Author

Sudhir Srinivasan

'Beau is Afraid' movie review: Between a mess and a masterpiece

It is a film about feelings—specifically, concerning Beau’s relationship with his mother. Does he love her? Or does he wish she were dead?

29 May 2023

Shaakuntalam Movie Review: Oh deer, this myth-drama fails on all fronts

Make no mistake, the story of Shakuntala has promise and potential, but it needed minds that were willing to occupy it, dig in, and explore.

14 Apr 2023

'Viduthalai Part 1' review: Lots to like about Vetri Maaran’s dramatisation of police brutality

It’s due to being wired so that Kumaresan is unable to apologise as a compromise.

02 Apr 2023

'Thunivu' movie review: Bullets and bombs fail but the dialogues don’t

The film makes more than one reference to the ‘joker’. Truth be told, after The Dark Knight, it’s hard not to think of The Joker any time a maniacal man seems to be involved in a bank heist.

12 Jan 2023

The unbridled joy of ‘Naatu’

As straightforward as it may seem, the whole song bursts with the simplicity and beauty of a fable.

12 Jan 2023

Chekka Chivantha Vaanam: An in-form Mani Ratnam hits this gangster film out of the park

Chekka Chivantha Vaanam, while having women who don’t, on the looks of it, seem to matter a great deal, is yet different.

29 Sep 2018

Chekka Chivantha Vaanam Review: An in-form Mani Ratnam hits this gangster film out of the park

A heady cocktail of strong performances, inventive stunt choreography, and explosive music.

28 Sep 2018

'Kaala' movie review: An important work by a filmmaker who’s admirable in his passion for social change

The dynamism at the heart of this Ranjith film lends itself naturally to the few mass moments, and in any case, he doesn’t seem in a hurry to entertain them.

08 Jun 2018

Bilingual films: The big, bilingual scam

Actors talk about bilinguals almost in a scared hush, considering they have to endure the monotony and fatigue of having to shoot the same scenes, while speaking different languages.

21 May 2018

'Nadigaiyar Thilagam' movie review: A well-made biopic that’s in love with its subject

In a film about an extramarital affair, an actor’s descent into alcoholism, and the opportunistic nature of people, the biggest shock is perhaps that Nadigaiyar Thilagam (Mahanati in Telugu) marketed

12 May 2018

'Mercury' movie review: A worthy experiment with some memorable stretches

I’ll remember Mercury quite a while — not for its wholesomeness, but for some truly delicious stretches of filmmaking. In a scene, a couple are in an ‘Ale Ale’ moment, having just expressed their feel

21 Apr 2018

'Rampage' movie review: A passable popcorn monster film devoid of novelty

Okay, the film’s titled Rampage, and it stars Dwayne Johnson. You can immediately surmise that the film is about one of two things: Dwayne Johnson going on a rampage against evil, or someone/something

14 Apr 2018

Sridevi: Cinema’s child

'Icon’, ‘legend’, ‘great’… These are praises commonly thrown about in eulogies.
For once, in the case of Sridevi, these will all be relevant descriptions

26 Feb 2018