'Goripalayam'
Cast: Harish, Ramakrishnan, Jagannath, Prakash, Poongodi, Swathika and others
Director: Rasu Madhuravan
The success of realistic, close-to-the-soil films like 'Subramaniapuram' and 'Nadodigal' has spawned similar ventures. So much so that it has become a genre in itself, an alternate cinema of sorts. But sadly most of them turn out to be pale imitations of such films. Simulating only the superficial and the irrelevant elements in them, they miss out on the freshness, realism and meticulous etching of incidents and characters, which made them such a hit with audiences. 'Goripalayam' is the latest in this uninspiring list.
Set in the suburbs of Madurai, the film revolves around four youngsters — unkempt, unfocused and wayward. Alienated from their families (the director makes a futile attempt to evoke sympathy with a flashback of their deprived childhood), the drifters find themselves drawn into a vicious circle of violence and bloodshed.
After a misunderstanding with the two bigwigs of the place, they find themselves running for their lives, hunted by Pandi, a mercenary hired to kill them.
There is no freshness in the script, the narration too lacklustre. There are too many characters, and a huge star cast, none of them making any impact.
Harish plays the role of Azhagar, one among the four guys, and comes out the better of the lot. Ramakrishnan weirdly named ‘A to Z’, has an equally weird romantic dalliance. He and his three friends sleep on the roadside and finds himself woken up each morning by a dog that pees on his face. Nauseating one would think, but not ‘A To Z’, who promptly falls for the dog’s mistress. The latter, an educated and fairly wealthy girl, reciprocates his love even if he is dirty, uncouth, jobless, boozes, and sleeps on roadsides. With his ‘heroic’ career not quite taking off, Vikranth shifts to a negative role of Pandi, the ruthless hired killer. But the role soon loses its impact, when Pandi is given a sentimental makeover with a song. In fact the forcing in of songs at regular intervals, is a jarring distraction.
Madhuravan’s earlier film 'Mayandi Kudumbathar', was an emotionally charged entertainer that went down well with family audiences. But here he disappoints, the film a stale rehash of similar earlier ones.