Ammavin Kaipesi is Outdated and Overdramatic

by Raven

It should have taken a lot of guts for the makers of Ammavin Kaipesi to release their film alongside Thuppakki and Podaa Podi. Director Thankar Bachan, best known for his film Azhagi is back with yet another emotional tale (supposed to be so) with family values. Does the movie have it in it to face stiff competition from the biggies?

Plot

The film is intended to be about a separated son Annamalai (Shantanoo) and his mother. Annamalai is forced to leave his village after he is falsely accused as a thief. After seven years, he tries to reconnect with his mother through a mobile phone (Why was he waiting for seven long years?). Also, there is a small love track between him and his uncle’s daughter Selvi (Iniya). On a parallel track, Prasad (Thankar Bachan) comes to his home with huge sum of money and his wife tells him to give it back to the person who gave it. How is Prasad connected with Annamalai and what happens to Annamalai forms the rest of the story.

Performances

Shanthanoo needs to improve on his expressions as they look plain and artificial. The scenes where he breaks down do not create the necessary impact on the audience. Iniya scores in certain scenes, like the scene in which she reads the letter in the bathroom. The person who plays the mother’s character is overdramatic at times, but good towards the end. Thankar Bachan, with his rural slang and rustic looks is too loud. One would wonder if his role was stretched a little too much.

Technicalities

Rohit Kulkarni’s background score is adequate and suits the milieu. But, the songs do not add much value to the film. Thankar Bachan’s camera work is functional while Kishore’s editing is disappointing. Many scenes look endless.

Script Analysis

Going by the title, one might naturally expect the movie to revolve around the son and mother. But for unknown reasons, the movie wanders around more on the sub-plots, thus bringing down the importance of the central theme. There are some heart warming scenes but they are far and few in between. Many scenes look pretty unrealistic  and overdramatic (like the scene in which Annamalai is accused as a thief). The only consolation is Thankar Bachan’s earnest attempt to make a movie in his trademark style without compromising on his vision. But, in the process, he has made the film look too outdated and draining. 

Bottomline

Ammavin Kaipesi tries to take us back to the last decade. But, the entertainment quotient and emotional connection with the audience are completely missing.

Reviewer Rating -