Kannathil Mutham Ittaal
Cast	Madhavan, Simran, Nandita Das, Prakash Raj
Genre	Family/Romance
Runtime	3 hours
Director	Mani Rathnam
Music Director	A.R.Rahman
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Plot Outline	Madhavan taking the kiss of life as a father..

Manirathinam has found his touch, he knows at his peak form he can fiddle with our emotions, with a click he plucks a tear from our eyes, he strutters and renders a combination of ragas that makes our heart go wild in rapture and ends with a crescendo that is pure explosion of emotions, strong and a silent message he delivers along with that, without saying much.

The tear jerking emotion in this film is not the type that will make us wonder why we are being foolish over a cinematic experience, but Manirathinam's touch is something that we feel in our heart and out comes the tears.

As a master craftsman, he does it with ease. His success is because as a team captains he never lets loose his team mates. The camera never zooms or wavers without need, AR Rehman doesn't dish out a Arabic beat just to make over knees tap. Even writer Sujatha who has handled the dialogues is asked to write just a few lines so that the movie is not termed a silent age film.

But the movie is sensational, with all the elements converging on us rightly mixed and that sweeps us rather suddenly, the ups and downs of a roller coaster ride - this movie is not so, but it is more of a luxury ship journey that churns our stomach and makes us sit uneasy as we proceed into the midsea.

‘Kannathil Muthamittal’, when said in a interrogative manner, Kannathil Muthamittal? the phrase turns out to be question, when said romantically it goes a mile away from questions, well but try saying it in an answering way, like to questions that perplex war haters, and experts on how to end mighty conflicts well ‘Kannathil Muthamittal’ it rather comes out to be a answer phrase.

Manirathinam who has penned the story has chosen the title aptly.

He himself must have choked with emotions and when he presents it he carefully ensures that he doesn't rake up issues to add fuel to the burning issues. He just touches the emotional chords makes us feel for the war victims and their life during such a gruesome period.

Earlier in his movies on such sensitive issues like terrorism and fundamentalism in Roja, Mumbai, Uyire, he rather planted a small seed of vehement opposition in our minds, he wanted us to revolt against such evildoers.

But this time with the Lankan issues, which is at out back yard and understanding the fact that a small spark can raise a fire which can ravage many miles in seconds, he has diplomatically handled the crux of the matter without much ado.

Unsaid words adds more meanings and conveys a new dimension. He wins in making many minds visualise the cause and needs for such fights, and also helps in prompting the concerned players in this to take a break and think of the lives involved.

Well this will definitely help in finding peace as if the angry minds start thinking calmly about the woes of their trusted aides and comrades, it might make them think twice, every time, they are to be send for a mission.

LTTE has one of the largest stock of human bombs, but if the chief is to think twice on what happens to the ticking bomb about to blast well it might delay the timings and ultimately deter too.

The scene when the nine year old Keerthana comes to a young refined gentleman in a wheelchair, that too in a alien country, and when she finds that he is conversant in her native language, any nine year old will strike conversation and start chattering.

The man in the wheelchair, probably because of physical handicap is all ears to her ramblings. She tells him about her parent, her personnel plight, even her address in Chennai with a warm welcome to visit her.

But, next moment a pilot escorted convoy comes into picture, suddenly the man in the wheelchair gets up and runs straight towards the VIPs vehicle and jumps on it and blasts, that is a human bomb in action and it is seen through a kids eye.

After this any terror group chief will think about what the bomb would have felt before running off as a lighted fuse, for self destruction. A humane and a gentle will be their approach on seeing such sensitive potrayal, let us hope so.

One thing as a passing remark in the conclusion, in many Tamil films if you come back to seat after the interval bell, we would see many seats empty. But on Feb 19 matinee show at Devi theatre after having the needed popcorn and coffee, when back at the seat, it was astonishing to see the entire audience were too back in their seats, and there was three more commercials and a trailer before the start. It meant no one wanted to miss even a single scene in this film!

Further, we wish to tell Manirathinam that as we all are captivated in the hectic life of city, we don't have a single minute to spare after the conclusion of this journey to paradise island when the end title card appears in the screen, we were out in the road in search of not so hot Auto, but our wish was to really clap hands.

But this film is of such intensity we are sure you will get compensated for the missing clap, that by the way of standing ovation in international film festivals were the top minds sit without any other care in the world but to appreciate the techniques and mastery in film making.

A trip to warzone with Keerthana:
an tremendous experience

Sweet is melody, but the poignant tunes, they are something that lingers in our heart and echoes forever.

If someone asked you ‘well, will you marry me?’ Many will say ‘yes’, but if someone is to ask you to join in a fight or to be presice a war, from many of us the answer will be ofcourse ‘no’! But in fact the same person will talk more about bloodshed and violence and suggest ways and means to end such an epidermic, we cannot take time to be there at the front line of attack.

For example take the war that is going on in front of us, we do the same thing, we talk about it probably few script it for movie, none of us dare to take part directly.

But how do the characters in the war arrive, what is their genesis one wonders.

But Manirathinam deftly without asking us, gives the marching order, takes us right into the frontline of intense war, flying bullets, precise mortars all whizzing and we are face to face with a situation that we would have shunned and preferred to be in front of a mega serial that is happening day in and day out.

And this is for the first time we see clearly what is war and exodus means in Tamil.

We go along with Manirathinam unarmed, as we don't have the time to pack AK47 or a bazooka with extra magazines, as he entices with a mesmerising tale that makes us debate whether or not on some other thorny issue that has more cultural bearing stamped to it.

Adopted children in a family has come to stay in this fast and hitech world. Every other family in any neighbourhood has the woe of someone there who needs sexual advice on right strategy and we all know it is not provided due to our ancient cultural which speaks volumes on transparency and keeps many universal things rather a big secret. Add to this the pollutions in all forms to us physically and mentally. The behavioural pattern changes and thus the need for adoption homes is felt.

So then what happens to the child who is adopted into a family and how does the child fit in, will a nine year old understand her standing if she is to come to know that she was adopted?

Throw in the marvel that the couple after adopting an angelic kid, and with that unbound joy and absolutely no stress on aiming for a second or a third, they do get the happiness of having their own babies, and now what will be the siblings mental outlook if they are to come to understand that the senior one in the house was in fact a adopted one?

These issues has many solutions, but Madhavan and Simran in this movie had decided on the day one, the day when they get married and it happens to be the day, when they adopt this sweet sensational baby Keerthana, who turns out to be a real storm raiser at her age of nine.

At the adoption day and Madhavan and Simran's marriage morning, then and there they have decided to tell the kid about her adoption when she attains the age of nine.

The early part of the movie takes us through the maelstrom of emotion faced by such a tiny tot.

Manirathinam makes us to decide then and there it was wrong to have told the young one about that.

The kid being a kid, doesn't fully understand the situation so raises banner of revolt.

She wants to see her real parent, at one stage she also goes of without telling anyone to Rameswaram were she was initially handed over to Madhavan and Simran her foster parents.

From there Manirathinam takes us on to a war with our own heart.

How many parents will take their kid to a picnic were there is so much violence lurking all around us, we don't know, but if it is for a search to find young one's biological mother, then we might have to brave it.

First, it is the Keerthana’s prodigious acting that is fantastic as her parentage ensured that acting is in her blood, as we all know that she is daughter of director-actor Parthiban and actress Seetha.

In an interview (Parthiban-Seetha that is PS is in her initial...) PS Keerthana has said that she is more interested in taking up to film direction under the tutelage of Manirathinam himself, strange but that is how the world revolves, Keerthana has the calibre to emulate the standards set by doyens like Shoba, Padmini...

But she is very young now to really see what is the direction her future will be, but her first step is a firm one and has the attention of many well-wishers. Let us wish her many more success as she grows up.

Madhavan, Simran, Prakashraj, Naditadas have all performed quite neatly.

Art by Sabu Cyril, specially the first boat scene amidst pouring rain and high waves, it is arresting and then the LTTE camp setting in deep forest is very natural, probably some one from the deep jungle might even seeks his advice for interior decoration too, as his setting is very cozy and relaxing.

The camera work by Ravi K Chandran too is of high calibre. The lightings are so smooth and enhances the viewing pleasure of this movie.

Madhavan’s wide smiles has been curbed, and some subtlety brought in it will do wonders for him in his career.

What a break for Madhavan, earlier in the K Balachander's movie he was one film wonder who hates all the fussing from his fans and this time with Manirathinam he is a one novel wonder who still is furious over all the fussings from praising fans!

Simran, as a housewife with just minimal makeup on her self, well she manages to glitter. But those who had come to see the young pair in different grab, well they were disappointed badly, so one can hear the murmurs whenever Simran contiues real domestic housewife duties in her housecoat in this film.

On the whole a worth (ad)venture for entire family.