Director Vasanth has made earnest efforts to make Satham Podathey, a so called tamil thriller, something that the industry rarely gets to see. There is definitely a social message in this movie since the script is based on a real life incident. But does the movie convey the message in the right tone and at the right time? Does the movie credit or discredit Vasanth? Will it make noise in the box office?
Sh……sh….sh…..
Handling thriller subjects is not new to Vasanth, but he has miserably failed trying to handle too many storylines in a single movie. The narration pattern was not convincing. Predictable plots, too many storylines, immiscible music and script, lack of emotions in a few pivotal characters makes this movie feel amateurish. What happened to the KB DNA in Vasanth?
The story is simple unlike the way it was handled on the screen. It is about an impotent alcoholic married who marries Bhanu without informing her or her family of his condition. Though her family asks her to walk out of the marriage she believes that Ratnavelu too didn't know he was impotent till after their marriage. Bhanu, a women from the old school decides to stay with him and instead adopt a kid. Her suspicion grows when he asks her to return the adopted child and reaches the flash point when she attends the call from “Alcohol anonymous”. Subsequent events and cruelty by her husband brings an end to the marriage.
Bhanu’s brother, Raghav comes in as a walking stick lending support when she is decrepit. Then the usual sympathy wave creeps in the reel. Raghav’s friend, Ravi sympathizes and decides to marry Bhanu. After a few reels of chases romance blooms between the two. When we all thought the grey clouds had all gone by, Rathnavel re-enters their lives. The happy marriage turns awry and leaves viewers gaping.
Painful moments:
1. I always thought blood was thicker than water, but that is not the case with Bhanu’s family. Her mother, father and brother completely failed to emote through out the movie. Bhanu’s brother reacts like a third person when he tries break the news of his sister’s death and when he tries to comfort Ravi after Bhanu’s death.
2. Music and story must always be hand in glove. All Songs except Idhayam Pesukirathey fail to fit in with the script. Background score took away the fizz in the script. Why did Vasanth have to force in so many songs for a movie with a great script?
3. There were a few immiscible moments in the movie. Ravi singing with children in the beginning of the movie, Ravi referring to Banyan organization. Neither Ravi nor the organization seems to get proper mileage from each other. A very shabby screen play.
Sh……sh….sh…..
Handling thriller subjects is not new to Vasanth, but he has miserably failed trying to handle too many storylines in a single movie. The narration pattern was not convincing. Predictable plots, too many storylines, immiscible music and script, lack of emotions in a few pivotal characters makes this movie feel amateurish. What happened to the KB DNA in Vasanth?
The story is simple unlike the way it was handled on the screen. It is about an impotent alcoholic married who marries Bhanu without informing her or her family of his condition. Though her family asks her to walk out of the marriage she believes that Ratnavelu too didn't know he was impotent till after their marriage. Bhanu, a women from the old school decides to stay with him and instead adopt a kid. Her suspicion grows when he asks her to return the adopted child and reaches the flash point when she attends the call from “Alcohol anonymous”. Subsequent events and cruelty by her husband brings an end to the marriage.
Bhanu’s brother, Raghav comes in as a walking stick lending support when she is decrepit. Then the usual sympathy wave creeps in the reel. Raghav’s friend, Ravi sympathizes and decides to marry Bhanu. After a few reels of chases romance blooms between the two. When we all thought the grey clouds had all gone by, Rathnavel re-enters their lives. The happy marriage turns awry and leaves viewers gaping.
Painful moments:
1. I always thought blood was thicker than water, but that is not the case with Bhanu’s family. Her mother, father and brother completely failed to emote through out the movie. Bhanu’s brother reacts like a third person when he tries break the news of his sister’s death and when he tries to comfort Ravi after Bhanu’s death.
2. Music and story must always be hand in glove. All Songs except Idhayam Pesukirathey fail to fit in with the script. Background score took away the fizz in the script. Why did Vasanth have to force in so many songs for a movie with a great script?
3. There were a few immiscible moments in the movie. Ravi singing with children in the beginning of the movie, Ravi referring to Banyan organization. Neither Ravi nor the organization seems to get proper mileage from each other. A very shabby screen play.
4. Story telling is an art and you have to be a master in it when you want to take it to the reel. The first hero Rathnavelu is shown in the movie as an alcoholic, but during the six months he lived with Bhanu he never comes home drunk and there is no smell of alcohol in the script. Then suddenly the director plays the “Alcohol anyonmous” card to out him to his wife. Though meal looked great and the aroma was appetizing but when tasted it was a salt less meal.
5. Comedy track was not necessary for this movie. Trying to get Venkat Prabhu for a 2 minute worthless comedy could have been definitely avoided.
6. The logical clues and dots that Ravi connects to trace Bhanu seem very shallow and lack excitement. The old wine in the new bottle doesn’t appeal.
7. The director was not clear about the message that he wanted to convey in his script and when it gets close to bring down the curtains he realizes and hurriedly tries to play the social message of “alcohol ruins lives” and makes a hotch potch of the story.
8. Cinematography was neither great. Some long shots like the Cochin bridge and Santhome Cathedral and some close shots failed to build the element of suspense in the story.
9. Poor editing and logical flaws were present through out the movie.
The first half of the movie was dull, slow and predictable and I was hoping for some Vasanth magic in the second half, which never came. On the way back home, I jogged my memory looking for highlight moments in the movie. I didn’t need more than a few fingers.
Comforting moments: Every cloud has a silver lining.
1. Performance of Prithviraj and Padmapriya definitely is the only reason to keep the audience till the end.
2. Prithviraj’s comedy is like the rain on a summer afternoon.
3. Rathnavel playing the victim card and psychopath card brings some life in the script. But in the movie he is as lost as we are, always guessing and wearing a quizzical look. Is that how psychopaths are supposed to look?
4. Ithayam pesiyathey songs makes you stick to your seat hoping for another breather in the movie.
Was the movie worth for the money?
No way. Audience were restlessly digging into the popcorn tub and gulping Coke to get to intermission and soon after the intermission they were found wiggling in their seats waiting for the movie to end. Definitely there was a powerful script but Vasanth lacked the maturity and finesse in his story telling.
Mr. Vasanth if you want to hold the mantle of KB, you need to shed the sheepish smile and get serious with film making.
Satham podathey (don’t make noise) will make no noise in the box office.
The first half of the movie was dull, slow and predictable and I was hoping for some Vasanth magic in the second half, which never came. On the way back home, I jogged my memory looking for highlight moments in the movie. I didn’t need more than a few fingers.
Comforting moments: Every cloud has a silver lining.
1. Performance of Prithviraj and Padmapriya definitely is the only reason to keep the audience till the end.
2. Prithviraj’s comedy is like the rain on a summer afternoon.
3. Rathnavel playing the victim card and psychopath card brings some life in the script. But in the movie he is as lost as we are, always guessing and wearing a quizzical look. Is that how psychopaths are supposed to look?
4. Ithayam pesiyathey songs makes you stick to your seat hoping for another breather in the movie.
Was the movie worth for the money?
No way. Audience were restlessly digging into the popcorn tub and gulping Coke to get to intermission and soon after the intermission they were found wiggling in their seats waiting for the movie to end. Definitely there was a powerful script but Vasanth lacked the maturity and finesse in his story telling.
Mr. Vasanth if you want to hold the mantle of KB, you need to shed the sheepish smile and get serious with film making.
Satham podathey (don’t make noise) will make no noise in the box office.
Krishna...Krishna ....Krishna....
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