vetrimaran 1st movie

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Viduthalai: Part 1

A police officer is recruited to capture the leader of a separatist group. A police officer is recruited to capture the leader of a separatist group. A police officer is recruited to capture the leader of a separatist group.

• Vetrimaaran
• Vijay Sethupathi
• Bhavani Sre
• 72 User reviews
• 11 Critic reviews

• Constable Kumaresan

• Perumal 'Vaathiyaar'

• Tamilarasi alias Paapa
• Head Constable Chandran
• V. Ragavendar

• Ila. Ilavarasu
• Tamilarasi's Paternal Grandmother

• Sunil Menon

• A. Subramaniyan
• (as Rajeev Menon)
• Photojournalist

• Sub-Inspector 'Chow Chow' Ramasamy
• Sub-Inspector Velmurugan
• Collector of Arumapuri District
• All cast & crew
• Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

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Did you know

• Trivia It's inspired from a poem of Lyrist Na.Muthukumar.
• Goofs The film is set in the late 1980s. However, when Kumaresan is introduced by Head Constable Chandran to a tea-selling undercover militant, the SBI bank's new board design---introduced after 2017, is shown. Also, near the bank, an Activa (introduced in India in the 2000s) is parked.
• Connections Features Maithili Ennai Kathali (1986)

User reviews 72

• gangeshgnair
• Apr 14, 2023
• How long is Viduthalai: Part 1? Powered by Alexa
• March 31, 2023 (United States)
• Official Zee 5
• Viduthalai Part 1
• Grass Root Film Company
• RS Infotainment
• See more company credits at IMDbPro

Technical specs

• Runtime 2 hours 30 minutes
• Dolby Atmos
• Dolby Digital

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Every Vetrimaaran Film Ranked

Tamil filmmaker Vetrimaaran belongs to one of those breeds of director whose tight scripts, apt casting, and realistic treatment of storyline has made fundamental changes to the very nature of mainstream filmmaking. His films are made for a multi-cultural audience and backed by the strength of their storytelling and sculpted dialogue, which has reinvigorated the art of popular cinema with a breath of fresh air.

Related Read to Vetrimaaran Films: Every Lijo Jose Pellissery Film Ranked

Each of the films is imbued with a powerful, coherent aesthetic that guides viewers through a dark matrix. At its best, it augments a captivating narrative and sinks viewers into a world of social realism of rural Tamil Nadu. Even urban reality is being depicted showcasing more fallible and life-like characters. The cinema of the carnivalesque with its larger-than-life characters, melodramatic orientation and highly romanticized canvas is something that does not whet his appetite for creativity.

With a filmography of five features and one short film as a director, he has earned his reputation as the most one of the most accessible filmmakers of the last decade. His style involves artistically thriving with a soothing pace lending itself to an atmospheric work filled with oneiric undertones. Some viewers may find his films brutal and gut wrenching as it gets; yet, despite its ruthless depiction, it’s also surprisingly heartwarming.

5. Polladhavan (2007)

Vetrimaaran’s debut feature film opens up with a gruesome and brutal fighting sequence and then using the device of flashback, the filmmaker takes us into the dynamic world of contemporary Chennai, where an educated young man, Prabhu ( Dhanush ) fight injustice and in the process is forced to unleash the animal within him.

Also, Read: Every Sriram Raghavan Film Ranked

The protagonist of the film is an uneducated youth who due to turn of events confronts his father (Murali) and an argument regarding the responsibilities of parents towards their offspring ensues. As a result of this conflict, Prabhu gets a hefty amount from his father and he uses the money to purchase a Bajaj Pulsar bike. This appears to be a wise investment because owning the vehicle enables him to get a job and earn respect in society. But the situation takes a drastic turn when a gang of anti-socials steals his bike. Thereafter the film presents the viewers with the transformation of resilience into power and its hold over the life of an individual’s struggle to maintain his position in the harsh reality of everyday life.

The plot of the film has similarities with Wang Xiaoshuai’s Bejing Bicycle (2001). But the well worked out mise-en-scenes of Polladhavan makes it an entertaining tale of a casual urban carefree person’s conversion into a person of genuine worth and true dignity. Polladhavan was remade in Kannada as Punda, in Telugu as Kurradu starring Varun Sandesh, in Sinhala as Pravegeya, in Bengali as Borbaad (2014) and in Hindi as Guns of Banaras (2020). But none of them could achieve the excellence earned by the original version.

4. Visaranai (2016)

Based on the Tamil novel Lock Up by M. Chandrakumar, Vetrimaaran’s third outing in its first half has such brutal scenes of police torture that one could genuinely feel the bestial act of police torture. The viewers are compelled to cringe as well as empathize with the plight of four helpless souls. The narrative of the film can be divided into two sections-before and after the intermission. Four migrant workers are falsely accused in a burglary case that has taken place at a rich and affluent man’s bungalow. The police beat these four characters in black and blue and want them to confess. Not able to withstand the pain they agree to accept the charges. Once they are produced in the court the narrative of the film takes a twist and the viewers are presented with one shocking surprise after the other.

Related Read to Vetrimaaran Films: Salt Of The Earth (1954) : A Landmark American Independent Cinema On The Working Class  

The filmmaker displays superb craftsmanship and commitment to an engaging dramatic tale that ends in a tragedy. The film subtly depicts that the characters in the film become a victim because of the system that protected the criminal over the accuser. It is a deeply troubling film that is devoid of cathartic and healing moments. Vetrimaaran does not feel hesitant in constructing the brutal scene with ease and he is neither afraid to carve out its own unique style.

The film had its world premiere at the 72nd Venice International Film Festival, where it won the Amnesty International Italia Award. Back home it had won three National Film Awards- Best Feature Film in Tamil, Best Supporting Actor and Best Editing.

Watch Visaranai (2016) on Netflix

3. asuran (2019).

What becomes the last resort for a farmer who goes on the run with his family as he is compelled to protect his son, who has murdered a wealthy upper-caste landlord in a fit of vengeance? The reply should be to fight with the oppressing forces and reclaim his identity. That is exactly what Sivasaami (Dhanush) does to break away from the uncomfortable social status he has inherited. Based on the novel Vekkai by Poomani, Vetrimaaran’s screen adaptation is so watertight that every occurrence in the screenplay feels alluring.

Related Read to Vetrimaaran Films : Asuran (2019) Review: Rise, Asuran, Rise!

With Asuran Vetrimaaran continues his excellent cinematic flair as a director enhancing his commendable grasp on the tropes of mainstream cinema. The film also benefits from technical polish – the cinematography, background score and editing are all top-notch. Asuran too has gut-wrenching violence and prepares the viewer for the edge-of-seat tension. The narrative follows a rhythm where the plot is revealed without wasting much of the screen time. The film belongs to the genre of revenge saga told from the perspective of a lower caste protagonist.

It’s one of those mainstream films that fulfill a social purpose, for it’s hard to imagine anyone viewing Asuran and not abhorring the evil practice of casteism in our country and how it voluntarily degrade human values and status. At the Norway Tamil Film Festival Awards, 2020, Vetrimaaran won the award for best director. The film had won two National Film Awards- Best Feature Film in Tamil and Best Actor.

Read the Complete Review of Asuran (2019) Here

Watch asuran (2019) on prime video , 2. vada chennai (2018).

A tale of criminal activities narrated in a non-linear pattern over the span of more than a decade is the perfect recipe for a crime sage. Vetrimaaran’s narrative takes the viewers on a journey that lasts for nearly a hundred and sixty-four hours and introduces them to the world of guilt, regret and vital decisions leading to loyalty turned into betrayal. The protagonist of the film Anbu (Dhanush) is an expert carrom player but his life gets entwined into the world of crime. He gets pulled into the vortex so deeply that penitence alludes to him after a point in time.

Related Read to Vetrimaaran Films : Top Tamil Movies of 2018 and Where To Watch Them

With a multiple cast the story of the film is set in the underbellies of North Chennai as the title of the film implies and the theme of the film is more nuanced than the conventional black-and-white morality tales where evil is punished by good at the end. The film blatantly showcases the graphic world of crime and violence, investigates the nature of friendship, the ethics of vigilantism, and the nature of unhappiness. Vetrimaaran delves deeply into the minds of his tortured characters and explores how the men and women he depicts grapple with moral codes and their emotions.

He further engages with many of the most basic questions about our humanity and how we relate to one another in a complex world. The stylistic elements in the film earn comparisons, bearing marked connections to several of Vetrimaaran’s other films. The film won the Best Film (People’s Choice Award) at the Pingyao International Film Festival, 2018. At the Filmfare Awards South, Dhanush won the trophy for the Best Actor.

Read the Complete Review of Vada Chennai (2018) Here

Watch vada chennai (2018) on disney hotstar, 1. aadukalam (2011).

As the roosters combat in the arena with each other, it becomes a fight of the egos of the individuals who own the fowl. So, when Karuppu’s rooster emerges victorious he not only earns a lot of money but also the enmity of his boss Periyasamy (V. I. S. Jayapalan) and Rathnasamy (Naren). And from then onwards the life of our protagonist will be filled with one hurdle after the other as the tale of loyalty, self-esteem, deception, and honor unfolds.

Related Read to Vetrimaaran Films : 10 Great Tamil Movies You Can Stream On Netflix Right Now

In his sophomore, Vetrimaaran presents a varied cultural pattern of rural Tamil Nadu and uses realism, tradition, and contemporaneity, soaked in local flavor within the narrative structure of his tightly structured screenplay. The conflicts introduced within the plot points create tension by employing smart conventions that are able to sustain the viewer’s anticipation. The editing pattern of the film creates a commendable pace and multi-layered visual design that heightens the impact of the film. Though the filmmaker has openly admitted that he was inspired by the dogfighting scene of Amores Perros (2000), Vetrimaaran has infused his own style and poise within the film, which is anything by blatant copy.

Despite having strong content and potential for box-office success, filmmakers from another region could not dare to remake the film until now. The reason being the milieu of the film is so rooted in the soil of Tamil Nadu and that makes it the best film in the oeuvre of Vetrimaaran’s impressive career. At the 58th National Film Awards, the film won five awards-Best Director, Best Screenplay, Best Editing, Best Choreography and Special Jury Award for Acting.

Special Mention: Oor Iravu (2020)

Oor Iravu is a part of the Tamil anthology drama Paava Kadhaigal (2020). Owing to its shorter running time, I have included it in the category of special mention. On the surface level of its narrative, the film depicts the tale of a daughter Sumathi (Sai Pallavi) who had eloped from her village and now she has reunited with her father Janakiraman (Prakash Raj). But as the story of the film moves forward we discover the sensitivity and intricacies of the complex human psyche of individual characters within the film.

Also, Read: Paava Kadhaigal (2020) Netflix: Sinful Filmmaking under the Garb of Hard Hitting Social Drama

Vetrimaaran treated the film with a style that is bold and innovative with the choice of a subject in which the form and content merge into one. The pacing is not fast like his other films rather it is a slow study of how Sumathi’s drastic decision had impacted the lives of various members of his family. Vetrimaaran did not deviate from his usual style of narrative exploration but he has brought an understated rhythm to the unfolding of the events.

There is a kind of freshness in his approach and courage displayed in choosing to build a film around the brutal concept of associating the honor of the family with the sanctity of a woman. The film ends on a depressing note as we realize that such evil things are a reality and will continue to happen unless and until the evils of casteism are not obliterated from our society.

Watch Oor Iravu (2020) on Netflix

Vetrimaaran links : imdb , wikipedia, trending right now.

Dipankar Sarkar is a freelance writer on various topics related to cinema. His articles have appeared in Scroll, The Hindu, Livemint, The Quint, The Tribune, Chandigarh, Upperstall, and vaguevisages.com amongst others.

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Why Vetrimaaran is the most interesting director in Tamil films today

Vetrimaaran is arguably among the most interesting filmmaker working in the tamil film industry. here’s documenting his rise and what it takes to be a talent like him..

His production house’s name, Grass Root Film Company, is a clear pointer to Vetrimaaran’s worldview. This Deepavali’s biggest release in Tamil Nadu is, arguably, Kodi (Flag), a political thriller he has produced that stars Dhanush in his first double role, as twin brothers. The twins may be identical but their natures are mutually exclusive. Refreshingly, Kodi casts Trisha as a feisty woman politico, giving Dhanush’s eponymous hero a run for his money.

“For a hero movie, it’s pretty decently written,” pronounces Baradwaj Rangan, film critic and associate editor at The Hindu. “There’s a conflict, there are surprises and even within a commercial film, it’s properly written and directed. It’s not some random moments strung together to get people whistling.”

The film’s premise is how politics and political interests shape communities and the quality of their life. In this case, it involves skullduggery surrounding a factory emitting toxic effluents. It could be happening not too far away from our backyards.

At the Oscars

Vetrimaaran himself, however, was conspicuous by his absence during Kodi’s promos. He has a bigger task on hand. Visaaranai (Interrogation), the part-docudrama, part-crime thriller he directed, is India’s official entry to the 89th Academy Awards in the Best Foreign Language Film category. So he is in the US persuading jurors take note of his film, which has some truly hairy torture scenes. The last Tamil film that made it to the Oscars was 16 years back: Hey Ram starring Kamal Haasan.

Usually, the choice of any film to represent the country at the Oscars polarises critics, but Visaaranai remains largely unchallenged. Rangan agrees. “Visaaranai was a fantastic film.”

It tells the story of innocent migrant labourers picked up and tortured by the police to extract a false confession for a fatal robbery at an influential man’s house. How the film, shot in 42 days on a Rs 2-crore budget and eventually wining three National Film Awards, got made is interesting. After his Aadukalam in 2011, Vetrimaaran had busied himself with his production ventures, Udhayam NH4, Poriyaalan and Kaaka Muttai. When he was prepared to shoot his next, the script he picked was Soodhadi, a story on gambling, proposing Dhanush in the lead role. However, the actor had to take time off to work in Balki’s Shamitabh, being shot in Mumbai.

Vetrimaaran was mooting a book adaptation when director Balu Mahendra’s assistant serendipitously presented him with Lock Up, a riveting, partly autobiographical book written by M Chandrakumar, a former autorickshaw driver. The book, which took five years to write and another four to publish, narrates his harrowing experience while in jail in (then) Andhra Pradesh.

“When I pitched the story to Dhanush, who later produced the film, I said I can only guarantee you a three-day weekend run at the box office. But it’s a low-budget venture; you’ll get your investment back,” Vetrimaaran laughs. “Dhanush was amused, but agreed to fund the project. [I thought] it’s the kind of film that would not bring in repeat audiences. I was proved wrong and it got a good three-week run.”

The author, Chandrakumar, was incarcerated for a fortnight way back in 1983. “Yet his experiences are relevant even today,” points out Vetrimaaran. “Visaaranai reflects a stark reality from which you cannot shut yourself out: that is its success. It was challenging to find the right kind of actors and locations. We employed real stuntmen who could exercise restraint while beating up the actors.”

“What was unique was that there were a lot of first-time actors in the film; that added rawness to it,” says K Hariharan, filmmaker and critic. “Actors like Samuthirakkani and Kishore were entirely on the sidelines. That made it an interesting watch.”

Astutely, the team decided to send it to international film fests right away, confident it would work with foreign audiences. Visaaranai premiered at the Orrizonti section of the 72nd Venice Film Festival, a first for a Tamil film, and won the Amnesty International Italia Award. Crucially, the European audience was exposed to a hitherto unexplored form of Tamil cinema that dealt with grim reality in a non-dramatic but powerful way.

“Europeans have a different policing system. They found my narrative a bit harsh, though they were moved,” explains Vetrimaaran.

A rooted voice

It is Vetrimaaran’s preoccupation with sometimes gritty, sometimes heartwarming reality that makes this 41-year-old one of the best filmmakers of our times.

“The best thing about the regional filmmakers is that they bring in a very ‘native’ feel,” says Rangan. “Like if I watch Nagraj Manjule’s Sairat for instance, I find [elements] that remind me of Vetrimaaran. But that’s more because these filmmakers do these ‘rooted’ things very well. They give you the sense of the atmosphere, the rhythms of life in that particular environment, they take care to bring them alive.”

His critically acclaimed debut venture, Polladhavan (Ruthless Man) in 2007, followed a lower middle-class young man’s search for his stolen bike, an exercise that takes him through the seamy underworld. Four years later came Aadukalam (Arena), a Pongal release that raked in six National Film Awards. The cockfight arena was where love, ego, honour, friendship and betrayal were played out in the rustic backdrop of Madurai.

Says Manimaran, long-time friend and assistant, “Vetri used to like watching cockfights in the neighbourhood in our hometown. So he thought we could develop a story around them.”

There was no doubt about who would play the lead. “I wrote Aadukalam keeping Dhanush in mind,” says Vetrimaaran. “As an actor, he delivers exactly what I need and sometimes more. As a producer, he offers me complete freedom and does not interfere at all. He trusts me completely.”

Rangan explains the Vetrimaaran touch, “There is a world of difference in the way he uses the song and dance elements in Polladhavan and Aadukalam. They have become more organic and rooted; they’re not fantasy elements.”

“I personally prefer Aadukalam to Visaaranai, but it’s like comparing apples and oranges,” says Hariharan. “Aadukalam had a certain kind of warmth and spontaneity. Visaaranai, to me, looked rather staged.”

He explains, “Visaaranai’s [appeal across the world] is that for the first time in Tamil cinema, you see this kind of brute reality without the director taking recourse to a love story or family drama. It’s also interesting that a country like India allowed such a strongly critical film on the system. There’s no doubt that Vetrimaaran is a bold filmmaker.”

Vetrimaaran’s productive chemistry with Dhanush has paid rich dividends. The two went on to produce Kaaka Muttai (Crow’s Egg) in 2015, a subversive film poking fun at what is regarded as cool - pizzas, in this case. This little gem, premiering at the Toronto International Film Festival, tracks two brothers from a Chennai slum dying to taste a pizza. Directed by M Manikandan with wit, not once is the children’s dignity compromised. Their family struggles in a heartless and corrupt city and soon we find ourselves cheering for our little heroes. Kaaka Muttai pocketed two National Film Awards.

“There is a stamp of quality that people have begun to associate with Vetrimaaran, because even the films he produces are pretty decent,” says Rangan, adding that he looks for, and gets, that certain quality.

Vetrimaaran’s genius lies in shining a light on people we would not even glance at in our rat race. His films show us that ordinary people often lead extraordinary lives if only we stop to talk to them.

Smitten by cinema

Born in Cuddalore near Puducherry and raised in Ranipet, a suburban town in Vellore district, two and a half hours from Chennai, Vetrimaaran was smitten by cinema even as a child. His mother, a writer, ran a school in the area, while his father was a veterinarian. Friends remember him as a film buff who watched every movie that came to town.

“He would bunk classes and watch them, each three or four times. Then he would come to the school ground where we used to hang out until 7:30 in the evening and would retell the whole story to us. My friends and I have actually walked out of the theatre at times because the film was nowhere as good as his narration. He still has that quality,” says Manimaran, his assistant.

Vetrimaaran was in his second year of Masters in English Literature in 1999 when the now-deceased filmmaker Balu Mahendra was invited to judge a short film contest at the Loyola College, Chennai. Shortly afterwards, he attended a seminar conducted by the director and was inspired enough to assist him in Julie Ganapathy, Athu Oru Kanaa Kaalam and the television series Kadhai Neram.

Athu Oru Kanaa Kaalam cemented his friendship with the lead actor, Dhanush, whom he describes as his best friend. While still assisting Balu Mahendra, Vetrimaaran pitched the story of Desiya Nedunchalai, and the actor readily agreed to play the lead.

Recalls Manimaran, “Producers were not hard to come by because we had Dhanush. But a few had misgivings about how Vetri would handle the project as a newcomer. So we tossed aside that script, which I later made into Udhayam NH4.”

The initial years proved to be rough. “I was pitching different scripts to different people for three years and it was the sixth producer who okayed Polladhavan,” says Vetrimaaran on his directorial debut.

Adds Manimaran, who assisted him in the project, “After the film was edited, we were really scared to show it to the producer. We kept stalling the screening telling him it may not have come out as he expected. Finally, when he saw it, he was satisfied. We were relieved and gradually grew confident.”

Pushing for excellence

When Manimaran himself forayed into direction with Udhayam NH4 in 2013, Vetrimaaran returned the favour by stepping in as producer under his banner, Grass Root Film Company. As he puts it, “I want my production house to be a platform for good, interesting ideas. I can find a producer for my films, but others, who may be first-time filmmakers, might have innovative scripts that mainstream producers might not understand. Like Kaaka Muttai for instance.

“I produce films in partnership as I may not be able to afford the entire budget. Dhanush ends up co-producing some of them as our tastes are similar. None of my producers ever ask me for the budget. I always make sure it is within their means and I can give the desired returns.”

For someone who has been successful both commercially as critically, Vetrimaaran has directed only three films in nine years. “For me, every film is a learning process. After each, I take time to unlearn. Then I find new content, learn it completely and then execute it.”

Manimaran describes his working process thus, “Many directors make changes to the script on the spot. But Vetrimaaran is different because he pays attention to detail. He puts in a lot of effort, so there may be last-minute adjustments with lighting and locations. Unlike working with other directors, you need to be available 24 hours.”

Outside of work, the father of two, who met his wife Aarthi while at college, likes to race pigeons, pretty much like the characters he portrays. His rootedness has also led him to voice the germ of an idea: setting up an organic farm eventually.

Rangan describes grit as the definitive quality of Vetrimaaran’s films, and praises his skill in animating the atmosphere in terms of the integrity of the characters, the plot, and the texture. “The way he shapes the characters and writes them, you feel that these are not [just] individual people; you get a sense of where they come from, where they belong. [They’re] not just some random characters floating around.”

His fans are already talking about his fourth film, Vada Chennai (North Chennai), an ambitious gangster trilogy he has been planning since 2003. After undergoing several changes of scripts and stars, Dhanush, Vijay Sethupathi, Amala Paul and Samuthirakkani are among those confirmed on the project that is currently under way. Slated for release next year, Vada Chennai is also bound to have the by-now classic Vetrimaaran stamp.

(Published in arrangement with GRIST Media.)

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Vetrimaaran

Producer, Writer, Director, Actor

Born September 4, 1975 in Cuddalore, Tamilnadu, India

Vetrimaaran is an Indian film director, screenwriter and film producer, who works in the Tamil film industry. Vetrimaaran made his directorial debut with the Polladhavan. His second feature film Aadukalam won six National Film Awards. He produces films under his production company, Grass Root Film Company. His movie Visaranai (2016) was selected as India's official entry to the Academy Awards.His film Asuran (2019) was named as the National Film Award for Best Feature Film in Tamil.

Filmography

Connections

Aadukalam Naren

Aishwarya Rajesh

Samuthirakani

Andrea Jeremiah

Kishore Kumar G.

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Viduthalai: part i, விடுதலை: பாகம் i.

Directed by Vetrimaaran

Kumaresan, a police constable, gets recruited for an operation implanted to capture Perumal Vaathiyar, who leads a separatist group dedicated to fighting against the authorities for committing atrocities against innocent village women in the name of police interrogations.

Soori Bhavani Sre Chetan Gautham Vasudev Menon Rajiv Menon Ilavarasu Munnar Ramesh Vijay Sethupathi Balaji Sakthivel Saravana Subbiah Tamizh Aryan Sardar Satya Manimegalai S. Chandran Bala Hasan Pavel Navageethan Thendral Raghunathan Sundareswaran CVC R. Ganesh Gurung Asuran Krishna R. Velraj Appukutty Surya Vijay Sethupathi

Director Director

Vetrimaaran

Co-Directors Co-Directors

Still Robert A. Jagadeesan

Producers Producers

Elred Kumar V Manikandan

Writers Writers

Vetrimaaran R. S. Durai Senthilkumar Manimaran Mathi Maran

Original Writer Original Writer

Editor editor, cinematography cinematography, additional directing add. directing.

R. S. Durai Senthilkumar Manimaran Tamizh Mathi Maran

Executive Producer Exec. Producer

Art direction art direction, visual effects visual effects.

Harihara Suthan

Stunts Stunts

Peter Hein Stunt Silva

Choreography Choreography

Baba Baskar

Composer Composer

Ilaiyaraaja

Songs Songs

Ilaiyaraaja Suka

Sound Sound

T. Udayakumar

R S Infotainment Grassroot Film Company

Alternative Titles

విడుదల : పార్ట్ 1, విడుదల: పార్ట్ 1, Viduthalai Partie 1

Crime Thriller Action

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Review by Anurag Kashyap 9

Very powerful film, superb performances across board , the best opening shot I’ve seen in the longest time .. looking forward to part 2 .. Vetrimaran is our best .

Review by Michael James ★★★★ 6

Another immersive socio political period drama from Vetrimaaran. His craftsmanship and control over layered storytelling is simply stupendous. The police brutality, custodial violence and systemic oppression is portrayed in a disturbingly hard hitting manner. How media turn into a PR machine to the system for delivering manipulated incidents through social narratives were well depicted. The lead character perfectly resonates the common man dilemma, as he gets caught in between the struggle. The opening single shot sequence sets the tone straight away. And along with the final 20 minutes, they are two standout impact sequences.

Based upon a power struggle conflict between government and revolutionary activist groups, the first part sets up its world, emotional landscape and conflicts effectively with enough question…

Review by Barry Egan 2002 ★★★★ 1

Vetrimaaran, in glorious form once again, shows cop violence in its most brutal form yet, with Soori as the honest, powerless cop holding the narrative together. Absolutely not for the faint-hearted. Must-watch!

The opening sequence, a continuous shot, was extraordinary for the way the camera covered the entire location for a long duration, and also heartbreaking showing the loss of human lives. Vetrimaaran, from this sequence, tells the viewer, "Be prepared to get mind fucked". The scene reminded me of 'Atonement''s superb Dunkirk sequence. We then see Soori's introduction. Vetrimaaran, in an interview, said that he cast Soori due to his innocent looks. Although I thought a couple of lines were delivered as if he were a comedian, Soori, as…

Review by jack ★★★★★

vetrimaaran stop winning challenge

Review by Alicecharles ★★★★★

If someone had told me back that I would shout at the top of my lungs for a firing scene by Soori, i would have called it a joke but OH MY GOD WHAT THE FUCK !!!!!!

Review by cinema_made ★★★★ 2

The mere mention of Vetrimaran is a hypetrain for his film and Vetrimaran easily surpasses that. After a long wait, Viduthalai arrives as a special and scintillating film, that only Vetrimaran has guts to make. The film is the journey of the constable recruit, who in turn becomes rooted in the violent conflict between the police and the revolutionaries. As all the paths come together, there’s more tension and revelance of truth, that makes the character meet dark ends and change their mindsets.

Right from the start, Vetrimaaran channels the film with a strong dose of realism and raw filmmaking that keeps us in the center of the action at all times. This is definitely not a film for the…

Review by Arjun Rajput ★★★★

Vijay Sethupathi in an interrogation scene is cinema. Can't wait for the next part.

Review by joelmathew ★★★ 5

Definitely the most underwhelming Vetrimaaran film so far... although I don't know if its really fair to call it a "film" because only half the story has been told. The whole story of Vada Chennai has also not been told yet but the first film still holds on its own, this however just felt like the first half of a movie...

Also felt it was one of his weaker films technically. Vetri na is known for working on his films till literally the day before it releases. He was making dubbing corrections and changes for Vada Chennai and Asuran few days before release and this one was also no different I heard. But this time it kind of backfired. Some…

Review by Kibriya⚡ ★★★★ 9

Viduthalai was gut wrenching and gory as expected with powerful performance by Soori.  The electrifying one shot opening scene was terrific 🥵. Bring me part 2 and Vijay Sethupathi bringing fire on the screen 🔥

Cinematic parallels - Kumaresan and Desmond Doss from Hacksaw Ridge 

Vetrimaaran the real Polladhavan !

2023 Ranked Vetrimaaran Ranked

Review by sydney ★★★★★ 1

don't feel great about the gratuitous violence against women and how it's used here, it's not done especially offensively here but it is always frustrating to see it used as a shortcut to underline just how evil someone is and cliche to have women characters exist only as tools to move the male lead along. that said it's an incredible film, cried more than once, it's beautiful and soul crushing and i both can't wait to see the conclusion and am dreading it

Review by Deepak Chazhoor ★★★★½ 5

Watched FDFS.

Soori is a revelation here; easily his career best yet. Vijay Sethupathi, with his terrific screen presence and powerhouse potential as an actor, makes every scene he’s featured in, though few and far between, his own. The long takes are fantastic. Ilaiyaraaja’s work here is among his finest of late; “ Kaattumalli ” is an instant favorite. Overall, yet another great work, with its focus on its hard-hitting politics and unapologetic commentary about police brutality searing as ever, from one of the greatest filmmakers of our time. Vetrimaaran never disappoints. Can’t wait for  Part II .

Review by Jaisri Nandhini ★★★★

Love it when police brutality is ripped off of it's sugar coating Onscreen! Let's wait for the part 2!

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Vetri Maaran: A vital link between Tamil cinema and literature 

On his birthday, let's take a look at how vetri maaran is sustaining the trend of film adaptations in tamil cinema.

Tamil filmmakers have seldom recognized the untapped potential of Tamil literature. The argument that Tamil cinema is too ‘masala’ for it to borrow from literature doesn’t hold water because Tamil literature doesn’t just have ‘serious’ and ‘deep’ books. It has a humongous repository of pulp fiction. For every intense work like Pa Singaram’s Puyalilae Oru Thoni, there’s one gripping page-turner like Sujatha’s Ratham Orae Niram or Rajkumar’s Kaatrin Niram Karuppu. Thus, it is dumbfounding when stars complain about the paucity of good stories from filmmakers.

However, novel adaptations in Tamil are not entirely nonexistent. It is an age-old phenomenon. Films like Jayakanthan’s Unnaipol Oruvan (which received a National Award in 1965), Rajinikanth ’s Priya (1978), Karaiyellam Shenbagapoo (1981), and Kamal Haasan ’s Vikram (1986) are some of the notable examples. Yet, these are just flashes in the pan. A sustained trend of film adaptations hasn’t happened in contemporary Tamil cinema. But filmmaker Vetri Maaran seems to be giving some hope.

The National Award-winning filmmaker has so far directed five feature films of which two are adaptations of Tamil novels. His upcoming films Viduthalai and Vaadivasal are also based on Tamil literary works, which makes Vetri Maaran, a vital link between Tamil literature and cinema. Not just that, he has also cracked the formula of using serious literature for making commercial films.

Literature and Vetri Maaran

The relationship between literature and Vetri Maaran should have begun way early in his childhood as his mom Megala Chitravel is a noted Tamil novelist. On top of that, the director also studied English literature at Loyola College, Chennai. When he wanted to work with his mentor, prolific filmmaker Balu Mahendra, it was his knowledge of literature that aided him to get the opportunity. In an interview with Tamil magazine Anandha Vikatan, Vetri Maaran shared that Balu Mahendra asked him to come up with a synopsis for a novel as part of his interview process for the assistant director role. Though only his third film, Visaaranai (National Award-winning film and official Indian entry to the 89th Academy Awards for Best Foreign Language Film) turned out to be his first adaptation, one can see that his tryst with written words has been an integral part of his journey.

Making literature mainstream

One of the criticisms against Asuran, Vetri Maaran’s film adaptation of Poomani’s Vekkai (Heat), is that the story was commercialised and unfaithful to the source material. Yet, his mainstream treatment of the novel is what contributed to the film’s commercial success. Vetri Maaran gave a ‘Baasha’ twist to Poomani’s novel, which turned the layered novel into a story of an underdog.

Vekkai is about Sivasamy and his 15-year-old son Chidambaram, who are on the run from the police after the latter kills an upper caste man Vadakooran to avenge the murder of his elder brother. As the dad and son spend around eight days in the forest hiding, the story of oppression and caste politics unfolds. The novel is devoid of heroism and deals with everyday people and their excruciating pain. Vetri Maaran made a significant change in his film by making Sivasamy the ‘hero’ of the film, while in the book, Chidambaram is the ‘protagonist’. Also, Dhanush ’s Sivasamy is an entirely different person from the one we find in Poomani’s book. In addition, the entire backstory of Sivasamy, which depicts him as a rebellious young man, is absent in the novel. This made Dhanush’s Sivasamy a familiar trope of mainstream cinema – a man with a violent past. This vital change made the film accessible to all sections of the audience.

However, critics of Vetri Maaran are also not wrong. A faithful remake of the film aided by Vetri’s brilliant cinematic language would have yielded a far better cinema, but it would have been a gamble when it comes to the business aspect of the film. One should only look at Vetri Maaran’s attempts as a small step in the right direction.

Challenges ahead with Vaadivasal

I am looking forward to seeing what he does with CS Chellapa’s novella Vaadivasal. The story of the novel doesn’t have enough meat for a typical Tamil feature film as it is just a story of events happening in one day at a Jallikattu event. A guy named Picchi arrives at a neighbouring village for the jallikattu event. He wants to tame the frightening bull named Kaari, which killed Picchi’s father years ago. That’s all there is to the story of the novella. Yet, it stands as a brilliant literary piece for its dialect and the depiction of caste politics in the sport of jallikattu. It would make up for a great cinema if Vetri Maaran recreates everything faithfully on screen.

Yet, I wouldn’t be surprised if the director opts for an entire flashback portion for Picchi’s father (Reports, already suggest that Suriya is playing a dual role in the film).  Despite the commercialisation, such adaptations continue to sustain the importance of literature. I mean without the film adaptations, the mainstream would have remained unaware of these literary gems.

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Viduthalai - Part 1 review: Soori steals the show in this Vetrimaaran flick

Viduthalai is a multi-layered film, held together by a gripping narrative

Nampikkai .

Trust. It can move mountains.

The name ‘Vetrimaaran’ invokes a similar faith in film buffs and actors alike. The National Award-winning filmmaker, known for critically-acclaimed films like Aadukalam , Visaranai , Vada Chennai and Asuran , has a penchant for pushing the envelope.

So, when he cast actor Soori, who is best known for comic roles in Tamil films, as the lead in Viduthalai – Part 1 , people knew Vetrimaaran had seen something in him that others had missed. In fact, Soori had revealed in an interview that they came close to working together twice in the past, but the projects had to be shelved. He went on to add that it was the director’s nampikkai that helped him realise the actor in him.

And it shows in the film, which is based on B. Jeyamohan’s Thunaivan - he doubles up as the scriptwriter, along with Vetrimaaran. Soori, as police constable Kumaresan, arrives at a remote forest base camp on the Tamil Nadu-Karnataka-Kerala border, known for violent and bloody confrontations between the police and guerrillas (named Makkal Padai, or people’s army). The police are after the outlaws and their leaders - the main target being Perumal or Vaathiyar (Vijay Sethupathi in an extended cameo).

Life in this part of the world is not all black and white, and Kumaresan learns it the hard way. A simple man with unshakeable principles, Kumaresan is drawn into the eye of the storm inevitably.

The name of the film – Viduthalai means liberation – couldn’t have been more apt. Soori is finally freed from the shackles of the comedian stereotype. He ditches his slapstick humour and mannerisms to slip into the character of Kumaresan – both physically and otherwise - and shines like never before. It’s as much a conflict of emotions as it is of ideologies and powers, and Soori essays it all beautifully.

Soori isn’t the only surprise element in Viduthalai – Part 1 . Vetrimaaran has mostly associated with actor Dhanush as the lead and music director G.V. Prakash Kumar in his films so far. (Interestingly, Kumar’s sister Bhavani Sre plays Tamilarasi, Soori’s love interest). But, this time, he not only opted for Soori as the protagonist but also brought on board legendary music director Ilaiyaraaja. The move seems to have paid off.

Viduthalai stands out for other reasons, too. One, for the brilliant cinematography by Velraj, capturing the Sathyamangalam forest in all its rustic beauty. Then, the opening scene itself is a piece of art. The tracking shot, which takes the viewer in and out of a train accident setting, is as gripping and captivating as perhaps the iconic shot in Joe Wright’s 2007 war drama Atonement . Once can see the genius that Vetrimaaran is, at work in moments like these.

Viduthalai is a multi-layered film, held together by a gripping narrative. It’s as much about police brutality, as it is about politics and ideologies (though it may seem one-sided at times). The film meanders a bit early in the second half, before picking up pace towards the end. The pulsating finish sets the stage for the next part of the film, and the post credit scenes promise more revelations and a meatier role for Sethupathi, who shines in the limited screen time he gets in this one.

Will Perumal be able to liberate the land from the clutches of the mining mafia? Which side will Kumaresan finally find himself on? Will politics prevail or will the people’s movement bring the powers that be on their knees? Will Viduthalai – Part 2 deliver a resounding answer to all these questions?

In Vetrimaaran, we trust.

Film: Viduthalai - Part 1

Language: Tamil

Director: Vetrimaaran

Cast: Soori, Vijay Sethupathi, Bhavani Sre, Gautam Vasudev Menon and others

Rating: 4/5

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Viduthalai Part 1 Twitter Review: VetriMaaran Never fails to impress

Viduthalai Part 1, is a 2023 Tamil-language period crime thriller film written and directed by Vetrimaaran. Produced by Elred Kumar under the banners...

Viduthalai Part 1, is a 2023 Tamil-language period crime thriller film written and directed by Vetrimaaran. Produced by Elred Kumar under the banners of RS Infotainment. The film stars Soori and Vijay Sethupathi. This film was presented by RS Infotainment. Check out Live Updates here

Live Updates

#viduthalaipart1 - he came he conquer & he won 🔥 congratulations @sooriofficial anna for your impactful debut 🙏♥️ thanks to vetrimaran sir for this wonderful film 🤩🙏 special thanks to @vijaysethuoffl & @ilaiyaraaja sir 👌😍 — aravindkumar (@beingaravind_) march 31, 2023.

#ViduthalaiPart1 is getting extraordinary reviews as expected 🔥🔥👌👌 Director #Vetrimaran winning streak continues ✨✨ #ViduthalaiPart1FromToday @ilaiyaraaja @VijaySethuOffl @sooriofficial @elredkumar @rsinfotainment @BhavaniSre pic.twitter.com/siGkxrbpjx — Cinema Calendar (@CinemaCalendar) March 31, 2023

Watching #viduthalaipart1 now... wow first 10 mins of the single shot looks cool... whenever u think this movie can't get any better it is getting better and better every 5 min first half 10/10 slow establishment of character really worked very well not a single negative so far . — sk_earaga (@earaga_sk) march 31, 2023, massive opening & grabbing exceptional wom director #vetrimaaran 's #viduthalaipart1 now in theatres near you grab your tickets 👉 https://t.co/u2fotovrpj #viduthalaipart1fromtoday @ilaiyaraaja musical @vijaysethuoffl @sooriofficial @elredkumar @rsinfotainment @bhavanisre pic.twitter.com/bqdbryuteq — kollywoodtoday (@kollywoodtoday) march 31, 2023, #viduthalaipart1 #kcreview by #bindhu ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ master piece. deserve for more national awards in year 2023. kudos to #vetrimaran 🔥🔥🔥& god of music #ilayaraja @sooriofficial outstanding acting @vijaysethuoffl mass acting @bhavanisre superb performance. — kollywood cinima (@kollywoodcinima) march 31, 2023, #viduthalaipart1 4/5 vetrimaaran's another sambavam🔥 very good 1st half & good 2nd half. award winning performance by soori. vjs & bhavani sri gud. chetan's performance impressive. 10 mins single shot intro scene & climax scene👏👏 👏 brilliant cinematography & apt bgm. (18+)… — veerappan😇 (@veerapp61077011) march 31, 2023, if anyone watching the movie #viduthalaipart1 in theatre you are awesome.. @vijaysethuoffl role avolo narem iruparu nu sonningana evening ponum..hype ethivudunga pa please .. pic.twitter.com/yhhdq8rre3 — 🇳 🇹 🇷 - 🇻 🇯 🇸 🄳🄸🄴🄷🄰🅁🄳🄵🄰🄽 (@kicha1626) march 31, 2023, veramathiri 🔥🔥🔥🔥lifetime role pichittinga na 👍🏻comedy role inime doubt tha😂 #viduthalaipart1 #viduthalaifdfs #soori — surya (@rajkuma39457955) march 31, 2023, congratulation #vettrimaran sir ., nanban @vijaysethuoffl & @sooriofficial anna 🤝💐😍 mastro @ilaiyaraaja sir entire #viduthalaipart1 team 💐 @elredkumar @bhavanisre @rsinfotainment @redgiantmovies_ @peterheinoffl @mani_rsinfo @velrajr @donechannel1 @ctcmediaboy pic.twitter.com/09ztv3hmn1 — soundararaja actor (@soundar4uall) march 31, 2023, #viduthalaipart1 iyoo enna movie da ithu vera level 💥💥💥🥵 #vetrimaran anna 😘😘 @sooriofficial acting parthu meranduten enna acting da iyoo 🥵🥵💥 @vijaysethuoffl verithanam na 💥💥 @ilaiyaraaja ayya music mind-blowing overall movie 10/10 bayagarama iruku part2 waiting 💥💥 — singamdfan (@yuvaraj07309839) march 31, 2023.

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Home » News » Anurag Kashyap reviews Viduthalai Part 1: Vetrimaaran is India's best »

Anurag Kashyap reviews Viduthalai Part 1: Vetrimaaran is India's best

Bollywood filmmaker Anurag Kashyap has given a glowing review for Vetrimaaran's latest directorial outing Viduthalai Part 1. 

• Team OTTplay

Last Updated: 11.57 PM, Apr 07, 2023

Bollywood filmmaker Anurag Kashyap is an avid watcher of movies. And especially he never misses the films made in the south by a set of his favourite directors. And National Award-winning filmmaker Vetrimaaran is defiantly at the top of his list of favourite directors. Anurag has given a rave review for director Vetrimaaran's latest directorial outing Viduthalai Part 1. 

In his review on Letterboxd, Anurag wrote, "Very powerful film, superb performances across board , the best opening shot I’ve seen in the longest time .. looking forward to part 2 .. Vetrimaran is our best (sic)." 

Also Read: Candid Review | Viduthalai Part 1: Vetrimaaran's own 'Come and See'

Anurag credits Tamil cinema for inspiring him to make rooted movies. It's worth noting that it was the 2008 cult Tamil film Subramaniapuram that inspired him to make the Gangs of Wasseypur series in 2012. 

Viduthalai Part 1 is based on writer B Jeyamohan's short story Thunaivan. However, Vetrimaaran has developed that idea into a five-hour movie and he has split it into two parts. The first part was released in cinemas last week with good reviews. 

"With Viduthalai, Vetri Maaran is completely in his zone and delves into police brutality, caste discrimination and abuse of power with finesse. The film leaves you shaken and triggered, as it should be. Viduthalai scores on all corners, be it the plot, narration, background score, acting performances, cinematography and not to forget, the filmmaking. A brilliant film from the Vetri Maaran stable!," wrote the reviewer for OTTplay . 

Some have also opined that this movie was not the best work of Vetrimaaran compared to his previous films. However, all of them who have watched the movie seem to be eager to watch the second part too. 

Viduthalai stars Vijay Sethupathi and Soori in the lead roles. 

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Studiocanal Unveils First Image of Matt Dillon, Anamaria Vartolomei as Marlon Brando, Maria Schneider in Jessica Palud’s Cannes Movie (EXCLUSIVE)

By Elsa Keslassy

Elsa Keslassy

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Studiocanal has unveiled an exclusive first-look still of Matt Dillon and Anamaria Vartolomei (“Happening”) starring as Marlon Brando and Maria Schneider in Jessica Palud’s movie “Maria,” which is slated to bow at the Cannes Film Festival .

Palud’s film sheds light on the tragic life of Maria Schneider, who starred opposite Marlon Brando in Bernardo Bertolucci’s “The Last Tango in Paris” at the age of 19 and never recovered from the shoot. The film depicts how Schneider was imposed an un-simulated rape scene on the set of “The Last Tango in Paris” by Bertolucci and Brando.

Popular on Variety

Speaking to Variety ahead of the Cannes Film Festival, Palud said both Dillon and Vartolomei told her these roles were “the hardest things” they had done as actors.

“Getting into Brando’s skin who slid into something so violently wrong was dreadful. It remains an attack that happened in front people. But no one reacted and continued filming,” said Palud, adding that Dillon was her “first choice.” “I wanted someone who truly embodies Hollywood,” said the French filmmaker.

As for Vartolomei, Palud says “she was pivotal as she was going to be in every single shot.” “I had to be captivated by the main actress to let her carry Maria’s voice.” “Annamaria does have a rare cinematic presence. We rehearsed a lot for several months, worked on emotions, watched movies together,” Palud continued. Ultimately, Palud says “Maria” is a movie about “the gaze. How it can hurt and seriously damage when someone isn’t understood or taken seriously.”

Here’s a first still:

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Full Trailer for 'Ultraman: Rising' Animated Movie from ILM & Netflix

by Alex Billington May 16, 2024 Source: YouTube

"Ultraman - do your job!" Netflix has unveiled the full official trailer for Ultraman: Rising , a brand new animated take on Ultraman from director Shannon Tindle (also of Kubo and "Lost Ollie"). This has been in development for years at ILM, with the VFX house handling most of the key animation, along side Netflix Animation & Tsuburaya Productions. Based on the classic Japanese mecha superhero of the same name, this Ultraman movie is a fresh update made for American audiences (there's already the Ultraman anime series on Netflix to watch as well). Ken Sato is a superstar baseball player who returns to Japan to become the latest hero to carry the mantle of Ultraman. His plans go awry, however, when he ends up raising a newborn kaiju monster as his own kid. Staring Christopher Sean , Tamlyn Tomita , Gedde Watanabe , Keone Young , and Julia Harriman . This is a fantastic trailer that really sets up the vibe of this movie, which is kid friendly with this adorable kaiju, but it still looks like everyone can enjoy it. Don't write this off! Dive in.

Here's the full official trailer for Shannon Tindle & John Aoshima's Ultraman: Rising , from YouTube :

You can rewatch the teaser trailer for Netflix's Ultraman: Rising right here , to enjoy the first look again.

Based on the beloved Japanese character, Netflix's Ultraman follows baseball superstar Ken Sato as he returns to his home country of Japan to pick up the mantle of Earth-defending superhero Ultraman. He soon finds more than he bargained for when he’s forced to raise the offspring of his greatest foe. Ken must go on a heroic journey, balancing parenthood, his estranged father, and the relentless Kaiju Defense Force to rise beyond his ego and discover what it truly means to be Ultraman. Ultraman: Rising is directed by animation filmmaker / artist Shannon Tindle , the original director of Kubo and the Two Strings , plus creator of the "Lost Ollie" series, and also a character designer / producer on many other animation projects previously. Co-directed by filmmaker John Aoshima ("Gravity Falls", "Red Lands", "DuckTales", "Maya and the Three"). The screenplay is written by Marc Haimes and Shannon Tindle. Produced by Tom Knott, Sean M. Murphy at ILM, & Lisa M. Poole. Netflix releases Tindle & Aoshima's Ultraman: Rising streaming on Netflix worldwide starting June 14th, 2024 coming up this summer. Look good? Who wants to watch?

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Screen Rant

Paul giamatti’s first new movie after being nominated at the oscars is entirely unexpected.

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Downton Abbey Timeline Explained: Every Season & Movie

Star wars: all 15 clone ranks & types explained, "he’s completely unconscious": the mummy director recalls brendan fraser's dangerous real-life stunt on 1999 action movie.

• Paul Giamatti's surprising next movie role will be in Downton Abbey 3, following his well-received performance in The Holdovers.
• Fans are scratching their heads over Giamatti's decision to reprise a minor role in Downton Abbey 3 after his award season successes.
• While Giamatti's return to Downton Abbey 3 is unexpected, his talent will undoubtedly shine in this follow-up to The Holdovers.

Paul Giamatti is set to appear in his first new movie after being nominated at the Oscars for The Holdovers , but the pick is entirely unexpected. Paul Giamatti received all kinds of praise for his role in The Holdovers , with it being one of the most critically acclaimed films of 2023. Because of this, it would be expected that Giamatti's next role after The Holdovers is even bigger, but this is turning out to not be the case.

Paul Giamatti is one of the most beloved actors of the modern era, with his filmography consisting of a wide variety of hits, franchise movies, and instant classics. Paul Giamatti's most popular movies include picks like Sideways , 2001's Planet of the Apes , and Big Fat Liar , with him also appearing in prestige TV shows like Billions . However, Giamatti's role in The Holdovers propelled his career even further , hopefully setting off another streak of beloved films.

Paul Giamatti's First Movie After The Holdovers Will Be Downton Abbey 3

It's a surprising pick.

As it turns out, Paul Giamatti's first movie after The Holdovers will be Downton Abbey 3 . Downton Abbey 3 is the conclusion to the Downton Abbey movie trilogy , with it following in the footsteps of big hits like 2019's Downton Abbey and 2022's Downton Abbey: A New Era . Paul Giamatti's addition to Downton Abbey 3 is an exciting one, especially in the wake of The Holdovers ' successes.

In Downton Abbey 3 , Paul Giamatti will be playing Harold Levinson , a cousin of Elizabeth McGovern's character Cora Crawley. Giamatti is reprising his role from the TV show, with him having played Harold Levinson as a guest star.

Why Paul Giamatti's Downton Abbey Return Is So Surprising

Is it the best follow up to the holdovers.

Paul Giamatti's choice to appear in Downton Abbey 3 is pretty surprising, which is why it has left many fans of the actor scratching their heads. Giamatti is only a guest star in the Downton Abbey TV show , and since his career has taken off in the years since his last Downton Abbey appearance, it is strange that he is returning to reprise such a minor role.

The Downtown Abbey timeline spans six seasons and a movie, covering about 15 years in a time of upheaval and change in the history of England.

On top of that, Paul Giamatti's award season successes would presumably want him to continue pursuing these awards. Giamatti's minor role in Downton Abbey 3 will most likely not garner him any acting nominations due to his minor hand in the film, which is why it seems like a strange pick to follow up The Holdovers with. While Paul Giamatti will undoubtedly be great in Downton Abbey 3 , it is a surprising pick in the wake of The Holdovers .

The Holdovers

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The Holdovers is a comedy-drama film starring Paul Giamatti as Paul Hunham, a prep academy professor hated by peers and students alike. Stuck at the academy for the holidays with no family or friends to visit, he finds himself in the company of a bright-but-troublemaking young student named Angus and the school's head cook, Mary. Together, the three will create a makeshift family as they bond during the holiday season.

• Downton Abbey 3

• entertainment

Director Vetrimaaran clears the air about his film with Vijay

Visual Stories

By Kyle Buchanan

On Tuesday, the 77th edition of the Cannes Film Festival will begin in the south of France. You can expect glamorous gowns and awfully prolonged standing ovations — at Cannes, such things are de rigueur — but what distinguishes this year’s lineup? Here are five things we’ll be watching out for.

A new Coppola on the Croisette.

Some 45 years after Francis Ford Coppola’s “Apocalypse Now” won the Palme d’Or at Cannes, he will return to the Croisette, the festival promenade, with “ Megalopolis ,” starring Adam Driver as a visionary architect determined to rebuild a city after it’s beset by disaster. Coppola self-financed the longtime passion project to the tune of $120 million, a steep price tag that has so far deterred potential distributors. Puck’s Matthew Belloni reported that at a March screening meant to entice buyers, many came away confounded by Coppola’s vision: “There are zero commercial prospects and good for him,” said one source. But if it’s true that the film is a big, wild swing, it’s hard to imagine a friendlier place for its public debut than Cannes, where the filmmaker is revered.

‘Furiosa’ starts its engines.

The biggest movie to debut at Cannes this year will be “Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga,” the latest film in director George Miller’s postapocalyptic action franchise. This one serves as a prequel to the Oscar-winning “Mad Max: Fury Road,” which premiered at Cannes to great acclaim in 2015 and produced an unexpected moment at the film’s news conference when star Tom Hardy apologized to Miller for his bad behavior during the shoot. Expect a big bash for the new movie and a major red-carpet moment from its fashionable star Anya Taylor-Joy , who takes over the titular character originated by Charlize Theron.

A cinematic Trump card.

If any Americans traveling abroad are counting on Cannes for two weeks of respite from this contentious election year, the festival has a rude reminder in the form of Ali Abbasi’s “ The Apprentice .” This political origin story of sorts stars Sebastian Stan as a young Donald J. Trump, Maria Bakalova as his first wife, Ivana, and the “Succession” star Jeremy Strong as Trump’s mentor, the fixer Roy Cohn. Could this be the only film at Cannes this year eligible for both the Palme d’Or and a clapback on Truth Social?

Real-world controversies.

Cannes may be the world’s most prestigious film festival, but it rarely goes off without a hitch. This year’s festival is bracing for two potential disruptions. One is a threatened strike by the festival’s workers, who have complained that their short-term jobs do not allow them to qualify for unemployment benefits. The other is a still-breaking story as the French film industry reckons with its own #MeToo movement, with more accusations rumored to come during the festival. Expect a comment from the French actress and director Judith Godrèche , who will be at the festival with the short film “Moi Aussi” (“Me Too”) and recently made headlines after accusing the director Benoît Jacquot of sexually assaulting her when she was 14. She has also accused the director Jacques Doillon of sexually assaulting her twice. Both men have denied the allegations.

The hunt for the next movie sensation.

This year’s lineup goes heavy on all-star auteurs, with new films from Yorgos Lanthimos (“ Kinds of Kindness ”), Andrea Arnold (“Bird”), Sean Baker (“Anora”) and Paul Schrader (“Oh, Canada”). But Cannes is even more fun when an unexpected movie pops, as “ Anatomy of a Fall ” did last year when it earned rave reviews and the Palme d’Or, setting up a path that would eventually lead to Oscar glory.

What will be the movie that no one is anticipating before the festival but everyone will be talking about afterward? I’ll be on the ground trying to sniff it out.

Kyle Buchanan is a pop culture reporter and also serves as The Projectionist , the awards season columnist for The Times. More about Kyle Buchanan

'It Ends with Us' trailer: Blake Lively falls in love in Colleen Hoover novel adaptation

Colleen Hoover 's hugely popular romance novel "It Ends with Us" is headed to the big screen, and the first look has arrived.

Sony Pictures on Thursday debuted the trailer for " It Ends With Us ," the film adaptation of Hoover's best-selling novel. Blake Lively stars in the lead role as Lily Bloom, a woman who falls for neurosurgeon Ryle Kincaid, played by Justin Baldoni .

"As the two fall deeply in love, Lily begins to see sides of Ryle that remind her of her parents' relationship," the studio's plot synopsis explains. "When Lily's first love, Atlas Corrigan (Brandon Sklenar), suddenly reenters her life, her relationship with Ryle is upended, and Lily realizes she must learn to rely on her own strength to make an impossible choice for her future."

The trailer depicts Lily's initial meeting with Ryle in a flower shop and their subsequent steamy romance, which takes a turn after he becomes violent with her.

"We all have an idea of what love can be: That special connection you feel, that first kiss," Lively's Lily says. "But 15 seconds, that's all it takes to completely change everything."

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The trailer then shows Lily reconnecting with Atlas, transitioning into flashbacks of their relationship, and concludes with her speaking about breaking patterns of abuse.

The footage was accompanied by the Taylor Swift song "My Tears Ricochet" from her 2020 album " Folklore ." Lively and Swift are known to be good friends, and Swift even mentioned the names of her children James, Inez and Betty on the same album.

In addition to starring as Ryle, Baldoni directed "It Ends with Us," which also stars Jenny Slate and Hasan Minhaj . The film hits theaters on Aug. 9.

Watch the 'It Ends with Us' trailer

'It Ends with Us' author Colleen Hoover is the queen of best sellers. Why is she so popular?

'It Ends with Us' based on Colleen Hoover novel

"It Ends with Us" sold more than 4 million copies as of 2022, though it has received criticism from some who argue the book romanticizes abuse . A sequel, "It Starts with Us," was published in 2022 and sold over 800,000 copies on its first day.

The 2016 book was inspired by Hoover's mother and her experiences in an abusive relationship with the author's father.

In 2023, Hoover shared news of the movie adaptation's cast on TikTok, calling Lively her "dream Lily" and saying that she and Baldoni "have what it takes to bring these characters to life." She also described the film's script as "amazing," adding, "I know y'all are going to be happy."

Speaking to the "Today" show in 2023, Hoover said it's "bittersweet" that "It Ends with Us" had remained on the New York Times' best-seller list for so long because its themes of domestic abuse resonate with so many people.

"It's been very heartwarming to read how much the book has helped people, and that my mother's story has actually given strength to other women to be able to leave their situations," she told "Today." "It's a wonderful thing that I’m excited to see on the screen. I also hope that it has the same effect that the book has had."

Contributing: Mary Cadden , USA TODAY