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Master Movie Review : Vijay & Vijay Sethupathi make Master worthwhile

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Sabari 157 days ago

Smart Gopal 361 176 days ago

User 15 197 days ago.

this movie is a masterpiece that the movies I've watched. Lokesh Kanakaraju was the best director

bjagadeesh 1 297 days ago

Superb movie ������<br/>Love u THALAPATHY VIJAY ANNA

pk 28 310 days ago

Extraordinary performance and it's super movie and it's all time blockbuster

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Master Review: Vijay And Vijay Sethupathi Make A Winning Combination

Master review: with vijay and vijay sethupathi squaring off and kanagaraj orchestrating the duet to apportion equal importance to the two actors, the film tides over the bumps without turning turtle..

Master Review: Vijay And Vijay Sethupathi on a poster (courtesy actorvijaysethupathi )

Director: Lokesh Kanagaraj

Cast: Vijay, Vijay Sethupathi, Malavika Mohanan, Shanthanu Bhagyaraj, Arjun Das, Nassar, Andrea Jeremiah

Rating: 3 stars (out of 5)

A great deal of superfluity creeps into Vijay The Master (the title of the Hindi version of Lokesh Kanagaraj's Tamil-language Master , released theatrically) and contributes to a film that feels avoidably bloated in parts. It is often apparent that the screenplay by Kanagaraj, Rathna Kumar and Pon Parthiban could have done with some pruning.

But with Vijay and Vijay Sethupathi squaring off in a rousing thriller, and Kanagaraj orchestrating the duet with a sense of proportion that enables him to apportion equal importance to the two actors, the film tides over the bumps without turning turtle.

You know you are in pure Vijay territory when the action hero sends a hip-flask sliding across a Metro station platform to prevent a train door from slamming shut and saving the bad guys from his ire. You aren't supposed to nitpick over little things out here. Go with the flow.

Let the infectiously energetic Vijay croon a kutti (little) story (in a wonderfully choreographed jailhouse song) but Vijay The Master is anything but 'little'. Neither is the film masterly by any reckoning. This despite the sustained flamboyance that Kanagaraj, editor Philomin Raj and cinematographer Sathyan Sooryan lend to the project, which integrates easy-to-grasp popular storytelling codes with a vigorously stylish structure that can withstand the weight of an overheated drama.

Especially striking is the way in which Vijay The Master plays off the arc of the protagonist against that of the villain while skillfully intertwining them through the lively rhythm of the intercuts back and forth between the two divergent worlds that the duo represents.

In a crucial 'turning point' scene in the film, one of the two men says to the other: "I am telling you nothing new but do hear me out, I am waiting." One whole half of the film is left at this point and we do find ourselves in the mood to wait and see how the rest pans out.

Admittedly, Vijay The Master says nothing new, but it certainly is worth hearing out. It abounds his action sequences that bring out the mental and physical characteristics of the two men. Both have the habit of sniffing into the lapel of their shirt between blows, but no two men could be as dissimilar as the two. Vijay wears out his opponents (until he decides to turn his kada into a weapon of offence; Bhavani blows them away, literally, with the power of his iron fist.

JD Sir (Vijay), an alcoholic college professor admired by his students for his easygoing ways but disliked by the management for his wayward nature, is an idealistic, if seriously flawed, loner. There is a ritualistic quality to everything he does, beginning with the grand entry sequence that has Thalapathy Vijay swinging into 'action' on a bus and a Metro train to stop two aberrant sons of a wealthy man from flying away to Canada.

Master Review: Vijay And Vijay Sethupathi on a poster

Waking JD up from a drunken stupor takes a ritual of another kind and the students of the college that has placed him under suspension have to resort to musical means to stir the man back to life. It is not until well into the second half that the audience is allowed to learn why JD hit the bottle.

JD spins stories about aborted love affairs but they are all borrowed from films stored in his memory. He goes to the extent of trying to palm off Jack and Rose's affair from James Cameron's Titanic as his own love story.

Opposed to this noble, well-meaning drifter is the uber-evil Bhavani (Vijay Sethupathi), who, like JD, is an orphan. At age 17 (the younger Bhavani is played by Mahendran), in Nagercoil, he witnesses his lorry driver father and his mother being burned alive by truck association rivals.

The ruthless Bhavani, who makes a living from the transport business, does not drink nor does he do drugs, but he runs a criminal empire that thrives on exploiting children at a government observation home through a network of accomplices within and outside the centre. Nobody in the observation home has ever seen Bhavani - he operates from the shadows.

Circumstances lead to JD taking over as the master of the drug-addled children. The job of reforming them is onerous. But we have a hero here who, in an allusion to his kabaddi player persona in Ghilli, uses the game to pummel Bhavani's men who have a free run of the home. One of Bhavani's key men is played Arjun Das, who was the antagonist in Kanagaraj's Kaithi ( Prisoner , 2019) - a fact that is referenced (in Hindi) in the line, " Hum toh hai awaara qaidi ."

JD and Bhavani interact only thrice in the course the film's three hours. The first conversation that they have is at the halfway point and it is entirely on a mobile phone that belongs to one of the baddie's henchmen. The second, too, ends before the two can see other's faces. Bhavani has his back to JD, who has a sharp object on the nape of the former's neck. The third face-off - now it is all-out war - is in the climax. It takes inordinately long to arrive, but it is a fitting finale to a classic, explosive clash between good and evil. What's more, it is punctuated with sly humour and rounded off with comments on the nature of politics and the kind of people that parties attract these days.

Because Vijay does not hog the entire limelight, it is possible for writer-director Kanagaraj to give the other Vijay in the cast full rein, which, in turn, enhances the quality of the build-up to the finale. With a villain (the man's fist are thanks to the blows that he rained on the wall of the observation home where he faced brutal torture on a daily basis as a teenager) primed to bring out the best - and the sternest - in the hero, the big climactic confrontation in an abattoir - one of Bhavani's businesses is meat export - is that much more impactful.

The film is littered with hat-tips to past productions starring Vijay himself and Kanagaraj's avowed idol Kamal Haasan. The latter's 1995 film, Nammavar , in which the Kamal played a righteous college professor, is one of the inspirations behind Vijay The Master .

In a back story that Nasser (in a special appearance) tells Charu, Selvam is mentioned as a professor JD met when he was at a loose end and benefitted from the association. Kamal Haasan's character in Nammavar was Prof. Selvam.

Promoted Listen to the latest songs, only on JioSaavn.com

There are a few women in the story - Vanitha (Andrea Jeremiah, in a blink-and-miss role of an archery champ), rookie professor Charulatha Prasad (Malavika Mohanan, who makes an impression and not only because she has a better-defined place in the larger scheme of things; she exudes charm and confidence) and Savitha (Gowri Kishan), a student who wins the college election against the campus toughie Bhargav (Shanthnu Bhagyaraj) in a rivalry that mutates into romance.

Vijay The Master is overlong all right, but Vijay and Vijay Sethupathi make a winning combination. Buoyed by a fantastic score by Anirudh Ravichander, here is a film that, for all its flaws, is keenly aware of the star power at its disposal and seldom punches below its weight.

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It is the charismatic performances of Vijay and Vijay Sethupathi that keeps us rooting.

Master Movie Review: It is Vijay & Vijay Sethupathi that make this worthwile.

• Times of India

Master | Song - Polakatum Para Para (Tamil Lyrical)

Master - Official Teaser

Master | Kannada Song - Putta Story (Lyrical)

Master | Song Promo - Vaathi Coming

Master | Telugu Song - Master Raid (Lyrical)

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Sabari 157 days ago

Smart Gopal 361 176 days ago

User 15 197 days ago.

this movie is a masterpiece that the movies I've watched. Lokesh Kanakaraju was the best director

bjagadeesh 1 297 days ago

Superb movie ������<br/>Love u THALAPATHY VIJAY ANNA

pk 28 310 days ago

Extraordinary performance and it's super movie and it's all time blockbuster

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​Apurva Gore's exquisite saree collection turns heads ​

​Easy Breezy pictures of actress Trisha Krishnan​

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Meenakshi Chaudhary's calm and serene evening

10 superfoods one must have in summers as per Ayurveda

• Entertainment /
• Movie Reviews /
• This film marks the first collaboration of uncle-nephew duo Anil Kapoor and Arjun Kapoor. Arjun is the son of Anil’s brother Boney Kapoor. Share
• This film marks the first collaboration of uncle-nephew duo Anil Kapoor and Arjun Kapoor. Arjun is the son of Anil’s brother Boney Kapoor.
• This is the second time Arjun Kapoor is playing a double role, the first being Aurangzeb (2013).
• The song ‘Yamma yamma’ from ‘Shaan’ is sampled in the song ‘Partywali Night' for the film.

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Master movie review: Vijay delivers a largely entertaining star vehicle

Master movie review: with both vijay and vijay sethupathi in top form, lokesh kanagaraj's film makes for a perfect festival release..

Director - Lokesh Kanagaraj

Cast - Vijay, Vijay Sethupathi, Malavika Mohanan, Shanthanu Bhagyaraj, Arjun Das

Lokesh Kanagaraj is fast growing into one of the most exciting filmmakers in Tamil cinema. After proving his mettle with films such as Maanagaram and Kaithi, which worked even though they didn’t feature stars, Master is Lokesh’s maiden attempt at true-blue commercial cinema with one of the industry’s biggest stars, Vijay. He proves himself yet again, even if Master panders to Vijay’s fans more than the director's own.

In spite of some minor flaws, like the long-drawn second half, Master is a largely entertaining Vijay vehicle, anchored by a terrific central performance and an equally good supporting act by Vijay Sethupathi.

Watch the Master trailer here

Master opens with the spotlight on Sethupathi's antagonist, Bhavani, and it sets him up as an almost mythical villain who can kill anyone with a single punch. If you’re wondering how one blow can be so fatal, there’s a nice reason behind it, which makes it believable. The first 15-20 minutes are spent on establishing Bhavani’s character, and the story of how he built his empire with young criminals from a juvenile home. Just when one gets the feeling that Bhavani has almost become almost invincible, in comes JD (Vijay) – a hip, laid-back professor with a drinking problem.

Lokesh leaves his signature in quite a few places, but Master still feels like a Vijay film. Thankfully, it isn’t one where Vijay’s character is screaming heroism – which is the case with most of his movies. We get a very subdued lead character and it’s refreshing to see Vijay deliver a laid-back performance. He plays a guy with a serious drinking problem and it almost feels like Vijay was tipsy even while performing his scenes.

Master does, however, suffer from a heavy Petta hangover. Like Rajinikanth’s last film, Master is also set in a college campus. In both these films, the hero becomes a sort of messiah figure for the students. While there are other similarly themed films from the past, the comparison with Petta makes more sense because it was released recently.

Be it Maanagaram or Kaithi, Lokesh pushed the bar when it came to action. He doesn’t disappoint with the action in Master, but he does slightly go overboard. Possibly because he felt it’s a star film and audiences won’t mind some degree of overindulgence? The pre-climax action stretch, featuring both Vijay and Andrea Jeremiah, is a bit of a downer, especially when you compare it with a similar chase sequence in Kaithi involving lorries.

Nevertheless, both lead actors have ample space to shine, and Sethupathi, in his most effortless self, is once again a treat to watch. The film does dip in the second half and it occasionally gets tiring, but it’s the anticipation of the clash between Bhavani and JD that keeps the film alive. Their final confrontation is worth the wait.

Apart from the terrific screen presence of the two leads, Anirudh Ravichander’s music is one of the reasons why Master, which is the first star-studded release since the pandemic, warrants a visit to the theatre. With his background score and Sathyan Sooryan’s visuals, Master makes for a perfect festival release.

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• Vijay Sethupathi

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Master Movie Review: Many strengths, and yet, not a consistently captivating experience

Rating: ( 3 / 5).

It’s a tricky thing, a poisoned chalice if you will, isn’t it—this joining hands with a star? It rewards you with wider exposure and a bigger budget to make the film in your head, but are you truly free to make it as you envisioned? More importantly, can the unavoidable need to play up the star in regular intervals even allow for purity of vision in the first place? It must be pretty hard to tell a genuinely authentic story when you are tasked with injecting star essence into the veins of fans once every few minutes and make the story progress only while the fleeting high lasts. The first warning that this is likely to happen throughout Master is how long the film teases you with the introduction of JD, as his footwear remains in focus, encouraging you to pay obeisance. To be fair to director Lokesh Kanagaraj though, he does seem to have put in a shift to try and offer creative doses of Vijay intoxication in this film. If JD (Vijay) is running into trains and fighting in buses during his opening stunt sequence, the justification is that it’s a pressing situation with two criminals seeking a swift getaway. If JD is playing kabaddi to the strains of Ghilli ’s ‘ Kabaddi Kabaddi ’, the justification is that the sport is the only reasonable way through which the master can get rough with some of the unruly inmates of the juvenile detention centre. And yet, these arguments, while attempts to root the star-pandering into a story, do not always hold muster. The biggest giveaway is when Bhavani (Vijay Sethupathi) breaks character to share acknowledgment of the ‘I’m waiting’ pre-interval line that’s become pretty much routine now in Vijay films. More damning evidence comes in that rather underwhelming, overlong faceoff at the end, as, like many an actor-predecessor yearning for applause, Vijay rips off his shirt. Again, many of these star events in Master are cleverer than in your average mass film and do cause adrenaline surges—but the question is, what do they come at the expense of, especially in a film from one of our most promising filmmakers?

Director: Lokesh Kanagaraj

Cast: Vijay, Vijay Sethupathi

In such films that show cognizance of the star at their centre, the protagonist’s skills need no justification. Hence, JD is already quite the expert in several sports and games (kabaddi, carroms, football…), and an ace in combat as well, including hand-to-hand, handling of weapons like baseball bats, and even archery (a joke works well, but the actual stunt sequence doesn’t). It’s the antagonist that needs justification, so he can rise to become an equal, even if it’s played by Vijay Sethupathi. These form some of the most enjoyable portions in Master , which begins so promisingly with an origins story for Bhavani. There’s even an almost mythical story behind the powerful punch he can pack with his right hand ( Kill Bill , anyone?). It’s an idea that wonderfully suits Vijay Sethupathi’s build and plays right into his apparent lack of agility. Across the film, the only weapon that matches up to his right hand is JD’s metal bracelet (vibranium?)—whose importance Lokesh painstakingly builds up over several scenes, with minor characters borrowing it to attain strength. I enjoyed these touches.

Master is mounted on the appeal of its two main characters, JD and Bhavani, and that’s why the film is constantly intercutting between developments in their respective lives, as their trajectories hurtle towards each other—even if not as methodically as, say, in a Thani Oruvan . All the waiting around for these characters to finally meet necessitates a colossal showdown, not just the rather formulaic sequence that we instead get. This is a pity, because with almost every other stunt sequence in this film, there is evidence of inventiveness in thought and execution. One happens amid a student riot, another on a kabaddi field, and yet another—my most favourite of the lot—inside a police station, as Anirudh’s guitar riffs seem to channel the power of the mythical lightning that brightens up the setting of the first conversation between JD and Bhavani.

In a film that has a ‘Thalapathy’ and a ‘Makkal Selvan’, composer Anirudh’s is a heroic musical presence, and the source of much energy and entertainment. Quite in keeping with the composer’s style, it’s rock-heavy but that’s not all. Notice the retro beats as JD is resting in an auto. Notice the explosion of ‘ thara local ’ beats in Vaathi Coming that heralds the awakening of a star without the help of lyrics. Notice the Caribbean twist in a track that turns out to be JD’s ringtone. Above all, notice the wonderful ways in which he teases the arrival of the Master theme track, and notice how it is repeatedly utilised to cause adrenaline surges, especially in that interval block. Also, in that sequence, what a wonderful idea to use JD stepping out of prison as a metaphor for his finally being able to break out of his shackles of indifference, out of his alcohol-induced stupor.

As for how the songs are used in the film, I have to say that by and large, they feel like flab. ‘ Andha Kanna Paathakaa ’ is the detour of a woman so charmed by our hero, while ‘ Polakattum Para Para ’ doesn’t exactly serve us any new information about Bhavani. The song that caused me the most discomfort is ‘ Kutty Story ’, coming as it does during a particularly delicate period in the film. It’s a time when you are wondering how this strange, new master is going to adapt to his new environment, how he is planning to win over the aggressive juvenile criminals that are his new students, and all you get is a man who struts around, throwing generic English advice. The kids are all shown to buy it, but I didn’t, not for a minute.

While on songs, Lokesh has shown a taste for reusing old songs to enterprising effect in his previous two films, and in Master too, he continues this habit, even if it doesn’t result in as many highs. There’s the Ghilli song in that now-popular kabaddi sequence from the film. ‘ Adho Andha Paravai Pola ’ plays to a victorious girl walking towards danger, armed with JD’s legendary bracelet. ‘ Vandha Naal Mudhal ’ plays as JD, much like Sivaji Ganesan in the song, nonchalantly rides a bicycle. In more Lokesh style, during a tense situation, ‘ Karutha Machaan ’ blares, first through a speaker in a salon, and later, through a mobile phone. Two more old songs are sung by JD and Bhavani respectively, during their final face-off, both of which fell spectacularly flat for me. There are also all the nods to Vijay’s films. The kabaddi sequence is Ghilli , the involuntary twitching of his body to music is Velayudham , that pre-interval dialogue is, of course, Thuppakki and Kaththi , and the chewing gum popping, as everyone knows by now, is Theri , and later films. The most enjoyable references to old cinema in this film come in the form of fabricated stories JD tells people about himself. He references several films, including 7G Rainbow Colony , Vaaranam Aayiram , Mouna Raagam , and even allows himself a cheeky dig at Kadhal Kottai .

The whole film could be imagined as a sequel to Nammavar (1994), to which there’s an acknowledgment in the end credits (note that Lokesh’s Kaithi is acknowledged to bear the influences of Virumandi ). In Master , there’s even the character of a male student reformed likely by JD in the past. I enjoyed that JD doesn’t indulge in old stories about himself and shows much awareness of the impact they could have… on Vijay’s fans (it’s pretty much Lokesh showing awareness of the responsibility of handling a star). JD takes recourse in humour as a means to avoid launching into a flashback. Much like in the two other Lokesh films, here too, there’s plenty of humour: my favourite jokes, of the dark variety, are in the Bhavani portions. Be it when he auctions a man’s life in the beginning or later, shows great frugality (picking up a chicken piece, saving up a video camera…), Vijay Sethupathi shows a real taste for such humour, and does it in a way that doesn’t come at the cost of his character’s potency.

When Master begins with a story not about JD, but about Bhavani, you could be forgiven for wondering if perhaps, just perhaps, Lokesh might have managed to hold his own against the rampaging stardom of Vijay. As Master winds up though and Bhavani feels only like star fodder, it feels like somewhere along the way, the film faltered in maintaining the difficult balance of telling an authentic story whilst consistently delivering star-drawn highs. In this film that makes pertinent points about underage drug and alcohol abuse, there’s a sharp dialogue that states that the first troublesome act of a juvenile is usually one done in emotion. It goes to explain that they then lose their way, after becoming prey to addiction, and further warns against the dangerous charms of intoxication. On some level, these insightful lines of advice felt almost like a commentary on the dangers posed by star worship and its charms to authentic storytelling. Mind you, as a young director tasked with handling a star like Vijay, Lokesh has still managed to do a fair job with Master , but if we were to remember that he is among our most promising filmmakers, well, this third film feels rather unremarkable, and surely, we must hold him to higher standards?

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Master Movie Review: Thalapathy Vijay Master Tamil Movie Review by Galatta Vijay Sethupathi

• 13 Jan 2021
• Release Date: 13 Jan 2021

Master Movie Cast & Crew

After a long and patient wait, Thalapathy Vijay's Master is now finally out in the theatres and here is what we think about the movie! 

Without getting into detail about the film's story (as it might be a spoiler), Master, in one-line, is a faceoff between a professor named JD (aka) Vaathi (Vijay) and a rowdy named Bhavani (Vijay Sethupathi). Certain situations tangle them together and how one wins over the other for a particular reason, forms the film's premise. 

Thalapathy Vijay is an absolute delight to watch and with every film, his screen presence gets better and better. He is in complete form as Master and he looks refreshing. As promised, director Lokesh Kanagaraj manages to showcase a different Vijay through his vision and it is good to see a newer dimension to Thalapathy. The subtle gestures and expressions from Vijay are lovable and you get to see such moments at regular intervals.  

Makkal Selvan Vijay Sethupathi has definitely been the major X-factor for Master. If not for him, the character of Bhavani wouldn't have been this impactful. His casual mannerisms and body language works out and will be enjoyed by the fans. He comes off as a deadly villain and the reason for his evilness is well established. Vijay Sethupathi is one of the main reasons for the Vaathi - Bhavani face off looking exciting and he aces it strikingly well. Arjun Das also garners good attention in a role that gives him enough scope to perform. For people who thought Malavika Mohanan would have got a solid role that travels throughout the film, it turns out to be a disappointment. She looks beautiful and elegant, but Master does not give her the space to perform with enough good scenes. Master Mahendran, who plays the younger version of Bhavani is impressive.  The rest of the cast is unfortunately wasted and you don’t get to see much of them in the film. Shanthnu Bhagyaraj, Gouri Kishan, KPY Dheena, Ramya and others get only a very brief screen time. Vijay’s intro sequence and the ‘Vaathi Coming’ dance portion set the screen on fire and gives off the right kind of start to the film. There are enough moments that celebrate Vijay and the ‘Thalapathy’ factor. The entire Ghilli ‘Kabaddi’ sequence and the final showdown with Vijay Sethupathi  are surely going to be widely enjoyed by the masses. The climax sequence is well shot and both Vijay and Vijay Sethupathi compete with each other and score well. The dialogues definitely deserve a big applause - credits: Pon Parthiban, Rathna Kumar and Lokesh Kanagaraj. The lines about the importance of student elections, politics behind wine shops, deserve applause.  There are ample amounts of ‘Thalapathy’ moments and it is uplifted by him to a large extent. But as a complete film, you may or may not be satisfied. In a nutshell, Master is nothing but the good vs bad routine that is treated in a different manner. There are a lot of stunt sequences in the movie and you feel that the actions are overdone at places. Certain fight sequences in the second half could have been chopped as they don’t lend any impact. The college sequences in the first half do not have any highs. The lorry/bow and arrow sequence goes overboard and makes Vijay, a larger-than-life character. The film does not allow you to breathe a sigh of relief as stunts keep happening continuously one after another. Also, the emotional factor (which is the reason for Vijay’s reformation) does not hit you hard. The pace of the movie is also quite a concern.  Director Lokesh Kanagaraj lists out Kamal Haasan’s Nammavar in the filmography and you can definitely sense the inspiration. However, unlike the previous two Lokesh Kanagaraj films, you don’t get to see a strong content that takes the centre stage. Lokesh promised in his interviews that Master will be a 50% Vijay film and 50% Lokesh film, but it doesn’t seem like that. As a director, Lokesh definitely needs to be applauded for executing a project of this scale, but the packaging could have been more effective.  Anirudh Ravichander strikes continuously with every film and Master is no exception. The mood of the scenes get uplifted through his score and the Rockstar delivers in style. The climax instrumental and several other scores pump up the audience. Sathyan Sooryan’s visuals look neat and well-lit and he lends his support to boost the ‘Vijay’ factor with his angles. As already stated, Philomin Raj could have edited out certain sequences in the edit table as the film looks a bit too long. Master is definitely a film that could have been interestingly told in 2.5 hours. 

Verdict: Despite being a mixed bag, Master can definitely be watched for the highly enjoyable performances of Vijay and Vijay Sethupathi!

Galatta Rating: ( 2.75 /5.0 )

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MASTER (ENGLISH) MOVIE REVIEW CLICK TO RATE THE MOVIE

Master is an action thriller written by Lokesh Kanagaraj, Pon Parthiban, Rathna Kumar, and directed by Lokesh Kanagaraj. The film has Thalapathy Vijay in the lead role, Malavika Mohanan as the female lead and Vijay Sethupathi as the antagonist. It also has Shanthanu Bhagyaraj, Arjun Das, Andrea Jeremiah, Nasser, Dheena and others in crucial supporting roles. The film has music by Anirudh, cinematography by Sathyan Sooryan and is produced by Xavier Britto under the banner XB Film creators.

During the audio launch of Master, Vijay Sethupathi had made a statement - he's the hero of the film. The logic he had to support this statement was that if he's the villain according to Vijay's perspective, then in his story Vijay is the villain. This is the biggest strength of Master. In other films the protagonist and the antagonist have unequal strengths, with the balance always tilting in the hero's favour. But here, Vijay Sethupathi matches Vijay in every punch, every kick, and also in terms of acting and screen presence.

The film's premise is pretty simple. An alcoholic professor has to go to a juvenile observation home to teach them good values and transform them. What he discovers there and how he solves the problem forms the rest of the plot. Now this is a film where you can't reveal even an iota of information about the story because it's filled with surprises throughout. A few of them turn out to be predictable but the way the film is presented makes up for it.

Director Lokesh not only impresses us with the making, but he serves a lot of unique Thalapathy moments on a large platter. Rather than presenting us the same trademark moments we've seen in previous films, he slightly modifies most of them and that makes the film refreshing. For example, the villain gets a hero introduction while the hero gets introduced 20 minutes into the film.

The writing is pretty neat, with special mention to the way the characters are sketched. JD (Vijay) is an alcoholic, and Bhavani (Vijay Sethupathi) is a cold blooded killer who does anything to achieve what he wants. When you exit the theatre, you are able to empathize with both of them equally. Lokesh and his team of writers also succeed in painting a realistic picture of life in prisons and how the society treats prisoners. All this in a non-preachy, sensitive way.

Speaking of the performances, Thalapathy Vijay has delivered one of his most expressive and moving performances in recent times. While we all know volumes about the talent that Vijay Sethupathi possesses, Arjun Das is a revelation as Das. If Kaithi gave him the much needed spotlight, Master will take him to the next level.

The film has a lot of Easter eggs and references to Hollywood songs, and also a few classic films such as Titanic, Premam etc. And all these are pretty much enjoyable. The only drawback is the slightly long second half, where the engagement takes a hit. However the brilliant action sequences, where the stunt master works in tandem with the editor (Philomin Raj) almost makes you forget all that. The fights are rooted to reality, at the same time, brimming with innovation, with the pre-climax fight in particular, conceived and executed brilliantly.

Most of Anirudh's songs end up as earworms, and their popularity before the release certainly helps the film's cause. The background score mixes beautifully with the film but then usage of silence in a few places could have made the experience better. The lighting during a lot of portions remind us of Lokesh's previous film Kaithi and it captures Vijay's charm beautifully.

Overall, Master lives up to the expectation and pre-release hype and Lokesh manages to give a hat-trick of films that are most certainly above par, and close to amazing. Master is indeed the mass-commercial entertainer that we've been waiting for, for almost an year.

MASTER (ENGLISH) VIDEO REVIEW

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REVIEW RATING EXPLANATION

பிரேக்கிங் சினிமா செய்திகள், திரை விமர்சனம், பாடல் விமர்சனம், ஃபோட்டோ கேலரி, பாக்ஸ் ஆபிஸ் செய்திகள், ஸ்லைடு ஷோ, போன்ற பல்வேறு சுவாரஸியமான தகவல்களை தமிழில் படிக்க இங்கு கிளிக் செய்யவும்      

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Master review: A unique Vijay film

There are some redeeming ideas in master that shows lokesh kanagaraj's real talent as a storyteller. especially, the way he has written his hero and the antagonist..

One of Lokesh Kanagaraj’s discernable qualities as a storyteller is the discipline with which he approaches a subject. And that discipline is conspicuous by its absence in Master. Master is neither a nail-biter like Maanagaram nor a pacy thriller like Kaithi.

Lokesh had promised a Vijay film which would be very different from movies that Vijay usually does. Did he deliver on his promise? Yes. Master is the most fun, sensible, enjoyable and good looking movie that Vijay has done in a long time. Did I mention sensible?

After a long gap, Vijay has played, if you will, a nuanced character with qualities that don’t comply with the definition of a “complete man”. JD, which is short for John Durairaj (Vijay), is an unruly professor at a popular college in Chennai . He is adored by students, and that makes him enemy no 1 of the old guard in the management. He is a professor of psychology, who teaches focus as a subject. A quality that he lacks in his life. His greatest flaw is he has no focus, and he doesn’t pay heed to what people tell him. He hears but never listens. He doesn’t do what he preaches. Say, he is a hypocrite. He’s deeply flawed. And that is what makes Master stand out from recent Vijay movies.

JD doesn’t take himself too seriously. And his first response to any problem is not violence. I don’t recall a movie where Vijay played a character that didn’t believe no problem was too complex that couldn’t be solved with the fist. When a cop at the juvenile prison gives JD an opportunity to take out his anger on unruly inmates who have caused him irreplaceable loss, he refuses. And questions the role of the cops, the system, and the society in turning young people into hardened criminals. In any other Vijay movie, his character would have first thrashed those boys before giving them a moral lesson. Another quality of JD is that he doesn’t waste time debating right and wrong with people he intends to hurt. That is so un-Vijay.

So, yes, Lokesh has given us a different Vijay movie as he promised.

Lokesh Kanagaraj, who has co-written the film with Rathna Kumar and Pon Parthibhan, also knows by heart the best moves of Vijay. And he has supplied a generous amount of moments that would meet the approval of hardcore Vijay fans. There are even moments that act as a throwback to Vijay’s earlier movies. For example, the kabaddi scene in prison hat-tips Vijay’s Ghilli. In the process of doing this, Lokesh loses his competitive edge.

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Nevertheless, there are some redeeming ideas in the film that shows Lokesh’s real talent as a storyteller. Especially, the way he has written his hero and the antagonist. Vijay Sethupathi’s Bhavani and JD have more things in common than they know. In fact, they are two sides of the same coin. Even some of their mannerisms match. Bhavani knows that the world is a messed up place and he unapologetically and mercilessly exploits it for his survival. But, JD chooses to ignore the messy world by drowning himself in alcohol and rock music. And the way Lokesh portrays the side-effects of heavy drinking through Vijay’s character is clever.

That said, Master is neither completely a Vijay film nor entirely a Lokesh Kanagaraj film. Lokesh’s self-imposed limitations and obligation to be in fan-service undermine the film’s impact. He has used so many good talents as just fillers and wasted resources on ideas that don’t take the story forward. And, those are not the qualities of Lokesh who made Maanagaram and Kaithi.

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Home » Reviews » South Indian Movie Reviews

Master Movie Review: This Is The Vijay Universe & Thalapathy-Sethupathi Know How To Entertain You!

This a vijay gala and you must learn how to whistle before you enter the cinema hall..

Star Cast: Thalapathy Vijay, Vijay Sethupathi, Malvika Mohanan, Arjun Das, and ensemble

Director: Lokesh Kanagaraj

What’s Good: Two biggest Vijays coming together and putting their best foot forward. The distinctive swag of the two gets equal limelight and what more does a fan crave for?

What’s Bad: While Vijay (Thalapathy) gets the maximum screentime, we fail to connect to his past life, thus diluting the purpose. There is predictability too.

Loo Break: Maybe 1 when the film gets a bit too predictable and make it fast, you might just miss a ‘paisa vasool’ action sequence.

Watch or Not?: I would suggest watch it. It has been ages since we have seen a home-grown masala entertainer on the big screen, 10 months for me. You have to treat yourself. Also Thala dances in here, I gave you one more reason.

A college professor JD (Vijay) is posted to a correctional facility that is doomed by the bad man Bhavani (Vijay Sethupathi). Events lead to JD knowing the grimy business run under the disguise of a reform home, and takes the reign to stop it.

Master Movie Review: Script Analysis

Lokesh Kanagaraj, one of the members of the new wave cinema, has chosen a story perfect to pull the audience back to the big screens. Though borderline staple, he unites masala with sensibility and gives it a perfect balance. Add two of the South cinema’s biggest stars, and Kanagaraj owns the best deal one could get.

In Master, he creates two different worlds, not just metaphorically but visually. Not that the storyline is something we haven’t really witnessed. What saves the day is the execution. To create an impact that stays with the audience, Kanagaraj first introduces his antagonist. A devil in human skin Bhavani, who has been a victim of torture in a foster home and makes that same thing his weapon. At the time when we as an audience and the people in the frame are confused who can save them, we meet JD. A professor or ‘master’ who has his way of schooling students. Thalapathy’s entry is a celebration in itself. About that later.

What does this do? First, it makes us root for the protagonist more than ever, since we have seen the monster of a human the antagonist is. Second, it gives both its characters the same footage regardless of the shade. Kanagaraj is clever when it comes to providing the two screen time. He keeps the track poles apart until the last cross over. A smart view when the weightage is high on both the sides.

There is action, emotion, dance and amazing dialogues, everything the respective fans of the two have signed up for. This a Vijay gala and you must learn how to whistle before you enter the cinema hall.

What Lokesh Kanagaraj’s writing does not do justice to is JD’s back story. He focuses too much on his college chronicles, that have too less an effect on the end product. There is no enough justification for why he is a drunkard, or what his real story is. The plot twist at times gets too predictable. A villain targeting near ones of the hero to break him is now done to death.

There is referencing to the hero’s past characters, and it adds a good layer. But there is also blatant messaging about addiction in a scene which gets preachy and drags you out of the complete experience.

Master Movie Review: Star Performance

This is a show of the Vijays and worth every single penny you spent for them. Both Sethupathi and Thalapathy are in the best zones. Starting with Thalapathy, he brings a breezy charm on screen. The way he dances, or punches the baddies, or even wipes his lips with the corner of his shirt, there is swag and an abundance of it. It is not new for a South hero to have all of the above, but Thalapathy for some reasons sells it with utmost skill here. His dance routines deserve an altogether different review. Is he giving classes?

What more can I say about Vijay Sethupathi that isn’t already said. The actor who definitely might have put a lot of effort in getting into the grey character, makes it look like a cake walk. His devil attitude, the gaze or just the movement of his hand reflect dominance and then he mouths those lines and you know why he is one of the greatest.

Talking about the supporting cast, Kanagaraj fails to write them as a whole. They are one tone people who don’t have anything other than the purpose they are introduced with. Shanthnu Bhagyaraj who I loved in Paava Kadhaigal recently, doesn’t really get much to do here. Not just him, the leading lady Malavika Mohanan also ends up being a vehicle to take the plot from one twist to another.

Arjun Das deserves a special mention here. In a nicely edged out part compared to others, he does justice to his role. Also a question if he reads this, is that voice for real? It is so powerful! I am looking out for an answer since Andhaghaaram.

Master Movie Review: Direction, Music

Lokesh Kanagaraj is a one man army here. As exciting the story looks on paper, he tried his best to translate it on the screen. With the help of cinematographer Sathyan Sooryan he manages to visually divide his story into two different worlds. One blue and breezy around JD, and painted in blood-red around Bhavani. In his direction, Kanagaraj does a good job at not going wide and obsessing over his set up.

Sooryan with his camera dances with Thalapathy Vijay and it is so much more fun. He also tries to put in his own metaphors, with the sunlight at one side and pitch dark tone in other. Music by Anirudh Ravichander is well conceptualised. He defines the shades with music. Watching mainstream Tamil superstar humming jazz music is unusual but not impossible, Anirudh proves that.

Master Movie Review: The Last Word

Master is not the best or most perfect, but it is a entertaining. It has the masala (and don’t interpret no-brainer when I say this). You will have to have a suspension of disbelief, but then once Vijays begin the action, they sell it in the package, just like the guy on the window gave me a mask with the ticket! Watch Master.

Master Trailer

Master releases on 13th January, 2020.

Share with us your experience of watching Master.

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Master Review

Article by Satya B Published by GulteDesk --> Published on: 1:58 pm, 13 January 2021

3 Hrs   |   Family   |   13-01-2021

Cast - Vijay, Vijay Sethupathi, Malavika Mohanan, Andrea, Nassar and others

Director - Lokesh Kanagaraj

Producer - Xavier Britto

Banner - Seven Screen Studios

Music - Anirudh

Tamil film Master grabbed the attention even in Telugu States as Vijay and Vijay Sethupathi were pitted against each other. Also, Lokesh Kanagaraj, the director who made a brilliant action thriller Khaithi was another reason for the buzz around Master.

What is it about?

JD (Vijay) is a college professor who is liked by all his students but the management dislikes him because of his bad habits. He is sent to a juvenile home as a temporary tutor where the young kids and teenagers are used for the criminal activities done by a ruthless goon Bhavani (Vijay Sethupathi). JD has to confront Bhavani and set things right for those kids.

Performances:

Vijay is as stylish as ever. He adds some mass mannerisms to the professor character who always drinks. The way he adjust his pants and his lazy body language is good. Vijay Sethupathi steals the show as the bad guy. His presence is the saving grace in this otherwise boring action drama that drags a lot. Malavika Mohanan is just there for the sake of having a female lead. She didn’t get much to do and even Andrea plays a character that only makes her presence felt in the final action scene.

Technicalities:

Lokesh Kanagaraj is a talented filmmaker, but he fails as a screenwriter in Master as he couldn’t fit the mass superstar Vijay into his way of storytelling. He did make an attempt to present Vijay’s film differently from the usual, but it backfired due to one-dimensional story and dragging scenes. Anirudh’s background score is very effective in a few scenes. He had a ball in the scenes where Vijay gets those mass build ups and there are far too many of those. Cinematographer maintains the dark mood in tune with the theme. Editor didn’t make any efforts to shorten the runtime that turned out to be its major drawback.

Highlights:

Vijay Sethupathi and Vijay

A couple of interesting scenes

No emotional connect

Lokesh Kanagaraj tried to present Vijay in a different mass entertainer. There are deliberate attempts to show him different from his usual heroic stuff. Right from his body language to his unlikeable characterisation, Vijay definitely broke the stereotype, but the director couldn’t entirely show him as a regular guy. There are so many elevation scenes and unnecessary build up shots that not only get tiresome after a while but also eats so much of screen time.

Like Khaithi, the director doesn’t say much about the past of his protagonist. But the antagonist character has a proper backstory right at the beginning in an elaborate introduction scene. This is why Vijay Sethupathi’s character works because we know that he will do anything for what he wants to achieve. He is so ruthless that he doesn’t even show mercy on harmless kids. Also, his punch power gets proper introduction and is used in an effective way in many scenes.

First half is dedicated to establishing the main leads where a couple of scenes work. However, the college episodes and the initial scenes in the juvenile home are boring to watch. Intermission scene is effective where Vijay Sethupathi gets to say Vijay’s trademark interval dialogue ‘I’m waiting’. We expect a powerful confrontation between Vijay and Vijay in the second half, but Lokesh delays it until the climactic episode. The scene definitely is worth the wait, but it takes too long to get there.

Master would have worked if the director focused on getting the emotions right. Too much emphasis on Vijay’s style and his political aspirations may work for fans, but others wouldn’t connect much with the hero. In fact they may feel the villain is more entertaining than the hero.

Bottom Line: Weak Subject!

Tags Master Master Review Vijay Sethupathi

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2022, Horror/Mystery & thriller, 1h 31m

What to know

Critics Consensus

It can be didactic rather than truly suspenseful, but Master is an impressively well-crafted horror outing with a lot on its mind. Read critic reviews

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Master videos, master   photos.

At an elite New England university built on the site of a Salem-era gallows hill, three women strive to find their place. Navigating politics and privilege, they encounter increasingly terrifying manifestations of the school's haunted past... and present.

Genre: Horror, Mystery & thriller, Drama

Original Language: English

Director: Mariama Diallo

Producer: Joshua Astrachan , Brad Becker-Parton , Andrea Roa

Writer: Mariama Diallo

Release Date (Theaters): Mar 18, 2022  limited

Release Date (Streaming): Mar 18, 2022

Runtime: 1h 31m

Distributor: Amazon Studios

Production Co: Animal Kingdom, Big Indie Pictures

Sound Mix: Dolby Digital

Cast & Crew

Regina Hall

Gail Bishop

Jasmine Moore

Talia Ryder

Talia Balsam

Liv Beckman

Bruce Altman

Mariama Diallo

Screenwriter

Joshua Astrachan

Brad Becker-Parton

Executive Producer

Terence Nance

Charlotte Hornsby

Cinematographer

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