2 / 4 STARS
DIRECTOR: J. SURESH
ACTOR: MADHAVAN
ACTRESS: SNEHA
MUSIC DIRECTOR: DEVA
STORYLINE:
James Vasanth (Madhavan) is an orphan, who with three other orphans (Charlie and others), moves into Manivannan's home as renters. They work as singers at weddings. Manivannan's daughter is Lakshmi (Sneha) and James falls in love with her.
Predictably, Lakshmi has a sad past in which she was already married, but her husband was in love with another girl, and so never bothered with her. Lakshmi gets a divorce and prepares to spend the rest of her life alone.
At this time, James announces his love and Lakshmi reciprocates, but Manivannan stops him and tells him he won't marry his daughter to some poor orphan. Manivannan finds another groom who, again predictably, turns out to only be after Manivannan's money.
James, meanwhile, gets ready to give up his love...
COMMENTS:
Madhavan really has to start picking his scripts better. "Ennavalae" wasn't a bad movie, not by any stretch of the imagination, it was just so formulaic and "done" that bad is the word that most people will relate it to.
The plot is so predictable, and follows old-fashioned Tamil cinema cliches (like the lover singing at his lover's wedding, orphan sentiment, angry husband/meek wife sentiment) to the letter.
Tamil cinema also seems to embrace the "easy ending" in which the lovers are united, and problems shelved. Few movies have chosen to be shockingly unpredictable (examples coming to mind are films like "Sethu" and even the much lighter "Poovae Unakkaaga"), and sadly, "Ennavalae" chooses the well-worn path as well.
Other problems with the film are in the screenplay, which underuses and underdevelops its characters. 'Thalaivaasal' Vijay and his wife don't seem to be able to decide whether they are in the film or not.
The film does, thankfully, have its bright spots, such as comedy. While not as slapstick as Friends, nor as verbally funny as Dheena or Poovae Unnakkaaga, Ennavalae has its moments.
But for the most part, the film is unfortunately very average.
NOTE ON THE MUSIC:
A few of the songs were pretty good, such as Adi Kaadhal Yenbathu (whose picturisation was stolen from Intha Nimisham from "Hello"), and Ovvoru Paadalilum was okay. Nothing spectacular, though.
RECOMMENDATION:
Watch it on video. If you miss it, don't feel too bad.
VIJAY VANNIARAJAN