PENGUIN movie review: Flightless!

Tamil, 2020

 Cast :  Keerthy Suresh, Lingaa, Master Advaith, Madhampatty Rangaraja, Mathi, Nithya Kirupa

Written and Directed by Eashvar Karthic

Music by Santosh Narayanan

 

Another week, and yet another disappointing fare that makes it to the OTT platform as an exclusive prime release. And what you learn from these movies, which follows the earlier tamil release PONMAGAL VANDHAL is that hill stations are no good for children.  Here again, while the setting shifts from Ooty to Kodaikanal, the situation remains the same. Kids are being kidnapped from their mothers.

In the movie oddly titled PENGUIN, Keerthy Suresh plays a mother in search of her child.  Sticking to the trend of odd naming, she is named Rhythm, that gets sweetly shortened to Ritu on occasions. When we are introduced to Rhythm aka Ritu, she is an expecting mother, seven months pregnant. But she is also one suffering from the trauma of losing her child six years ago. All she has is the crumbles of the past…. the kidnapping of her little son supposedly by a man with a Charlie Chaplin mask and an umbrella. The images keep haunting her to this day.

However, one night, the ghosts of her past reappear. Not only she sees the mystery man, but also out of nowhere, her long-lost son mysteriously reappears.

Where had he been all these years? Who was behind the kidnapping and why?  Rhythm finds only more questions as she tries to puzzle it all together, but answers come none whatsoever.

penguinmovie02

Like all serial killer flicks, the central plot is about the mystery figure behind the scenes of the crime and the clueless protagonist furiously trying to unearth and solve the puzzle. And in such movies, the mood is critical.  Technically, debutant director Eeshvar Karthic realizes this and has his finger on that pulse creating the atmosphere fitting for the thriller ride. Skillfully supporting him in this task is music composer Santosh Narayanan and cinematography by Palani Karthik.

But therein ends the good things. Because the writing on this again by Eeshvar is painfully a letdown. I am still not sure exactly what about the writing impressed a filmmaker like Karthik Subbaraj to back a project like this.  In fact, I wonder how the writer in Eeshvar was able to convince himself that the ridiculous climax and the motives were good enough to fuel this story.

Even if you leave the final climax aside, the preceding screenplay comes with its share of problems. It seems unsure what it wants to be for most of its running time. Does it want to be an out and out serial killer movie. Or does it seek to be an emotional tale of a mother. Or does it want to be spookier and chiller than it all.  The film seems to be eternally stuck in this confusion.

For starters Rhythm ends up losing the things she is to take care of, quite easily. Almost like a habit. You see the scenes play out and you can predict how exactly the scene is going to play out. And again, the screenplay is not exactly rooted in logic. Cops are literally useless. A pregnant woman is left to do all the sleuth work with a trusted dog as partner. The guys are always missing. Too many expositions, chunky dialogues, and cringeworthy acting from the rest of the cast makes this hardly the tense thriller that it seeks to be.

Also, couldn’t help but notice the heavy influence of the Nolan-Batman movies in the way certain things are treated. Like the fear of buzzing insects, or the climax where the lead protagonist must choose between two options on which to save. Or coming to think of it, even the interrogation scene. Not that any of them is pulled off effectively.

penguinmovie03b

Keerthy Suresh surprisingly does well.  After spending an eternity being just a prop in most superstar vehicles, and getting that award-winning turn in Mahanati, she certainly seems determined to make the best of her new stature. In Penguin, she does a solid grounded act. The abysmal show from the rest of the cast helps, because it makes her indeed look the Award-winning actress. The cast was so disappointing that literally a dog outshines the rest of the cast here, in both characterization and performance. When you have a dog showing more brains than the humans, you know something is off.

Penguin plods and waddles before falling face down. Barring a sincere Keerthy and a few technical notches as mentioned above, the rest of the film fails to do what it sets out to. Instead the movie is at the receiving end of the cruelest cut of them all – some ridiculous writing.  Certainly avoidable!

  Joxily John

 

 

 

Rajinikanth on a High

Disclaimer- Well, let me tell you very clearly, I am an atheist and hence i can’t call myself a Rajni fan.
Also, I am my own boss, so it won’t be proper if I called somebody else Thalaivar. I love Thalapathi, not because it is a Rajni film, but because it is a Santosh Sivan and Mani Ratnam film. For me, Sivaji – the Boss was satire and Enthiran was surrealistic imaginations of a person who doesn’t know anything about ceiling fans. The point is this is a totally non-serious and vella article without any intent and motivation. I hope the title will be self-sufficient to understand what my intent here is.

Continue reading “Rajinikanth on a High”

The 2014 Tamil Cinema Awards and Hall of Fame: Year in Review

It’s that time of the year when we usually reflect back upon the past twelve months and figure out how things have been for Tamil Cinema. This is also the time when we tend to look out for the films that impressed, the actors, directors and other technicians who’ve been in top form and also reflect upon how the future would turn out for them. Film as an art form though universal in appeal, still has the element of personal choice/ preferences playing upon us when it comes to forming an opinion. While it’s very rare to find a near universal acceptance of an opinion, when it comes to films especially these days, the finest contributions really deserve our awards and accolades.

Here is my list of the very best, Tamil cinema had to offer in 2014.

1. Best Actor in Lead Role – Male:

The nominees are

best actor1. Dinesh for his stunning portrayal of the nonchalant, confident and happy-go-lucky sightless youth in ‘Cuckoo

2. Aari for his natural act as violent and rustic highway burglar in ‘Nedunchaalai

3. Vishal for his authentic depiction of a narcoleptic in ‘Naan Sigappu Manithan

4. Siddarth for his feisty acts as the self centered, yet persevering filmmaker in ‘Jigarthanda’ and the emotionally torn stage artist in ‘Kaaviya Thalaivan

5. Karthi for his neat portrayal of the North Madras middle-class youngster in ‘Madras

And, the winner is Dinesh for ‘Cuckoo’.


2. Best Actor in a Lead Role – Female: 

The nominees are

best actress1. Nayanthara for her flawless portrayal of the woman seeking justice in ‘Nee Enge En Anbe’

2. Salony Ruthra for her bold and boisterous act as the mysterious twins in ‘Sarabham

3. Pia Bajpai for her act as the misunderstood rebel in ‘Nerungi Vaa Muthamidathey

4. Vedhika for her sincere portrayal of the lovelorn singer cum dancer in ‘Kaaviya Thalaivan’

5. Ananthi for her terrific peformance as the orphaned girl who falls blindly in love in ‘Kayal

And, the winner is Salony Ruthra for Sarabham


3Best Actor – In a Negative role: 

The nominees are

FotorCreated1. Vamsi Krishna for his intense act as the covetous cricketer in ‘Vallinam’

2. Bobby Simha for his no-holds-barred performance as the ruthless gangster in ‘Jigarthanda

3. Prithviraj Sukumaran for his portrayal of the scheming and jealous stage artist in ‘Kaaviya Thalaivan

4. Ashutosh Rana for his unbeleivably subtle act as the invisible mafia don in ‘Meaghamann

5. Natraj Subramaniam for his portrayal of a man of brains, who lives by certain principles. albeit crooked in ‘Sathurangavettai’

And, the winner is Bobby Simha for Jigarthanda.


4. Best Debutante Actor in a Lead Role – Male:  

The nominees are

FotorCreated1. Abhinav Vaddi for his near-perfect depiction of the maths wizard in the biographical ‘Ramanujan’

2. Shabeer for his performance as the honest lorry driver in ‘Nerungi Vaa Muthamithade

3. Ashraf for his act as the psychologically traumatised husband in ‘Ra’

4. Naga for his understated performance as the man caught between rationality and paranormality in ‘Pisaasu

5. Chandran for his raw, natural act as the lovable vagabond in ‘Kayal

6. Dulquer Salmaan for his breezy role in ‘Vaayai Moodi Pesavum’

And, the winner is Chandran for Kayal


5. Best Debutante Actor in a Lead Role – Female:   

The nominees are

FotorCreated1. Malavika Nair for her splendid performance as as the visually impaired girl who yearns for love in ‘Cuckoo

2. Sugandha Garg for beautifully portraying the pains of love and war in ‘Inam

3. Shivada Nair for her role as the loud, aggressive and righteous dhabba owner in ‘Nedunchaalai

4. Akhila Kishore for her alluring portrayal of a sensitive woman in ‘Kathai Thiraikadhai Vasanam Iyakkam’

5. Mia George for her natural act as the innocent school girl in ‘Amara Kaaviyam

6. Catherine Tresa for representing the true North Madras girl in ‘Madras

7. Prayaga Rose Martin for her physically draining performance as the ghost in ‘Pisaasu’

And, the winner is Malavika Nair for Cuckoo


6Best Actor in a Supporting Role- Male:

The nominees are

FotorCreated1. Jayaprakash for his simple yet stylish portrayal of the naive Pannaiyaar in ‘Pannaiyarum Padminiyum

2. S. Karan for playing himself as the mentally handicapped war victim in ‘Inam’

3. Nasser for his portrayal of the strict family head in ‘Saivam‘ and the experienced guru in ‘Kaaviyathalaivan’

4. MS. Baskar for his contribution to spicing up the drama in ‘Arima Nambi’

5.  Radharavi for his poignant portrayal of the bereaved father in ‘Pisaasu‘.

6. Kalaiyarasan for his impactful performance as the budding politician in ‘Madras’

And, the award is shared between Nasser for Saivam and Kaaviyathalaivan  and Kalaiyarasan for Madras


7Best Actor in a Supporting Role – Female :

The nominees are

FotorCreated1. Thulasi for her grounded act as the wife of the village head in ‘Pannaiyarum Padminiyum

2. Sujatha Sivakumar for her portrayal of the loving and protective Aachi in ‘Goli Soda’

3. Saritha for her touching depiction of the mother figure to war victims in ‘Inam’

4. Saranya Ponvannan for her spontaneous performance as a loving mom in ‘VIP’

5. Ritwika for her sensuous and appealing character sketch of a loving wife in ‘Madras’.

And, the winner is Ritwika for Madras


8. Best Actor in a Comical Role:

The nominees are

FotorCreated1. Bhagavathi Perumal for entertaining us with his looks and lines in ‘Oru Kanniyum Moondru Kalavaanikalum’

2. Pandiarajan for sending us into raptures of laughter as the minister in ‘Vaayai Moodi Pesavum

3. Karunakaran for his brilliant act as the friend in ‘Jigarthanda’ and ‘Yamirukka Bayamey’

4. Kaali Venkat for his sparkling sense of humor in ‘Mundasupatti

5. Bala Saravanan for superbly complimenting Dinesh in bringing the roof down in ‘Thirudan Police

And, the winner is Karunakaran for Jigarthanda and Yamirukka Bayamey


9. Best Child Artist:

FotorCreatedThe nominees are

1. Sara Arjun and 2. Master Ray Paul for their delightful performances in ‘Saivam

3. Vasanth, 4. Gaurav Kalai and 5. Praveen Kishore for their acting escapades in ‘Poovarasam Pee Pee’

And, the winners are Sara Arjun and Master Ray Paul for Saivam


10Best Original Screenplay:

The nominees are

FotorCreated1. Vijay Milton for his skill at telling a revenge story in a refreshingly innovative way in ‘Goli Soda

2. P. Ramesh for his efforts in writing a novel and compelling conflict targetting the thriller genre in ‘Thegidi’

3. H. Vinoth for his sarcastic and painfully real depiction of the ugly truths in ‘Sathuranga Vettai

4. Karthik Subbaraj for his pure magic on screen in ‘Jigarthanda’

5. Parthiban Rathakrishnan for challenging the rules of ‘Syd Field’ in ‘Kathai Thiraikadhai Vasanam Iyakkam

6. Pa. Ranjith for weaving a ‘slice of life’ drama in ‘Madras’

And, the winner is Karthik Subbaraj for Jigarthanda


11. Best dialogues:

The nominees were

1. H. Vinoth for ‘Sathurangavettai’. “Unnai oruthan emaathunaa avanai edhiriyaa nenaikaadha! Oru vagaila avan unaku Guru!”

2. Karthik Subbaraj for ‘Jigarthanda’. “Enga area la ponnunga irukaanga. Aana unga area la aambalainga illaiyaame?”

3. Parthiban Rathakrishnan for ‘Kathai Thiraikadhai Vasanam Iyakkam’. “Neenga edukra cinema va neenga paathutu daan theatreku anupveengala, illa apdiye straighta theatre ku anupiduveengala?”

4. Raju Murugan for ‘Cuckoo’. “Ovvovurthiyum Saami da! Pombalaingala thittradaiye oru fashiona vechitu alaiyireengalada?”

5. Suseenthiran for ‘Jeeva’. “Pinnaadi Tatti kuduthaarnu nenachen, aana thadavi paathaarunu apuram daan therinjidhu!”

And, the winner is H. Vinoth for Sathurangavettai


12. Best Cinematographer:

The nominees are

FotorCreated1. Santosh Sivan for providing a realistic and unsympathetic feel of war in ‘Inam’

2. Jeeva Shankar for capturing the lush green rustic essence of Ooty in ‘Amara Kaaviyam’

3. Gavemic U Ary for showing the alluring beauty of the temple city in all its grandeur in ‘Jigarthanda’

4. Ravi Roy for his unconventional frames and lighting in ‘Pisaasu’

5. Vetrivel Mahendran for recording the pristine beauty of Ladakh and Kanyakumari in ‘Kayal’

And, the winner is Ravi Roy for Pisaasu.


13. Best Editor:

The nominees are

FotorCreated1. Leo John Paul for spicing up the tempo big time in ‘Thegidi

2. M.V. Rajesh Kumar for the slick cuts in ‘Velaiyilla Pattathari’

3. Vivek Harshan for his unique style of intercutting sequences in ‘Jigarthanda’

4. Praveen K.L for the seamlessly flowing narrative in ‘Madras’

5. Gopinath for maintaining the sinister atmosphere and eerie feel in ‘Pisaasu’

And, the winner is Leo John Paul for Thegidi.


14Best Director:

This category considers the making skills of the artist in question, and the way the script is translated to the screen.

The nominees are

FotorCreated1. Vijay Milton for his confidence and trust in the audience for ‘masala’ cinema in ‘Goli Soda’

2. Balaji Mohan for his courage to experiment in ‘Vaayai Moodi Pesavum

3. Karthik Subbaraj for his flair for genre defying cinema in ‘Jigarthanda’

4. Pa. Ranjith for his gritty take on caste politics in ‘Madras

5. Suseenthiran for his guts and responsibility to address a sensitive social issue in ‘Jeeva

6. Mysskin for his inspiring style in redefining the horror genre in ‘Pisaasu

And, the winner is Mysskin for Pisaasu.


15. Best Debutante Director:

The nominees are

FotorCreated1. S.U. Arun Kumar for taking us on an emotional journey in ‘Pannaiyarum Padminiyum

2. P. Ramesh for thrilling us with a riveting script in ‘Thegidi

3. Raju Murugan for showing us new dimensions of love in ‘Cuckoo

4. Ram for taking us on a hilarious trip in ‘Mundasupatti

5. Vinoth for amusing and shocking us simultaneously in ‘Sathuranga Vettai

6. Dharanidaran for his jazz and style in crafting a heist thriller in ‘Burma

7. Caarthick Raju for his comical take on a drama in ‘Thirudan Police

And, the award is shared by P.Ramesh for Thegidi and Vinoth for Sathurangavettai.


16. Best Original Background Score:

The nominees are

FotorCreated1. Nivas. K. Prasanna for ‘Thegidi’

2. Vishal Chandrasekar for ‘Inam’

3. Santhosh Narayanan for ‘Cuckoo’, ‘Jigarthanda’ and ‘Madras’

4. AR. Rahman for ‘Kochadaiiyaan’ and ‘Kaaviya Thalaivan’

5. Arrel Corelli for ‘Pisaasu’

And, the winner is Arrel Corelli for Pisaasu.


17Best Music Director:

 The nominees are

FotorCreated1. Anirudh Ravichander for ‘Maan Karate‘ and ‘Vellaiyilla Pattathari’

2. Ghibran for ‘Thirumanam Enum Nikkah’

3. Santhosh Narayanan for ‘Cuckoo’, ‘Jigarthanda’ and ‘Madras’

4. AR. Rahman for ‘Kochadaiiyaan’ and ‘Kaaviya Thalaivan

5. D. Imman for ‘Kayal

And, the winner is Santhosh Narayanan for ‘Cuckoo’, ‘Jigarthanda’ and ‘Madras’.


18Best Art Director:  

 The nominees are

FotorCreated1. Sunil Babu for recreating the war field and atmosphere in ‘Inam’

2. CR. Velu for his mammoth efforts for achieving the period feel in ‘Kochadaiiyaan’

3. Gopi Anand for recording the bygone era with perfection in ‘Mundaasupatti’

4. Santhanam for authentically recreating the stage drama in ‘Kaaviya Thalaivan’

5. T. Ramalingam for attempting the North Madras feel with lots of conviction in ‘Madras’

And, the winner is Sunil Babu for Inam.


 19Best Lyricist:

 The nominees are

FotorCreated1. Vaali for “Onakaaga Poranthaenae” (Pannaiyarum Padminiyum) and the ‘Alli Arjuna’ series (Kaaviyathalaivan)

2. Kabilan for “Vinmeen Vithaiyil” (Thegidi)

3. Yugabharathi for “Aagasatha” (Cuckoo)

4. Vairamuthu for “Maattram Ondrudhaan Maaraadhadhu” and “Manappenin Sathiyam” (Kochadaaiyaan)

5. Karthik Netha for “Enthara Enthara” (Thirumanam Enum Nikkah)

And, the winner is Vairamuthu for the tracks “Maattram Ondrudhaan Maaraadhadhu” and “Manappenin Sathiyam” from Kochadaaiyaan 


20Best Male playback singer:

 The nominees are

FotorCreated1. RR for “Potta Pulla” and “Manasula Surakatre” (Cuckoo)

2. SP. Balasubrahmanyam for “Engae Pogudho Vaanam” and “Meduvaagathaan” (Kochadaiiyaan)

3. Arun Raja for “Ding Dong” (Jigarthanda)

4. Shadab Faridi for “Enthaara” (Thirumanam Enum NIkkah)

5. Haricharan for “Alli Arjuna” ,“Sandhi Kuthirai” (Kaaviyathalaivan) and “Paravaiyai Parakirom” (Kayal)

6. Gana Bala for “Kakidha Kappal” (Madras)

And, the winner is Haricharan for the tracks “Alli Arjuna” ,“Sandhi Kuthirai” (Kaaviyathalaivan) and “Paravaiyai Parakirom” (Kayal)


21Best Female Playback Singer:

 The nominees are

FotorCreated1. Saindhavi for “Vinmeen Vithaiyil” (Thegidi)

2. Kalyani Nair for “Agasatha” (Cuckoo)

3. Shruthi Haasan for “Un Vizhigalil” (Maan Karate)

4. Chinmayee for “Idhayam” (Kochadaiiyaan) and “Enthaara” (Thirumanam Enum Nikkah)

5. Rita for “Kannamma” (Jigarthanda)

6. Shaktishree Gopalan for “Naan Nee” (Madras)

7. Kaushiki Desikan for “Chillendra Chillendra” (Thirumanam Enum Nikkah)

8. Sweta Mohan for “Yaarumillaa” (Kaaviyathalaivan)

9. Shreya Goshal for “Yengirindhu Vandhaayo” (Kayal)

10. Uthara Unnikrishnan for “Nadhi Pogum Koozhangal” (Pisaasu) and “Azhagu” (Saivam)

And, this award is shared by Shaktishree Gopalan for “Naan Nee” (Madras) and Uthara Unnikrishnan for “Nadhi Pogum Koozhangal” (Pisaasu) and “Azhagu” (Saivam)


22. Best Dance Choreographer:

 The nominees are

dance1. Baskar for  “What a Karvaad” (Vellaiyilla Pattathari)  and “Paandinaattu Kodi”  (Jigarthanda)

2. Shobi Paulraj for “Pakkam Vanthu” (Kaththi)

3. Raghuram Master for “Thirupugazh” (Kaaviyathalaivan)

4. Satish for “Kakidha Kappal” (Madras)

5. Yuvraaj Jayakumar for the Rudhratandavam dance  (Kochadaiiyaan)

6. Gururaj for “Petromax Lightaedaan Venumaa” (Aranmanai)

And, the winner is Baskar for  “What a Karvaad” (Vellaiyilla Pattathari)  and “Paandinaattu Kodi”  (Jigarthanda).


23Best Costume Designer:

The nominees are

costumes1. Sathya NJ and Vasukhi Bhaskar for ‘Maan Karate’

2. Khushbu Doshi  and Eka Lakhani for ‘Inam

3. Neeta Lulla for ‘Kochadaiiyaan’

4. Jegathesan for ‘Mundasupatti’

5. Perumal Selvam and Niranjani Agathiyan for ‘Kaaviyathalaivan’.

And, the winner is Neeta Lulla for ‘Kochadaiiyaan’


24. Best Make-up Consultant:

 makeupppThe nominees are

1. Ranjith Ambady for ‘Inam

2. Lalitha for ‘Yaamirukka Bayamey’ and ‘Pisaasu’

3. Niranjani Agathiyan for ‘Kaaviyathalaivan’

And, the winner is Niranjani Agathiyan for ‘Kaaviyathalaivan’


25. Best Stunt Director :

 stuntsThe nominees are

1. Peter Hein for ‘Kochadaiiyaan’

2. Anal Arasu for ‘Meaghamann’

3. Tony for ‘Pisaasu’

4. Mahesh for ‘Burma’

5. Supreme Sundar for ‘Golisoda’

And the winner is Supreme Sundar for Golisoda


 

26Best Crew: For the film Jigarthanda


 

27. Best film of 2014: Jigarthanda.

Lingaa Movie Review: The King’s Speech lacks the Punch!

Cast:  Rajinikanth , Anushka Shetty, Sonakshi Sinha, Santhanam, Karunakaran, Jagapati Babu, Dev Gill

Directed by K.S Ravikumar

Music by A.R. Rahman

During the course of the movie Lingaa, we are introduced to a man in the year 1939, travelling in a train, reading a copy of ‘The Hero with Thousand Faces’.  From behind the book emerges our hero, Rajinikanth- the hero with a single face. The same ‘you have seen it once, you have seen it all’ face that is enough to send a frenzy amongst his die hard fans.Continue reading “Lingaa Movie Review: The King’s Speech lacks the Punch!”

Lingaa: Trailer

Lingaa Poster 3Produced by Rockline Venkatesh and directed by K.S.Ravikumar, Lingaa is a Rajinikanth film that is being eagerly awaited. After the not so expected output seen in the form of Kochadaiiyaan the expectations from Lingaa have increased all the more. Written by K.S.Ravikumar along with Pon Kumaran, Lingaa has Anushka Shetty & Sonakshi Sinha playing the female leads. The rest of the star cast includes Jagapati Babu, Santhanam, Karunakaran, Manobala, Dev Gill etc. The music is by A.R.Rahman while R.Rathnavelu is the DOP and Samjith Mhd is the editor.Continue reading “Lingaa: Trailer”