Scripts centered on serial murders could be weaved in different ways. At times, the identity of the killer is kept a secret from the audience, the killer exposed only towards the end.
While at other times, the killer’s identity and his modus operandi is revealed in the beginning itself, and it’s the killer’s choice of his next victim, and how he is apprehended by the cops that helps keep up the suspense. Here, the debutant director has resorted to the second way. The film’s two protagonists are played by Ram and Sanjay. Sanjay has revealed himself as a constantly good performer in his earlier films too. It’s a cakewalk for the actor playing Ezhil, the understanding and supportive friend of Eisa. For Ram, it’s a vast improvement on his earlier work (Kattuviriyan).The actor has worked hard on his role and made a good effort of bringing on screen Eisa, the man confounded by the accusations against him. An orphan brought up in the warmth in of friend Ezhil and his family, Eisa finds himself on the police scanner. Investigating a series of random killings the cops had found enough evidence to link Eisa to the murders.
The audience is kept in the know all along about the killer’s actions, so there is no suspense element here. Blending in the rebirth-scenario with a serious psychiatric problemexpounded in great detail by psychiatrics in an early scenes itself- seems a confused way of explaining the killer’s actions.
The director should have stuck to one, or the other.
Incidentally, the flashback episodes seem straight out of the 16 Vayathinile plot. A better focus and clarity in the etching of the script, could have worked to the film’s advantage.
expresso@epmltd.com