Merry Christmas

A very slow burn ..by a exceptional director who thrives in movies of this genre. He has had made most of his material hit the spot...and usally word of mouth gets his movies to go up in viewership But in this one ..the buildup takes an entire first half that could have been easily chopped by 30 percent minimum.. but in the hindsight the buildup was needed for the so called surprise ending But a watchful viewer would have guessed it as we get into the last course It's a very decent story ...but it doesn't bangs like his previous work.

Actors are very honest to their art. Katrina does exceptionally well. Vijay is such a charm you ...just love watching him on the screen.

Only if there was more meat on the soup the celebration would have made it perfect merry cristmas.

Started off quite well and looked promising. Kind of fell apart halfway.

The whole initial set up though of the two lead characters first meeting seemed quite trite and unnatural. Actually it looked forced as if the director wanted to start off the narrative in a hurry and couldn't bother to build upon characterisation.

First half is intriguing and definitely watchable. Shame that in the second half everything went for a toss.

Vijay is a very good actor there's no doubt, but this is not for him. He looked totally uncomfortable and particularly so in the intimate scenes with Katrina.

Katrina does decent work - nothing amazing. She does try hard but the efforts show. I think if the dialogues were in English, she would be much better placed.

The narrative itself is weak in the second half and by the final scenes, you lose interest. Anyway still a better watch than what's coming out of B/wood these days, in the name of cinema.

Serpentine twists and turns. Nail-biting suspense and tension-filled moments that keep you on edge. A masterstroke finale... Director SriramRaghavan delivers an out-of-the-box, absorbing tale that teases your mind, besides keeping you engaged and entertained. MerryChristmas could've done with faster pacing and slight trimming for an enhanced impact... Also, this film depends entirely on a strong word of mouth, so don't expect fireworks at the BO on arrival.

In the coming days, one word that's sure to be associated with Merry Christmas is 'slow burn'. In the past few years, we, as an audience, have become so accustomed to a fast-paced narrative that anything remotely unhurried feels like it's demanding a lot from us. In Merry Christmas, Sriram Raghavan takes his own sweet time to tell the tale of a woman in an unhappy marriage and a man with a mysterious past while also making sure that his characters have abundant time to breathe, talk, and even go for a walk around town.

On the whole, MERRY CHRISTMAS is a well-made thriller and is laced with a fine performance by Vijay Sethupathi. At the box office, it'll need a strong word of mouth to succeed as it appeals only to the multiplex audience in the urban areas.

Excellent movie. A very detailed and intimate sequence starts the movie. Soft and nice and charming. It is all good. And you start wondering when the plot is going to start.

And just as you wonder, the movie starts talking. Plot thickens. Craft does stand out. Details come out in a very nonchalant manner.

The plot has a certain made-upness to it that can throw a viewer off. But at the same time, there are some very interesting nuances. I really loved the way the movie ended.

It was a can't put down for me. There are moments that movies present that just bring you joy. Spectacular shots that just bring elation to you out of the blue. There were multiple such moments in this movie.

There is a very fine emotional thread that stays intact through all the drama and that thread had a grey shade to it.

Forget the fruitcake and spiked eggnog, "Merry Christmas" is the real holiday treat you deserve. This isn't your grandma's feel-good Christmas movie; it's a suspenseful, stylish, and morally ambiguous masterpiece from Sriram Raghavan. Picture "Inception" meets "Casablanca" with a dash of Mumbai masala chai, and you're getting close.

Imagine a forbidden romance between a lonely housewife and a mysterious stranger, set against the twinkling lights and bustling chaos of Christmas Eve Mumbai. Pari Maheshwari Sharma smolders as the housewife, trapped in a gilded cage, while the enigmatic Vijay Varma saunters in with secrets simmering in his eyes. Raghavan paints every frame like a visual poem, using light, shadow, and even the way a sari swirls to hint at the tangled web of desires and betrayals to come.

Get ready for Hitchcockian twists that'll leave you gasping, like unwrapping a perfectly-shaped present only to find a ticking bomb inside. But Raghavan isn't just playing games; he's using this suspense to dig deep into the messy heart of human relationships. Is love a refuge or a prison? Where does loyalty lie when faced with temptation? And can you ever truly escape your past?

The music in this film is like a monsoon rainstorm on a Mumbai rooftop, swirling with sitar twangs and melancholic cello cries. It seeps into your bones and adds another layer to the film's intoxicating atmosphere. You'll be humming these tunes long after the credits roll.

Raghavan isn't afraid to borrow from the best, weaving the suspenseful chills of Hitchcock with the philosophical musings of Eric Rohmer. It's a genre-bending cocktail that's both familiar and refreshingly unique. He throws in unexpected pop culture references and Bollywood winks that'll have you grinning between gasps.

"Merry Christmas" isn't a film to passively watch; it's an invitation to participate, to puzzle over clues, question characters, and grapple with the moral tightrope they walk. It's a slow burn that explodes into a finale that will leave you shaken, stirred, and maybe a little bit hungover on existential questions.

So, ditch the fruitcake and dive into "Merry Christmas." It's a cinematic feast that will linger long after the last bite, leaving you questioning everything you thought you knew about love, loyalty, and the magic (and mayhem) of the holiday season.

P. S. Don't forget to pay attention to the little details in this film. Raghavan loves hiding clues and symbolism in every frame, from the color of someone's shirt to the stray object on a table. It's like a treasure hunt for the observant viewer!