Thalaivaa

My review: Thalaivaa

Finally the wait is over. Almost two weeks after its worldwide release "Thalaivaa" got released in Tamil Nadu today. After watching it one wonders what  that hoopla was all about. In the end the wait is worth it. "Thalaivaa" is a routine Vijay movie told in a different style, that of director Vijay's. Director Vijay has always been criticized for not being original with his scripts so far. Even here it is no different but at-least here he acknowledges the fact right at the beginning. 

Director Vijay's movie all run at a pace that is not considered desirable for a commercial movie. Yet he has reaped success with that approach and here too he applies the same. The problem with his previous movie "Thandavam" was a poor script which was not at all engaging. Even in that movie the flashback sequences were good. This time around he has ironed out that chink and has presented an engaging tale of rise of a leader with more than ample support from his lead star Vijay. Moreover who has defined rules that a commercial format movie should move at a break-neck speed. If the screenplay is engaging enough who cares about the length or the speed, except may be the impulsive, inattentive, hyperactives who can go on a course of Atamoxetine rather trying to spend time in a theater.  

"Thalaivaa" has all the ingredients of a typical Vijay movie albeit refined by the subtlety which is director Vijay's forte. It is refreshing to watch a vijay movie with lots of scope for dance without much of heavy movements. It is a delight to watch his subtle, suave and stylish dance in all the songs in the movie. Especially the movements in the "Yaar indha salai oram" is delectable to watch. It is a throwback to the "Azhagooril poothavale" days. "The Ecstasy of Dance " is another sequence which enriches the movie watching experience where a seamless confluence of brilliant orchestration, nimble footed actors who have performed  the excellently choreographed dance composition effortlessly, and exceptional visuals with intelligent use of lighting by the cinematographer. 

Vijay continues with his new found maturity and subtlety in his acting that is evident after "Sura". He has good scope to perform and he has done his job to perfection. Currently there is no one in Tamil cinema who can better him in the comical as well as the dance sequences which he reaffirms in "Thalaivaa" too. His emotive skills have become better. In couple of scenes he has done extremely well. One the pre-interval sequence right from the time he along with Sathyaraj enters the hotel room where Suresh and Amala Paul are staying. The other one is the tit-for-tat game that he plays with the Villain towards the end. Though there is enough scope for over-the-top ostentatious heroism in that sequence (which Vijay of old would have certainly attempted) he has done it in a restrained manner with tinge of sarcasm typical of him. Also his new-found proficiency in the variation in dialogue delivery and modulation is put to great use this time too.

Amala Paul has never looked this good so far. In director Vijay's movie invariably the heroine roles are strong and would have enough scope for them to perform. Here too Amala Paul has a significant role to play with at certain places she even becomes the saviour of the hero (which is again a refreshing change in a Vijay movie for not many of his contemporaries have done it in their movies in the recent past nor in previous movies of Vijay himself). She manages to match Vijay with her footwork in the dance sequences. She has dubbed in her own voice which is commendable. Her Tamil pronunciation is good without Malayalam accent like Parvathy in "Maryan". 

Sathyaraj doesn't have much to do. But he is graceful and leaves a mark. Santhanam after a long time has managed to evoke laughter. But the maximum laughs  for him is when he appears in a weird get-up in the end mouthing a serious dialogue. Abhimanyu Singh is loud and theatrical which is clearly out of keeping with the general subtlety of the movie. Ragini Nandwani is a welcome addition to Tamil cinema. She is cute and performs well too. Veterans like Nasser, Ponvannan, Suresh, Y.Gee. Mahendra, Rekha have done their parts well giving adequate support to the story. Sam Anderson sizzles with his cameo.

G.V.Prakashkumar's songs are a huge hit already. "Vanganna vanakamanna" sung by Vijay himself is foot-tapping number that is ruling the FM stations in Tamil Nadu for almost 6 weeks now. "Yaar intha salaai oram" is a beautiful melody number, a typical G.V.Prakash special while "The Ecstasy of Dance" as said already is a brilliant composition. "Tamil pasanga" could have been better with more beats and energy that would have given more scope for dance. "Thalapathy thalapathy" is a delight for Vijay fans. His background score in the first half is good, especially in the romantic portions. But in the second half the energy and the extra spunk is missing that might have elevated the "mass" scenes onto a higher plane.  

Nirav Shah's cinematography is excellent. Especially the "Ecstasy of Dance" sequence is beautifully shot by him. And his lighting in various sequences that extols the rise of the protagonist is outstanding. He once again proves that even in a commercial movie of this type there is ample scope for the cinematographer to stand out. As a result movie is technically suave and stylish. 

Written and directed by Vijay with ample inspirations from various movies of this genre from the past he surprises the audience with couple of interesting twists. Especially the pre-interval twist caught many unawares. Though largely unoriginal Vijay manages to keep the audience going with an interesting screenplay and a charismatic actor to boot. 

On the whole, "Thalaivaa" is an entertaining movie where a mass subject is presented in a classy manner. Though may not reach the heights of "Thuppakki", it is better than any other big-star commercial movie that got released this year (with the exception of "Vishwaroopam").

Bottomline: Time to (continue the) lead. 

3.5/5