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Silambattam– Movie Review |
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| Behindwoods
Movie Review Board |
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Starring:
Silambarasan, Sneha, Sana Khan, Prabhu, Santhanam
Direction: Saravanan
Music:
Yuvan Shankar Raja
Production: Lakshmi Movie Makers Limited |
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Silambarasan’s Christmas gift is here; so how good is
the gift, or is it a gift at all? The answer depends a lot
on your preferences and tastes. The director had vouched pre-release
that he had made a full length entertainer and he has given
everything that he believes towards making one. The intentions
are spot on, but as the saying goes ‘small good deeds
are better than large good intentions’ and it is the
deeds of the director that we are interested in, we don’t
doubt his intentions. |
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Silambattam
is about retribution, an oft repeated theme in Tamil
cinema and a very regular element of Silambarasan starrers.
It is all about the feuds within a family that take
on unmanageable proportions and result in death and
despair for many. An extended family in a village is
leading a happy and united existence. The head of the
family is a much loved man in the village and in his
last days he leaves a large chunk of his property for
the welfare of his villagers. Most of the family is
happy to abide by the decision of their godfather, but
there are factions that believe that the old man has
shown more largesse than is agreeable and decide to
oppose it. Push comes to shove and the inevitable sickle
takes center stage. As many members of the family are
killed, some of them make off with their lives, never
to return. But destiny brings back one boy to his roots
and when he learns of what has passed, then retribution
is the only thing on his mind.
The director has admitted that the plot is not novel.
Well, we |
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don’t expect a path breaker either. The director has
handled the story and screenplay and while it cannot be denied
that the plot and the script do show signs of promise and
potential, the ultimate realization has been found wanting.
Somehow, one gets the feeling of an opportunity that has been
wasted. The narration is not sound, though it is difficult
to put one’s finger on exactly what the weaker points
are, lack of application on the director’s part seems
to be the culprit here.
Silambarasan has turned in a whole hearted performance. Appearing
in two roles for the second time in his career, he makes good
use of the scope provided. His role as the villager in the
‘flashback’ mode must be appreciated, especially
his combination with Sneha who also has managed to make an
impact with a limited role. Their chemistry is surprisingly
good, with machan machan song having come out really well.
Sana Khan, paired with the present day Silambarasan, has been
largely sidelined by the main plot. Then there is the seasoned
Prabhu, the able Kishore, the veterans Nedumudi Venu, Nirosha,
Yuvarani etc. But in spite of having such a cast at his disposal,
the director has failed to make an impact in many scenes.
The talent of these artistes cannot be doubted, the fault
has to be with way they were utilized. Santhanam and Karunas
shoulder the comedy in the flashback and current modes respectively.
There are certain lewd and at times unsavory dialogues that
have been passed off as comedy, definitely in bad taste. But
Karunas salvages pride for the comedy department with interestingly
devised comic situations which blend in with the plot.
Highlights of the movie are undoubtedly Silambarasan’s
dance skills and the foot tapping tunes. Silambarasan does
not disappoint, nor does Yuvan. The Machan Machan song in
Ilaiyaraja’s voice is a delight while ‘Where’s
the party’ is a typically trendy pub number, thoroughly
enjoyable. The action sequences too have been crafted well.
But one gets the feeling that director Saravanan has relied
too heavily on these elements to carry the weight of the movie,
while the execution of a fairly good plot has left a lot to
be desired though there are certain scenes (few and far in
between) that reflect the director’s ability. Saravanan
fails to join the list of cinematographers turned successful
directors.
Overall,
Silambattam is not a bad product, but it could have been
a lot better had it not been for the lackluster handling.
At the box office, Silambarasan fans might not feel let
down by the content and regular additives, but when it comes
down to the others, it’s a bit of touch and go. Saravanan,
Silambarasan and the rest of the Silambattam team will have
to wait and watch.
Verdict – Silambattam – Nothing special
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