Short takes on films in OTT this week
Bharath Vijayakumar
1. Maamanithan (Tamil)
Maamanithan might be old school, a tad melodramatic, a tad simplistic and whatever. But it is an affecting movie with neat and restrained performances from Vijay Sethupathy and Guru Somasundaram. In fact, I believe this is Vijay Sethupathy’s best performance in recent times. Seenu Ramasamy’s Maamanithan deserves a lot more attention than it received during its theatrical release.
Streaming on Aha
2. Ashoka Vanamlo Arjuna Kalyanam (Telugu)
Not sure if it can be called a romcom but this is a sweet film about the protagonist who is in his 30s and desperate to get married. The characters are well defined, performances are good and the film has some nice moments. A light-hearted film but one that makes its point against caste.
Streaming on Aha
3. Vaashi (Malayalam)
A rather simplistic take on an important topic. There is an interesting core about a couple who need to stand against each other in their professional lives. But the emotions are never really fleshed out. Given the complexity of emotions involved and the fact that an important topic like consent before sex is being discussed, Vaashi should have been far more affecting but it remains a watchable film.
Streaming on Netflix
4. Keedam (Malayalam)
A crisp cyber thriller that is an easy watch but too simplistic. The little tension that develops while introducing the bad guys soon withers away. The protagonist gets everything done without breaking into a sweat.
Streaming on Zee5
5. Veetla Vishesham (Tamil)
A tad loud but is fun, emotional, clear and gets the job done. The veteran actors in Veetla Vishesham drive the film. The film works because the emotions in the second half strike a chord. A ‘V.Sekhar’ kind of a film with the current sensibilities is probably the closest I can think of in defining Veetla Vishesham.
Streaming on Zee5
6. 420 IPC (Hindi 2021)
A courtroom thriller that is built around twists piling up one after another before the final big reveal. I saw the Tamil dubbed version. Maybe this was also a reason but the performances of a couple of crucial characters were pretty ordinary. A crisp film that might not hurt you as an easy watch when you are bored but do not expect finesse in execution.
Streaming on Zee5