Review Overview
The Ajith Factor
Performances
Screenplay and Direction
Technical Aspects and Music
A Solid, Gratifying Thriller!
Thala Ajith's performance in Yennai Arindhaal is nothing less than fantastic. Present in almost every scene of the film, he swoops into the skin of the characters and literally lives the role of Sathyadev. GVM completes his cop trilogy in style. Its just the beginning, of good things to come.
Cast: Ajith Kumar, Trisha, Anushka, Arun Vijay, Parvathy Nair, Baby Anikha, Vivek, Daniel Balaji and Others
Cinematography: Dan MacArthur
Music: Harris Jayaraj
Editing: Anthony
PRO: Suresh Chandra
Written by: Gautham Menon, Sridhar Raghavan, Thiagarajan Kumararaja
Directed by: Gautham Menon
Produced by: AM Ratnam & Aishwarya
Banner: Shri Sai Raam Creations
Release Date: 05-02-2014
Run Time: 02:48:00
The wait is over. After tons of conclusions and postponements, Yennai Arindhaal finally hits the screens today, with expectations at the zenith. This is a film where Gautham Vasudev Menon finishes his cop trilogy with a man who he had originally planned to start it with, Thala Ajith. Does the film manage to fulfil the expectations of the innumerous cinephiles worldwide? Lets find out in our Yennai Arindhaal movie review.
Yennai Arindhaal traverses through the life of a man named Sathyadev. The film dwells into his dreams and ambitions, love angles, friends, enemies, frenemies and much more. Walking through this film with the central character and Gautham Menon’s narration, the viewer tastes a little bit of all the joy, sorrow and challenges that are thrown at Sathyadev. The director has taken immense care in carving out an action thriller which satisfies all sections of the audience. After getting off to a slow start, the proceedings accelerate and halt at a likable interval block. Post the interval, breakneck is the word for the pace at which the screenplay flies. Gautham Menon throws in one surprise after another with a strong emotional connect. Albeit the film being devoid of a mindwhacking twist, it never goes off track or tries too hard.
Thala Ajith’s performance in Yennai Arindhaal is nothing less than fantastic. Present in almost every scene of the film, he swoops into the skin of the characters and literally lives the role of Sathyadev. Be it the young and local character or the matured man with the salt and pepper hairdo, Ajith’s acting is near perfect and easily helps you connect with the cloak. Frankly speaking, Yennai Arindhaal is one of Thala’s best, coming at a great point in his career. While Ajith scores on one side, it is Arun Vijay who equally complements him on the other. To grab some attention while standing with a man like Ajith is a herculean task in itself, and that will definitely take Arun Vijay’s career upwards from here on. Gautham Menon’s films have strong feminine characters, and Yennai Arindhaal is no less. Be it Trisha, Anushka or the petite Parvathy Nair, all of them have made their mark in the film. While Trisha leaves an impact with her performance, Anushka takes the cake in a light role. Vivek has been aptly used with the right amount of one liners at the right places. Finally, it is Baby Anikha who is a heartwarming addition to the cast. Touchy, from the little one.
Yennai Arindhaal is good on the technical side too. Dan Macarthur’s cinematography is on par with Hollywood films in the action sequences, and he skillfully brings in a dreamy flavour to the song montages. Watch out for the action sequences in the second half. The guerrilla run surely deserves a pat on the back of the cinematographer, in addition to GVM. But Yennai Arindhaal surely deserved some better editing for the flow is affected with some sloppy jump cuts at many places.
Music by Harris Jayaraj is just over the line. While the songs work well thanks to the visuals, the BGM is loud, noisy and electronic. Probably the pressure to finish the film has taken an adverse effect in these two departments. Without forgetting, we have to give it to Silva for the raw and realistic stunts which prevent the film from going over the top.
Gautham Menon’s homework for Yennai Arindhaal is the key to the good result. By keeping the script strong, the director stands up to his reputation of directing solid action films. There are a handful of beautifully executed scenes in the second half. Some get you teary-eyed, some push you from your seat, but not one will make you squirm. I’m not sure if your respect for GVM will rise after Yennai Arindhaal, but I can guarantee that it will stay intact.
Yennai Arindhaal is not a flawless film. There are blips here and there like an unwanted song or a clichéd scene. But they are negligible keeping the fact in mind that this is a honest attempt from the director. GVM completes his cop trilogy in style. Its just the beginning, of good things to come.
Yennai Arindhaal Movie Review Rating: 3.75/5
Written By: Siddarth Srinivas