DANNY MOVIE REVIEW CLICK TO RATE THE MOVIE

Danny’ is the latest Tamil film directly opting for a digital release during the lockdown. The movie stars Varalaxmi Sarathkumar as the lead with Vela Ramamoorthy, Vinoth Kishan, Kawin, Anitha Sampath, Durai Sudhakar, and the Labrador ‘Danny’ playing crucial roles. Directed by LC Santhanamoorthy the movie has music by Sai Bhaskar and Santosh Dhayanidhi, with B Aanand Kumar behind the lens. ‘Danny’ is streaming on the OTT platform ZEE5. Touted to be a crime thriller, does the movie actually keep you on your feet? Read more to find out.

‘Danny’ is a patrol dog that helps the cops unearth crimes with ease. For the first time in Tamil cinema in recent times, we see a patrol dog being addressed with its designation in the department. Without much delay, the director takes a deep dive into the plot - a series of crimes against women happen in a similar pattern. Who and the why forms the crux of the story.

Although the movie is named after the patrol dog Danny, it is mostly Varalaxmi Sarathkumar using her police brains and connecting the dots to solve the mystery. Had there been more screen presence for the dog, the title could have been justified better. Nevertheless, Danny the dog, whenever he is seen on screen, has done a fair job. There are a few emotional scenes for him and Danny’s presence in those reiterate the fact that ‘Dog is man’s best friend’.

Varalaxmi Sarathkumar as the cop is a fine choice. Her bold and tough character, adds up to her performance and she eases it through. The nuances in her expressions work really well for the mood the movie creates and unlike other less intense cop characterers, she’d make you believe that she is real police and not just a ‘heroine’ with a police dress.

With only a runtime of 95 minutes, ‘Danny’ has a lot to cover. The short run-time could have worked in favour of the screenplay, had there not been any deviation from the main plot. However, a few scenes are a letdown especially the comedy scenes. Their absence would actually make more sense in the movie. The director has also tried to bring in comedy at a few places amidst the serious tone and it may seem to be funny on paper, but fails in the execution part.

Set in the rural parts of Thanjavur, ‘Danny’ has a few scenes where a subtle treatment of emotions might have made the audience feel more connected to the characters. A few artists tend to overreact and thus, the scenes don’t take you on a promised emotional high, as intended. 

Apart from Varalaxmi, Anitha Sampath has played a crucial role in the movie and she has done a neat job. However, the rest of the cast and crew seem to be slightly overboard. A bit of artificiality is a mild concern and it is evidently visible and even if one is cautiously optimistic while watching, you can’t help but notice the flaws in the characterization. Had there been more twists to the screenplay, the movie would have ended on a better note.

After a tight 45 minutes or so, the screenplay seems to be set loose and is followed by a predictable series of events. In a crime thriller, the final ‘big reveal’ is what makes the audience connect with the movie and in ‘Danny’, an unsurprising reveal and the end make it less interesting. The background score works for the plot at times, but overall, doesn’t create the tension required for a thriller. The visuals are neatly set and the cinematographer has done a good job.

Even with its flaws, ‘Danny’ has its own highs. A little more engaging screenplay would have made this tale gripping and would have worked out for many. With the lows outnumbering the highs, ‘Danny’ settles for an average watch.