thearrfan's Reviews

Jigarthanda Double X (2023)

9/10

13 November 2023

What I saw was not a film but a beautiful expression of love towards cinema and filmmaking. Cinema has the power to move you, the power to make you think and the power to make you ask questions. It's not just a thing which makes you pass your time but a powerful weapon which could change you. Jigarthanda double X will move you, make you think and encourages you to ask questions.

The visuals and the score, especially in the last one hour were truly magical. SaNa's score made the film double X better (pun intended).

Lawrence. Wow. Definitely his best performance till date and also It's a breath of fresh air to see SJ Suryah not acting in the same over the top eccentric manner like his other recent films.

Karthik Subbaraj hits the bull's eye with his writing and direction and places himself firmly in the list of the best newgen directors of tamil cinema. It's safe to say that Jigarthanda double X is one of the best tamil films of this decade.

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Leo (III) (2023)

8/10

One of a kind!

20 October 2023

Lokesh Kanagaraj once again proves his prowess in filmmaking. His name is enough to say that you would have a unique experience in the cinema hall. The single shot fight sequence at the factory made me to leave my mouth wide open for its entirety! I admire Lokesh for the efforts he puts to push the boundaries of tamil cinema.

Vijay really needs a round of applause for his performance and I really appreciate the fact that he agreed to do it in Lokesh's way. I never imagined that Vijay would pull of certain things as these are not something his typical film would have.

Throughout the film you could see the hardwork of the crew be it the cinematography, editing or the CGI. And the result as expected is top notch. Anirudh's score has received a lot of mediocre reviews. Even though it's not upto the mark, I really liked the score made for Arjun and Sanjay Dutt. It's kind of underrated in my opinion.

Having watched David Cronenberg's A History of Violence, I know the twists, turns and whatnot. Despite this, I thoroughly enjoyed Leo. Although I agree that the Das brothers were not intimidating enough and the flashback potion is written poorly, it is not something that would stop the film from being enjoyable.

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Uttama Villain (2015)

10/10

An underlooked gem

14 January 2023

Warning: Spoilers

After watching this film multiple times, I still don't understand why this film has not got the appreciation it deserves. Uttama Villain is about an actor who decides to do one last film with his mentor after he gets to know that he hasn't got much time left. While the actor is dying, Uttaman, the character he portrays in his last film is a street artiste who has got the boon of immortality.

The way both the contrasting stories, the story of the dying actor and the immortal Uttaman unfolds is brilliant and almost flawless. While the plot is simple, the film is filled with layers and layers of deep, prominent themes.

Uttama Villain is about a man seeking redemption: Only when you realise that you have very little time left to ask sorry for the mistakes you've made, you start to regret it. Manoranjan (the dying actor) had to leave the love of his life, Yamini, for his greed of achieving immortal fame and stardom. The letters each of them wrote remained undelivered due to his father-in-law.

Likewise, the letter the princess wrote seeking help from the neighbouring kingdom remained undelivered due to the obstruction of the greedy Muththarasan (Nasser). And the story of Uttaman is about how he kills the greedy king to unite with his love. This is Manoranjan's way of seeking redemption. He is in no position to right his wrongs out. So he uses his art to convey that he has realised that he has fallen into the trap of greediness and wants to come out of it. While Muththarasan is the portrait of the greedy, villainous side of Manoranjan, Uttaman is the portrait of the side of Manoranjan who wants to seek redemption by killing his greedy side.

Uttama Villain is about a man seeking eternity: Whether we like it or not, we have to face our end one day. Only while nearing his end Manoranjan realises that all his fame and stardom are temporary and would cease to remain one day. Hence he decides to make a film with his mentor, a film that would not increase his fame or stardom but a film that people would love and would make them laugh wholeheartedly. He understands that even though he has an end, his art and people's love for it do not. Hence he conveys through his art that he has realised his mistakes and wants to become Uttaman and be remembered like that.

This film is not only rich theme-wise but also with the dialogues and wordplay, heart-touching music and excellent acting. Sadly, we have missed appreciating this film and I hope it would get the appreciation it deserves.

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Vadhandhi: The Fable of Velonie (2022– )

9/10

Surprisingly well made thriller!

25 December 2022

"A lie can travel halfway around the world while the truth is still putting on its boots." This is the theme of Vadhandhi: The Fable of Velonie. It revolves around a teenage girl who gets murdered mysteriously. With a little bit of information about her background, it is for the public and media to judge her character and write her 'biography'.

As the story is presented through the views of multiple characters whom we're not so sure of trusting, it makes it difficult to predict the plot and we're left eagerly waiting to find out what really happened. What I liked about the series is apart from the mystery, we're also shown the psychological impact on a cop while dealing with a hard-to-crack case, which many movies/series in the Tamil industry fail to show and SJ Suryah's portrayal deserves a round of applause. In fact, the entire crew does!

Although the plot moves extremely slow and some takes are cheesy, I would not recommend missing this show.

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Avatar: The Way of Water (2022)

8/10

Phenomenal

21 December 2022

Throughout the entire film, it didn't feel like I was watching the movie. It felt like as if I'm transported into the world of Pandora. Each shot is filled with rich scenery and amazing details. It's been a long time since I've watched a film that I thoroughly enjoyed.

But I won't say that the film is flawless. It lacked a good story and there were many logical loopholes. It's like the whole movie was made just to show the beautiful underwater scenes. The film suffers from poor character development too. While the first part had a meaning, I don't understand what Cameron is trying to convey through this film.

But all these flaws are overshadowed by the visuals. If you're someone who watches films for the sake of entertainment, you would surely enjoy this film. But if you're someone who expects more than just entertainment, you will still enjoy it but won't feel fulfilled. Overall, it was worth the hype.

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The Batman (2022)

9/10

Dark; Visually stunning; A treat for Batman fans.

20 March 2022

Pattinson's portrayal as the caped crusader is phenomenal that it proves to be one of the best renditions to date. But it was Paul Dano who knocked it out of the park with his terrifying performance as The Riddler.

Another reason to love this film is its beautiful cinematography. The dark atmosphere sets in the mood and paints the character of Batman. And above all, we get to see Batman as a detective which makes the storyline even greater.

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Pather Panchali (1955)

10/10

Simple yet beautiful

5 December 2020

Words cannot describe how I feel after watching this wonderful piece of cinema. Its breathtaking simplicity works wonders by giving a strong, complicated emotion. Ray beautifully delivered a tale of a poor, rural family and their relationships in a rich and sophisticated manner.

10/10

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Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance) (2014)

8/10

Satire at its peak

30 November 2020

I like how this movie realistically potrays the struggle of an artist in a time where people value big budget superhero films with cheesy lines and average perfomances over true art in a satirical fashion. It is perfect in almost all aspects right from the beginning till the end and Michael Keaton's performance is just terrific!

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Memories of Murder (2003)

10/10

The perfect thriller

26 November 2020

It is THE BEST crime thriller I have ever watched. It is a masterpiece even though being the second film for the director. Yes, this is a slow-paced movie but the slow-pacing is rather a plus point for this film. In my opinion, this is Bong's best work yet.

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Single Slipper Size - 7 (2019)

10/10

An underrated masterpiece

14 November 2020

An experimental film with a great storyline along with tasteful dialogues is very rare to see. Props to Parthiban for delivering such a film with a powerful performance. This man knows what needs to be in a frame and what not needs to be. Not a single frame is wasted and everything is picture perfect. Only a few possess such talent and craftsmanship. It's easily a 10/10 film and it needs much more attention because it deserves it.

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Infernal Affairs (2002)

9/10

Better than the remake

14 November 2020

This is one of the best crime fictions out there with a strong and original concept. I feel that at some places the zoom-ins and other effects were a little over the top, which gives the vibes of an average cop action flick to a certain extent. Otherwise, everything else (especially the storyline) is top notch. Unlike The Departed, the plot is to the point and it's pretty straightforward. That's what, in my opinion, makes Infernal Affairs stand out much better than it's remake.

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