Review Overview
Screenplay & Direction
Performances
Music & Cinematography
A Damp Squib!
Overall, Amara Kaaviyam turns out to be a damp squib that soberly tries to be a definite classic. The film is partly genuine and partly manipulative, and that’s what makes Amara Kaaviyam lesser than a kaaviyam.
Cast: Sathya, Mia George, Thambi Ramaiah, Ananth Nag & Others.
Music: Ghibran
Editing: Suriya
PRO: Suresh Chandra
Cinematography, Written & Directed by: Jeeva Sankar
Produced by: Arya’s The Show People in association with Vignesh Pictures
Release Date: 05-09-2014
Run Time: 02:28:00
The opening scene of Amara Kaaviyam is sensuously shot by Jeeva Shankar – taking the attention of viewers right from the first frame. And, the way the title credits begin to roll is quite suggestive of the film’s mood in general.
Director Jeeva Shankar has employed his earnest effort to portray a realistic love story in the pre-internet age. He has quite succeeded in answering all the Whats, Ifs and Hows, but the Whys are left unanswered, which is why Amara Kaaviyam stumbles on screen gradually as we go deeper into the film’s narrative.
Jeeva (Sathya) and Karthika (Mia George) are school-going students who love each other sincerely. But, Jeeva Shankar has taken an overwhelming cinematic liberty to skip why they love each other. When Jeeva talks to Karthika for the first time to actually tell her that his friend loves her, she reveals that she loves him and not his friend. While we wait for the director to tell us why Karthika fell in love with Jeeva, it never happens. This ambiguity is prevalent throughout the film even though things happen quite organically after they start loving each other. The film is partly genuine and partly manipulative, and that’s what makes Amara Kaaviyam lesser than a kaaviyam.
Another blunder which the makers did was blatantly revealing the spoiler in the film’s trailer and comparing the film with the likes of 7G Rainbow Colony, Kadhal Kondein etc. These snippets spoil the movie-watching experience subconsciously. Jeeva Shankar’s writing severely tries to be poignant and realistic all the time, but only on few occasions he manages to tick all the boxes.
What is the point in presenting searing, poetic visuals on screen if your story doesn’t have enough strength to bear it? Jeeva Shankar’s lyrical cinematography in fact, captures the beauty of Ooty like never before. An ode to Panneer Pushpangal is silently paid by playing Anandha Raagam in the background once. Ghibran’s painstaking and impactful background score has added life to the narrative effortlessly. It would not be a hyperbole to say Amara Kaaviyam cannot exist without Ghibran. It could easily pass as Ghibran’s best scoring effort till date.
Mia George emotes so beautifully and comes across as a seasoned performer. While Sathya looks tailer-made for the role, occasionally he does come across as a novice too. Kudos to Jeeva Shankar for at least staying honest to the film’s genre right from the start instead of making compromises by adding comedy scenes to the narrative. Also, one of Thambi Ramaiah’s forgettable performances.
The overwhelmingly shot lengthy climax is so underwhelming and looks merely contrived. The characters barely engage and one feels scarcely invested in the story-line. Overall, Amara Kaaviyam turns out to be a damp squib that soberly tries to be a definite classic.