vulnerability but with brief bursts of courage and he has certainly lived up to its expectations. The supporting cast including Naren, Pooja, Jaykumar and Veera Sethuraman deliver convincing performances. There are few comical moments but its treatment is very subtle.
Director Karthik Subburaj plays all the cards required to make a quality horror suspense film with a thrilling screenplay, deft camerawork, strong performances, eerie sound effects and music. Fortunately for him they all come out as aces. Gopi Amarnath’s cinematography is excellent in the way he frames his romantic sequences and the manner in which he uses his camera to sneak around in the haunting sequences. Music is an integral part of the film and it gels well with the screenplay. Some songs are situational, like Gana Bala’s blues jazz track which is played out as a cell phone ringtone! The much talked about 7.1 surround serves up as more than just a marketing tool. The transition of eerie sound effects from one side of the hall to the other is smooth and adds to the suspense. Another strong reason to go watch this film in the theatres!
Debutant director Karthik Subburaj creates an impression by employing a simple story telling technique of subversion so effectively to produce a gripping story that will make you hold your breath and later heave a huge sigh (of relief). There are traits of a short film like the usage of a lean cast and trim production but the intentions and its execution are surely aimed for a grander stage.
This sort of progressive filmmaking will come as a welcome addition to the industry as well as the audience and for that we’ll say - well played Karthik Subburaj!
Go buy a ticket and enjoy the ride!
Verdict: Pizza – Place your order and prepare to be thrilled!

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Courtesy: behindwoods.com