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Let's start with Soori's whirlwind of a performance, then transition to Anna Ben's big breakout. Wonderful right? Sure, why not? Let's give them the solace of performance. Now, I'll take a dramatic pause before beginning (the director certainly took a few). What on earth did I watch? Whether or not Meena was possessed, Vinothraj certainly was. With shades of Sathyajit Ray, Vinothraj promises a Pather Panchali-esque viewing experience minus the Pather Panchali.

You read that right. A lack of sympathy, heartfelt emotion, dialogue, and god forbid Vinothraj adds a soundtrack. While the themes and symbolism hit the spot from an artistic view, such a film would be best kept in an exhibition, or better yet, a museum. Promising nothing apart from a subtle twist, a few gripping scenes, and some impeccable cinematography, the film lacks substance. Of course, it'll be raved on by pseudo-cinephiles in the hopes of putting on a cultured facade, but personally, I can see through the shallow attempt at garnering praise.

Too many overhead shots of Soori simply walking, or other characters doing absolutely nothing. One must ask themselves, have the principles of Chekov's gun vanished from modern era filmmaking?

The symbols are fine, the film, however, is not.

A rom-com? Check. A powerful star-cast? Check. Woody chasing cats? Check, check, check! Fly me to the moon takes me back to Meg Ryan saying "I hear nothing. Not even a sound on the streets of New York, just the beating of my own heart. I have mail." I know, You've Got Mail is untouchable, but Fly Me to the Moon definitely goes as far as to graze it. Starting with the performances, can we just applaud Channing Tatum on continuing to deliver his lines in the funniest way possible? Starting from side-remarks in Coach Carter, to being naked half the time in Magic Mike, he's definitely got jokes. Not to mention, he's met his match in every acting measure by Johansson. Her poise in every role is nothing short of spectacular.

Aside from the titular characters, it was lovely to see Ray Romano don the cape of the funniest man alive once more. From making me roll off the couch in pure, unadulterated laughter in Everybody Loves Raymond, his comedic sword remains ever so sharp, with witty jokes and wisecracks galore. The premise of the film remains thorough - gripping, lighthearted, and just pure fun. I didn't feel as though it was worth a movie ticket, or popcorn, or the large size drink in my hand, but there I was, enjoying myself ever step of the way.

The film does have a few unnecessary details that bog it down, such as the lack of depth to Johansson's character, or the stone-faced demeanour of Tatum's performance, but surprisingly, Woody fills in those gaps, and it's a genuinely memorable viewing experience - they may have wanted to bring in Kubrick, but nobody could've topped this, not even the man himself.

It all starts with anticipation. Dhanush sets the tone, the plot, the characters, and the setting with ease; he's learnt from the best. Plus, nobody needs to tell him how to act, right? Well, yeah, right, but the film doesn't only start with anticipation, it ends with it. An eager audience shuffling in, with a tired one shuffling out. Raayan definitely starts strong, with powerful cinematography, as cinematographer Om Prakash shines with a gritty and dark take on Northern Chennai. While it is a plot point that has been done before, we don't feel as though it's a copy, simply a shade of a rehashed story.

Starting with the performances, they're beyond criticism. Dushara Vijayan stars in a rural dialect, playing a character similar to hers in Saarpatta. Sundeep Kishan, Kalidas, and Aparna Balamurali - I have no qualms, the young men never fail to amaze, and as for Balamurali, she's been the brightest of sparks in every film, regardless of how dull the script can tend to be. In the case of Dhanush, playing a tight lipped role similar to that of which we've seen in Nobody, he portrays everything flawlessly. So, if they can all act well, and of course, the script isn't torturous, then we're all good right? Wrong. The lack of villainy, and the resounding dull atmosphere, almost repeated like a broken radio, leaves the audience craving more - me especially. At times, I remember checking my watch in anticipation of dinner, as frankly, that was more exciting than watching Dhanush and crew walking down an alleyway to an unimpressive A. R. Rahman score for the umpteenth time.

Perhaps over-criticism is the bane of this film's existence, but perhaps Dhanush has released something unworthy of a second-time watch - rare for his stellar filmography. While drab, it's definitely worth a watch (if, of course, we lower our expectations to the ground). To sum up, the film holds its ground, barely, but surely. It suffers from a stellar cast and crew attempting to make the most out of a lacklustre script.

I'd recommend watching this film with an open mind, then forming your negative opinions afterwards, as I have, since you'll surely have many.