Cert 12A
176 mins
BBFC advice: Contains moderate violence, implied strong language
After a Turkish double-bill on Saturday, it was a quick nip up to Sheffield on Sunday for a Tamil film which boasts a very impressive 8.2/10 on internet movie database.
And I can certainly see why. Gautham Menon's Yennai Arindhaal is very long but kept me heartily entertained.
This is mainly down to a twisting and, on occasions, thrilling storyline.
At the centre of it is the swarthy Ajith Kumar, the George Clooney of Tamil cinema.
He looks back on his life from his youth through a period when he was a gung-ho police officer whose pursuit of the bad guys prompted threats to his nearest and dearest.
When it spins to the present day, he is faced with protecting a girl (Anushka Shetty) who is doe-eyed after sitting next to him on a plane.
Ajith is commanding in the lead role, a worthy adversary of the Tamil crime lords while, at the same time, being an all-round good guy when away from the heat of battle.
Interestingly, however, our hero is not perfect and makes some potentially tragic miscalculations when taking on the bad guys.
These include Arun Vijay as an athletic, sweaty, manic and yet intelligent killer.
Arun's dastardliness is every bit as vital to the movie as Ajith's sword of honour. The two bounce off each other with great passion.
As said, I was absorbed by Yennai Arindhaal but I do have to admit that a couple of the scenes were rather daft and stretched imagination.
Nevertheless, as masala films go, this was pretty good.
Director Gautham Menon: "It's an entertainer, it's a thriller, there is emotion, there are beautiful love angles and it has got some great music. It is my 14th and I would rate this as one of my best films."
Reasons to watch: At times the battle of good against evil is genuinely thrilling. Not as predictable as many movies from India.
Reasons to avoid: Ajith's character is meant to be hard-nosed but he makes some daft mistakes which means the chase goes on.
Laughs: A couple of chuckles
Jumps: none
Vomit: none
Nudity: none
Overall rating: 7/10