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| VAMANAN
MOVIE REVIEW |
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| Review
by : Behindwoods review board |
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Starring:
Jai, Rahman, Priya, Lakshmi Rai,
Santhanam, Sampath, Urvashi
Direction:Ahmed
Music:
Yuvan Shankar Raja
Production:
Dream Valley Corporation |
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Having
established his potential in
the cult flick Chennai 28 and
the surprise hit Subramaniapuram,
Vamanan is Jai’s attempt
to experiment with mainstream
cinema. Directed by I Ahmed,
Jai’s action thriller
could have worked if it had
a better screenplay. Or simply
if it was released earlier,
for we have had smarter thrillers
in the past few months, the
movie’s soggy screenplay
seems to be just inexcusable.
The movie opens with the superhot
Lakshmi Rai, trying to do a
desi Bo Derek, shooting for
an emerging-from-the-sea-dripping-wet
scene shot using a Radio-controlled
helicopter (for the first time
in a South Indian film, it is
learnt). After filming her in
all angles, the device loses
control and goes missing from
sight. The distressed crew sets
out in search of the thing for
there are vital portions of
the footage lost with the RC.
Eventually, they find the helicopter
in a tree trunk. They also find
footages of a murder filmed
by the device whilst on its
prowl.
When the committers of the politically
motivated murder discover the
whereabouts of their recorded
act, they set
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out to hunt down the parties who own the
video cassette. The movie unfolds, thus,
in a series of chase exercises and culminates
into a climax. The half hour pre-climax
serves as the movie’s most thrilling
moments, you almost wish the entire movie
was handled the same way.
From swift stunts to rapid dance movements,
Jai has got it all. And he has got everything
right. As the aspiring youngster Anand who
gets tangled in a mess putting the lives
of his mother and girl friend in danger,
Jai seems to be willing to do more for the
role. Sadly enough, his skills are grossly
underutilized in the movie. Blame it on
the script or the director.
Lakshmi Rai’s sizzling screen presence
peters out as her character is nothing more
than an innocent bombshell victim who gets
killed in the maze of things. And Priya
is less than impressive. The other roles,
played by Thalaivasal Vijay, Rahman and
Sampath Raj are satisfactorily etched out.
It’s heartening to watch Rahman after
a long time on screen. But with Urvashi,
it’s not the same. Someone needs to
tell her that her chatterbox-housewife style
comedy is just so not in; it tires you out
more than it entertains. On the other hand,
Santhanam and Jai’s combo in the first
half serves as a push in the movie’s
proceedings, albeit negligibly.
Aravind Krishna’s camera work screams
for more attention and feels mediocre in
the end. Ditto with Yuvan’s music.
The insipid background score complements
the dreary and jaded songs.
Vamanan has a story that probably would
have sounded promising on paper. What transpired
when it made its way to the screens is a
product that needed a lot more fine-tuning.
The writing lacks the required inventiveness
for an action thriller and the screenplay
is further weighed down with illogical scenes
that stick out like a sore thumb.
Verdict:
No great shakes!
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