Here's a simple but effective addition to the "Bruised Male Ego" cinematic universe which already features the likes of Driving Licence, Ayyapanum Koshiyum, Kaduva, Adi, and plenty more in Malayalam. This time, the setting is a house in Chennai and the ego clash occurs between tenants who get worked up over their shared parking space. The Tamil thriller follows the same pattern as the Malayalam films I've mentioned where a minor incident gradually spirals out of control and leads to irrepressible repercussions. The writing takes it slow, letting us into the distinct worlds of its protagonists; I use the word "distinct" as they come from different strata of life and have completely different ideologies, yet they share one common element - an easily wounded ego.
MS Bhaskar and Harish Kalyan play the two men at loggerheads with each other, and the former's character is unquestionably easier to hate. Beyond a point, he shows no redemptive qualities (as his wife puts it across) as a husband, a father, or a human being. While Harish Kalyan doesn't show signs of struggle as a performer, I feel the role could have produced a greater impact in the hands of a more seasoned actor. That it's his face alone on the film's poster is also a decision I'd like to challenge. Bhaskar, as expected, is outstanding with even the subtle changes in his facial expressions adding to the film's overall positives. The score by Sam CS is also a definite plus.
There are also some really tense moments within the screenplay that work in its favor. These include a fantastic raid scene at a government office, a sabotage scene at night, and a public showdown between the two men. On the other hand, Kalyan's character ends up getting the short end of the stick, with his problems mostly limited to being there for his pregnant wife. There are flashes of other issues that are brought up, like how he's underdelivering at work and frequently being an absentee, but it's all conveniently brushed aside for larger thrills. The cops also only show up in one instance, and they're also rendered inconsequential in this scenario. The women, like most others in similar films, are the ultimate sufferers.
While it works within the thriller context, the screenplay route in the film's penultimate and final acts becomes increasingly predictable, especially once we get a hang of how things are shaping up. For a good while, I thought writer-director Ramkumar Balakrishnan had done away with that particular idea, but the film circles back to it in a rather uncomplicated and rushed closure.
MS Bhaskar and Harish Kalyan play the two men at loggerheads with each other, and the former's character is unquestionably easier to hate. Beyond a point, he shows no redemptive qualities (as his wife puts it across) as a husband, a father, or a human being. While Harish Kalyan doesn't show signs of struggle as a performer, I feel the role could have produced a greater impact in the hands of a more seasoned actor. That it's his face alone on the film's poster is also a decision I'd like to challenge. Bhaskar, as expected, is outstanding with even the subtle changes in his facial expressions adding to the film's overall positives. The score by Sam CS is also a definite plus.
There are also some really tense moments within the screenplay that work in its favor. These include a fantastic raid scene at a government office, a sabotage scene at night, and a public showdown between the two men. On the other hand, Kalyan's character ends up getting the short end of the stick, with his problems mostly limited to being there for his pregnant wife. There are flashes of other issues that are brought up, like how he's underdelivering at work and frequently being an absentee, but it's all conveniently brushed aside for larger thrills. The cops also only show up in one instance, and they're also rendered inconsequential in this scenario. The women, like most others in similar films, are the ultimate sufferers.
While it works within the thriller context, the screenplay route in the film's penultimate and final acts becomes increasingly predictable, especially once we get a hang of how things are shaping up. For a good while, I thought writer-director Ramkumar Balakrishnan had done away with that particular idea, but the film circles back to it in a rather uncomplicated and rushed closure.