Thanga Magan brings back the super hit combo of Dhanush and Velraj, who last year made the best Tamil film VIP. So with TM the expectations were bound to be high,but after the films trailer was released it was quite obvious that TM wasn't going to be better, but it still turned out to be a great film. You see filmmakers today waste money on shooting at foreign locations, and creating huge sets, with expensive cars, clothes etc, these films most of time are your regular weekly churned out brainless masala entertainers. So when one watches a simplistic, and realistic film that talks about the importance of a family, the importance of a father, of having a good job, of going length to keep your family protected, and to keep ones honor intact, well then a film like Thanga Magan was akin to a breeze of fresh air. The film follows a similar path that VIP took, but the story is completely different here (an example VIP speaks of an importance of a mother, TM of a father), this film steers more towards family values, and honor, rather than talk about a jobless youth who gets motivated like the story of VIP.Of course there is love story, and comedy, but these elements just add to the entertainment of the film. TM also makes sure on sheds a tear or two. But TM works mainly because of the films hero Dhanush, who without doubt is the best south Indian actor right now. And when I talk about acting I don't mean he has a huge fan following , and is a superstar (which he is) I mean he knows the nuances of how to perform, of how to emote, one can compare him to the Ranbir's, the Irfan's, the Nawaz's of the country.I am huge fan of his because film after film he never gives just an average performance, he is always on his game. While TM does have many positives, the film does start to go haywards in the 2nd half, but more on that later.
Story wise Thamizh,an average looking boy from a simple family background, falls head over heels in love with Hema. He manages to woo her and subsequently indulges in a thrilling love life. However, his happiness doesn't last long as Hema walks out of his life, leaving him dispirited. What follows is an attempt by the director to narrate the difference between love before and after marriage. While Thamizh,along with his family, leads a peaceful life, due to a certain turn of events Thamizh,father faces a grave situation, which in turn disrupts Thamizh daily life. How Thamizh saves himself and his family, forms the crux of Thanga Magan.
Acting wise Dhanush, is at his best again, this man is just a superb, mind-blowing actor. Watch out for how he amazingly transforms from a lover boy to a serious family man in the film. Watch out for his scene when he threatens Aarvind on the phone, that scene is for sure to evoke whistles. Samantha under plays her role beautifully, and adds a perfect amount of subtly in the role of a housewife. Amy Jackson is the films surprise package, while there is some dubbing issues still with her, her act of the modern women hits its pinnacle, when she is seen slapping her husband.Its a fierce act one didn't except from Amy who is making strides in acting in her recent films. Satish is hilarious. K. S. Ravikumar and Raadhika Sarathkumar are good. Adith Arun is a actor to look out for, he is great.
As i stated before Thanga Mangan works because of its simplistic, and realistic story about love and family. The film provides great romance, it has its funny one liners, one also sheds a tear and most importantly one relates to the film. Dir Velraj makes sure the audience is moved and entertained at the same time.The films music is also very well done with Enna Solla being a song that will be remembered for a long time. Kudos to the music dir Anirudh. The films acting is also a major positive with all the three leads being pitch perfect with the supporting actors also casted to a tee. I like to highlight the scene when Dhanush talks about his dad, and says yes drank as the films highlight, the way he emotes, that scene will have you in awe and in tears. Dhaunsh and Samantha have a lot of cute moments in the film which makes them have a new, but great raw chemistry. However where the film falters is in the films 2nd half, where the films pace slows down, and story starts to get muddled, the film however does picks up again in the pre climax. And the films story is not very novel as similarish films have been made before.However it was nice to see a film where a father son relationship was given a great importance. One also doesn't mind a mildly weak 2nd half after a flawless 1st half.
Overall this Christmas Thanga Mangan is a film the whole family should see because the film will bring families a little more together. Its a nice films, and makes one feel good after leaving the theatre. It has all the elements to work at the box office, and Dhanush is just reaching higher pinnacles with each film TM will be another notch in his belt. Finally TM is not a perfect film, but its definitely a good one.
3.5/5* or 7/10
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