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Viduthalai - Part 1 review: Soori steals the show in this Vetrimaaran flick

Viduthalai is a multi-layered film, held together by a gripping narrative

Nampikkai .

Trust. It can move mountains.

The name ‘Vetrimaaran’ invokes a similar faith in film buffs and actors alike. The National Award-winning filmmaker, known for critically-acclaimed films like Aadukalam , Visaranai , Vada Chennai and Asuran , has a penchant for pushing the envelope.

So, when he cast actor Soori, who is best known for comic roles in Tamil films, as the lead in Viduthalai – Part 1 , people knew Vetrimaaran had seen something in him that others had missed. In fact, Soori had revealed in an interview that they came close to working together twice in the past, but the projects had to be shelved. He went on to add that it was the director’s nampikkai that helped him realise the actor in him.

And it shows in the film, which is based on B. Jeyamohan’s Thunaivan - he doubles up as the scriptwriter, along with Vetrimaaran. Soori, as police constable Kumaresan, arrives at a remote forest base camp on the Tamil Nadu-Karnataka-Kerala border, known for violent and bloody confrontations between the police and guerrillas (named Makkal Padai, or people’s army). The police are after the outlaws and their leaders - the main target being Perumal or Vaathiyar (Vijay Sethupathi in an extended cameo).

Life in this part of the world is not all black and white, and Kumaresan learns it the hard way. A simple man with unshakeable principles, Kumaresan is drawn into the eye of the storm inevitably.

The name of the film – Viduthalai means liberation – couldn’t have been more apt. Soori is finally freed from the shackles of the comedian stereotype. He ditches his slapstick humour and mannerisms to slip into the character of Kumaresan – both physically and otherwise - and shines like never before. It’s as much a conflict of emotions as it is of ideologies and powers, and Soori essays it all beautifully.

Soori isn’t the only surprise element in Viduthalai – Part 1 . Vetrimaaran has mostly associated with actor Dhanush as the lead and music director G.V. Prakash Kumar in his films so far. (Interestingly, Kumar’s sister Bhavani Sre plays Tamilarasi, Soori’s love interest). But, this time, he not only opted for Soori as the protagonist but also brought on board legendary music director Ilaiyaraaja. The move seems to have paid off.

Viduthalai stands out for other reasons, too. One, for the brilliant cinematography by Velraj, capturing the Sathyamangalam forest in all its rustic beauty. Then, the opening scene itself is a piece of art. The tracking shot, which takes the viewer in and out of a train accident setting, is as gripping and captivating as perhaps the iconic shot in Joe Wright’s 2007 war drama Atonement . Once can see the genius that Vetrimaaran is, at work in moments like these.

Viduthalai is a multi-layered film, held together by a gripping narrative. It’s as much about police brutality, as it is about politics and ideologies (though it may seem one-sided at times). The film meanders a bit early in the second half, before picking up pace towards the end. The pulsating finish sets the stage for the next part of the film, and the post credit scenes promise more revelations and a meatier role for Sethupathi, who shines in the limited screen time he gets in this one.

Will Perumal be able to liberate the land from the clutches of the mining mafia? Which side will Kumaresan finally find himself on? Will politics prevail or will the people’s movement bring the powers that be on their knees? Will Viduthalai – Part 2 deliver a resounding answer to all these questions?

In Vetrimaaran, we trust.

Film: Viduthalai - Part 1

Language: Tamil

Director: Vetrimaaran

Cast: Soori, Vijay Sethupathi, Bhavani Sre, Gautam Vasudev Menon and others

Rating: 4/5

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Home » News » Anurag Kashyap reviews Viduthalai Part 1: Vetrimaaran is India's best »

Anurag Kashyap reviews Viduthalai Part 1: Vetrimaaran is India's best

Bollywood filmmaker Anurag Kashyap has given a glowing review for Vetrimaaran's latest directorial outing Viduthalai Part 1. 

• Team OTTplay

Last Updated: 11.57 PM, Apr 07, 2023

Bollywood filmmaker Anurag Kashyap is an avid watcher of movies. And especially he never misses the films made in the south by a set of his favourite directors. And National Award-winning filmmaker Vetrimaaran is defiantly at the top of his list of favourite directors. Anurag has given a rave review for director Vetrimaaran's latest directorial outing Viduthalai Part 1. 

In his review on Letterboxd, Anurag wrote, "Very powerful film, superb performances across board , the best opening shot I’ve seen in the longest time .. looking forward to part 2 .. Vetrimaran is our best (sic)." 

Also Read: Candid Review | Viduthalai Part 1: Vetrimaaran's own 'Come and See'

Anurag credits Tamil cinema for inspiring him to make rooted movies. It's worth noting that it was the 2008 cult Tamil film Subramaniapuram that inspired him to make the Gangs of Wasseypur series in 2012. 

Viduthalai Part 1 is based on writer B Jeyamohan's short story Thunaivan. However, Vetrimaaran has developed that idea into a five-hour movie and he has split it into two parts. The first part was released in cinemas last week with good reviews. 

"With Viduthalai, Vetri Maaran is completely in his zone and delves into police brutality, caste discrimination and abuse of power with finesse. The film leaves you shaken and triggered, as it should be. Viduthalai scores on all corners, be it the plot, narration, background score, acting performances, cinematography and not to forget, the filmmaking. A brilliant film from the Vetri Maaran stable!," wrote the reviewer for OTTplay . 

Some have also opined that this movie was not the best work of Vetrimaaran compared to his previous films. However, all of them who have watched the movie seem to be eager to watch the second part too. 

Viduthalai stars Vijay Sethupathi and Soori in the lead roles. 

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• ENGLISH HINDI MALAYALAM TAMIL TELUGU KANNADA BENGALI  

Viduthalai - Part 1 Tamil Movie

A 'Vetrimaran film' is a firebrand among South Indian movie buffs. One of the biggest reasons is the narration. He is a storyteller who has immense mastery over his craft. Mentored by the legendary director Balu Mahendra, Vetrimaran has carved out a niche for himself over the last 15 years.

With just seven features (including a short film for the anthology, 'Paava Kathaikal') in his career, Vetrimaran prioritizes quality over quantity and often draws inspiration from socio-political stories, typically from renowned novels.

Based on Jeyamohan's novel 'Thunaivan,' "Viduthalai - Part 1" is a two-part movie that follows Kumaresan (Soori), a constable, who is posted as a driver in a militant-infested hilly remote region of Tamil Nadu. The militant group is led by 'Perumal Vathiyaar', whose face is unknown to the cops. He is a ghost, so they start an 'operation ghost hunt'.

The opening scene immediately sets a grim and raw tone, showcasing the aftermath of a train bombing and the devastation it caused. The rawness slaps on our faces as the camera traverses through the eyes of a photojournalist who captures the remains of the mangled train compartments among the wounded, amputated, and deceased. Wails and cries fill the air, grim scenes fill the screen, and a sly political angle intrudes the proceedings, making it murkier.

Through a voice-over by the director, the audience is made aware of the militant operations in the Northern part of Tamil Nadu in the early 80s and 90s, which may be less known compared to the Northern and Northeastern parts of India.

The police brutality against civilians who support the rebel group was the most vocal political commentary that was exhibited on screen. After 'Jai Bhim', this one has created an impact. Chethan as the perverted officer in charge of the camp, is sure to earn the wrath of the audience. It showcases the complexity and the deft bureaucracy that exists within the system.

Soori, as the innocent and passionate constable, has the role of his lifetime. It outlines a director's role in shaping an actor's character with lines that suit the persona. In the past, we have seen Soori in the goofiest of roles, but herein we see him as 'Kumaresan', the innocent man who struggles to strike a balance between his heart and mind. His actions and emotions were natural. His commitment reflects on the screen.

Vijay Sethupathy as 'Perumal Vathiyaar', the leader of the militant group was just introduced in flesh towards the movie's climax. Although his character is the anchor on which the entire movie is spun, he gets very limited exposure. He makes an impact and will do so even more in the second installment of the movie.

Bhavani as Tamilarasi was the apt choice to play the role of a girl from that region. Her pairing with Soori looked natural and went with the flow. Her expressions were subtle, and she did not try to overdo it. A balanced and neat performance. Similarly, Gautham Menon as a cop and Rajiv Menon as the chief secretary represented the face of the "system".

The supporting characters were equally impressive. 'Munnar' Ramesh is a regular in many Vetrimaran films and makes an impression here as a cop. Ilavarasu as a politician was convincing.

The attention to detail in portraying police formalities and hierarchy, including the punishment for subordinates who do not obey orders from superiors and the officers' biases towards individuals, adds depth to the narrative.

The music by Ilayaraja and the cinematography by Velraj elevate the film's quality. The songs blend well with the narrative, and the background score enhances the gripping moments. Cinematographer Velraj has captured the hilly terrains with poise. The camera travels to unknown spaces, cramping into nooks and corners to bring out the rawness in the script.

This movie is by far the most vocal political commentary by director Vetrimaran. Though he declares that this story is fictional at the beginning, one who is slightly familiar with the dark history of Tamil Nadu can easily relate to the region and people who have been affected by police and political brutality. It is a whack on the system that favored capitalism at the cost of endangering natural resources. A royal salute to director Vetrimaran and the entire team of Viduthalai. Can't wait for Part 2!

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VIDUTHALAI MOVIE REVIEW CLICK TO RATE THE MOVIE

Viduthalai is a huge triumph of conviction. Vetri Maaran successfully brings out the hero who was hidden within Soori all this while. On the surface, Viduthalai is an unconventional tale of the underdog. There is lots of drama, emotions, and simmering tension. We wait for the hero to explode for the unfair treatment meted out to him, but he is willing to grind it out to hold onto his principles. It isn't just but the discriminatory system treats him like he's merely a pawn in a game of one upmanship. Soori is like us - A man of hope. A man looking forward with hope. But the system sucks his blood out like a leech.

Soori abstains himself from his usual antics and transforms into Vetri Maaran's faithful disciple. A restrained yet compelling performance. You root for his triumph despite knowing the obvious. And when his moment of glory arrives, you can't hold back from clapping for him. Bhavani Sre gets her big break as the leading lady. An endearing performer with a lot of promise. Chetan is the biggest surprise of the film. As the face of police brutality, he is relentless and cruel. He isn't in your face, the torture handed out to the hero is an everyday habit for Chetan. It's part of the rigidness that defines him.

At the other end of the spectrum is Gautham Vasudev Menon, who balances out the brutality by being a bit more humane when compared to the other cops in the film. He is on the good side. Or is he? Let's wait and watch in the next part. Every character in the film is neatly fleshed out. Even the smaller supporting characters do their bit in elevating the film.

The last but most important piece of this puzzle is Vijay Sethupathi as Vathiyar. Not much is revealed about him. But we are given a glimpse of what awaits us in the second part. We know that he stands for the oppressed. And the glimpse create enough hype for the Vathiyar character, giving us a terrific non-conventional cliff hanger.

Ilayaraja's background score is haunting and pulls us into the film. Velraj's cinematography and Jacki's art direction lend to the authenticity of the film. It almost feels like we are stuck within a rigid and flawed system without any redemption. 

As was the case with Visaranai and Jai Bhim, Vetri Maaran doesn't hold back in showcasing the brutality of the police force. It's raw, real, and gritty. The good thing is that there is more to come in the next part. Viduthalai 1 is yet another great attempt by Vetrimaran spearheaded by a wonderful performance by Soori.

VIDUTHALAI VIDEO REVIEW

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REVIEW RATING EXPLANATION

பிரேக்கிங் சினிமா செய்திகள், திரை விமர்சனம், பாடல் விமர்சனம், ஃபோட்டோ கேலரி, பாக்ஸ் ஆபிஸ் செய்திகள், ஸ்லைடு ஷோ, போன்ற பல்வேறு சுவாரஸியமான தகவல்களை தமிழில் படிக்க இங்கு கிளிக் செய்யவும்      

VIDUTHALAI NEWS STORIES

"20 அசுரனுக்கு சமம்".. வெற்றிமாறனுடன் விடுதலை படம் பார்த்த பிறகு சீமான் பேச்சு!

Viduthalai : "என் மன உணர்வையே இசையாக மீட்டினார்" - ராஜா Sir குறித்து வெற்றிமாறன் EXCLUSIVE

வெற்றிமாறனின் விடுதலை படத்தின் மேக்கிங்.. நடிகர் சூரி பகிர்ந்த மாஸ் வீடியோ..

Soori : விடுதலை படத்துக்கு அப்றம் காமெடி கேரக்டர்ல நடிப்பீங்களா..? - சூரி EXCLUSIVE பதில்.

Viduthalai related news stories.

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• Vetrimaaran wants to make Cop Story Says Thamizharasan Exclusive
• Soori Hard work behind Viduthalai Shoot Thamizharasan Exclusive
• Soori Vetrimaaran Vijay Sethupathi Viduthalai Movie Release Date Announced
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Soori acting-ல பின்னிட்டாரு 🔥 ரெண்டு வருஷம் உழைப்போட வெற்றி...viduthalai - vetrimaaran interview videos, "soori-யை comedian-ஆ பாத்துட்டு இப்படி பாக்கும்போது.."😨viduthalai movie one minute review🔥 videos, other movie reviews.

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Asuran movie review: Dhanush, Manju Warrier deliver intense performances in Vetrimaran's riveting drama

Asuran belongs to Dhanush as his body language and voice modulation is in perfect sync with the character he plays.

Language: Tamil

Dhanush and director Vetrimaran has once again dared to take the road less traveled, and delivered another brilliant film, that hooks you straight away. For the actor-director combo, it is another feather on their cap and as good as their  earlier films like Pollathavan Adukalam and Vada Chennai . It is intense, raw, and hard-hitting, and tells about the hold of caste and class in rural south Tamil Nadu of 1980s, where the rich gobbled up farmlands from the poor in the name of development. The film is an adaptation of Sahitya Academy Award winner Poomani’s novel Vekkai .

The film also shows the mastery of Vetrimaran over his craft and storytelling in making it an entertaining manner without being preachy. It is marked by an outstanding performance from Dhanush, who can be seen in three avatars, as a hot blooded youngster, a matured middle-aged man, and a calm and composed old man in his early 50s. The character allows Dhanush to prove his acting range and calibre without any prosthetic make up or gimmicks. Be warned: it is the most violent film from the director-actor duo so far as the story is all about revenge and its consequences.    Asuran is a riveting blood-soaked revenge drama set in rural Kovilpatti near Tirunelveli in the 1980s in south Tamil Nadu. Sivasamy (Dhanush), a lower-caste person is a marginal farmer and an alcoholic, who leads a peaceful life, along with his aggressive wife Pachaiyamma ( Manju Warrier ). Both their sons, the 20-year-old Murugan (Teejay) and the 16-year-old Chidambaram (Ken) are hot-headed. Their happy family life gets a jolt when a rich landlord, belonging to the upper caste, Narasimhan (Aadukalam Naren) wants to acquire their three-acre farmland adjoining his property to build a cement factory. Things go haywire as the landlord uses his influence with local panchayat and police, and humiliates Sivasamy. This infuriates Murugan, who has a run-in with Narasimman, and slaps him. Unable to bear the humiliation of getting beaten by a lower-caste man, Narasimmam arranges the brutal beheading of Murugan. Meanwhile, Sivasamy tries to pacify his family members from taking revenge but Chidambaram, unable to see the suffering of his mother, who is devastated by the death of her eldest son, kills Narasimman. The family is on the run as Narasimman’s sons and relatives start the hunt for Chidambaram. Sivasamy still tries for a compromise with the help of an activist lawyer (Prakashraj). But Narasimman’s family wants to take revenge at any cost,. Sivasamy is now forced to protect his son. What happens next, including a back-story on how Sivasamy became a soft-spoken pacifist, unwilling to confront his enemies, is told in a stunning manner. Vetrimaran’s tight-knitted screenplay, and his well-defined characters is what makes the revenge survival drama tick. The subtle message he wants to tell is there is a devil (Asuran) lurking inside all of us, and comes out at times. Revenge will consume a person, will be their downfall, and in no way, will solve their problems. His scene composition is terrific, the interval block is one of the best, and the characterisation stands out.

Manju, as Dhanush’s wife, makes a sensational debut in Tamil. You can feel her anger and the wetness in her tears. The two newcomers, Teejay and Ken, who play Dhanush’s sons, are riveting, and the supporting cast of Naren, Pasupathi, and Prakashraj bring life into their roles. GV Prakash’s score is his best in recent times, and perfect as per the mood of the film. Velraj’s (he plays a cameo) camera, especially the night shots in forest areas (beginning of the film when Dhanush and family are on the run), creates tension in the atmosphere.    The film belongs to Dhanush as his body language and voice modulation is in perfect sync with the character he plays. A big shout out to the actor and star for being brave to do the role of Sivasamy, something which his contemporaries would never do. But Vetrimaran has written the role and projected him in such a manner where the essential ingredient of Tamil cinema, ‘heroism’, comes out well. Asuran is one of the best films of the year, and a must watch. Vetrimaran keeps the flag of good cinema flying high.

Rating: ****

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Vetri Maaran: A vital link between Tamil cinema and literature 

On his birthday, let's take a look at how vetri maaran is sustaining the trend of film adaptations in tamil cinema.

Tamil filmmakers have seldom recognized the untapped potential of Tamil literature. The argument that Tamil cinema is too ‘masala’ for it to borrow from literature doesn’t hold water because Tamil literature doesn’t just have ‘serious’ and ‘deep’ books. It has a humongous repository of pulp fiction. For every intense work like Pa Singaram’s Puyalilae Oru Thoni, there’s one gripping page-turner like Sujatha’s Ratham Orae Niram or Rajkumar’s Kaatrin Niram Karuppu. Thus, it is dumbfounding when stars complain about the paucity of good stories from filmmakers.

However, novel adaptations in Tamil are not entirely nonexistent. It is an age-old phenomenon. Films like Jayakanthan’s Unnaipol Oruvan (which received a National Award in 1965), Rajinikanth ’s Priya (1978), Karaiyellam Shenbagapoo (1981), and Kamal Haasan ’s Vikram (1986) are some of the notable examples. Yet, these are just flashes in the pan. A sustained trend of film adaptations hasn’t happened in contemporary Tamil cinema. But filmmaker Vetri Maaran seems to be giving some hope.

The National Award-winning filmmaker has so far directed five feature films of which two are adaptations of Tamil novels. His upcoming films Viduthalai and Vaadivasal are also based on Tamil literary works, which makes Vetri Maaran, a vital link between Tamil literature and cinema. Not just that, he has also cracked the formula of using serious literature for making commercial films.

Literature and Vetri Maaran

The relationship between literature and Vetri Maaran should have begun way early in his childhood as his mom Megala Chitravel is a noted Tamil novelist. On top of that, the director also studied English literature at Loyola College, Chennai . When he wanted to work with his mentor, prolific filmmaker Balu Mahendra, it was his knowledge of literature that aided him to get the opportunity. In an interview with Tamil magazine Anandha Vikatan, Vetri Maaran shared that Balu Mahendra asked him to come up with a synopsis for a novel as part of his interview process for the assistant director role. Though only his third film, Visaaranai (National Award-winning film and official Indian entry to the 89th Academy Awards for Best Foreign Language Film) turned out to be his first adaptation, one can see that his tryst with written words has been an integral part of his journey.

Making literature mainstream

One of the criticisms against Asuran, Vetri Maaran’s film adaptation of Poomani’s Vekkai (Heat), is that the story was commercialised and unfaithful to the source material. Yet, his mainstream treatment of the novel is what contributed to the film’s commercial success. Vetri Maaran gave a ‘Baasha’ twist to Poomani’s novel, which turned the layered novel into a story of an underdog.

Vekkai is about Sivasamy and his 15-year-old son Chidambaram, who are on the run from the police after the latter kills an upper caste man Vadakooran to avenge the murder of his elder brother. As the dad and son spend around eight days in the forest hiding, the story of oppression and caste politics unfolds. The novel is devoid of heroism and deals with everyday people and their excruciating pain. Vetri Maaran made a significant change in his film by making Sivasamy the ‘hero’ of the film, while in the book, Chidambaram is the ‘protagonist’. Also, Dhanush ’s Sivasamy is an entirely different person from the one we find in Poomani’s book. In addition, the entire backstory of Sivasamy, which depicts him as a rebellious young man, is absent in the novel. This made Dhanush’s Sivasamy a familiar trope of mainstream cinema – a man with a violent past. This vital change made the film accessible to all sections of the audience.

However, critics of Vetri Maaran are also not wrong. A faithful remake of the film aided by Vetri’s brilliant cinematic language would have yielded a far better cinema, but it would have been a gamble when it comes to the business aspect of the film. One should only look at Vetri Maaran’s attempts as a small step in the right direction.

Challenges ahead with Vaadivasal

I am looking forward to seeing what he does with CS Chellapa’s novella Vaadivasal. The story of the novel doesn’t have enough meat for a typical Tamil feature film as it is just a story of events happening in one day at a Jallikattu event. A guy named Picchi arrives at a neighbouring village for the jallikattu event. He wants to tame the frightening bull named Kaari, which killed Picchi’s father years ago. That’s all there is to the story of the novella. Yet, it stands as a brilliant literary piece for its dialect and the depiction of caste politics in the sport of jallikattu. It would make up for a great cinema if Vetri Maaran recreates everything faithfully on screen.

Yet, I wouldn’t be surprised if the director opts for an entire flashback portion for Picchi’s father (Reports, already suggest that Suriya is playing a dual role in the film).  Despite the commercialisation, such adaptations continue to sustain the importance of literature. I mean without the film adaptations, the mainstream would have remained unaware of these literary gems.

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First review of Vetrimaaran’s ‘Viduthalai’ out!

Visual Stories

Every Vetrimaaran Film Ranked

Tamil filmmaker Vetrimaaran belongs to one of those breeds of director whose tight scripts, apt casting, and realistic treatment of storyline has made fundamental changes to the very nature of mainstream filmmaking. His films are made for a multi-cultural audience and backed by the strength of their storytelling and sculpted dialogue, which has reinvigorated the art of popular cinema with a breath of fresh air.

Related Read to Vetrimaaran Films: Every Lijo Jose Pellissery Film Ranked

Each of the films is imbued with a powerful, coherent aesthetic that guides viewers through a dark matrix. At its best, it augments a captivating narrative and sinks viewers into a world of social realism of rural Tamil Nadu. Even urban reality is being depicted showcasing more fallible and life-like characters. The cinema of the carnivalesque with its larger-than-life characters, melodramatic orientation and highly romanticized canvas is something that does not whet his appetite for creativity.

With a filmography of five features and one short film as a director, he has earned his reputation as the most one of the most accessible filmmakers of the last decade. His style involves artistically thriving with a soothing pace lending itself to an atmospheric work filled with oneiric undertones. Some viewers may find his films brutal and gut wrenching as it gets; yet, despite its ruthless depiction, it’s also surprisingly heartwarming.

5. Polladhavan (2007)

Vetrimaaran’s debut feature film opens up with a gruesome and brutal fighting sequence and then using the device of flashback, the filmmaker takes us into the dynamic world of contemporary Chennai, where an educated young man, Prabhu ( Dhanush ) fight injustice and in the process is forced to unleash the animal within him.

Also, Read: Every Sriram Raghavan Film Ranked

The protagonist of the film is an uneducated youth who due to turn of events confronts his father (Murali) and an argument regarding the responsibilities of parents towards their offspring ensues. As a result of this conflict, Prabhu gets a hefty amount from his father and he uses the money to purchase a Bajaj Pulsar bike. This appears to be a wise investment because owning the vehicle enables him to get a job and earn respect in society. But the situation takes a drastic turn when a gang of anti-socials steals his bike. Thereafter the film presents the viewers with the transformation of resilience into power and its hold over the life of an individual’s struggle to maintain his position in the harsh reality of everyday life.

The plot of the film has similarities with Wang Xiaoshuai’s Bejing Bicycle (2001). But the well worked out mise-en-scenes of Polladhavan makes it an entertaining tale of a casual urban carefree person’s conversion into a person of genuine worth and true dignity. Polladhavan was remade in Kannada as Punda, in Telugu as Kurradu starring Varun Sandesh, in Sinhala as Pravegeya, in Bengali as Borbaad (2014) and in Hindi as Guns of Banaras (2020). But none of them could achieve the excellence earned by the original version.

4. Visaranai (2016)

Based on the Tamil novel Lock Up by M. Chandrakumar, Vetrimaaran’s third outing in its first half has such brutal scenes of police torture that one could genuinely feel the bestial act of police torture. The viewers are compelled to cringe as well as empathize with the plight of four helpless souls. The narrative of the film can be divided into two sections-before and after the intermission. Four migrant workers are falsely accused in a burglary case that has taken place at a rich and affluent man’s bungalow. The police beat these four characters in black and blue and want them to confess. Not able to withstand the pain they agree to accept the charges. Once they are produced in the court the narrative of the film takes a twist and the viewers are presented with one shocking surprise after the other.

Related Read to Vetrimaaran Films: Salt Of The Earth (1954) : A Landmark American Independent Cinema On The Working Class  

The filmmaker displays superb craftsmanship and commitment to an engaging dramatic tale that ends in a tragedy. The film subtly depicts that the characters in the film become a victim because of the system that protected the criminal over the accuser. It is a deeply troubling film that is devoid of cathartic and healing moments. Vetrimaaran does not feel hesitant in constructing the brutal scene with ease and he is neither afraid to carve out its own unique style.

The film had its world premiere at the 72nd Venice International Film Festival, where it won the Amnesty International Italia Award. Back home it had won three National Film Awards- Best Feature Film in Tamil, Best Supporting Actor and Best Editing.

Watch Visaranai (2016) on Netflix

3. asuran (2019).

What becomes the last resort for a farmer who goes on the run with his family as he is compelled to protect his son, who has murdered a wealthy upper-caste landlord in a fit of vengeance? The reply should be to fight with the oppressing forces and reclaim his identity. That is exactly what Sivasaami (Dhanush) does to break away from the uncomfortable social status he has inherited. Based on the novel Vekkai by Poomani, Vetrimaaran’s screen adaptation is so watertight that every occurrence in the screenplay feels alluring.

Related Read to Vetrimaaran Films : Asuran (2019) Review: Rise, Asuran, Rise!

With Asuran Vetrimaaran continues his excellent cinematic flair as a director enhancing his commendable grasp on the tropes of mainstream cinema. The film also benefits from technical polish – the cinematography, background score and editing are all top-notch. Asuran too has gut-wrenching violence and prepares the viewer for the edge-of-seat tension. The narrative follows a rhythm where the plot is revealed without wasting much of the screen time. The film belongs to the genre of revenge saga told from the perspective of a lower caste protagonist.

It’s one of those mainstream films that fulfill a social purpose, for it’s hard to imagine anyone viewing Asuran and not abhorring the evil practice of casteism in our country and how it voluntarily degrade human values and status. At the Norway Tamil Film Festival Awards, 2020, Vetrimaaran won the award for best director. The film had won two National Film Awards- Best Feature Film in Tamil and Best Actor.

Read the Complete Review of Asuran (2019) Here

Watch asuran (2019) on prime video , 2. vada chennai (2018).

A tale of criminal activities narrated in a non-linear pattern over the span of more than a decade is the perfect recipe for a crime sage. Vetrimaaran’s narrative takes the viewers on a journey that lasts for nearly a hundred and sixty-four hours and introduces them to the world of guilt, regret and vital decisions leading to loyalty turned into betrayal. The protagonist of the film Anbu (Dhanush) is an expert carrom player but his life gets entwined into the world of crime. He gets pulled into the vortex so deeply that penitence alludes to him after a point in time.

Related Read to Vetrimaaran Films : Top Tamil Movies of 2018 and Where To Watch Them

With a multiple cast the story of the film is set in the underbellies of North Chennai as the title of the film implies and the theme of the film is more nuanced than the conventional black-and-white morality tales where evil is punished by good at the end. The film blatantly showcases the graphic world of crime and violence, investigates the nature of friendship, the ethics of vigilantism, and the nature of unhappiness. Vetrimaaran delves deeply into the minds of his tortured characters and explores how the men and women he depicts grapple with moral codes and their emotions.

He further engages with many of the most basic questions about our humanity and how we relate to one another in a complex world. The stylistic elements in the film earn comparisons, bearing marked connections to several of Vetrimaaran’s other films. The film won the Best Film (People’s Choice Award) at the Pingyao International Film Festival, 2018. At the Filmfare Awards South, Dhanush won the trophy for the Best Actor.

Read the Complete Review of Vada Chennai (2018) Here

Watch vada chennai (2018) on disney hotstar, 1. aadukalam (2011).

As the roosters combat in the arena with each other, it becomes a fight of the egos of the individuals who own the fowl. So, when Karuppu’s rooster emerges victorious he not only earns a lot of money but also the enmity of his boss Periyasamy (V. I. S. Jayapalan) and Rathnasamy (Naren). And from then onwards the life of our protagonist will be filled with one hurdle after the other as the tale of loyalty, self-esteem, deception, and honor unfolds.

Related Read to Vetrimaaran Films : 10 Great Tamil Movies You Can Stream On Netflix Right Now

In his sophomore, Vetrimaaran presents a varied cultural pattern of rural Tamil Nadu and uses realism, tradition, and contemporaneity, soaked in local flavor within the narrative structure of his tightly structured screenplay. The conflicts introduced within the plot points create tension by employing smart conventions that are able to sustain the viewer’s anticipation. The editing pattern of the film creates a commendable pace and multi-layered visual design that heightens the impact of the film. Though the filmmaker has openly admitted that he was inspired by the dogfighting scene of Amores Perros (2000), Vetrimaaran has infused his own style and poise within the film, which is anything by blatant copy.

Despite having strong content and potential for box-office success, filmmakers from another region could not dare to remake the film until now. The reason being the milieu of the film is so rooted in the soil of Tamil Nadu and that makes it the best film in the oeuvre of Vetrimaaran’s impressive career. At the 58th National Film Awards, the film won five awards-Best Director, Best Screenplay, Best Editing, Best Choreography and Special Jury Award for Acting.

Special Mention: Oor Iravu (2020)

Oor Iravu is a part of the Tamil anthology drama Paava Kadhaigal (2020). Owing to its shorter running time, I have included it in the category of special mention. On the surface level of its narrative, the film depicts the tale of a daughter Sumathi (Sai Pallavi) who had eloped from her village and now she has reunited with her father Janakiraman (Prakash Raj). But as the story of the film moves forward we discover the sensitivity and intricacies of the complex human psyche of individual characters within the film.

Also, Read: Paava Kadhaigal (2020) Netflix: Sinful Filmmaking under the Garb of Hard Hitting Social Drama

Vetrimaaran treated the film with a style that is bold and innovative with the choice of a subject in which the form and content merge into one. The pacing is not fast like his other films rather it is a slow study of how Sumathi’s drastic decision had impacted the lives of various members of his family. Vetrimaaran did not deviate from his usual style of narrative exploration but he has brought an understated rhythm to the unfolding of the events.

There is a kind of freshness in his approach and courage displayed in choosing to build a film around the brutal concept of associating the honor of the family with the sanctity of a woman. The film ends on a depressing note as we realize that such evil things are a reality and will continue to happen unless and until the evils of casteism are not obliterated from our society.

Watch Oor Iravu (2020) on Netflix

Vetrimaaran links : imdb , wikipedia, recommended posts.

Dipankar Sarkar is a freelance writer on various topics related to cinema. His articles have appeared in Scroll, The Hindu, Livemint, The Quint, The Tribune, Chandigarh, Upperstall, and vaguevisages.com amongst others.

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Viduthalai Part 1 Twitter Review: VetriMaaran Never fails to impress

Viduthalai Part 1, is a 2023 Tamil-language period crime thriller film written and directed by Vetrimaaran. Produced by Elred Kumar under the banners...

Viduthalai Part 1, is a 2023 Tamil-language period crime thriller film written and directed by Vetrimaaran. Produced by Elred Kumar under the banners of RS Infotainment. The film stars Soori and Vijay Sethupathi. This film was presented by RS Infotainment. Check out Live Updates here

Live Updates

#viduthalaipart1 - he came he conquer & he won 🔥 congratulations @sooriofficial anna for your impactful debut 🙏♥️ thanks to vetrimaran sir for this wonderful film 🤩🙏 special thanks to @vijaysethuoffl & @ilaiyaraaja sir 👌😍 — aravindkumar (@beingaravind_) march 31, 2023.

#ViduthalaiPart1 is getting extraordinary reviews as expected 🔥🔥👌👌 Director #Vetrimaran winning streak continues ✨✨ #ViduthalaiPart1FromToday @ilaiyaraaja @VijaySethuOffl @sooriofficial @elredkumar @rsinfotainment @BhavaniSre pic.twitter.com/siGkxrbpjx — Cinema Calendar (@CinemaCalendar) March 31, 2023

Watching #viduthalaipart1 now... wow first 10 mins of the single shot looks cool... whenever u think this movie can't get any better it is getting better and better every 5 min first half 10/10 slow establishment of character really worked very well not a single negative so far . — sk_earaga (@earaga_sk) march 31, 2023, massive opening & grabbing exceptional wom director #vetrimaaran 's #viduthalaipart1 now in theatres near you grab your tickets 👉 https://t.co/u2fotovrpj #viduthalaipart1fromtoday @ilaiyaraaja musical @vijaysethuoffl @sooriofficial @elredkumar @rsinfotainment @bhavanisre pic.twitter.com/bqdbryuteq — kollywoodtoday (@kollywoodtoday) march 31, 2023, #viduthalaipart1 #kcreview by #bindhu ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ master piece. deserve for more national awards in year 2023. kudos to #vetrimaran 🔥🔥🔥& god of music #ilayaraja @sooriofficial outstanding acting @vijaysethuoffl mass acting @bhavanisre superb performance. — kollywood cinima (@kollywoodcinima) march 31, 2023, #viduthalaipart1 4/5 vetrimaaran's another sambavam🔥 very good 1st half & good 2nd half. award winning performance by soori. vjs & bhavani sri gud. chetan's performance impressive. 10 mins single shot intro scene & climax scene👏👏 👏 brilliant cinematography & apt bgm. (18+)… — veerappan😇 (@veerapp61077011) march 31, 2023, if anyone watching the movie #viduthalaipart1 in theatre you are awesome.. @vijaysethuoffl role avolo narem iruparu nu sonningana evening ponum..hype ethivudunga pa please .. pic.twitter.com/yhhdq8rre3 — 🇳 🇹 🇷 - 🇻 🇯 🇸 🄳🄸🄴🄷🄰🅁🄳🄵🄰🄽 (@kicha1626) march 31, 2023, veramathiri 🔥🔥🔥🔥lifetime role pichittinga na 👍🏻comedy role inime doubt tha😂 #viduthalaipart1 #viduthalaifdfs #soori — surya (@rajkuma39457955) march 31, 2023, congratulation #vettrimaran sir ., nanban @vijaysethuoffl & @sooriofficial anna 🤝💐😍 mastro @ilaiyaraaja sir entire #viduthalaipart1 team 💐 @elredkumar @bhavanisre @rsinfotainment @redgiantmovies_ @peterheinoffl @mani_rsinfo @velrajr @donechannel1 @ctcmediaboy pic.twitter.com/09ztv3hmn1 — soundararaja actor (@soundar4uall) march 31, 2023, #viduthalaipart1 iyoo enna movie da ithu vera level 💥💥💥🥵 #vetrimaran anna 😘😘 @sooriofficial acting parthu meranduten enna acting da iyoo 🥵🥵💥 @vijaysethuoffl verithanam na 💥💥 @ilaiyaraaja ayya music mind-blowing overall movie 10/10 bayagarama iruku part2 waiting 💥💥 — singamdfan (@yuvaraj07309839) march 31, 2023.

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Visaranai Review - Brutally Brilliant

Published date : 05/feb/2016.

Vetrimaran's Visaranai Review - Brutally Brilliant!

Vetrimaran's vision of good cinema shines through in every frame. Vetrimaran has weaved a gripping tale under 2 hours, without making any commercial compromise -- every single scene, dialogue, shot and frame serves a purpose of moving the story forward. 

The film deals with police brutality and how voiceless innocents are made victims in the face of injustice and corruption. Vetirmaran's Visaranai is based on the novel titled "Lock-up" written by an auto driver, Chandra Kumar. Visaranai faithfully recounts Kumar's first-hand experiences under police custody for 13 days to accept a crime that he did not commit. The movie throughout emphasizes police atrocities and make viewers empathize with the the voiceless poor people.

Screenplay and Dialogues

Vetrimaran's exceptional writing talent come to the fore in Visaranai. Many of the subtle dialogues and one-liners help visualize the underlying story behind the characters who appear on screen momentarily. The desensitization of policemen and how they go about conducting their day-to-day business without any remorse is shown convincingly. The sorry plight of innocents on how they are forced to accept uncommitted crimes and pressure faced by police men from higher authorities is shown in a very stark manner. The dialogues are natural and razor sharp.

The screenplay has a linear flow with smooth transition from one scene to another. It is constructed in a way that it is difficult to even point out when a scene ends and when the next one begins. The second half takes on a few cinematic liberties as it layers in political undertones and bigger canvas, largely narrated through the dialogues.

Casting and Characterization

Vetrimaran's casting and characterization choices are exceptionally identifiable and so true to life. Even though the movie is littered with numerous characters, every one stands out clearly and makes an indelible mark. Attakathi Dinesh and his friends have enacted their respective roles very well. Attakathi Dinesh's usual mannerisms suit him well in this movie. Samuthirakani excellently portrays his role as a conscientious inspector caught in difficult circumstances. Samuthirakani should be credited for shouldering the movie in the second half with his terrific screen presence and natural dialogue delivery. Kishore plays a brief and pivotal role around which the story revolves around in the second half. 'Kayal' Anandi comes in a couple of scenes during the initial minutes before the grim tale starts unwinding. 

Music and Technicalities

The technical brilliance gives the experience of witnessing all these events unfold in real life.  The movie has a uniform tone and unobtrusive style from start to finish. Ramalingam's lighting is very natural and makes one wonder whether there were any artificial lights used during the making. Late editor, T.E.Kishore,'s contribution is immense. T.E. Kishore deserves standing ovation for  managing the transition between shots seamlessly blending well with  the screenplay. GV Prakash's music maintains the right mood for the movie throughout. The set properties and art direction for both Andhra and Tamil Nadu prisons are diligently done. 

Vetrimaran's confidence and control over the medium is unquestionable. This is strongly established in this latest edition. It is evident that Vetrimaran has etched each and every character with painstaking details and brought them all to life on screen.  It is difficult to point any flaws in this remarkable movie. One of the very few scenes that momentarily falters (subjective) is when Attakathi Dinesh secretly  passes his cellphone to Kishore in between the interrogation. It is in contrast with the behavior and motive of the central character. The final scenes showing the Auto Driver Kumar's speech at film festival comes abruptly before the audience could even fully internalize the cinematic experience.

Visaranai is a must watch for all fans of good cinema. Visaranai is an engaging unadulterated cinema at its purest form, executed with a shoe-string budget. Visaranai will be cherished for the brutally bold vision of its auteur. 

Rating :  4/5

Visaranai is currently rated 80% at MC, post your rating and review for Visaranai here

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Polladhavan.

2007 ‘பொல்லாதவன்’ Directed by Vetrimaaran

Prabhu is dejected when he learns that his bike has been stolen. He decides to find the people who stole the bike, but lands in trouble when he realises that his bike has been used to transport drugs.

Dhanush Kishore Divya Spandana Daniel Balaji Sentrayan Karunas Daniel Annie Pope Chetan Pawan Bhanupriya Santhanam Anju Prabhakar Brinda Parekh

Director Director

Vetrimaaran

Producer Producer

S. Kathiresan

Writer Writer

Editor editor.

V. T. Vijayan

Cinematography Cinematography

Composer composer.

G. V. Prakash Kumar

Songs Songs

Vairamuthu Kannadasan Na. Muthu Kumar Yugabharathi Kabilan

Group Company

Alternative Title

Ruthless Man

Drama Action

Releases by Date

Theatrical limited, 25 jan 2018, 08 nov 2007, releases by country.

• Theatrical U

Netherlands

• Theatrical limited International Film Festival Rotterdam

150 mins   More at IMDb TMDb Report this page

Popular reviews

Review by Michael James ★★★½

Vetrimaran stamps his mark right away with his debut directorial, delivering a stylishly gripping narrative with well written characters. Dhanush is perfectly apt in the lead role and is well complemented by each n every cast member. It does have its set of commercial compromises, with few unnecessary songs hampering the flow. However, the strong conflict and the intense sequences, make the solid action drama thoroughly engaging.

Review by ananya ★★★★★ 7

days until dhanush’s birthday: 0!

rajini sir was so smart to get dhanush and aishwarya married before this movie came out because GODDAMN dhanush in this had me weak in my knees (i say this for every movie but trust me the effect is still the same). is this REALLY a 5 star movie? no, but i love the romance, the songs and the podra scene too much okay so let me live. 

HAPPY BDAY DHANUSH! i can’t wait for captain miller and D51 🫶🏽🫶🏽

Review by ananya ★★★★★ 6

i need the engeyum eppothum remix injected in my veins listening to it is not enough

Review by Holmes221 ★★★★★ 3

Podra. - Dhanush (2007)

Review by BigDeePee ★★★★ 1

Ippo Hema polla life la vandha enna panva theriyum aa? Kella....Ni Kella.....Aye ni kella...ni kellu machi

Review by Ajinkya Ghatol ★★★½

This could have been a masterpiece,if it would have more elaborate and developed storywise and character wise. Still a great watch.

Review by Vasanthan ★★★★

Antha paiyanukku bayam illa avana laam apdiyae poga vitrukkanum.

The Birth of Vetrimaaran or as Dhanush wud say, the real Polladhavan. Thank you Vetri for the meta moment of naming Dhanush's character after his real name and making it a memorable role in one of his iconic films. And yeah Selvam Supremacy ✨️.

Review by v1kash ★★★★½

If this film had avoided the compromises that this had, probably wud have been vetri s best, sad that it had to be his first film

He went all inventive with editing in polladhavan but refuses to even think about it in viduthalai

Review by chantelle

im obsessed with vetrimaaran's brain like i need to be inside it

i've already seen his more recent movies but watching this for the first time it's really interesting to see where/how he started

Review by Lathish ★★★★½

this man never misses goatmaaran

Review by ananya ★★★★★

This review may contain spoilers. I can handle the truth.

how does gv prakash sleep at night knowing he made the best song remix ive ever heard

(the kiss before prabhu loses his bike…🫣)

Review by Term1nator ★★★★½

Brilliant screenplay and storytelling. All the credit goes to Vetri Maaran.

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Movie Reviews

You can expect a lot from this freewheeling film about the 'end of the world'.

John Powers

Angela (Ilinca Manolache) is an underpaid production assistant on a film about workplace safety in Do Not Expect Too Much from the End of the World. Unifrance hide caption

Angela (Ilinca Manolache) is an underpaid production assistant on a film about workplace safety in Do Not Expect Too Much from the End of the World.

It's easy to feel overwhelmed these days — squeezed by a constantly changing economy, bombarded by the shrieking of social media, surrounded by angry people who genuinely believe that their worst instincts lead them to the truth. This is the world in 2024, yet I can't think of a single American filmmaker who's managed to capture it on-screen.

I can think of a Romanian one. His name is Radu Jude, a world-class troublemaker whose rambunctious movies remind me of everyone from Jean-Luc Godard and John Waters to Lenny Bruce . His latest film, Do Not Expect Too Much from the End of the World , is a freewheeling provocation, a black-comic road picture that cannonballs into the madness of our time. Clocking in at a resolutely unboring two hours and 40 minutes, the movie crackles with brains, obscenity, political anger and jokes that had me laughing out loud.

'I Do Not Care If We Go Down In History As Barbarians' Grapples With Truth, Censorship

Shot mainly in a high-contrast black and white, it follows a day in the life of the 30-ish Angela (Ilinca Manolache), an underpaid production assistant on a film about workplace safety being made for an Austrian multinational. Almost from the moment she wakes up, she's frantically driving around Bucharest to pre-screen people who have been victims of industrial accidents for the film.

Constantly stuck in traffic jams with their blaring horns, Angela blasts heavy metal, blows chewing gum bubbles and flips off men who say lewd things to her. There are many. She's constantly getting calls on a cell phone whose ringtone, ironically enough, is a tacky digital version of "Ode to Joy," the official anthem of the European Union.

In addition to everything else, Angela takes her mother to visit the family plot at a cemetery, stops for a backseat quickie with her boyfriend and rushes to the airport to pick up one of her company's clients, Doris Goethe, a smug Austrian marketing exec played by the great German actress Nina Hoss, whose nastiness comes with nice tailoring. Way too smart for her job, Angela frequently pauses to record hilariously filthy TikToks in the guise of her male alter ego, Bobita, a gleefully sexist, racist, pro-Putin gasbag whose stupidity she is satirizing.

Now, at one level, Jude uses Angela's day to look at Romania with a keen, roving eye, moving his camera away from the action to show us dilapidated streets and billboard ads filled with bogus promises of fit bodies and high-tech prosperity. Meanwhile, the characters we meet tend to be rude, nasty, bigoted and struggling to survive in a poor, corrupt economy. In a stunning silent sequence, Jude shows us the scores of memorials to people who've been killed on a single stretch of badly designed road — it's a metaphor for Romania itself.

Yet even as he highlights his own country's failings, he reminds us that one reason Romania is poor is that richer countries exploit the country's low salaries and cheap natural resources. When Angela asks Doris whether it's true her company is chopping down all of Romania's forests to make its products, Doris goes all Zone of Interest : I don't know, she says. It's not my department.

In his earlier films, Jude explored how our lives are shaped by images, digging into the way those images are created. He does that here, too, even intercutting Angela's story with an actual 1981 film about a woman taxi driver, also named Angela, from the Communist Era. It makes us reflect on the parallels between the two Angelas' lives — are things truly better today?

The film builds to a tour-de-force of a finale, a single 20-minute shot in which we watch Angela's colleagues shooting an interview with a man in a wheelchair who's talking about his workplace accident. Jude lets us see the man's story get massaged by the filmmakers to serve business interests antithetical to his own.

Touching on everything from Zoom calls to action movies to reflexive anti-semitism, Do Not Expect Too Much from the End of the World is about nothing less than the way we live now. Although obviously heightened, the emotional contours of Angela's story will be familiar to viewers here. She's caught in a system that she finds oppressive and hateful, yet, for all her anger, she doesn't know how to change it. She can only mock it profanely on TikTok.

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Critic’s Pick

‘Water for Elephants’ Review: Beauty Under the Big Top

The circus-themed love story, already a novel and a movie, becomes a gorgeously imaginative Broadway musical.

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By Jesse Green

First come her ears, floating like ginkgo leaves. Then, from behind a screen, her shadow appears, followed by the marvelous sound of her trumpet. Next to arrive is her disembodied trunk, with a mind of its own, snuffling out friends and enemies and food. Finally, at the end of Act I of the new musical “Water for Elephants,” she is fully assembled: Rosie, the star of the circus, big as a bus and batting her pretty eyes.

This gorgeous sequence, played out over perhaps 20 minutes, is emblematic of the many wonders awaiting audiences at the Imperial Theater, where “Water for Elephants” opened on Thursday. After all, Rosie is not a living creature potentially vulnerable to abuse. Nor is she a C.G.I. illusion. She is not really an illusion at all, in the sense of a trick; you can see the puppeteers operating and inhabiting her. Rather she is a product of the human imagination, including ours in the audience.

What a pleasure it is to be treated that way by a brand-extension musical, a form usually characterized by craftlessness and cynicism. Indeed, at its best, “Water for Elephants” has more in common with the circus arts than it does with by-the-books Broadway. Sure, it features an eventful story and compelling characters, and apt, rousing music by PigPen Theater Co ., a seven-man indie folk collective. But in the director Jessica Stone’s stunning, emotional production, it leads with movement, eye candy and awe.

That’s only appropriate, given the milieu. The musical’s book by Rick Elice, based not just on the 2011 movie but also on the 2006 novel by Sara Gruen , is set among the performers and roustabouts of a ramshackle circus at the depths of the Depression. Escaping an unhappiness we learn about only later, Jacob Jankowski (Grant Gustin) jumps onto a train heading (as his introductory song tells us) “Anywhere.” But really, because the train houses the failing Benzini Brothers troupe, it’s heading everywhere — downhill and fast.

Elice has smartly sped up the action by eliminating one of the two introductory devices that kept the movie’s story at a distance. In the one he retains, a much older Jacob (Gregg Edelman) serves as the narrator of the long-ago events. With pride but also anguish he recalls how, as a young man trained as a veterinarian, he quickly established himself in the chaotic and sometimes violent company of the circus: a hunky James Herriot caring for the medical needs of the animals. Soon, though, he becomes involved in more complicated, dangerous ways.

The complication comes in the form of Marlena, the circus’s star attraction, who performs on horseback. The danger comes from her husband, August, Benzini’s possibly bipolar owner and ringmaster.

How we are introduced to them, and the central conflict, is typical of the production’s theatrical intelligence. First we find Marlena (Isabelle McCalla) tending to Silver Star, her beautiful white stallion, who is clearly in pain. Silver Star is played by two acrobats: Antoine Boissereau operating the head and mane, and Keaton Hentoff-Killian trailing with silks that suggest the body. Jacob, watching Marlena caress and calm the creature with a lovely lullaby called “Easy,” begins to fall in love with her. He also realizes that the horse needs weeks of rest if it’s to survive at all.

But when August (Paul Alexander Nolan) enters the scene, the temperature changes. As he argues that he cannot afford to lose Silver Star even for a day, we see that his hardheadedness and jealousy will put him in danger of losing Marlena as well. The triangle plot is thus established without having to be named, and so is the interconnectedness of love and loss that will emerge as the story’s theme. That theme is then turned wrenchingly poignant as Silver Star’s soul flies up from his body in the form of Boissereau’s aerial act.

The entire show moves in a similar fashion, somehow both concerted and Cubist. Nothing serves just one purpose, including the circus acts; whether hammer throwing or wire walking, they are striking in themselves and also narratively expressive. Watching them we understand, as the story requires, that danger is everywhere, but they also imply the possibility of rescue: Acrobats drop from heights but land as lightly as paper planes.

One reason this works so well is that Elice’s book, especially in the first act, trusts the audience to live with (and profit from) a certain amount of uncertainty. Stepping away from the musical theater handbook, he delivers information not when you expect it but when it serves an underlying emotional logic.

He also steps away more literally, letting the design and movement elements take precedence: the puppetry (by Ray Wetmore & JR Goodman and Camille Labarre), the choreography (Jesse Robb and Shana Carroll), the circus acts (Carroll again) and the design (sets by Takeshi Kata, costumes by David Israel Reynoso, lighting by Bradley King, sound by Walter Trarbach, projections by David Bengali). They really have to be credited en masse because, as sewn together by Stone’s direction, there are no seams between their disciplines.

Stone’s emotionally vivid but not especially visual approach to the staging of “Kimberly Akimbo” — the winner of last year’s Tony Award for best musical — did not prepare me for her work on “Water for Elephants.” You could easily follow the story (if not the characters’ sometimes muddy motivations) even if you didn’t understand English; indeed, I sometimes didn’t because the words, though excitingly sung, are too often mushy. Despite some backloaded, pro forma power ballads, PigPen’s tunes are ideally suited to the setting, but their trenchant lyrics might be more intelligible if they rhymed more accurately.

Still, the songs ace the double-duty test, never repeating catchy choruses just to drill holes in our ears but to expand, modify and turn ideas in different directions. The actors do much the same, playing the full range of their characters’ contradictions, not planting themselves at some bland midpoint. Treated that way, Nolan’s August is a more compelling character than a précis might suggest, and McCalla makes Marlena’s devotion to him as palpable and powerful as her revulsion.

But there are really no weak links. Gustin is dashing and suitably anguished. Edelman dries up what could be the damp narrator role without resorting to too much twinkle. (One glitch: It’s hard to see how the younger and older Jacobs align.) And the supporting roles are all filled with piquant performers (Sara Gettelfinger, Stan Brown, Wade McCollum) who are credibly circuslike, except for one strange anomaly: The clown (Joe De Paul) is actually funny.

Well, miracles do happen, even on Broadway. In building such a huge and heart-filling musical one image at a time, the creators of “Water for Elephants” have disproved the old circus adage behind the title, which holds that you can never deliver enough sustenance for a creature so large and thirsty. Apparently, you can.

Water for Elephants At the Imperial Theater, Manhattan; waterforelephantsthemusical.com . Running time 2 hours 40 minutes.

Jesse Green is the chief theater critic for The Times. He writes reviews of Broadway, Off Broadway, Off Off Broadway, regional and sometimes international productions. More about Jesse Green

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Late Night With the Devil review – diabolically funny found-footage horror

Australian brothers Cameron and Colin Cairnes deliver satire and shocks in this gleeful sendup of 70s network talkshows

A malign presence lurks in the corner, insidiously leaking poison into our minds; it’s ubiquitous and addictive. Small wonder that genre film-makers have long toyed with the idea that television is inherently evil.

Late Night With the Devil , a gleefully wigged-out found-footage horror by Australian brothers Cameron and Colin Cairnes, joins a growing list of films tapping into the dark side of the small screen. It’s a list that includes Hideo Nakata’s Ringu , David Cronenberg’s Videodrome , Tobe Hooper’s Poltergeist and the buzzy forthcoming title from Jane Schoenbrun, I Saw the TV Glow . Unlike most of the other examples however, Late Night… focuses not on the passive consumption of television, but on its creation. The film hints at a Faustian pact that trades dignity, honesty, morality and even human lives to claw a share of the ratings figures. Which, when you think about it, is not so very far-fetched.

Smart, cynical and at times devilishly funny, the film delivers a crackle of disruptive static to the demonic possession genre. It takes the form of a long-lost master tape and backstage footage from an ill-fated 1977 Halloween special of Night Owls, a struggling syndicated evening talkshow fronted by host Jack Delroy (a note-perfect David Dastmalchian, all slippery neediness and insincerity). Facing cancellation, Jack and his producer have pulled out all the stops: the fright-night special features a psychic, a cynic and, as the star attraction, a parapsychologist and a demonically possessed 13-year-old girl (an impressively disquieting Ingrid Torelli). The scene is set for a live attempt to commune with the devil. But first, a message from the sponsor…

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Laurence Fishburne’s solo show somehow needs more Laurence Fishburne

In ‘like they do in the movies,’ the actor shares anecdotes of his upbringing and rise to stardom but mixes it with too many side characters.

NEW YORK — In his new solo show “Like They Do in the Movies,” acclaimed actor Laurence Fishburne promises a vulnerable evening of storytelling about his family, his purpose and the people who influenced his career. In actuality, he spends it blurring anecdotes about those creative origins with vignettes starring memorable strangers. Some stories are true, some are fiction, some dwell in the murky middle.

He performs all with the precision you’d expect of such an impeccable talent, but the double act — of pulling us into his autobiographical story and then keeping us at arm’s length — is puzzling. Most of us have already spent a lifetime watching him embody others. “Like They Do” is precious time with just him. Why waste it?

The Style section

There is nothing fantastical about the physical presentation. Scenic designer Neil Patel never adorns the blunt, oblong Perelman Performing Arts Center stage with more than a simple desk and a chair or two. Behind Fishburne, an illuminated frame — which chummily mirrors a movie theater screen — floats just above the stage floor. Aside from images of Fishburne’s ancestors, which are sometimes projected, the rigidness of it all does nothing to warm us to his story. The theatrics are reserved solely for the thespian.

Fishburne powers through the dense volume of speech like the charmster he is. He opens the show by detailing his childhood years, toggling between his mentally unstable force of a mother, Hattie, and boisterous Casanova of father, Big Fish. Their eccentricities, and perhaps a pinch of Hattie’s projected fantasies of being a performer, drive Fishburne’s involvement in the dramatic arts.

Fishburne remains spirited and tactile; we see him touching, stroking, lifting objects that aren’t actually present. He is generous with his affability, always asking the audience how we’re doing and softening any TED Talk didacticism with “Reading Rainbow” coziness. We are his friends, his family, even his “baby” for these two hours and 20 minutes. Fishburne keeps up this para-familiarity even when dipping into harder truths, most notably that he was sexually abused by Hattie as a child. Never one to keep audiences perturbed for too long, he repeatedly stopgaps staggering revelations like this with a pacifier: “More on that later.”

“More” is truly the operative word. Because these are not short spews of text Fishburne has penned for us; they are run on sentences and legato soliloquies. Mercifully, director Leonard Foglia (Fishburne’s longtime collaborator) keeps everything moving at a brisk pace, but the challenge is evident. Case in point, at the performance I attended Fishburne called out to a stage manager in the shadows for his next line more than once.

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He becomes different races and ages, adopting novel dialects and cadences like the great monologists before him: Whoopi Goldberg, John Leguizamo, Anna Deavere Smith, all of whom Fishburne thank in the show’s program. During a scene involving one of those side characters, he becomes Joseph, a man who withstands unthinkable hardship while trying to escape New Orleans for Baton Rouge during Hurricane Katrina. In real life, Fishburne was a French Quarter resident in 2005, and has fundraised for post-hurricane relief. In another scene, Fishburne becomes Marcus, an American expat in Australia who proudly owns a brothel, traffics in pleasure and marries a beautiful sex worker. In real life, one of Fishburne’s daughters, Montana, worked as a sex worker and adopted the name Chippy D for her adult films. These are lush, thoughtful portrayals, but talent is no longer something he has to prove. And presumably he has some connection to these tales, but Fishburne never makes it clear.

As the play reaches its conclusion, the real Laurence Fishburne returns to us, asking permission to delve back into the story of his parents (as if we haven’t been telepathically begging him to). As he breaks down Hattie’s mental disorder, he descends into a deep squat, and then even lower, sitting cross-legged on the stage floor. He brings us closer to eye level, no longer a Hollywood star or theater titan, but a son enraptured by memories of his complicated, impossible, formidable mother.

That initial pledge of nonstop vulnerability is not completely fulfilled, but Fishburne has poured out a bit of his heart and channeled the stories of others, exactly like he’s always done in the movies.

Like They Do in the Movies , through March 31 at Perelman Performing Arts Center in New York. Two hours and 20 minutes, with an intermission. pacnyc.org .

• Laurence Fishburne’s solo show somehow needs more Laurence Fishburne March 22, 2024 Laurence Fishburne’s solo show somehow needs more Laurence Fishburne March 22, 2024
• This ‘Little Shop of Horrors’ is a bit too cheerful, but don’t overthink it March 22, 2024 This ‘Little Shop of Horrors’ is a bit too cheerful, but don’t overthink it March 22, 2024
• In Broadway’s ‘Water for Elephants,’ circus parts are good, songs are meh March 21, 2024 In Broadway’s ‘Water for Elephants,’ circus parts are good, songs are meh March 21, 2024

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Four labourers are tortured by the police to confess to a theft they have not committed. Four labourers are tortured by the police to confess to a theft they have not committed. Four labourers are tortured by the police to confess to a theft they have not committed.

• Vetrimaaran
• Chandrakumar
• Samuthirakani
• 47 User reviews
• 28 Critic reviews
• 11 wins & 7 nominations

• (as Dinesh Ravi)

• (as Kishore)

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• Raamachandran
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• Trivia India's official entry for the Best Foreign Language Film at the 89th Academy Awards.

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• m-devaraj7-856-379649
• Feb 20, 2016
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• February 5, 2016 (United States)
• 'Iraivi' to 'Visaranai': 15 Best Tamil Movies of 2016
• Interrogation
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• Runtime 1 hour 57 minutes

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‘The Black Garden’ Review: A Sensitive Doc Evokes History by Telling a Contemporary Story

Filmmaker Alexis Pazoumian has an eye for beautiful images and an ear for real emotions.

By Murtada Elfadl

Murtada Elfadl

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In “The Black Garden,” Armenian French first time filmmaker Alexis Pazoumian manages to portray his ancestral homeland with such sensitivity you’d think incorrectly that he lived there most of his life. Using the framework of three years in the life of three generations of Armenian men, Pazoumian sensitively captures the political conflicts, the social milieu and the geographical terrain of a small village on the border of Armenia and Azerbaijan. 

Samvel and Avo are preteens, yet they role play as soldiers amidst the ruins of their village. Erik, a young man in his mid-20s, enlists in the war to defend Talish and consequently loses one of his legs. Karen, a middle-aged man with a face deeply lined with resilience and pain, recalls a combative past and bemoans a chaotic present. As these four men’s stories diverge and they separate from each other and away from Talish, what remains clear is how belonging to that small community means the most to them. The village becomes a symbol for what they love about themselves and what they hold closest to their hearts. What may be construed as nationalist fervor is actually a need to survive and carry on their ancestral legacy. Everything they do — from choosing combat uniforms at a city store to marching in the streets to mark historical events to learning defense maneuvers in a classroom — becomes a ritual that reminds them of the need to continue fighting.

“The Black Garden” gets added resonance from current events. What the protagonists go through — bombardment, food shortages, displacement — is eerily reminiscent of what most of the world sees daily on the nightly news. Yet this is a decades-long conflict that few know about, and so the film forces the audience to reckon with its own ignorance. 

“The Black Garden” is more than just a chronicle of a conflict. With a probing camera conveying images both beautiful and intimate and observational filmmaking that coaxes real emotions, it manages to tell a story of four men who represent their village and people. In telling their specific stories, Pazoumian and his collaborators show the history of Talish. Many people might not have heard of this small village or the larger region of Nagorno-Karabakh, but anyone who watches this film will get a real sense of those places. 

Reviewed at CPH:DOX on March 20, 2024. 

• Production: (Documentary – France-Belgium) A Solent production, in co-production with Naoko Films, with the participation of France Télévisions, RTBF, RTS. Producer: Clara Vuillermoz. Co-producer: Vincent Metzinger.
• Crew: Director: Alexis Pazoumian. Camera: Alexis Pazoumian, Fabien Faure. Editor: Yannick Leroy.
• Music By: Raphaël Pazoumian.

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