2 / 4 STARS
DIRECTOR: SIDDIQUE
ACTORS: VIJAY, SURYA, RAMESH KHANNA
ACTRESSES: DEVAYANI, VIJAYALAKSHMI
MUSIC DIRECTOR: ILAYARAJA
STORYLINE:
Aravindan (Vijay), Chandru (Surya), and Krishnamurthy (Ramesh Khannaa) have been best friends since they were little. Now can they stay that way, asks the film "Friends". Aravindan's sister (Vijayalakshmi) is making eyes at Chandru and Chandru doesn't want to let that get in the way of his friendship, so he rejects her love. Eventually, Aravindan finds out and predictably sets them up together.
Aravindan himself then falls in love with Devayani, and mistakenly thinks she loves him, too. After a number of mismatches, Devayani and Aravindan are married, except Devayani comes to hate Chandru and vows to break the friends apart.
COMMENTS:
Writing the storyline for "Friends" above was extremely hard to do. There are so many plots and subplots that I didn't know which to include and which to exclude. You have characters becoming villains and then becoming good again incredibly rapidly. The screenplay is so convoluted that you feel tired and drawn by the end of the film.
Some of the subplots are welcome (the thing with Surya's younger brother is totally unexpected and original) while some others are contrived and unnecessary (does Vijay really need to fall off a cliff? does Sreeman really have to be a bad guy?). This movie is such a mix that I would have thought it would be impossible to pull off, and make into a watchable movie.
But this movie is watchable. It's confusing and convoluted, but it is watchable, merely because of the sake of some very funny comedy (Vadivelu hasn't been this funny since Viralukku Aetha Veekkam), the sake of some quick dancing (Surya keeps up with Vijay -- imagine that!), and of course, for Vijay.
I am not a Vijay fan. My cousins are all die-hard Vijay fans, but I never liked him that much. Except I have to admit, Vijay is one of the best things in this movie. He energizes the cast and acts well, proving he can hold his own in lighter fare, if not in the more serious films.
Sreemaan, who was incredible in Sethu, is very disappointing in this movie. Rajiv and V. Natarajan, in supporting roles, are criminally underused.
NOTE ON THE MUSIC:
Most of the songs are not that great. But Thendral Varum is all right, and Poongaatrae is also okay.
RECOMMENDATION:
Watch it on video. I think it's good enough for that.
VIJAY VANNIARAJAN