One a many had expected that Vinaaithandi.. would be Gautham's throwback days to Minnale, a winding up, feel good film with plenty of entertainment on offer, that doesn't take itself too seriously. But VTV definitely isn't a revisit of any kind towards Minnale, nor a throwback- Gautham tries to push another envelope forward in terms of his own accomplishments as a film-maker.
VTV, for the most part, is a films that resembles life in a poignant, unspectacular fashion. It's simple, not done with any over-the-top elements, extracts enaction of characters rather than performances. Gautham knows his characters like the back of his skin, and that translates onto the screen- he knows the story like the back of his skin, he knows what exactly he feels about the wafer-thin story, and tries to make the audience feel and experience the very same at the end of the movie. And he does succeed to a great extent.
The story, as mentioned, is wafer-thin. Yet without resorting to typical commercial fares to somehow pump excitement to a seemingly non-existent story, Gautham tries to appreciate the very subtleness and the thin story, and pay tribute to the tiny details of relationships, romance and love. The result would translate for some as slow and tedious, and for many as being nostalgic.
The story is not contained with good, bad archetypes of characters, that is so often portrayed as such in Tamil cinema; every character is adversely human. The male lead as someone who, despite his love and conviction, appears unable to force a happy ending to his see-saw love episode, the female lead as someone who is torn between loyalties, and tries to do what she thinks is the best for everybody- even the parents who fiercely oppose the relationship appear only as individuals is a cluster of pre-set notions and requirements that wouldn't be broken down with consummate ease. It's just the story about two individuals whose relationship did not work.
The film demonstrates quite effectively the complications that ensue through relationships, the psychological and mental delusion that follows when problems and fierce opposition starts knocking the door. It is a knock-down on the fairytale ingredient that we are so accustomed to seeing in Tamil cinema over the years- and thus, a fresh change.
Simbhu's performance is an acutely measured performance. Every minute detail is taken care of in his portrayal. Gautham ensured that his performance doesn't border on exaggeration- he behaves exactly the way a man at that young age, torn between a burgeoning desire to attain a woman he loves and his own career aspiration- would behave. Most of the sadness and pain taken intro stride within the character without any verbal expression, Simbhu fits the character, or its more fair to say the character was tailor made for him.
Trisha, though convincing at most parts, could have improvised more on her performance in comparison to the occasional stoic expression that is etched on her face.
VTV does fall at some places, with some scenes inducing a wonder as to whether the pace of the story will change anytime soon, and so on. With one too many songs crammed in the first half, that is another aspect that Gautham could have avoided. Manoj Paramahamsa's camerawork is a delight, as he captures the scenes in Kerala with consummate delight, while AR Rahman's fresh combination with Gautham results in a livelier and more varied BGM work, which can only get better with more films.
VTV, for the most part, is a films that resembles life in a poignant, unspectacular fashion. It's simple, not done with any over-the-top elements, extracts enaction of characters rather than performances. Gautham knows his characters like the back of his skin, and that translates onto the screen- he knows the story like the back of his skin, he knows what exactly he feels about the wafer-thin story, and tries to make the audience feel and experience the very same at the end of the movie. And he does succeed to a great extent.
The story, as mentioned, is wafer-thin. Yet without resorting to typical commercial fares to somehow pump excitement to a seemingly non-existent story, Gautham tries to appreciate the very subtleness and the thin story, and pay tribute to the tiny details of relationships, romance and love. The result would translate for some as slow and tedious, and for many as being nostalgic.
The story is not contained with good, bad archetypes of characters, that is so often portrayed as such in Tamil cinema; every character is adversely human. The male lead as someone who, despite his love and conviction, appears unable to force a happy ending to his see-saw love episode, the female lead as someone who is torn between loyalties, and tries to do what she thinks is the best for everybody- even the parents who fiercely oppose the relationship appear only as individuals is a cluster of pre-set notions and requirements that wouldn't be broken down with consummate ease. It's just the story about two individuals whose relationship did not work.
The film demonstrates quite effectively the complications that ensue through relationships, the psychological and mental delusion that follows when problems and fierce opposition starts knocking the door. It is a knock-down on the fairytale ingredient that we are so accustomed to seeing in Tamil cinema over the years- and thus, a fresh change.
Simbhu's performance is an acutely measured performance. Every minute detail is taken care of in his portrayal. Gautham ensured that his performance doesn't border on exaggeration- he behaves exactly the way a man at that young age, torn between a burgeoning desire to attain a woman he loves and his own career aspiration- would behave. Most of the sadness and pain taken intro stride within the character without any verbal expression, Simbhu fits the character, or its more fair to say the character was tailor made for him.
Trisha, though convincing at most parts, could have improvised more on her performance in comparison to the occasional stoic expression that is etched on her face.
VTV does fall at some places, with some scenes inducing a wonder as to whether the pace of the story will change anytime soon, and so on. With one too many songs crammed in the first half, that is another aspect that Gautham could have avoided. Manoj Paramahamsa's camerawork is a delight, as he captures the scenes in Kerala with consummate delight, while AR Rahman's fresh combination with Gautham results in a livelier and more varied BGM work, which can only get better with more films.
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