AayuL Regai

Yep, its a Tamil movie! I'd seen the trailer on Sun TV and it seemed quite different from the usual collection of song sequence clips that make up today's trailers. I was quite surprised to find it in the store since I had not heard of its release but rented it anyway. The film surprised me and I feel that it is worth a watch for those who complain about Tamil cinema never straying off the beaten track. So I thot I'd write a little bit about it here(the full review will be on bbreviews on Friday).

The movie boasts of a very unusual story. It starts off like a B-grade Hollywood slasher flick rip-off as a group of people congregate at a big mansion and then start getting eliminated one at a time. But it soon reveals itself to be aiming much higher as it turns into an exploration of the psyche.

The movie has quite a few surprises up its sleeve. But the initial scenes are staged awkwardly and anyone who has seen a few Hollywood films and 1 particular, much more high-profile, 2004 Tamil film, will be able to guess the route the movie is going to take. But it still holds a couple of good surprises near its finish.

Towards the end, logic is sacrificed at the expense of springing even more surprises. But the surprises do work and keep us from thinking about the story until the end credits roll. One surprise in particular completely blindsided me.

The movie is raw, stark and unflinching in its depiction. There were quite a few scenes (a boy's mother's death and a macabre see-saw in the middle of the forest, to name a couple) that literally shook me up. So it is not an easy watch. But this kind of portrayal helps create a very memorable lead character.

The director has bravely kept away from typical masala elements. So you don't have any silly comedy, ill-fitting duets or special-effects-laden fights.

The movie is packed with unfamiliar faces. Thennavan(the man with the knife in the picture above) is the 'hero' and he looks kinda familiar though I couldn't place where I've seen him. He seem a little stiff initially but gradually makes us believe in him. The actor with the rope on his shoulder in the picture gives a truly manic performance. With a wiry frame, unkempt hair and large eyes, he fits the role perfectly. Cinematography catches the eye. There are some unusual and imaginative camera angles(this is the 2nd movie in a row where I've seen a 'dog-cam'!) and the camera almost never stops moving. Songs play in the background and one of them was very catchy.

So if you are one of those who laments about the refusal of Tamil film directors to take risks and try something new, give AayuL Regai a chance. With a complex story, a complicated screenplay, unfamiliar actors and no masala elements, its Tamil cinema at its riskiest!