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Nothing to Declare (2010),
It was unimaginable that in the centre of Europe where two world wars took place, half a century later integration of economies and laws between the involved countries will happen. Nothing to Declare (Rien à déclarer) is a humorous take on the events leading up to the implementation of the eurozone. The Franco-Belgian comedy doesn’t take place in Brussels or Paris but in a small village that is part of both countries. The officers featured are not leaders, but two customs officers on the border checkposts. The film narrates how the commoners are affected by the noble ideals of the European Union. It gets a Ripe rating in Mangoidiots for…
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Run Baby Run (2023), a thriller narrated differently
Actor R J Balaji, known for his comedy roles has boldly played the protagonist in this crime thriller film. His lack of acting skills was apparent in this film, but the director Jiyen Krishnakumar‘s different narrative style saves the day. Aishwarya Rajesh, Isha Talwar, and Radhika Sarathkumar have been given limited roles. The movie gets a Raw rating from Mangoidiots. What should’ve been a nailbiting thriller, meanders its way due to a lengthy first half. The film starts with the crime and then travels into a flashback. This style gets us, the audience curious, but the absence of character introductions even in the second half robs us of our involvement. A car…
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Mister Mommy (2022), an eccentric plot squandered
When I read the noticed poster of this film, Mister Mommy (2022) on Netflix I was intrigued. A male is shown with a pregnant tummy! Add to that, it was starring Genelia D’Souza, an actress I love from her early Tamil films like Sachein (2005) and Santosh Subramaniam (2008). Sadly, the actual film was a total failure, the screenplay was non-existent. It felt like the movie was being made up on the set. Gets a rotten rating on the Mangoidiots scale. Amol Kote (Riteish Deshmukh) works as a physical education trainer in a school in Britain, he is a strict disciplinarian and he inflicts the kids with near corporal punishments.…
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Nanpakal Nerathu Mayakkam (2023), is an unbelievably simple film!
What can good casting, attention to the smallest detail, brilliant acting and natural background score do? It can produce a wonderful film like Nanpakal Nerathu Mayakkam (2023). The lead actors starting with Mammootty, Ramya Pandian and Ramya Suvi were outstanding. The film gets a ripe rating. In the first fifteen minutes, we are transported to the holy town of the Shrine Basilica of Our Lady of Health Vailankanni. The camera of the cinematographer Theni Eswar doesn’t miss anything in the market or the corridors of the lodge there or the eatery during a road trip. The story is about what happens when the leader of a group of devotees on…
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Beginning (2023), a new technique used onscreen that works
When I heard about this film, Beginning (2023) being Asia’s first split-screen movie I was not sure how it will work, and will I be able to follow the two stories. Director Jagan Vijaya has done a great job in making it easy for the audience to follow, the cue was to shift the focus based on the active soundtrack. For the first few minutes, we are shown a pitch-dark screen with only background audio and then dialogues. We then see the screen split in the middle, with one story playing on the left and another on the right. After some time, the two stories converge gradually. Gets a mangoidiots…
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Mukundan Unni Associates (2023), a different type of hero
In Indian cinema, there is only one type of hero and heroine. They are good people & honest beyond fault, even when they are involved in illegal acts they do it for the common good which is revealed to all in the end. If the hero is a money-minded capitalist or a power-hungry leader, he turns a fresh leaf and becomes a saint in the climax. The heroine will be a fine example of an ideal citizen, and in general, they pick their partner based on his virtue. The Malayalam comedy film Mukundan Unni Associates (2023) directed by Abhinav Sunder Nayak, has broken away from this mould and that alone…
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Kalaga Thalaivan (2022), ordinary but fast paced
This is a thriller movie that has a familiar motive and sequences, yet it was engaging. Thanks to brisk editing which keeps the story moving in high gear throughout. Arav is the antagonist and the background score is by Srikanth Deva and Arrol Corelli, who were the real heroes of the film. The film gets a Raw rating from Mangoidiots. Udhayanidhi Stalin is expressionless throughout, even in the romantic kissing scene, yet due to the screenplay his character is convincing and we root for him against the villain. He is given limited action sequences, which is a smart thing by the director Magizh Thirumeni. Kalaiyarasan and Anupama Kumar have done their…
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Varisu (2023), an all-out Vijay film
Varisu (2023), is an all-out Tamil Nadu father-and-son sentiment film that has been made on a Bollywood film set background. Single-handedly Vijay entertains the audience for the three hours of running time. Director Vamshi Paidipally utilises the best of Vijay, which in my view is not his dance or action, but his comedy body language. In many cliche moments, which were countless, Vijay‘s happy-go-lucky style saves the audience. Mangoidiots’ rating for the film is Raw. I enjoyed Yogi Babu‘s comedy tracks, which were relevant and brief. As the family patriarchy, R Sarathkumar has played the role well. Joining him was veteran Jayasudha, in his wife’s character, as the mother to…
