Movie Review - "VISAARANAI" - Powerful Crime-Drama Shows How The System Toys With People

So most of the people, including myself got to know about the movie when it got selected as India's Official Entry To OSCARS 2017 in "Foreign Film Category". It made me really curious as to why this movie got selected. As of now, i am not going into the matter of the movie getting selected for OSCARS. I am gonna tell you how the movie really is. So lets move forward to the review. 

The movie revolves around 4 guys Pandi, Murugan, Afsal & Kumar who all are Tamil laborers working in Andhra Pradesh. Poor young guys don't have their own house so they sleep in Gandhi Park to make their ends meet. But their lives take a u-turn when they all are captured by cops for a crime that they don't even about that. Muthuvel, a Tamil police officer has come in Andhra Pradesh to carry out some secret operation. (NO SPOILERS) 

The movie has a simple story, those who has the mind to catch that would get the story without giving any stress to the mind. Movie being based on a true story that happened in 1983 in Andhra Pradesh, where a Coimbatore based auto driver "Chandran" was working a waiter in a hotel. One day, he & few Tamil laborers were captured by the police in "case of doubt". For a period of 2 weeks they suffered continuous merciless custodial violence, for the crime they never did.  Based on the novel "Lock Up" by "M Chandrakumar"

In acting, Pandi played by "Dinesh Ravi" is the main lead & is really great in his character. The way he tries to save his friends in the police custody you will get the feeling of applauding him for his actions & reactions. Even after getting badly beaten up by the police he stands his ground against a crime that he & his friends have never committed. The other three guys with Pandi are Murugan played by "Aadukalam Murugadoss", Afsal played by "Silambarasan Rathnasamy" & Kumar played by "Pradheesh Raj", have done a marvelous job in their respective roles. The horror a common man shows when Police unexpectedly shows up to convict them for a wrong case is shown brilliantly by these 4 actors. Muthuvel played by "Samuthirakani" in many ways would stand out the strongest point of the movie with "Dinesh Ravi". Samuthirakani looks like a torn police officer in doing what is right & in the pressure of his seniors to do a certain work. 

"Vetrimaaran" the director of the movie has made a "no non-sense" type movie. Not a single shot in the movie seems to be irrelevant. At a running time of 117 minutes every scene in the movie is as important as the climax. The terror of police on the faces of the common man has been shown effectively by the director. It is certainly a powerful film & sometimes you feels the chills by seeing some scenes on the screen.

Now for the debate that is being going on for this movie sent for the "Oscars". In my opinion, it is a great choice to send this movie for OSCARS. Not the best, but great. It is certainly not a bad choice. 

AND I WOULD SURELY RECOMMEND YOU TO SEE THIS MOVIE BECAUSE IT NEEDS TO BE SEEN. NOT ONLY BECAUSE IT IS BEING SENT TO OSCARS BUT TO SEE HOW THE SYSTEM TRIES TO TOY WITH COMMON PEOPLE. 

My Rating - ****&1/2 

Cast - Dinesh Ravi, Samuthirakani, Aadukalam Murugadoss, Silambarasan                     Rathnasamy, Pradheesh Raj. 

Director - Vetrimaaran 

The First Round Of OSCAR BUZZ Has Started!

As two prominent "International Film Festivals" one being "Venice Film Festival" which has ended & second being "Toronto International Film Festival" still being going on, the official "Oscar Buzz" has started. Many movies were showcased in both the festivals, most of the movies were showcased in both the festivals. Movies like "La La Land", "Arrival", "Jackie", "Sully" & many more. Sully being released is the only movie which has been released & has been received with brilliant reviews. The time of the year has come when we'll see all the big directors coming out with their projects so that they can make it to the biggest prize that they would ever get. Let us check out 5 movies that were showcased & has started a major "OSCAR BUZZ" :


1) ARRIVAL 

With a stellar cast of "Amy Adams", "Jeremy Renner" & "Forest Whitaker". With director like "Denis Villeneuve", the movie has created a major buzz among all the critics & the audiences. By getting great reviews, the film has placed itself into the elite league.    


Cast - Amy Adams, Jeremy Renner, Forest Whitaker, Michael Stuhlbarg 

Director - Denis Villeneuve  

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tFMo3UJ4B4g 




2) LA LA LAND

Being regarded as "One Of The Best Romantic Musical" of our generation. La La Land is among the front-runners for the Oscars & the award season. Actors like "Emma Stone", "Ryan Gosling" & "JK Simmons" are ready to charm us with their beautiful acting. "Emma Stone" won the "Volpi Cup" for "Best Actress" for this movie. With words like "Enchanting", "Magical", "Dream Like" coming out, we are surely going for a magical ride.  


Cast - Emma Stone, Ryan Gosling, Finn Wittrock, JK Simmons 

Director - Damien Chazelle 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VDMf9m7FXd4   



3) NOCTURNAL ANIMALS 

Winning the "Grand Jury Prize" for "Best Movie" at Venice Film Festival, this noir melodrama with psychological suspense is beautifully crafted & fabulously acted. With a cast which includes "Jake Gyllenhaal", "Amy Adams" & "Michael Shannon", people have really praised their acting skills. But mostly people really praised director "Tom Ford's" beautiful, sensualistic storytelling. 


Cast - Jake Gyllenhaal, Amy Adams, Michael Shannon, Isla fisher 

Director - Tom Ford 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-H1Ii1LjyFU  




4) JACKIE 

This is a strange, refreshing, cynical account of  USA's first lady "Jacqueline Kennedy" after the assassination of "John F Kennedy" is a compelling watch. "Natalie Portman" as "The First Lady" is among top front runners for "Best Actress"Oscar nod & win. The director "Pablo Larrain" does a terrific thing with direction & story telling, it has the sophisticated psychological type of thing in the movie. But it focuses on one of the most traumatic events in a country's history. "Noah Oppenheim" won the "Best Screenplay Award" for "Jackie" at Venice Film Festival. 


Cast - Natalie Portman, Greta Gerwig, Peter Sarsgaard 

Director - Pablo Larrain 

(A trailer is still yet to come) 




5) HACKSAW RIDGE  

Mel Gibson is back in the director's chair after a decade with the movie "Hacksaw Ridge" , a World War 2 movie which is not at all related to politics. It is all related to soldiers & one soldier in particular. Based on a True Story, the cast includes "Andrew Garfield", "Sam Worthington", "Vince Vaughn" & "Teresa Palmer". It is the return of Gibson which many people would have wanted. He still has that same artistic psyche that he had when he was acting. 


Cast - Andrew Garfield, Teresa Palmer, Sam Worthington, Vince Vaughn 

Director - Mel Gibson

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s2-1hz1juBI  




THESE ARE THE 5 MOVIES THAT HAS STARTED THIS YEAR'S OSCAR BUZZ. STILL MANY MOVIES TO COME OUT. 

The Second Half Of 2016 In Movies (Hollywood)

2016 again has been a year where "Hollywood" dominated over "Bollywood" in India & all around the world. With movies like "Batman v Superman: Dawn Of Justice", despite getting not-so-good reviews raked in big amount because of the audiences liked what they saw. "Captain America: Civil War", "The Jungle Book", "The Nice Guys", "The Conjuring 2", these films being critically acclaimed raked in really good amount of money. And second half of 2016 is looking the same for Hollywood, the starting has been really good with "Suicide Squad" defying the critics raking in solid numbers & is still yet to open in some markets. Let us take a look of all the other movies coming up which has the curiosity of the audiences :

1) SILENCE

In the seventeenth century, two Jesuit priests face violence & persecution when they travel to Japan to locate & meet their mentor & to spread the gospel of the Christianity.

Director - Martin Scorsese

Cast - Liam Neeson, Andrew Garfield, Adam Driver, Benicio Del Toro, Javier Bardem

Release Date - December 2016

2) ARRIVAL 

Taking place after the alien aircrafts land around the world, an expert linguist is recruited by the military to determine that whether these aliens have come for peace or they are a threat.

Director - Denis Villeneuve

Cast - Amy Adams, Jeremy Renner, Forest Whitaker

Release Date - 11th November 2016

3) THE GIRL ON THE TRAIN

It follows a story of a woman named Rachel who goes on a train to London. Rachel on her journey witnesses a perfect couple, Scott & Megan. But one day a havoc ensues their lives & Rachel becomes involved their drama/murder mystery of Megan Hipwell.

Director - Tate Taylor

Cast - Emily Blunt, Rebecca Ferguson, Luke Evans

Release Date - 7th October 2016

4)  THE ACCOUNTANT

Christian Wolff is a mathematics savant with more affinity for numbers than people. Using a small town CPA office as a cover, he makes his living by becoming a freelance accountant for dangerous criminal organisations. With a Treasury agent hot on his heels, Christian takes a state of the art robotics company as a client. As Wolff gets closer to the truth about discrepancy about million of dollars, the body count starts to rise.

Director - Gavin O Connor

Cast - Ben Affleck, Anna Kendrick, JK Simmons.

Release Date - 14th October 2016

5) ASSASSIN'S CREED

Through a revolutionary technology that unlocks have genetic memories, Callum Lynch experiences the adventures of his ancestor, Aguilar, in the 15th century Spain. Callum finds out that he is descended from a mysterious secret society, the Assassins & amasses incredible knowledge & skills to take on the oppressive & powerful Templar organisation in the modern day.

 

Director - Justin Kurzel

Cast - Michael Fassbender, Marion Cotillard, Brendon Gleeson, Ariane Labed

Release Date - 16th December 2016

6) SULLY

The true story of American pilot Chesley "Sully" Sullenberger, who heroically landed a troubled aircraft full of passengers on the Hudson River. But a storm was yet to come, a storm which would ruin the life of a hero. 

Director - Clint Eastwood 

Cast - Tom Hanks, Aaron Eckhart, Laura Linney  

Release Date - 9th September 2016 

7) DOCTOR STRANGE 

After his career is destroyed, a brilliant but arrogant surgeon gets a new lease on life when a sorcerer takes him under his wing & trains him to defend the world against evil. 

Director - Scott Derrickson 

Cast - Benedict Cumberbatch, Rachel McAdams, Tilda Swinton, Mads Mikkelsen, Chiwetel Ejiofor

Release Date - 4th November 2016