2hotFeature
one of my absolute favorites!
Ketrivie
It isn't all that great, actually. Really cheesy and very predicable of how certain scenes are gonna turn play out. However, I guess that's the charm of it all, because I would consider this one of my guilty pleasures.
Adeel Hail
Unshakable, witty and deeply felt, the film will be paying emotional dividends for a long, long time.
laltkumar
One of the best Tamil movies ever made. Gives a clear picture of the brutal reality of the life of the Indian poor, Indian women and the class and gender divide that gives rise to this reality. Raises awareness about something that polite people generally avoid talking/thinking about - Acid attacks on women. An obnoxious part of the dark underbelly of Indian patriarchal society is brought out in all its harshness. A must watch.
navyboy_thiaghu
I watched the movie on insistence of my brother. Thank heavens that he did as i witnessed a true gem from Tamil cinema. From the first sequence to the last there is always an underlying sadness that keeps your heart heavy. But humane gestures of love and kindness from ordinary people sprinkled generously keeps your hope up. Fantastic camera work keeps you feel close to all the characters during their emotional peaks. The protagonist's plight throughout the movie will surely draw a tear or two from you.The movie opens with an investigation into the main case of the film and moves back and forth with the lead actor's past. The hero's tough past is beautifully portrayed and leaves a lasting impression. Unfortunate circumstances show him as another spoiled orphan in the eyes of the leading lady (essayed with lot of subtlety by Urmila Mahantha). Manish Yadav's character of an innocent schoolgirl falling for a spoiled rich kid highlights the dark reality of teenage misadventures which has become a part of the modern society. Along with the three main roles everyone else have shown terrific screen presence and play a substantial part in the plot.The movie proceeds at a gentle pace but never feels slow. You have sufficient time to absorb all the characters and feel good connection with most of them. Lack of songs in the movie actually helps in protecting the theme. Most parts of the movie are shot with such simplicity that you always feel it can happen in real life(Not sure whether it is based on a true event. No clear-cut claim has been made on screen).The climax will surely cause a lump in your throat. If you have not watched it please do as soon as you can. Hats of to the team to have worked magic with a budget next to nothing.
sribornagain-394-460163
"Vazhakku en 18/9" is a tight slap on the moral values of the present- day society where money, power, treachery & voyeurism rules the roost. There is no place for truth, honesty , love or innocence. Balaji Sakthivel's third movie after his brilliant "Kadhal" & high-quality "Kaloori" , "Vazhakku en 18/9" is a gem among all the neo-realistic movies that grace Tamil cinema these days. The effortless ease with which Balaji is able to engage in the social commentary in each of his movies is staggering.Balaji , known for the raw emotions that he is able to bring in to the narration , does it one more time. The tension, the pain, the anguish, the anger..... are some of the emotions which every one of us who watch the movie will surely go through the last half an hour of it. Though justice delivered partially, when the viewers vacate the theater they do so with heavy heart. It does bring in shame, sorrow, and guilt in most of us who introspect on the state of the society we are part of & contribute to.The narration is effortless in an uncomplicated flashback mode , easy to follow. Balaji has kept it as straightforward as possible. The dialogs are simple yet at the same time hard-hitting at appropriate places. He has the knack for casting unknown people in suitable roles who end up etched in one's memory for a long time. Here Chinnasamy as Chinnasamy & Muthuraman as Inspector are those memorable ones and both these actors have done a tremendous work.All the four in the lead Sri, Manisha yadav ,Urmila Mahantha & Mithun Murali have done promising work. Sri is brilliant as the innocent Velusamy who stays innocent throughout the movie (not like your routine innocent hero who turns gutsy & vigilante all of a sudden in the climax). Manisha Yadav as a naive middle class girl who falls for the temptations of the contemporary societal peer-culture is good with all her emotions & lip-sync. Urmila Mahantha's eye are so expressive they do all the acting . She hardly gets to mouth 3 or 4 lines in the whole movie but her emotive eyes do the rest. Mithun as a cool & suave spoilt rich kid who effortlessly changes his emotions like a chameleon is another promising find.All the other supporting cast , be it the boss of Velu or the Rosy akka or the one who does the mother's role of Jothi , have done a tremendous job.R.Prasanna's background score is adequate, supports the narration to some extent. But movie of this stature do deserves a better background score.Vijay Milton's captures director's vision onto the screen in a simple yet striking manner. Movie is crisp, runs for under two hours.Though couple scenes do drag a bit & in couple of instances amateurishness rears its head, overall "Vazhakku En 18/9" is a brilliant piece of work. One of the best movie in recent times, it deserves more than a solitary watch & all the encouragement possible. One can be proud that movies like these do get made in Tamil now & then.Bottomline : Outstanding
sriram-ramachandran
Indian government system is corrupt. In India there is a distinct class divide - rich and poor. Poor in India suffer in the hands of rich. These messages that the movie tries to communicate, so self-righteously, are not news to anybody in India.The movie tries to make up for its weak story line with melodrama and provocative visuals. Story randomly jumps from showcasing one evil to another evil in Indian society. Not sure if its based on a true story ( as no such claim were made ) but the incidents shown in the movie looks believable.Perhaps, a documentary around the subjects(if true) would have been better. Actors have done a good job in an otherwise disappointing and distressing movie.