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| UTHAMA
PUTHIRAN MOVIE REVIEW |
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| Review
by : Behindwoods review board |
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| Starring:
Dhanush, Genelia, Vivek.
Direction:
Mithran R. Jawahar
Music:
Vijay Antony
Production:
Mohan Appa Rao
Uthamaputhiran
– literally translates to ‘the
ideal son’. Well, this Diwali, if
you are searching for the ideal entertainer,
then chances are that you will have your
gaze firmly fixed on Uthamaputhiran, the
only star driven release of this festive
season. Does Uthamaputhiran stand true
to its title?
Uthamaputhiran is all about love, family,
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relationships,
fun and laughter. It begins by portraying Siva @ Dhandapani
(watch the movie to find the reason behind the second
name) as a boy who does not have too many talents
or positives except for an uncanny knack of getting
into trouble and sticking his neck out for others
when they need him the most. One such sojourn of his
goes horribly wrong and he is stranded on the highway
with Pooja in complete bridal attire and a band of
goons hot on their heels. You think that the film
is all set to get into a ‘road race’ mode
with fights, chases, isolated locations and songs.
But, the director introduces us to a large joint family
headed by the inimitable Bhagyaraj. It is all fun,
chatter and laughter from then on in the first half
until a twist ushers the interval in. Post-interval
we shift focus to two other families; completely contrasting
to the one we have seen so far. They are loud, obnoxious,
garrulous (takes a bit of getting used to)and gullible
all at the same time. But, the humor and fun continue
undiluted here too, pepped up even more by the arrival
of ‘Emoshonal Ekambaram’ (Vivek). The
fun goes a notch higher with the introduction of ‘Washington
Vettrivel’ and ‘Chicago Shakthivel’.
The role play keeps you amused and enthralled right
down to the wire. The finer details of the plot, the
connection between the three families and the reason
behind names such as ‘Washington Vettrivel’
will be best understood in theaters.
If a clean family fare, full of fun and humor (clean,
no double entendres), no ‘supermanism’,
no glamour, little bit of sentiments and a slightly
melodramatic climax is your idea of a good entertainer,
then you certainly have found the ‘Uthama’
entertainer for Diwali. Right from the outset the
director makes it clear that his aim is to entertain
the audience. There are not many moments in the movie
where the proceedings get excessively serious or somber.
That is not to say that the central plot is weak or
trivial; far from that. But, the director has presented
it all in a fun and frolic manner which keeps us amused
throughout. The credit here definitely goes to the
script; humor has been cleverly woven into the proceedings,
both by means of dialogues and situations. It is only
in the latter part of the first half that romance
takes a slight precedence over fun. But, of course,
that is necessary to set the pace for what is to come
in the second half. The second half rockets off to
a great start with the introduction of Emoshonal Ekambaram
(the name being slightly reminiscent of Vadivelu’s
Encounter Ekambaram character). Dhanush and Vivek
rock together, each complementing the other with superb
timing. Vivek’s stunned and bemused look after
the introduction of the ‘Vettrivel-Shakthivel’
brothers will have you in splits; so will his wordplay
with ‘subconscious memory’ which becomes
‘sami dhadile fire’. With all the comedy
and role play, romance does take a backseat in the
second half.
Scripting and direction really show their maturity
with the pacing of the movie. A consistent tempo is
maintained right through and there aren’t any
portions that elicit yawns. Also, the conscious decision
to cut down on high-flying fights (there are just
two very brief stunt sequences) and foreign location
dances (only one, ‘Ussume Laresay’ has
come out well) makes the movie a refreshing experience.
The songs too, just 4 in number, have been seamlessly
placed into the narrative, which is great. The director
also deserves a round of applause for character establishment
and maintaining a consistent graph for all players
involved. Even the smallest of roles (like Mayilsaamy’s
‘Santhosh Khan’) have been carefully constructed.
Looking at the performances in Uthamaputhiran will
require a long time because of the sheer size of the
cast. But, to start with Dhanush; we have grown used
to the kinds of films and roles that Dhanush chooses
for himself, the gangly, no airs guy. Uthamaputhiran
is perhaps testimony to the fact that Dhanush has
identified his strengths and is firmly playing by
them, not making too many mistakes. The role of Siva
fits him to a T; it is difficult to imagine anyone
else as this character. Credit is due to Dhanush for
agreeing to do away with many commercial elements
like the intro song and appearing as just a simpleton.
Genelia is her usual sprightly self. The huge supporting
cast has worked wonders for the movie. Listing them
all here will be an exercise in itself; Bhagyaraj,
Ambika, Rekha, Ashish Vidhyarthi etc.. all showcase
their experience. The comedy brigade lead by Vivek
is irrepressible; Mayilsaamy plays a delightful part
while Dhanush’s group of friends also liven
up the screen; it is only Karunas who gets very little
to do. Shriya plays a cameo right at the start.
Camera, by Balasubramaniam, has ensured that the screen
is always bright and cheerful, suiting the mood of
the film. Vijay Anthony’s music has been used
well by the director; the composer deserves special
mention for the BGM; especially the ‘nadaswaram’
tone for Vivek and the ‘Shanty Shanty’
refrain for Mayilsamy. Editing is crisp.
Finding faults with Uthamaputhiran will be difficult.
One feels that with the given plot, premise and resources,
Mithran Jawahar has delivered the best possible results.
Yes, there is a feeling that 3 hours is a tad too
long; that the climax is a bit sugar coated, that
certain portions could have been avoided (like the
Spiderman bit) and such minor things. But, the final
product stands above all these glitches.
Of course, it is not the kind of ground breaking attempt
that will change Tamil cinema overnight. But, it is
a clean ‘family entertainer’, that can
be enjoyed by all age groups, made with very honest
and earnest intentions. It is clean, its fun and its
feel good. Go for ‘Uthamaputhiran’. Chances
are that you won’t be disappointed; we have
been needing this kind of a family flick for some
time now.
Verdict: Diwali outing for the entire family
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| Tags
: Uthama
Puthiran, Dhanush,
Genelia,
Vivek,
Mithran
R. Jawahar, Vijay
Antony |
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