Ponmagal and the Penguin

       
With all the time in the world and no intention of spending it in academic pursuits, I decided to give the latest Tamil offerings on Amazon a try. As I have a lot to say about both of them but not enough to write two separate articles, here's a 2-in-1 review!

        Ponmagal Vandhal is the story of a young lawyer, Venba (Jyothika) and her father Petition Pethuraj (Bhagyaraj) who are trying to prove the innocence of 'Psycho-Killer' Jothi. Despite the fact that I guessed the huge intermission 'twist' when I watched the trailer, the first half of the movie was engaging enough. There was the mandatory song to show the father-daughter bond and how woke Venba is but the film managed to stay focused so I let it slide. It did help that the film was packed with veteran actors who were effortless in every scene. Well, except for  the effort that Jyothika put in when she speaks in Tamil. Then came the slightly underwhelming second half. The focus shifted from courtroom drama to just drama. While I love a good sentimental monologue about an important issue, I prefer a sharp dialogue between two witty lawyers. I'd be lying if I said I didn't get misty-eyed during the climax but the pessimist in me was deeply dissatisfied with the unrealistic ending. To top that off, there was a totally unnecessary and inexplicable twist in the end, to make the title sound more poetic I guess. But at the end of day I am a sucker for good messages and good acting so Ponmagal Vandhal gets a solid 7/10.

          The plot of the second movie on my list, Penguin, revolves around Rhythm (Keerthy Suresh), her son Ajay's kidnapping and the events that follow. Penguin deals with motherhood just like Ponmagal Vandhal but has a darker tone that made it more enjoyable for me. There is yet another important difference between the two movies: while Ponmagal Vandhal has an ensemble cast, Penguin is clearly a one-woman show. Well, one-woman-and-her-pet-dog show. Rhythm and Cyrus (played by the director's pet Maddy) are clearly the main focus of the film. Which is great because none of the other characters are particularly memorable except for the condescending doctor (played by a Ben Carson lookalike) and the ex-husband. Despite the unremarkable supporting cast, Keerthy steals the show as the careless (at times) but determined young mother. Maddy too does his job well as Cyrus who is always there by his mommy's side. But even the most ardent of Keerthy Suresh fans (read: me) cannot defend this movie completely due to the ending that is just as weird as the protagonist's name. But weird is not bad and I am shamelessly biased towards Keerthy so this thriller with a great idea but poor execution gets an 8/10.