Genre: Crime, Drama, Mystery, Thriller

Cast: Leonardo DiCaprio, Mark Ruffalo, Ben Kingsley, Emily Mortimer

Director: Martin Scorsese

Reasons to watch: One of the best you can ever get.

Reasons not to watch: Are you out of your freaking mind? WATCH IT!

Storyline: It is 1954 and U.S. Marshals Teddy Daniels (Leonardo DiCaprio) and Chuck Aule (Mark Ruffalo) make their way to Ashcliffe Hospital housing the criminally insane in Shutter Island (one can say it is an equivalent to Alcatraz). As Daniels and his new partner try to solve the case of the disappearance of a particularly violent patient Rachel Solando, Daniels’ suspicion moves to a particular lighthouse and Dr. Cawley (Ben Kingsley), the chief physician at the penitentiary. As the Marshals dig their way into the case, they realize that there is some secret that connects all the patients and orderlies in the hospital.

Daniels who is already suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder due to the death of his wife (Michelle Williams), has trouble keeping his cool and gets frustrated with insufficient answers from the hospital staff. With constant hallucinations about his time at Dachau in World War II that get intensified by a hurricane walloping the island, Daniels and Aule figure out that they immediately need to get out of the island but soon realize that making an exit is impossible. Shutter Island is a grotesque creation of mystery, that gives us an access into Scorsese’s expansive proficiency of film-making. Perfectly schemed and stirringly orchestrated,  Shutter Island is an ode to dementia by director Martin Scorsese.

Climax Handling: It just can’t get better because it plays with your mind. It takes a while before you can actually comprehend what is going on. Watching the movie for the second time will make the climax seem obvious right from the first scene onwards.

Points:

Dr. John Cawley: We don’t know how she got out of her room. It’s as if she evaporated, straight through the walls.

Rating: 8.5/10

Comments: Well, if you thought Shutter Island was going to be one hysterical train-wreck like most suspense thrillers with a stereotypical climax; think again! This is Scorsese we’re talking about. Don’t miss it!

Language:

Genre: Drama, Mystery, Thriller

Cast: Russell Crowe, Ben Affleck, Rachel McAdams, Helen Mirren

Director: Kevin Macdonald

Music: Alex Heffes

Reasons to watch: The element of surprise that hits you hard when you think you’ve got it all figured out.

Reasons not to watch: Unless you loathe Russell Crowe, you have every reason to watch it.

Storyline: Based on the similarly titled BBC mini-series, State of Play is a fictional thriller that instantly strikes a chord with the current times. Russell Crowe stars as Cal McCaffrey, a no-nonsense journalist employed at the Washington Globe. He puts himself on the line as he begins to investigate the death of Sonia Baker, the research assistant and love interest of his congressman friend Stephen Collins (Ben Affleck). Stephen’s political career takes a slump as the young woman’s death publicizes their affair. In order to help Stephen regain his political status, protect Stephen’s wife and to get a story up and running for the Washington Globe, Cal teams up with young inquisitive blogger Della Frye (Rachel McAdams) to solve the murder which he later on finds out is only a small piece in a conspiracy of much larger magnitude. Both timely and timeless, State of Play is a thriller that questions the existence and genuineness of newspapers and blogs that work in a vicious 24-hour cycle. It also addresses the functioning of private military organizations for whom war means an opportunity to make money.

Climax Handling: A shade implausible with minor errors that can very well be forgiven as the rest of the movie packs a punch.

Points: Money and power – a lethal combination.

Rating:8.5/10

Genre: Drama, Romance

Cast: Shahid Kapoor, Genelia D’ Souza, Mohnish Behl, Parikshit Sahni

Director: Ken Ghosh

Music: Adnan Sami & Pritam

Reasons to watch: Shahid Kapoor has tremendously improved as a dancer. And of course his chiseled abs (for the ladies).

Reasons not to watch: For a movie driven by dance, the music by Adnan Sami and Pritam is good, but not the awe-inspiring stuff you expect out of such a movie.

Storyline: Sameer Behl (Shahid Kapoor) comes to Mumbai with dreams of making it big in Bollywood. He barely makes both ends meet as a courier boy and doesn’t have much luck in auditioning for advertisements. He refuses to take any financial help from his dad (Parikshit Sahni) in Delhi and is thrown out by his landlord (Kurush Deboo) due to stereotypical rental problems.

With no roof over his head and no job to support himself, Sameer sleeps in his ‘car’ (I didn’t know one lungi ad could fetch you a car – Blemish) and joins as a dance teacher in a school (for some reason he hates kids). Then one fine day, Sameer is signed to play hero in a film and his friend Tina (Genelia D’Souza) is chosen to be the choreographer for the same project.

Subsequently (read as stereotypically), Sameer is dumped from the project and he is brought to naught. Motivated by Tina, Sameer takes part in a reality show dance competition whose winner would get to play the same role Sameer was signed to do earlier. I don’t think I need to ‘divulge’ more details on the climax. I bet you would have guessed it by now.

Climax Handling: Nothing new. But money’s worth to watch Shahid in his final act (gets the groove going with a signature move).

Points: Ken Ghosh’s experience with music videos seem to have helped him a lot in chalking out a story such as this. But though the movie moves on well with Shahid at the helm, it gives you a feel of a dreary mix of reality shows and connected music videos as a consummate film.

Rating:6.5/10

Comments: Maybe you can give this dance a chance.

Language:

Genre: Action, Adventure, Drama, Thriller

Cast: Denzel Washington, Gary Oldman, Mila Kunis, Michael Gambon, Ray Stevenson

Director: Albert Hughes & Allen Hughes

Music: Atticus Ross

Reasons to watch: Watch it for the climax and wonderful photography.

Reasons not to watch: Too many glitches that have ‘illogical’ written all over them.

Storyline: Denzel Washington (Eli) is a ‘walker’ on a mission. In a world that has been reduced to a wreck due to ‘the war’ or ‘the flash’ as told in the movie, water, food and all basic amenities which wouldn’t have had much value in a normal world, have become so rare to find, that people kill each other for even an ounce. Survival intricacies have turned people into cannibals.

Gary Oldman plays Carnegie, a mobster king who is on the look-out for ‘a book’ that happens to be in Eli’s possession. He finds out from Solara (Mila Kunis) that Eli has ‘the book’ which in Carnegie’s view could be the weapon to start the world all over again – A new beginning with him playing God. With Carnegie ready to sacrifice any number of lives for the book and Eli who would kill anyone to protect the book, the hunt begins. What happens when Carnegie gets hold of the book? Having lost the book to Carnegie, will Eli succeed in his mission of faith towards the West to give hope for a new beginning for the human race?

Climax Handling: The climax is what holds the movie intact. A surprising and totally unexpected ending. Kudos to the Hughes brothers.

Points: The director of photography, Don Burgess has done an excellent job in portraying a post-apocalyptic world. The whole issue about this movie’s illogical fallacies serve as a driving force for people to watch this movie again. Maybe it was intentional of the Hughes brothers to confuse the viewers with such daft logic.

Rating: 7/10

Comments: You might want to watch it twice to find a solution to the dilemma that will nag your brains at the end of 108 minutes of this movie.

Genre: Action, Crime, Drama, Mystery, Thriller

Cast: Robert Downey Jr., Jude Law, Rachel McAdams, Mark Strong, Eddie Marsan

Director: Guy Ritchie

Music: Hans Zimmer

Reasons to watch: Racy entertainer that keeps your mind ticking.

Reasons not to watch: No particular reason as to why you shouldn’t watch this movie.

Storyline: The mystery involves a heinous and aristocratic Blackwood (Mark Strong) who schemes to take over the world. Well you might be wondering what sort of mystery exists in this plot — that is what puzzles me too. The plot is banausic and the script is desolate. But what works for  the movie is the set piece shifting of one fight to another — Especially the fight sequence featuring Downey in slow-mo is absolutely out of the world. The Tower Bridge set-up and the depiction of London of the yesteryears is commendable.

Robert Downey Jr. stars as the protagonist with Jude Law playing Dr. Watson, his faithful sidekick. This Sherlock Holmes is neither the ones you have already seen before in the early 70s nor is he a depiction of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s imagination. So far, about 75 actors have played this role, but none of this kind. Guy Ritchie gives a new dimension to the tight-lipped sleuth and Downey has done immensely well.  He’s demented, delineated, rustic and has a hoarse voice — something about this characterization reminded me about the dirty and decrepit sailors in Pirates of the Caribbean. Downey essays his role with a skittish humor and a devilish charm. Jude Law’s performance conforms to the customary portrayal of Dr. Watson.

The ‘bromance’ between Watson and Holmes is the best part of the film. Though Ritchie provides both these men with women interests, they are just diversions to prevent a development of homo-eroticism among viewers. The essence of the movie is the Holmes-Watson chemistry escalated by their boisterous and wacky arguments.

Climax Handling: The movie ends with a definite hint of a sequel which I think is very much necessary. This movie demands a sequel; hopefully a smarter one.

Points: A Sherlock Holmes movie is thoroughly enjoyable when  it centers around a mystery that truly leaves you perplexed, the suspense and the way Holmes solves it with his overwhelming dogmatic reasoning. This version of Sherlock Holmes does not have a plot that inclines itself to the strongest form of mystery but the movie is certainly entertaining for three reasons –

A. The stunt sequences.

B.  The star-cast that works wonders for the script.

C. Hans Zimmer’s music is as always effective.

Rating: 8/10

Comments: Don’t watch this movie expecting another Snatch from Guy Ritchie. This one is less classy, but yet the approach works.

Genre: Drama, Sci-Fi, Mystery, Thriller

Cast: Cameron Diaz, James Marsden, Frank Langella

Director: Richard Kelly

Music: Win Butler, Regine Chassagne, and Owen Pallett of Canadian band Arcade Fire.

Reasons to watch: Only for Sci-fi maniacs and for people who like the show Deal Or No Deal!

Reasons not to watch: Offers nothing original.

Storyline: Based on a short story ‘Button, Button’ by Richard Matheson, The Box revives all the sci-fi cliches that were left untouched by directors for many years.

Norma Lewis (Cameron Diaz) and Arthur Lewis (James Marsden) with their son Walter Lewis, make a normal suburban family. Until one morning, the door bell rings and Norma finds a box at the doorstep. The same evening Arlington Steward (Frank Langella), the person who delivered the box comes knocking on the Lewis’ residence with an offer. The scene is depicted like an eerie version of Deal or No Deal . They press the button, they get $1 million, but someone, somewhere in the world will DIE… someone whom they don’t know. With 24 hours to make a decision, after which the box will be collected and the offer would be made to someone else, Norma and Arthur find themselves in a moral dilemma that leaves them to face the true nature of humanity characterized by desire, greed and selfishness.

Climax Handling: Could have been better. The message is clear — Life is a vicious circle.

Points: The Box runs on the lines of The Day the Earth Stood Still. The latter was a high budget disappointment and the former turns out to be a low budget disaster!

Rating: 6/10

Comments: ‘No Deal’ Mr. Richard Kelly!

Genre: Crime, Drama, Thriller

Cast: Joaquin Phoenix, Eva Mendes, Mark Wahlberg, Robert Duvall, Burton Perez, Alex Veadov

Director: James Gray

Reasons to watch: Have some time to kill? Then watch it.

Reasons not to watch: There are better movies of the same genre out there.

Storyline: Bobby Green (Joaquin Phoenix) is the outcast in his family and as the stylish and famous manager of El Caribe, the celebrated Russian-owned night club in Brooklyn, he has burrowed his connection with his family of distinguished NYPD cops. For Bobby, life is always a party in a miasma of cigarette smoke and dizziness of disco lights. All night long he is busy socializing with clients at the club and dancing with his ravishing and dazzling girlfriend, Amada (Eva Mendes). With New York’s drug trade at it’s peak and escalating by the minute, the cops are on a crackdown on the drug mafia lead by Russian gangster, Vadim (Alex Veadov) who is operating out of the El Caribe. Bobby tries to keep a friendly and safe distance from Vadim after being warned by his brother, Joseph (Mark Wahlberg), a promising NYPD officer, and his father Burt (Robert Duvall), the renowned deputy chief of police. With Vadim and Joseph being mutual targets, things begin to get dirty and out of control. Caught in between the two sides of the law, Bobby now needs to make a choice. Will the two brothers beyond their differences, come together to put an end to this mayhem?

Climax Handling: James Gray tries to pull off a Scorsese, but falls short.

Points: Though it has some continuity errors, the car chase in the rain has a gripping effect on the viewers. Robert Duvall and Mark Wahlberg are wasted in the movie.

Rating: 7/10

Comments: Routine and overlong cop drama that’s worth a watch.

Genre: Drama, Sports

Cast: Sandra Bullock, Tim McGraw, Quinton Aaron, Jae Head, Lily Collins

Director: John Lee Hancock

Reasons to watch: A truly inspiring movie.

Reasons not to watch: Running time of 2 hours 8 minutes is a little too long and Sandra Bullock puts on a forced accent.

Storyline: The movie is based on Michael Lewis’ remarkable true story as told in his autobiography, “The Blind Side: Evolution of a Game”. Since I haven’t read this book, I assume that John Lee Hancock has taken some artistic liberties to increase the emotional quotient in the movie.

The Blind Side is a football drama; and as there should be in any sports movie, there is always an underdog. After having had a poor and oppressed childhood, Michael Oher a homeless African – American over-sized teenager, gets adopted by the Touhys, a well-to-do American white family. Living in a new and unfamiliar environment, Michael is accosted by an entirely different set of challenges to overcome and meanwhile, the Touhys also make incisive self-revelations as a result of Michael’s presence in their household.

Soon, Leigh Anne Touhy (Sandra Bullock) begins to learn about the tyrannies the teen has gone through in his life and the more Leigh Anne soaks up about Michael’s agitated past the more striving she is to help the boy achieve success in life. With valuable help from his coaches and adopted family, Michael Oher toils hard and eventually emerges as an All-American aggressive left-tackle and a football sensation.

Climax Handling: A depiction of kindness that a blind man can see and a deaf man can hear.

Points:

Leigh Anne (Sandra Bullock) reading to Michael (Quinton Aaron) and SJ (Jae Head) — “And then she thrust his face deep into her heaving bosom as his hands reached down into his……Whoops! Wrong book! Sorry, kids.”

Rating: 8.5/10

Comments: If inspiration is what you need in life, then this is one of those movie to watch.

1. The Book of Eli

Director: Allen Hughes, Albert Hughes

Cast: Denzel Washington, Gary Oldman, Mila Kunis, Ray Stevenson, Jennifer Beals

Release Date: January 15th 2010

Summary: Denzel Washington is a lone warrior who must fight to bring society the knowledge that could be the key to its redemption. Gary Oldman has been set to portray the autocrat of a small expedient town who’s determined to take possession of the book in Eli’s guarding.

2. Extraordinary Measures

Director: Tom Vaughan

Cast: Harrison Ford, Brendan Fraser, Keri Russell, Courtney B. Vance

Release Date: January 22nd 2010

Summary: This is the story of a biotechnology executive and his wife, who hire a research scientist and defy all odds to pursue a cure for the life threatening Pompe disease in order to save the lives of their affected children.

3. I love you Phillip Morris

Director: Glenn Ficarra, John Requa

Cast: Jim Carrey, Ewan McGregor, Leslie Mann, Rodrigo Santoro

Release Date: February 5th 2010

Summary: I love you Phillip Morris is a fact-based film about Steven Russell, a married father and also a convict in jail. The story is about his mad love for his male cell-mate, who eventually gets freed and Steven’s four time escapades from Texas prisons to meet his love.

4. The Wolfman

Director: Joe Johnston

Cast: Benicio Del Toro, Emily Blunt, Anthony Hopkins, Hugo Weaving, Geraldine Chaplin, Kiran Shah, Art Malik

Release Date: February 12th 2010

Summary: Lawrence Talbot (Benicio Del Toro) is a haunted nobleman and the disappearance of his brother lures him into his family estate. Reunited with his resentful father (Anthony Hopkins), Talbot sets out in search of his brother’s whereabouts which leads him to realize his ghastly destiny. Inspired by a yesteryear horror classic, The Wolfman might just bring the classic definition of ‘haunting’ back.

5. Shutter Island

Director: Martin Scorsese

Cast: Leonardo DiCaprio, Mark Ruffalo, Ben Kingsley, Emily Mortimer

Release Date: February 19th 2010

Summary: Easily the biggest and the most expected movie of 2010 – goes into the list of “unmissables”. Martin Scorsese gives life to Dennis Lehane’s psychic thriller with Leonardo DiCaprio and Mark Ruffalo in the lead. The two of them play U.S Marshals investigating the disappearance of a patient from Boston’s Shutter Island Ashecliffe Hospital whose activities later on turn out to be unethical to illegal to downright sinister. As they turn the heat on their trail by amassing clues, they soon begin to lose trust on each other, their memories and their sanity.

6. Alice in Wonderland

Director: Tim Burton

Cast: Mia Wasikowska, Johnny Depp, Anne Hathaway, Helena Bonham Carter

Release Date: March 5th 2010

Summary: An imaginary sequel to Lewis Caroll’s classic, Alice returns to Wonderland at 17. As she makes her way through, she realizes that the place has changed since her last visit. A change that she least expected — a sparely haunted, disordered and overrun Wonderland.

7. Green Zone

Director: Paul Greengrass

Cast: Matt Damon, Jason Isaacs, Greg Kinnear, Brendan Gleeson, Amy Ryan

Release Date: March 12th 2010

Summary: The successful duo that gave us two of the three roller coaster hits in The Bourne Series is back. Matt Damon and director Paul Greengrass team up again for Green Zone which depicts the U.S led regime in Iraq. Matt Damon is a warrant officer who stumbles upon an elaborate cover-up by his own people as he goes in search of weapons of mass destruction believed to be hoarded in the Iraqi desert.

8. Clash of the Titans

Director: Louis Leterrier

Cast: Sam Worthington, Liam Neeson, Ralph Fiennes, Gemma Arterton

Release Date: March 26th 2010

Summary: Based on the 1981 film bearing the same name, Clash of the Titans is a story about the transcendental encounter over power between men and Gods. With the Gods fighting amongst themselves, darkness and destruction looms large which could very well destroy the world. Perseus (Sam Worthington) who is halfman-halfGod strives hard to save his family from Hades, the bloodthirsty and vindictive God of the underworld.

9. Ironman 2

Director: Jon Favreau

Cast: Robert Downey Jr., Mickey Rourke, Gwyneth Paltrow, Sam Rockwell, Don Cheadle

Release Date: May 7th 2010

Summary: Having disclosed his Iron Man identity to the public, Tony Stark the billionaire inventor is reluctant to share his scientific know-hows with the military. But, forces beyond his control hatch a devious plan against him.

10. Robin Hood

Director: Ridley Scott

Cast: Mark Strong, Russell Crowe, Kate Blanchett, Kevin Durand, Matthew Macfadyen

Release Date: May 14th 2010

Summary: The story of how an archer in the service of King Richard the Lionheart became to be known as Robin Hood, the famous archer and outlaw of English Folklore. Featuring historically accurate characters such as Sir William Marshall and grounded in reality (in a similar way to Gladiator), this is the making of the legend we have come to know him as now.

11. Shrek Forever After

Director: Mike Mitchell

Cast: Cameron Diaz, Mike Myers, Eddie Murphy, Antonio Banderas, Julie Andrews, Justin Timberlake

Release Date: May 21st 2010

Summary: A sick and tired Shrek (Mike Myers) who seems to have lost his ‘ogre’ self, gets duped by Rumpelstiltskin who promises to restore Shrek’s ‘original’ self. This takes Shrek to an awry and perverse Far Far Away, where Rumpelstiltskin is the King and ogres are the hunted. Moreover, the most disorienting fact is that Shrek and Fiona have never met in that kingdom. So, Shrek begins to materialize his efforts by trying to restore the actual Far Far Away and regain his true love.

12. Prince of Persia: Sands of Time

Director: Mike Newell

Cast: Jake Gyllenhaal, Gemma Arterton, Ben Kingsley, Alfred Molina

Release Date: May 28th 2010

Summary: Based on the popular video game, Prince of Persia is set in medieval Persia where a bold and daring prince joins hands with an emulous princess to find a time-manipulating dagger which is the only means of stopping an angry Grand Vizier who wishes to destroy the world by unleashing a huge sandstorm.

13. Sex and the City 2

Director: Michael Patrick King

Cast: Sarah Jessica Parker, Kim Cattrall, Kristin Davis, Cynthia Nixon

Release Date: May 28th 2010

Summary: It is an upcoming sequel to the 2008 movie, Sex and the City. The movie is in production stage right now and is slated for a May 2010 release. It comes with the tag-line “Carrie On” which is a sort of a pun in comparison to the “Get Carried Away” for the previous movie.

14. The A-Team

Director: Joe Carnahan

Cast: Liam Neeson, Bradley Cooper, Sharlto Copley, Quinton Jackson, Jessica Biel

Release Date: June 11th 2010

Summary: Having been framed for a crime that they never committed and now in the U.S military’s most wanted list, four Iraq War veterans look to clear their names with the U.S military. But yet, they are forced to go on a run. The movie is based on a 1980 classic action-comedy TV series that tickled the funny bone of an entire nation.

15. The Twilight Saga: Eclipse

Director: David Slade

Cast: Kristen Stewart, Robert Pattinson, Taylor Lautner, Billy Burke, Ashley Greene

Release Date: June 30th 2010

Summary: Victoria is still on the run and is out to avenge James’ death. With the previous movie New Moon just ending in a standstill, Eclispe may just answer all the questions that were left unanswered. Meanwhile Bella’s feelings for Jacob leave her torn apart in this love triangle.

16. The Last Airbender

Director: M. Night Shyamalan

Cast: Noah Ringer, Nicola Peltz, Jackson Rathbone, Dev Patel

Release Date: July 2nd 2010

Summary: Based on a Nickelodeon TV series, The Last Airbender is about the dangerous journey of a hesitant young child who strives to bring unity in a war torn world where civilization exists as four mighty empires.

17. Inception

Director: Christopher Nolan

Cast: Leonardo DiCaprio, Ken Watanabe, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Marion Cotillard

Release Date: July 16th 2010

Summary: After giving us the biggest hit of 2008 in The Dark Knight, Christopher Nolan returns with the story that is said to explore the architecture of the human mind. Leonardo DiCaprio plays a higher up executive who gets himself involved in a blackmailing scandal.

18. The Expendables

Director: Sylvester Stallone

Cast: Sylvester Stallone, Jet Li, Jason Statham, Mickey Rourke, Eric Roberts

Release Date: August 13th 2010

Summary: “The Expendables” is a story that follows a team of mercenaries whose task is to infiltrate and overthrow a dictatorial regime in South America. With an impressive starcast, this movie has already set the verbal “hyperboles” rolling.

19. Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows: Part One

Director: David Yates

Cast: Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, Emma Watson, Helena Bonham Carter

Release Date: November 19th 2010

Summary: With Dumbledore gone and darkness spreading, it is up to Harry, Ron and Hermione to find Voldemort’s remaining horcruxes and destroy his soul completely. In their quest for the horcruxes, they stumble upon the mystical three ‘Deathly Hallows’ which they will need to succeed in their endeavour.

20. The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader

Director: Michael Apted

Cast: Georgie Henley, Skandar Keynes, Ben Barnes, Will Poulter, Gary Sweet

Release Date: December 10th 2010

Summary: Aboard The Dawn Treader, a wondrous Narnian ship captained by King Caspian; Edmund and Lucy along their irksome cousin Eustace Scrubb find themselves headed for the very edges of the world in a journey encountering dragons, slave traders and merefolk.

10. Siva Manasula Sakthi

Director: Rajesh

Cast: Jeeva, Anuya, Santhanam

Music: Yuvan Shankar Raja

Points: This ‘hyped’ entertainer just managed to tickle the funny bone in patches and was worth a few laughs, but nothing more. Music by Yuvan Shankar Raja was a big hit.

9. Vennila Kabadi Kuzhu

Director: Susinthiran

Cast: Vishnu Vishal, Saranya Mohan, Kishore

Music: V. Selvaganesh

Points: With an entire cast of new-comers, director Susinthiran scored a hit. The individual characters rendered lasting performances. With a shocker of a climax, an excellent ensemble cast and script, Vennila Kabadi Kuzhu scored a match-point.

8. Yavarum Nalam

Director: Vikram Kumar

Cast: R. Madhavan, Neetu Chandra

Music: Shankar, Ehsaan, Loy, Tubby, Parik

Points: For all those who associated Madhavan with mushy romance, Yavarum Nalam was a complete volte-face. With a strong performance oriented role, Madhavan was bang-up on the job. It turned out to be a big break for Vikram Kumar who made a killing out of this movie which was also released in Bollywood as 13B.

7. Peranmai

Director: S. P. Jananathan

Cast: Jayam Ravi, Roland Kickinger,Vasundra, Saranya, Varsha, Tanusika, Liyasree, Oorvasi

Music: Vidyasagar

Points: What makes director S. P. Jananathan chalk up such storylines? After a brilliant directorial debut in Ee, he comes up with this oddball movie. This movie, though it did not serve the interests of all types of audiences, will remain in the memories of all those who watched it because it’s essence is ‘hard work’. Right from the director to every individual member of the cast has toiled it out in the Deccan jungles. Brave effort — That’s why it is here.

6. Naan Kadavul

Director: Bala

Cast: Arya, Pooja

Music: Ilaiyaraaja

Points: Naan Kadavul continues Bala’s winning streak that began with Sethu. Having chosen a very ritzy and productive subject like he always does, Bala throws reality at your face that could make you feel restless with a sense of discomfort. The movie was certainly a landmark for both Arya and Pooja.

5. Thiru Thiru Thuru Thuru

Director: Nandhini

Cast: Ajmal Ameer, Rupa Manjeri

Music: Mani Sharma

Points: Does it satisfy the premise of a contorted kidnapping plot? Yes, in a way. With two hours of senseless, schizophrenic laughter and smothered romance, this movie was a feel good entertainer that kept me wanting the movie to go on.

4. Pasanga

Director: Pandiraj

Cast: Vimal, Vega Tamotia, Kishore, Sriram

Music: James Vasanthan

Points: Pasanga is a masterpiece. Movies about children have always been a rare and neglected genre in Tamil cinema which is a commercialized tinsel town. The movie comes with a big heart and an important message. It is a must watch, because movies of this kind are a rarity and Pasanga comes in the line of movies like Veyil, Paruthi Veeran and Subramaniapuram that are changing the scene in Kollywood.

3. Eeram

Director: Arivazhagan

Cast: Aadhi, Nandha, Sindhu Menon, Saranya Mohan

Music: Thaman

Points: Rationalism, originality, vigor — Eeram scores in all these POVs. The best part is that it actually makes you cling to the edge of the seat most of the time. No mean feat, considering the limitations of mainstream Tamil cinema.

2. Unnaipol Oruvan

Director: Chakri Toleti

Cast: Kamal Haasan, Mohanlal, Ganesh Venkatraman, Anuja Iyer

Music: Shruthi Haasan

Points: Quintessentially Kamal! The starcast works wonders for the project. Unnaipol Oruvan surprises you and is a bizarrely fascinating movie. Though one can say that A Wednesday was definitely better in the ‘whole-movie’ aspect, the expectations in Tamil cinema are poles apart from Bollywood.

1. Nadodigal

Director: Samuthirakani

Cast: Sasikumar, Vijay Vasanth, Ananya,Bharani, Abhinaya

Music: Sundar C Babu

Points: Every character has lived under the skin of characterization in the movie. It is nowhere near Subramaniapuram in terms of intensity, but with a logical storyline and realistic depiction of relationships, it consumes you into it’s screenplay. Nadodigal is unquestionably not only the best tamil movie of 2009, but also one of the finest films Tamil cinema has ever produced.