http://in.rediff.com/movies/2007/nov/08atm.htm
Azhagiya Thamizh Magan is illogical
Nandhu Sundharam
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5Rediff P4C Classifieds
November 08, 2007 15:53 IST
An MBA student is
suddenly able to see the future. A wise doctor (real-life psychiatrist
Rudran, with his beard intact) attributes this to the student's gift of
extra sensory perception.
The
hero, Vijay discusses with the wise doctor his torturous gift and its
philosophical import. After that, no one on screen chokes with
disbelief!
A few minutes
later, we are witnesses to two more crimes -- one in the movie and the
other one in its making. A man, who looks just like Vijay (played by
Vijay) but not related to the hero by blood, replaces him. Again no one
on screen, except for Ashish Vidyarthi expresses his or her disbelief.
In fact, all of them including the gorgeous woman in his life keep
thinking that the replacement is the original.
These
two ideas -- Extra sensory perception, which is at best an unproven,
controversial science, and that two persons, not born as twins, can
have the same appearance might put you off. But the makers of Azhagiya Thamizh
Magan hope that you have left your left-brain at home!
Director
Bharhathan (say, what's with that peculiar spelling?) falls short of
not just logic, but technique as well. In the two fight sequences
between the two Vijays, he ends up shooting them looking at other
objects, including the camera, when they are supposed to be looking at
each other. Sometimes, the two Vijays are lit differently, which gives
the game away.
The gorgeous
woman referred to earlier is Shriya, whose acting is as bad as her
looks are good. The only convincing portion of the movie is when Shriya
has to act as if she doesn't have a clue on who the love of her life
is. All through the movie, with unfailing regularity, she runs into the
arms of the wrong man.
In
the closing minutes of the movie, Shriya is made to deliver one of the
cheesiest lectures one has ever heard on sex and importance of that
strange thing called karpu (loosely translates to chastity. No
wonder Shriya mucks it up. To act as the embodiment of chastity while
looking exactly the opposite is no easy task.
Over
the years, Vijay has made a long, arduous journey. In the early years,
his father (director S A Chandrasekhar) propped him up as an action
icon and later Vijay spent a number of years running in wet sets.
Later, movies like Poove Unakkaga and Kathalukku Mariyathai brought out the
gentler side of the actor making the masses accept him.
The success of movies like Ghilli and Pokkiri ensured Vijay a place in the
hearts of many, especially the college-going youth. Today, the
Illayathalapathi, who is on the verge of being crowned as heir to the superstar
can't afford to mistake bad science experiments for scripts.
A
R Rahman does make an excellent effort to rev up the proceedings, but
sadly for him, the songs are poorly represented in the film. If you
take away the sheen of the costumes and the richness of the sets and
locals, it's appalling how pedestrian the dance sequences are.
Some
of the worst scenes in the movie are the special effects sequences.
Whether budgets still remain too low for good special effects is
arguable.
Namitha, all the
few hundred kilos of her, is barely able to lift herself up, let alone
the film. Sayayi Shinde and Geetha are wasted in inconsequential roles.
A die-hard Vijay fan might be able to brave the movie, but for the others, this
movie can be given a miss.
