ramsoundareswaran Reviews

You Were Never Really Here (2017)

An intense slow fuse with a terrific lead performance.

[7/10 · 26 November 2021]

The film begins by introducing us to the aftermath of something. We see the tight close-ups of Joaquin Phoenix doing some cleanup. We see blood and a hammer so we know it's something bad but that's all director Lynne Ramsay shows us. And that's enough for us to know what might have happened. Ramsay does this on multiple occasions in the film. She doesn't spoon feed but hints. That's one of the most fascinating things about 'You were never really here'. The film respects, and trusts it's audience to connect the dots. There are a lot of emotions in this film and all of them are just alluded to rather than told. Tight framing combined with excellent composition and movement convey everything without much dialogue. Joaquin Phoenix totally gets what Ramsay is going for and delivers one of the most intense performances you'll see in a long time. Everything he does has immense psychological weight behind it. The way he talks, looks, whimpers, cries...just terrific. The rest of the cast did a solid job. The film might not be everyone's cup of tea because this is a slow burn that uses mood, instead of plot development, to create tension. I prefer Ramsay's earlier work 'We need to talk about Kevin' to this but yet one can't deny that she is a damn good filmmaker and this a damn good film.

Dheepan (2015)

A quietly affecting film that stumbles at the end.

[8/10 · 26 November 2021]

Jacques Audiard is known to make films about the outsiders, the people in the fringes of the society and Dheepan is no different. It's about a Srilankan Tamil "family" seeking refuge in Europe. I say "family" because they're not really one. By the end of Srilankan civil war a former LTTE soldier finds a random woman and a girl and they all agree to take the identity of a deceased family to gain entry into Europe. This is not a spoiler because the film is not about the fabrication of a fake family rather how this fake family learn to become a real one. Once the film shifts to the Drug-Mafia controlled outskirts of Paris we slowly realise that all this family has managed is to move from one combat zone to another. They're still surrounded by gun-slinging guards in this unknown foreign land. But it is here the film finds it's most tender portions where these three strangers learn to live together as a family. All three actors deliver terrific understated performances. Audiard, too, understands less is more for the better part of the film until the very end where the film falters. The climax seems hasty as it enters action territory, rather odd for such a subtle film. But in the end you could only appreciate a master who is relentless in expressing his artistry in the way he wants.

Maanaadu (2021)

A cracking comeback for both STR and Venkat Prabhu.

[7/10 · 25 November 2021]

Both STR's and Venkat Prabhu's careers really needed a home run for them to stay relevant and 'Maanadu' is exactly that. The film takes on Time Loop as it's central conceit and weaves a taut screenplay that seldom drags. Once we're past the generic first 15 minutes the film just takes off into a nail-biting thriller. It keeps on building and most of the twists work really well. It's not necessarily a new concept to Hollywood (Groundhog Day, Edge of Tomorrow) but is definitely a novelty for Tamil mainstream. The story needs a dangerous but wildly entertaining villain for it to work and who better to do it than SJ Suryah. His enjoyably exaggerated performances over time have made me think that he might be the Jim Carrey of Tamil cinema. There are some 'laugh out loud' moments involving him and YG Mahendran, who was solid. Yuvan gives a typically driving score that keeps up with the film's pace. All in all VP has successfully blended high concept into a tight masala screenplay to deliver one hell of an entertainer.

Doctor (2021)

A hilarious dark comedy with memorable characters.

[8/10 · 22 November 2021]

You saw glimpses of Nelson's quirky comedic sense in his debut 'Kolamaavu Kokila' but nothing prepares you for the laughing riot of his sophomore effort, 'Doctor'. Similar dark absurd comedies have been attempted before in Tamil cinema (Moodar Koodam, Soodhu Kavvum) but still Doctor feels unique in the way it has enough heft to accommodate a star like Siva Karthikeyan. Surprisingly it is him who anchors the film with his stoic dry humor while the others are let loose to go absurdly funny. I wish SK would do more films like this. The hilarity of the circumstances coupled with stellar performances from an impeccable ensemble makes this one of the funniest films in recent times. The pick of the cast would be, hands down, Redin Kingsley. The man is just weirdly funny and, yet again, Yogi Babu is at his best. Special mention to Deepa Shankar and Vinay Rai who were perfect in their short roles. The ultimate hero of the film obviously is writer-director Nelson, who has proved us that he is a unique voice in Tamil mainstream.

P. S. It's unreasonable to expect "logic" in these films because the world in which the film is happening is based on absurdity. The characters, the dialogues, the circumstances, all are absurd and that's the point of the film.

Jai Bhim (2021)

A near-great commercial film about social injustice.

[8/10 · 12 November 2021]

The moment I finished watching Jai Bhim I was left wondering whether Surya playing the lead is a boon or a bane. On one hand the presence of a big star like Surya would inevitably lead to certain "mass" scenes which might bother the emotional flow and on the other hand his presence would also bring in tons of audience to this film that is addressing an important issue. Jai Bhim is about a horrific real incident that happened in the 90's but the problem it's addressing is as relevant today as it was back then. The initial portions of the film where we see the life of Irulars are amazing. We get to know them, their lifestyle and, most importantly, how they're treated. Then the film segues into the real issue. I wish the film had been treated like Visaranai. This movie is just a bit too commercial for such a sensitive topic but i get it, a film like Visaranai would never reach as many people as this has. Anyways this is a very important film about casteism, social injustice and police brutality.

Annaatthe (2021)

Rajinikanth is the only good thing about this film.

[5/10 · 4 November 2021]

Annaatthe was marketed as a family drama with high emotion so that's exactly what I went in expecting. Well it wasn't a family drama, rather a FAMILY MELODRAMA. I was never really sure whether I was watching a movie or a TV serial. Every emotion is amped up, every dialogue is delivered in a melodramatic way and followed by loud melodramatic music and still you feel nothing for the characters, at least I didn't. The screenplay is pretty much non-existent. Things happen randomly with underwritten charcters. I didn't mind Siva redoing the old troupes from his and others' films but the problem is they never really make any sense. And, yet again, a film fails to find a legit villain who can actually pose a threat to the Superstar. Keerthy Suresh has nothing to do other than cry and Nayanthara has not even that. And finally coming to Rajinikanth, it's no doubt he's past his peak but the man still carries the film, all alone, with his energy and charisma. You can see him give everything he can but it's not enough to save this weak film. It's evident that he still has more to offer for Tamil cinema but the sad reality is the filmmakers just don't know what to do with this legend anymore.

Dune (2021)

A visual spectacle that puts form over narrative.

[8/10 · 24 October 2021]

Dune is a one of a kind visual spectacle. I know now what people in the past would've felt when they saw 2001: A Space Odyssey or Lawrence of Arabia on the big screen for the first time. Every shot is filled with grandeur and beauty. When it comes to the narrative the film takes it's time to introduce us to the world and it's characters. The slow building can put off some people but once the film gets going in the second half it's a treat. The film has the emotional depth of a cardboard and despite Timothee Chalamat's superb performance we don't really care for his journey. This cold nature of the narrative, as often with Villeneuve's films, is a by-product of the extremely formal approach towards the story. Apart from that it's no denying that Villeneuve has proved, yet again, that he's one of the best filmmakers out there.