Greedy and glorious. Need to mention ARR's music and BGM ( bhoomi bhoomi and Sevandu ponju nenji) ,Santhosh Sivan's Lighting .
Gripping narration and some emotional scenes. STR and Vijay Sethupathi Charactes are good
Overall it's a Mani Sir's movie.
Go for it.
122 Reviews
This was a hit and miss for MR
atultaneja27 September 2018
Leaving out the grandeur that Mani ratnam brings to his movies through enriched characterisation and an abstract plot, there was nothing else about this movie that left a lasting impression. All actors did justice to the roles they were assigned (including simbu :P), with Prakash Raj single-handedly outperforming everyone else. This 'band of brothers' on-screen chemistry is definitely something to look forward to.
The background scores were pretty good, which is kind of expected from the maestro. And there's lots of "mass" moments which an average Tamil movie fan would definitely enjoy.
What was really disappointing was that an extremely tantalising premise was set at the end of the first half and the movie could've escalated to a whole new plane if they had not so whimpishly underplayed the big murder mystery. This took it from an gripping thriller to a filibuster. Otherwise, it's a good one time watch, that keeps you engagaed throughout but fails to close well.
What was really disappointing was that an extremely tantalising premise was set at the end of the first half and the movie could've escalated to a whole new plane if they had not so whimpishly underplayed the big murder mystery. This took it from an gripping thriller to a filibuster. Otherwise, it's a good one time watch, that keeps you engagaed throughout but fails to close well.
Should have been a longer film
vogonify27 September 2018
4 major stars plus a few more are squeezed into a 140 minute timeline.
Most of them have moments which they own but it doesn't make them full characters. This would have worked better as a longer film with them being etched better.
Still, this is a decent film. Arvind Swami sort of wades through a unsurprising first half and comes into his own as the action builds up. Jothika gets exactly one terrific scene. Vijay Sethupathi is very good but he is one of those who suffers from a slightly incomplete characterisation. Arun Vijay and Simbu are ok in their roles.
Most of them have moments which they own but it doesn't make them full characters. This would have worked better as a longer film with them being etched better.
Still, this is a decent film. Arvind Swami sort of wades through a unsurprising first half and comes into his own as the action builds up. Jothika gets exactly one terrific scene. Vijay Sethupathi is very good but he is one of those who suffers from a slightly incomplete characterisation. Arun Vijay and Simbu are ok in their roles.
Beguiling!
drjineesh28 May 2019
There is this scene towards the climax; when Rasool (Vijay Sethupathy) embarks on a rather lengthy speech.
Seems very much in context and goes well with the character - the opportunistic, motor-mouthed, corrupt officer of the law trying to prolong the inevitable; and is so identifiable as well with the actor himself who has portrayed quite a few personnel of underpar intelligence with that unique loudish half-nasal tone. It does tend to get a little too dragging, when all of a sudden; a shot rings out...and everything changes!
Yes! Everything had changed. Only, you hadn't noticed them at all. You had seen it all, now come to think of it, but didn't pay too much attention to it until that very moment.
The vague babbling had given way to a ruthless authoritative voice. Sharp, steely eyes replaced the meek, surrendering ones; those fearful quivering lips showed a firm resolve and the fidgety movements were now quick and precise. The transformation had been gradual but complete!
You are amazed. You want to go back...and see this one more time... and so you do! And then you appreciate the magic once again! The magic that happened when a fantastic actor combined with a master craftsman.
CCV would never rank among the finest of Mani's works; but for me this particular scene had that innate perfection that outdoes many other scenes from many other movies. It was so cleverly contrived and unexaggeratingly performed with a devious subtlety hiding a cunningly artful surprise.
Thank you both!!
Seems very much in context and goes well with the character - the opportunistic, motor-mouthed, corrupt officer of the law trying to prolong the inevitable; and is so identifiable as well with the actor himself who has portrayed quite a few personnel of underpar intelligence with that unique loudish half-nasal tone. It does tend to get a little too dragging, when all of a sudden; a shot rings out...and everything changes!
Yes! Everything had changed. Only, you hadn't noticed them at all. You had seen it all, now come to think of it, but didn't pay too much attention to it until that very moment.
The vague babbling had given way to a ruthless authoritative voice. Sharp, steely eyes replaced the meek, surrendering ones; those fearful quivering lips showed a firm resolve and the fidgety movements were now quick and precise. The transformation had been gradual but complete!
You are amazed. You want to go back...and see this one more time... and so you do! And then you appreciate the magic once again! The magic that happened when a fantastic actor combined with a master craftsman.
CCV would never rank among the finest of Mani's works; but for me this particular scene had that innate perfection that outdoes many other scenes from many other movies. It was so cleverly contrived and unexaggeratingly performed with a devious subtlety hiding a cunningly artful surprise.
Thank you both!!
CRIMSON
koushikrishnan27 September 2018
Chekka Chivantha Vaanam - We are sitting here simply dissecting movies from their trailers but Mani Ratnam sits back and laughs at us from another dimension.
Not a typical Mani Ratnam classic but looks like he has understood the current trend of audience well and used every actor to the best of their strengths. Felt that a few scenes could've been made more tense though and that the suspense factor was lagging at some places. ARR's rocking songs used as BG made it more involving. The ending was little predictable but gave goosebumps due to the moral justified. Can watch this movie any number of times for Vj Se's witty, natural acting as in all his other movie (such a gift to Thamizh Cinema). Kudos to the legend Santhosh Sivan as well for continuing to 'enligthen' every single movie he's part of. Finally to top it, the dialogues in this movie were way better than last few Mani Ratnam outings. Hope he continues his mastercraft from here!!
Not a typical Mani Ratnam classic but looks like he has understood the current trend of audience well and used every actor to the best of their strengths. Felt that a few scenes could've been made more tense though and that the suspense factor was lagging at some places. ARR's rocking songs used as BG made it more involving. The ending was little predictable but gave goosebumps due to the moral justified. Can watch this movie any number of times for Vj Se's witty, natural acting as in all his other movie (such a gift to Thamizh Cinema). Kudos to the legend Santhosh Sivan as well for continuing to 'enligthen' every single movie he's part of. Finally to top it, the dialogues in this movie were way better than last few Mani Ratnam outings. Hope he continues his mastercraft from here!!
Nothing Special
chlorophyllus30 September 2018
CCV doesn't meet expectation of Maniratnam level. First half was gripping, second half is like "who lives, who dies, who cares". Lot of spoilers revealed in trailers. Background songs during those intense scenes(director's thought)in second half is irritating. Overall disappointing but Best of Maniratnam latest ventures .
Nothing can be better than this classic
satishfx27 September 2018
Story... Climax..... Flop!!
laavesh30 September 2018
Pls don't WATCH it in CINEMAS... MONEY WASTE...
The actors played a good job. They did what they're supposed to do..... But the story wasn't that good and climax was the worst... It is like everyone dies in the climax. The actors in this have much fans... So they won't see for the story but look for their heroes...
The actors played a good job. They did what they're supposed to do..... But the story wasn't that good and climax was the worst... It is like everyone dies in the climax. The actors in this have much fans... So they won't see for the story but look for their heroes...
A great game that could have been perfect if it had been without loopholes.
saikrishnan_krrish30 September 2018
Warning: Spoilers
It's really impossible to make a multi-starrer film with a small run time of 2 hours and 25 mins. Mani Ratnam was the Picasso in it. It's a great example for film making.
Direction: The scenes in this movie were too intense and direction was proportionate to it and was perfectly synced. But, Aishwarya Rajesh's scene of going to prison felt like an unnecessary one and doesn't create any emotions.
Story: The story in this movie was a perfect example for saying that Karma is Boomerang. The storyline though felt like an old one, the game became brilliant in the second half with a perfect climax.
Screenplay: The screenplay in the first half doesn't create a great impact, but the entry scenes of all the character was classy. The second half was great, but many questions left unanswered. But climax in it was one of the best climaxes ever had.
Acting: Arvind Swamy, classy as always did a great job in it. Arun Vijay, great with his work as always. We can surely say that this is the best movie in the career of Simbu and his acting and dialogues are just classy. Vijay Sethupathi, who scores the full marks with the great one liners and yet another classy performance after Vikram Vedha. All the female leads done a great job. But comparatively Jyothika had more screen space than any other actress.
Dialogues: All the dialogues were awesome especially of Arvind Swamy and proved it as a classy writing.
Music and BGM: This was really an interesting BGM which is suitable to the title of the film and the screenplay. The songs are very limited and suitable to the storyline
Acting:10/10 Direction:8/10 Screenplay:7/10 Storyline:8/10 Dialogues and one-liners: 8/10 Music and BGM: 8/10
Overall:8/10
Direction: The scenes in this movie were too intense and direction was proportionate to it and was perfectly synced. But, Aishwarya Rajesh's scene of going to prison felt like an unnecessary one and doesn't create any emotions.
Story: The story in this movie was a perfect example for saying that Karma is Boomerang. The storyline though felt like an old one, the game became brilliant in the second half with a perfect climax.
Screenplay: The screenplay in the first half doesn't create a great impact, but the entry scenes of all the character was classy. The second half was great, but many questions left unanswered. But climax in it was one of the best climaxes ever had.
Acting: Arvind Swamy, classy as always did a great job in it. Arun Vijay, great with his work as always. We can surely say that this is the best movie in the career of Simbu and his acting and dialogues are just classy. Vijay Sethupathi, who scores the full marks with the great one liners and yet another classy performance after Vikram Vedha. All the female leads done a great job. But comparatively Jyothika had more screen space than any other actress.
Dialogues: All the dialogues were awesome especially of Arvind Swamy and proved it as a classy writing.
Music and BGM: This was really an interesting BGM which is suitable to the title of the film and the screenplay. The songs are very limited and suitable to the storyline
Acting:10/10 Direction:8/10 Screenplay:7/10 Storyline:8/10 Dialogues and one-liners: 8/10 Music and BGM: 8/10
Overall:8/10
Mainstream with classic Mani touch...
stylegamer24 December 2018
A family drama but yet a mainstream gangster epic,Mani Ratnam after a long time has gone back to one of the genres he is known for - the "godfather" gangster epic - family drama that has shades of both It has been a long time since Mani sir released a thriller film since Raavanan. Thrillers are rare In mani sir's film career but this time Man sir nails it.Enjoyed it just as good as his 2010 Film Raavanan, The whole film is told without much gore in a stylishly constructed tapestry of acting performance, cinematography and scene by scene articulation not found in any South Indian film to date. It has a mainstream script with a thriller noir feel . In the south , the way the gang rivalry films are handled seems too ordinary but considering the man behind this film, expect to see some innovation.
One would expect the directors previous masterpieces along the gangster epic genre like Nayakan or Thalapathy reminiscence here but we wont see any references or similarity to any of these films. What we will see here is an updated but still mainstream version of the typical gangster stories which we often had a healthy staple of in south cinema . We also do not see much of the classic Mani style stand out- lighting from his previous films. Instead the sheer acting performance, camerawork , set design and the magic chemistry between the actors drive the entire film .Engrossing and well worth watching.
One would expect the directors previous masterpieces along the gangster epic genre like Nayakan or Thalapathy reminiscence here but we wont see any references or similarity to any of these films. What we will see here is an updated but still mainstream version of the typical gangster stories which we often had a healthy staple of in south cinema . We also do not see much of the classic Mani style stand out- lighting from his previous films. Instead the sheer acting performance, camerawork , set design and the magic chemistry between the actors drive the entire film .Engrossing and well worth watching.
Perfect multisarrer Movie of the decade
manoabi-b328 September 2018
What an brilliant work. Perfect star cast and they utilized very well. Brilliant Cinematography and BGM.
No lag in any part or scene.
Extraordinary performance of the stars.
No compromise in any scenes.
Jo, Vijaysethupathi, Simbu, Arvind and arun vijay was he best of the bestest performance.
Excellent movie of manirathinam for this decade.
Thank u so much for this. Enjoyed a lot. Will watch it again😍
Excellent story and great cast
raghavrock-9505729 September 2018
The story is so excellent and casting to the movie characters is perfect. Vijay Sethupathi enjoyed his character as the story wanted . But, the screenplay didn't move me to the edge of a seat as the story was . Too much violence . Screenplay can be much more twisted. Overall the movie was good and worth to watch.
Maniratnam is a pale copy of his own
GokVarthan17 November 2018
Chekka Chivantha Vaanam may not be the best from Mani Ratnam but its riveting crime drama with terrific performances from all the cast and pitch perfect technical values..
shobanchittuprolu30 September 2018
Chekka Chivantha Vaanam (2018):
Mani Ratnam, returning back to crime genre...What else does film buffs like me need? After a streak of romance and dramas, Mani Ratnam's new feature is a unique tale of throne fights among brothers with best cast in recent times. Aravind Swamy, Vijay Sethupathi, Simbhu, Arun Vijay, Jyothika, Prakash Raj, Jaya Sudha, Aditi Rao Hydari...Such an ensemble cast in recent times with already electrifying album from AR Rahman and impressive trailers. Did Mani Ratnam unleashed the film maker in him with full mode?
Plot: The film takes off with the murder attempt on Senapathi (Prakash Raj), a well-established don in Chennai. In order to find the person behind it, his three sons, Varadha(Arvind Swamy), Thyagu (Arun Vijay) and Rudra (Simbu) attack Chinnappa who is a member of the opposite gang. As time passes by, the brothers come to know a shocking truth about the murder attempt on their dad. Who is that culprit? Why did he attack Bhupathi Reddy?
My Review: In Chekka Chivantha Vaanam, Mani Ratnam took a unique take which left me confused at the end. The entire movie is based on total gray shaded characters without any protagonist and antagonist where everyone is a danger to others. With such darkly etched characters, first half of the film is well written with handling the bonding of family and whodunit mystery. The scene in Pre-Interval where Senapthi revelas the mystery to his wife followed by the best scene of the film where his wife looks at her sons through window (I loved this scene) with Bhoomi Bhoomi as background score...That Interval bang left me in Awe and raised expectations on second half..
But second half left me in confusion when the action started.It started so soon that I wasn't ready for it. Mani Ratnam had let the drama to take back seat so that pne of the most violent movie in recent times could start. With all the grey characters started attacking each other, I was confused to whom perspective I should watch this...Even with epic making, I wasn't mended with that action but then Praaptham song started in background which started giving me clarity..Such an unique mark from Mani Ratnam and Ar Rahman and the uniquely made Climax cleared the doubts ofcourse it left few unanswered.
So, Chekka Chivantha Vaanam may not be the best from Mani Ratnam but its riveting crime drama with terrific performances from all the cast and pitch perfect technical values..
My rating 7.5/10
Plot: The film takes off with the murder attempt on Senapathi (Prakash Raj), a well-established don in Chennai. In order to find the person behind it, his three sons, Varadha(Arvind Swamy), Thyagu (Arun Vijay) and Rudra (Simbu) attack Chinnappa who is a member of the opposite gang. As time passes by, the brothers come to know a shocking truth about the murder attempt on their dad. Who is that culprit? Why did he attack Bhupathi Reddy?
My Review: In Chekka Chivantha Vaanam, Mani Ratnam took a unique take which left me confused at the end. The entire movie is based on total gray shaded characters without any protagonist and antagonist where everyone is a danger to others. With such darkly etched characters, first half of the film is well written with handling the bonding of family and whodunit mystery. The scene in Pre-Interval where Senapthi revelas the mystery to his wife followed by the best scene of the film where his wife looks at her sons through window (I loved this scene) with Bhoomi Bhoomi as background score...That Interval bang left me in Awe and raised expectations on second half..
But second half left me in confusion when the action started.It started so soon that I wasn't ready for it. Mani Ratnam had let the drama to take back seat so that pne of the most violent movie in recent times could start. With all the grey characters started attacking each other, I was confused to whom perspective I should watch this...Even with epic making, I wasn't mended with that action but then Praaptham song started in background which started giving me clarity..Such an unique mark from Mani Ratnam and Ar Rahman and the uniquely made Climax cleared the doubts ofcourse it left few unanswered.
So, Chekka Chivantha Vaanam may not be the best from Mani Ratnam but its riveting crime drama with terrific performances from all the cast and pitch perfect technical values..
My rating 7.5/10
When reality is related with style...
sano-396101 October 2018
CHEKKA CHIVANTHA VAANAM (CCV): 4/5
While many of you are anticipating to watch the stunning blockbuster of the year, just thought of feeding you with my first official review 😉
The trailer alone reveals the storyline, nothing but the usual plots holding the 'BATTLE BETWEEN LOVE AND WAR' and the dominating influence of power and money in any ordinary human. Nevertheless what leverages CCV is the stellar cast coupled with ARR's evergreen music, the probable thick twists and of course legend Mani Ratnam's expressive dialogues.
Aravind Swamy (Sly-Tough), Arun Vijay(Cunningly Balanced with a Chocolate Boy look) and Simbu (Craftily chilled - I'm sure hearts of most gals would have been stolen by now) :p have donned the role of 3 respective princes with their respective better halves (Jyothika, Aishwarya Rajesh & Dayana Erappa) and respective inner motives of grabbing their dad's (Prakash Raj) throne. What's common among all 3 characters is the WAR they put up in vengeance for their better halves (LOVE) with the purpose of gaining POWER.
But the ultimate SHOW STEALER tends to be none other than our Vijay Sethupathi :D who ensures to take care of the comical front very well while doing justice to his child like gestures and characterization
Important check outs: (Y)
*Thiyagarajan's onscreen appearance after a decade and his repeated 'Senthil Aandava'
*Dialogues like "Your son's smile is sharp as a fresh dagger", "Who's gonna benefit the most when the head is gone" and "Vallavanukku FULLum aayutham" :p
*The ultimate lesson - Power and Money is nothing when divided.. It has the tendency to perish in a spur second.. Yes! Beware it brings you down from Poshe cars to Public buses and Share autos :/ :)
#SanoReviews #CCV #ManiRatnam #ARR #STR
Slick commercial entertainer
hamsa-4362227 September 2018
Warning: Spoilers
Mani takes a break from his usual visuals and BGM-heavy narrative style to make a dialogue-driven, out and out action thriller with just a smattering of amma, pondaati and anna-thambi sentiment to satisfy the masses. Characterization is superficial, given the tight run time and array of characters. Character psychology remains unexplored, with the end leaving the audience with several unanswered questions. Sreekar Prasad's editing is jerky and makes the movie seem episodic and lacking in flow. Rahman's BGM is top-notch. Both twists in the movie are obvious, but motivations remain foggy and serve as a revelation in the climax, sufficient to keep interest alive.
Amongst the cast, Arvind Swami makes use of his ample screen time and his effort shines. Ditto Arun Vijay, whose hard work pays off. In contrast, Sethupathi and STR deliver effortlessly compelling performances. The women are under-utilized caricatures, with Aditi Rao Hydari's character in particular coming across as completely unnecessary. In spite of its flaws, CCV wins because it is eminently watchable. The ease of the viewing experience and the fact that it holds your attention from start to finish make it a sound entertainer, that can definitely be watched once.
Amongst the cast, Arvind Swami makes use of his ample screen time and his effort shines. Ditto Arun Vijay, whose hard work pays off. In contrast, Sethupathi and STR deliver effortlessly compelling performances. The women are under-utilized caricatures, with Aditi Rao Hydari's character in particular coming across as completely unnecessary. In spite of its flaws, CCV wins because it is eminently watchable. The ease of the viewing experience and the fact that it holds your attention from start to finish make it a sound entertainer, that can definitely be watched once.
Good and entertaining movie. Go see it.
classicsmy29 September 2018
One of the best Tamil movies to be released recently.
Entertaining throughout the whole movie. Decent amount of comedy and not overly done. Story line is good. Not predictable like some other movies.
Way better than the other movie I saw - Saamy 2.
Entertaining throughout the whole movie. Decent amount of comedy and not overly done. Story line is good. Not predictable like some other movies.
Way better than the other movie I saw - Saamy 2.
Stays afloat thanks to its stellar cast, but the screenplay is way too condensed for a multi-starrer gangster thriller! [+56%]
arungeorge1315 November 2018
On paper, getting on board an ensemble such as the one in CCV should ideally be a success formula in itself. The cast of CCV boasts some of the finest this generation of Tamil cinema has to offer, to the accompaniment of Santhosh Sivan's glitzy cinematography, Sreekar Prasad's unsettling cuts, and musical maestro A R Rahman's tunes. At the helm of it all is Mani Ratnam, the director who has carved out his own niche in the genre of commercial cinema - artsy, massy, and classy all at once.
Yet, CCV feels incomplete - and this time, it's the condensed screenplay to be blamed. I completely agree with many other reviewers when they say that this movie should have been a little longer. We're dealing with a bunch of stars here, and it almost feels like each character (be it male or female) needed more detailing, more texture. The motives needed to be fleshed out better - simply put, the protagonists needed more screen-time (and better writing) for viewers to feel for their decisions (the good, the bad, and the in-betweens).
An aged don Senapathi (Prakash Raj) is subjected to a car-bomb attack - his 3 sons (Varadan played by an angry Arvind Swamy, Ethi played by a pot-bellied Simbu, and Thyagu played by a suave Arun Vijay) reunite to figure out who was behind it all. The first half moves briskly trying to explain this whole plot-point but doesn't really get anywhere. Rasool (Vijay Sethupathi) hangs around the household catching a bird's eye view of the goings-on, keeping his cool and uttering intriguing one-liners at regular intervals. Amid this, a few women characters (the wives/girlfriends of the 3 male leads, played by Jyothika, Aishwarya Rajesh, and Dayana Erappa) make their presence felt. I was, in fact, hoping for their roles to get meatier in the second half. But alas! Once the second half starts rolling, all of a sudden, we witness the three brothers warring against each other in an attempt to succeed the throne to their dad's empire (and the womenfolk are conveniently put on the back-burner!).
The second half is as lacklustre and generic as it can get - the 'twists' can be seen from a mile away, the characters get their share of cinematic 'moments' but they don't last longer than a fart, and the climax doesn't really make you feel like you watched a Mani Ratnam classic. While the technical bits warrant a fair bit of applause, it only startles a viewer such as myself, who has been in awe of Mani Ratnam's style of story-telling, as to why he chose to stick to this thoroughly-chopped mess of a screenplay.
A gangster drama really thrives on 'scenes' and not just 'moments' - and CCV is a collection of moments that don't cohere. It almost feels like a 'greatest hits' album with most of the popular tracks cut into radio edits than retaining their raw, extended, studio versions. The result? The viewers don't feel the bullet passing through their chests when they're supposed to. So many deaths, yet so little impact. Mani Ratnam sir, you can do better! I don't doubt your story-telling skills; neither do I say you've run out of ideas (yeah, CCV does appear to be a mish-mash of Game of Thrones, The Godfather films, and a few Korean gangster flicks).. but do not hesitate to make a longer film if it needs the length - hell, this one definitely did!
The ensemble does deliver, and it is they who keep the film afloat. Watch CCV for the sheer thrill of getting to see a great set of actors sharing screen-space.
Yet, CCV feels incomplete - and this time, it's the condensed screenplay to be blamed. I completely agree with many other reviewers when they say that this movie should have been a little longer. We're dealing with a bunch of stars here, and it almost feels like each character (be it male or female) needed more detailing, more texture. The motives needed to be fleshed out better - simply put, the protagonists needed more screen-time (and better writing) for viewers to feel for their decisions (the good, the bad, and the in-betweens).
An aged don Senapathi (Prakash Raj) is subjected to a car-bomb attack - his 3 sons (Varadan played by an angry Arvind Swamy, Ethi played by a pot-bellied Simbu, and Thyagu played by a suave Arun Vijay) reunite to figure out who was behind it all. The first half moves briskly trying to explain this whole plot-point but doesn't really get anywhere. Rasool (Vijay Sethupathi) hangs around the household catching a bird's eye view of the goings-on, keeping his cool and uttering intriguing one-liners at regular intervals. Amid this, a few women characters (the wives/girlfriends of the 3 male leads, played by Jyothika, Aishwarya Rajesh, and Dayana Erappa) make their presence felt. I was, in fact, hoping for their roles to get meatier in the second half. But alas! Once the second half starts rolling, all of a sudden, we witness the three brothers warring against each other in an attempt to succeed the throne to their dad's empire (and the womenfolk are conveniently put on the back-burner!).
The second half is as lacklustre and generic as it can get - the 'twists' can be seen from a mile away, the characters get their share of cinematic 'moments' but they don't last longer than a fart, and the climax doesn't really make you feel like you watched a Mani Ratnam classic. While the technical bits warrant a fair bit of applause, it only startles a viewer such as myself, who has been in awe of Mani Ratnam's style of story-telling, as to why he chose to stick to this thoroughly-chopped mess of a screenplay.
A gangster drama really thrives on 'scenes' and not just 'moments' - and CCV is a collection of moments that don't cohere. It almost feels like a 'greatest hits' album with most of the popular tracks cut into radio edits than retaining their raw, extended, studio versions. The result? The viewers don't feel the bullet passing through their chests when they're supposed to. So many deaths, yet so little impact. Mani Ratnam sir, you can do better! I don't doubt your story-telling skills; neither do I say you've run out of ideas (yeah, CCV does appear to be a mish-mash of Game of Thrones, The Godfather films, and a few Korean gangster flicks).. but do not hesitate to make a longer film if it needs the length - hell, this one definitely did!
The ensemble does deliver, and it is they who keep the film afloat. Watch CCV for the sheer thrill of getting to see a great set of actors sharing screen-space.
One fine movie
mathumithacse28 September 2018
At Best, a One-Time Watch !!
postsenthil27 October 2019
Multi-starrer movies are a rarity in Tamil cinema. Hence, when a master auteur like Mani Ratnam assembles an enviable ensemble that includes Arvindswamy, Jyothika, Arun Vijay, Aishwarya Rajesh, Silambarasan, Prakash Raj, Aditi Rao Hydari and the ever dependable Vijay Sethupathi in a movie about gangsters titled Chekka Chivantha Vaanam (aka Crimson Red Sky), one tends to look forward to it. When you top this enviable star cast with top notch technical team that Mani Ratnam marshals including A R Rahman, Santosh Sivan and Sreekar Prasad, the expectations are literally sky high to match the title.A slick trailer only whetted our appetite even more.
Alas.. instead of painting his canvas in bold shades of red, Mani Ratnam could only manage a mishmash of colours with just occasional glimpses of brilliance that one associates with his work. While the plot itself, about the internecine battles in a gangland family between three brothers to succeed their father along with a cop with an ambiguous moral compass, while not new, does offer ample scope for an engaging crime drama. However, despite having a heavy duty cast, Mani fails to flesh out the characters meaningfully and consequently, we don't feel any connection to the characters. While a hurried narrative could give a sense of urgency, here, it cuts down the impact of even the critical situations. As a result, it appears to be an exercise of style over substance.
The main cast have tried to do their best within the minimal material that they seem to be working with and sure enough, they have their own moments when they shine. But, these are not sufficient in themselves and definitely, are not coming together in a coherent manner.
Overall, CCV is a misfire from Mani Ratnam and just an average fare.
Alas.. instead of painting his canvas in bold shades of red, Mani Ratnam could only manage a mishmash of colours with just occasional glimpses of brilliance that one associates with his work. While the plot itself, about the internecine battles in a gangland family between three brothers to succeed their father along with a cop with an ambiguous moral compass, while not new, does offer ample scope for an engaging crime drama. However, despite having a heavy duty cast, Mani fails to flesh out the characters meaningfully and consequently, we don't feel any connection to the characters. While a hurried narrative could give a sense of urgency, here, it cuts down the impact of even the critical situations. As a result, it appears to be an exercise of style over substance.
The main cast have tried to do their best within the minimal material that they seem to be working with and sure enough, they have their own moments when they shine. But, these are not sufficient in themselves and definitely, are not coming together in a coherent manner.
Overall, CCV is a misfire from Mani Ratnam and just an average fare.
Chekka Chivantha Vaanam: Friend - Family - Foe
apn12629 September 2018
One of the most awaited movies of 2018. A slow paced action drama. Mani Ratnam with his classic touches. Great cinematography. Beautiful music and BGM. Brilliant performances from all the actors especially Vijay Sethupathi. And a well maintained suspense with a good ending. Overall a well rounded multi-starrer package. My rating - 9/10
An Action Pack
vensatty20007 October 2018
After quite sometime an action packed movie from Manirathinam. Everyone in the movie has done a phenomenonal job. Few characters where not used to their fullest. Could have been better as there were too many logical errors.
WTF did i just watch
sheshamaro14 November 2018
The only way i can imagine that Mani Ratnam is even remotely involved with this movie, if he is acting as one of the stuntman.
Background score looked like adding bleach to sanitize the infected areas, you cant bare them both.
Actors of such high caliber looked like rookies in a play, where the theater is empty and were still forced to act, coz they needed grades.
i couldn't sit through the movie and was just awestruck. Vijay sethupathi's role was just so irritating to watch, no sure where he lost his way..rest of them, were just in for the grades.
Gangster Family Drama!
joppanLive22 November 2018
An interesting movie based on a ganster family. We have already seen a lot of these kind of movies (from my recollection, Godfather, RGVs Sarkar, etc. ), and Maniratnam's CCV too doesn't have much to offer in storywise. But the movie scores heavily in its stylish narration and mind-blowing BGMs. The movie is thrilling from beginning to end. CCV has a lot of interesting characters, viewpoints, relationships and could have easily made into a 3+ hr movie providing ample space for character development. Overall, a good entertainer, but strictly not everyones cup of tea.
Excellent movie
sivasankarijayaraman29 September 2018
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