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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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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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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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Naai Sekar Returns (2022), a string of laughlets
A comedian and his works are a product of his time. For Vadivelu, Naai Sekar Returns (2022) offers too little too late to impress the audience. Vadivelu has tried his best, in places they work too, but with a razor-thin plot there is only so much, jokes and slapstick comedy can carry. Because of the fond memories we all have for “Vaigai Puyal” I am giving a rating of Raw, yet I will suggest you wait for the OTT release. As a villain who plays comedy, Anandaraj‘s character was consistent in Naanum Rowdy Dhaan and so it worked well, here before the interval, Anandaraj’s character was a terror but after…
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Gatta Kusthi (2022), a sports comedy that was not stupid
Almost all comedy films made in Kollywood in recent times make you feel stupid and are devoid of common sense. Surprising to see the movie Gatta Kusthi (2022) which was based on an age-old plot of a marriage being finalised on lies, breaking the trend. Vishnu Vishal produced a film that was enjoyable for most parts and I am feeling generous to give a mangoidiots rating of Ripe. Wrestling is not easy. Wresting on a mud floor is tougher. Aishwarya Lekshmi has done her role of a female wrestler remarkably well – she exhibits the tenacity and toughness that makes the matches played in the ring believable and she was docile…
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See How They Run (2022), unpretentious yet entertaining
There are films which have a simple plot, familiar characters, and unpretentious handling by the director, yet are entertaining. The comedy, murder-mystery film, See How They Run (2022) was one of those films and gets our Ripe rating. The lead actors Sam Rockwell and Saoirse Ronan were instrumental in ensuring the period film set in 1953 London was humorous and enjoyable. Available on Disney+ Hotstar. A murder happens backstage during Agatha Christie’s play in a famous London theatre. A voice-over says this is yet another Whodunit (Who has done it) genre story. Though it was of that genre, the screenplay was uncomplicated and easy to follow. I liked the recreation of…
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Coffee with Kadhal (2022), decaf and lukewarm!
A large family with three brothers and one sister, four to five couples, and misaligned affections should’ve been a perfect plot for a comedy from Sundar C. Unfortunately, a weak screenplay has resulted in a decaf coffee that was lukewarm. I am puzzled about why Yogi Babu and Kingsley were so under-utilized. Coffee with Kadhal (2022) gets a ‘rotten’ in our mangoidiots score. Srikanth, Jiiva and Jai play the role of three sons to the character of Pratap Pothen, it was sad to see the underrated actor in Kollywood perform in what is likely to be his last film. DD (Dhivyadharshini) comes as the sister to the three brothers and…
