Onaayum Aattukkuttiyum Review

    It's been quite a long time since a non-horror thriller that has kept me at the edge of my seat till the last frame and Mysskin's this masterpiece is one such. His previous Mugamoodi could just be officially deemed as his childish fiddling. There are however quite a lot of shades that we have seen in his past movies have gone notches higher and better in this outing!

• The first resemblance I would awe about being his affinity for 'under the yellow street lights' shots for many of the scenes.
• The array of supporting characters leave a mark on our minds on par with the leading ones.
• The brutality of murders of public and police akin gives no time for remorse due to a. the sheer number of such killings & b. the pace at which the screenplay takes us forward to make us lean towards what's next instead.
• Sri is an actor of sheer class and a blessed soul for adding another feather to his cap by his performance oriented ஆட்டுக்குட்டி (Goat) role.
• Mysskin's brilliance in the detailing of his capacity of being an ace hit-man aka  ஓநாய் (Wolf) till the last frame shows one of the greater depths of characterization in recent times of Tamil Cinema.
• There are a lot of subtle yet purposeful references to theism / atheism depending on ones affinity to either.
• The cinematography is stunning throughout and my favorite were repetitive frames with police convoy flash-lights giving a bokeh effect.
• Yet again genius is an understatement for Ilayaraja's background score for this movie and one just needs to get drenched in it DOT
• The one place where the audience lost their way was Mysskin's cemetery narration, which worked for me though!

Bottomline:

       Mysskin is en-route becoming a lone wolf amidst a large pack of bears, tigers & baboons of cinema!

Five Revelations at Amma Unavagam

    
        Dining for many is an act to fill one's stomach and get going to carry on with their other daily chores. However it is more so an experience that is lived through each time for a few. A recent dining experience at Amma Unavagam (The state-run catering service) made a long lasting never-felt-before experience.

• #5 - The only place where people from all walks of life can 'technically' dine under one roof.
• #4 - No one ever serves food or water for 'that extra' tip.
• #3 -The sanctity of food being a necessity is felt higher and very minimal to none is wasted.
• #2 - One can come alone and still be able to make up a community dinner of the sorts out of it!
• #1 - There are no fine prints on the pricing which would unknowingly rob you of your money in the name of taxes and charges. 

       It is surprisingly true that very little to none as stated above are possible even in the wildest of dreams in any of umpteen 'classy' restaurants that exists in the city.

        It is indeed true that there are questions raised on the loss incurred to the government in the long run. Well what's there if the government loses some of its budget in the noble of providing cost effective meal to the needy?

The Lunch Box Review

 

           There are times where the movies are enjoyed just because the popcorn turns out to have extra butter. There are a few other times where the movie has a lot of food for thought that one never gets hungry down under. The Lunch Box truly befits the latter. For a Hindi illiterate person this was my first Hindi movie in a theater in more than a decade and must admit that the trailer won me over in first place.

• Firstly, one must appreciate the director for having showcased a six sigma organization's THAT ONE fault in all of a million transactions. 
• Secondly, reality neither has a specific hero introduction and nor typically a climax sequence and that is precisely what you can expect.
• This movie is about relationships and its issues, of those with some grey on their heads.
• A non-cliche at-home wife, who handles emotional blows with believable contemplations and level headed approach.
• A story having those who started as orphans to those who became orphans.
• Characters are cast sparingly and all that is unnecessary has been trimmed down including one who does not a voice as well as a voice which did not need a face.
• Lastly, the movie closes and not ends in a sense leaving it wide open for the audience to contemplate!

Bottomline:

      It's a three course carrier meal in a fine dining experience sans the need for extra spice or the digestive mouth-fresheners!

Thanga Meengal Review

    
              The expectations were that this would be a kind of genre already explored in 'Abhiyum Naanum'.  This movie did that precisely just we have to assume that Prakash Raj was poor and Trisha never grew up! 

The PROs

• The story line is the biggest plus for the movie and highly needed for this 'lost-track-of-what-education-really-is' society.
• The ensemble cast of fresh faces execute with deftness & conviction.
• The childish dialogues or conversations that gets nostalgic (at least for some).
• The background score is laudable, great to see Yuvan befitting the Maestro's calibre for once.
• The visuals are breathtaking & 'Anandha Yaazhai' is a must watch not-be-missed song.

The CONs

• The protagonist seems to be just another version of Kattradhu Thamizh Jeeva, right from looks to mannerism and character, unless it is a deliberate decision. 
• The second half of the movie was quite a stretch with respect to the screenplay and I had to resort to a time check.

Bottomline:

      The movie is a hard nail on the head & serves as a wake up call for those who really watches the movie to take back in their lives than just being just another movie of entertainment value.