Nerungi Vaa Muthamidathe’ seduces with its brilliant narration

 Director Lakshmy Ramakrishnan returns with ‘Nerungi Vaa Muthamidathe,’ (Come closer but do not kiss), an intriguing title. 

When the film opens to reveal a dark night and a person swimming out of the sea, who subsequently makes a run on hearing an approaching police van with sirens on, you wonder if it is one of the regular films churned out. But then Lakshmy Ramakrishnan throws in surprises with her narration, that is clearly not the usual.
It does not take long before you hitch onto a truck ride onscreen, a journey that begins in Trichy at a go-down where women are sorting out onions. The truck is headed towards Karaikal port on a day marred by petrol strike.
As the truck chugs and meanders on its course, there are pit-stops, moments to laugh and unforeseen accidents adding to the thrill of the journey. Weaving several stories into this multi-layered script, Ramakrishnan introduces us to Subramaniam, the hard working petrol bunk owner with a son Chandru, who fails to meet his expectations. So when he discovers that Chandru has stolen large quantities of diesel from his bunk, angry would be to put it mildly.
As for Chandru, he is on a journey, driving a truck, transporting a load of onions that conceal cans of diesel for Kaleeswaran, (A. L. Alagappan) a devious MLA. What he is unaware though is Keeswaran’s wrong motives for transporting the diesel.
Enroute Chandru allows a young couple Maha and Pichai, who have eloped, to take refuge in his truck. The lovers, belonging to different castes, he the son of a barber and she an upper caste girl, are on the run, with her family baying for their blood.
At a pit-stop, Chandru is coaxed into giving a lift to a stranger (Thambi Ramiah). He is one of those pricks you encounter sometimes on a travel.
Narrated in a style that smacks of maturity, Ramakrishnan gently ushers in characters and their stories, all the while keeping the audience  guessing.  There is Maya, a young woman holding a grudge against her mother, a singer.
Complementing the brilliant narration is the performance of the cast. New comer, Shabeer, who carries the story on his shoulders, gets into the skin of Chandru, a truck driver, with an admirable ease. His acting is subtle and believable. We are never told that he is the hero though. No duets, no forced item songs, no silly humour nor double entendres. Humour is delivered by Chokku, Chandru’s friend played by Bala Saravanan, who is a remarkable performer, fondly remembered for his role ‘Pannaiyarum Padminiyum.’
Thambi Ramiah’s character is a real surprise though.  Pia Bajpai, known for her bubbly roles is another surprise. As Maya, the angry and disturbed young woman desperate to know who her father is, Bajpai emotes well. It is a poignant moment, when she learns the truth about her mother’s past. Only a woman director could have handled this scene with grace. No sickening flashbacks mind you. Y.G. Mahendran delivers his character with great aplomb. Viji Chandrasekhar as Maya’s mother fits the role well. 
‘Nerungi Vaa Muthamidathe’ takes many slices from people’s lives. Without being preachy, Ramakrishnan chides young lovers for their impulsive behavior asking them to focus on education first. And putting across the fact that parents only wish well for their children, she makes Chandru repent for trusting Kaleeswaran and ignoring his father.
Ramakrishnan plays a guest role and so does producer A.V. Anoop.
Madley Blues’ music is another strength for this film. Sabu Joseph’s camera work is splendid.
And if you are still curious about the title, I think it’s time you caught it on screen. Don’t forget to take the family along.
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‘Poojai’ an action film from the word go

‘Tamil director Hari’s Diwali offering, ‘Poojai,’ adheres religiously to his formula of film-making. From the moment the screen opens till the last scene, there is action and gore. And, if you have watched his earlier films, you know what to expect.
Vasu (Vishal) is a loan shark making a living in the markets of Coimbatore and with our first introduction to Anna Thandavam, (Mukesh Tiwari) a contract killer posing as a respectable businessman, Hari prepares the stage for the battle.
The story gathers steam after Anna Thandavam’s plan to kill the Deputy Commissioner of Police (Sathyaraj) goes awry. Vasu saves the cop. Now the foremost question in Anna’s mind is- ‘Who is this Vasu?’
Love blossoms between Vasu and Divya, (Shruthi Haasan) a young woman whom he meets in a mall. And they break into a duet at the slightest instance taking viewers with them to exotic locales.
Did I mention about the guest appearance of singer Andrea in a song sequence? Going by the trend, Tamil films seem to be incomplete without a booze scene, so Vasu and friends find an excuse to drink and with that they put on their dancing shoes. The result is a song sequence with Andrea.
Slapstick comedy does little to tickle the funny bone here. Where is the humour in Soori bashing up his junior, Black Pandi at regular intervals? This Soori joke has been done to death and its time he pulled out something else from the box.
Melodrama, another ingredient in all Hari stories exists here too. With a large family Vasu takes up cudgels for their welfare even travelling all the way to Patna to avenge his mother’s death.
It is a Vishal show all the way and undoubtedly the actor comes with an impressive performance. But the story is nothing new.  Radhika’s performance as Vasu’s mother was commendable. And Shruthi Haasan’s expressions are certainly improving with each film. She looks lovely in each scene, her costumes complementing her well.
‘Poojai,’ contrary to its title has aruvaals (sickles) flying all the way, (you had better duck) and is predictable to the core.
If you love action and are a Vishal fan, then this one is up your alley.