NER ETHIR MOVIE REVIEW

As a minimalistic thriller Jayapradeep’s Ner Ethir sticks to its agenda quite convincingly. The characters, scene of action and the story are established within moments of the film’s opening.

A distressed Kathir (Parthi) decides to deal betrayal with violence despite his friend, Karthik (Richard Rishi), urging him to retain his calm over the phone. The whys and whats behind Kathir’s intentions unfold rather proficiently in a non linear fashion in Ner Ethir and whether Karthik is able to help his friend out makes for its plot.

The story set in the Moon Light Hotel essentially has 5 main characters who contribute to its development and eventual resolution. MS Bhaskar as the diligent bell hop is clearly the most seasoned performer of the lot. His practice of briefing the guests on the legacy of the hotel is a nice touch even though the hotel's actual functioning suggests anything but quality service. Vidya and Aishwarya adequately perform the roles of the other key characters.

Visually the film spells a good standard with an impressive production design. The set of the hotel rooms and hallway are tastefully done and equally well captured by cinematographer Rasamathi, who does his bit to add to the anxiousness with his framing and lighting. Gopi Krishna is entrusted with the crucial task of editing and he skillfully organizes the knotty screenplay and keeps the narration tight.

But Ner Ethir’s problems arise as the gravity of the situation that is well built up by the tense screenplay is mellowed down by Parthi’s sombre approach which doesn't feel appropriate in many instances. Richard Rishi does reasonably well during the frantic moments in the second half. Even if Jayapradeep manages to keep you glued for a large period, the logical loopholes and the list of unanswered questions do crop up eventually. Who’s cellphone was in Richard’s pocket? What was the purpose of the opening scene showing MS Bhaskar entering the scene of the crime?

The tautness of the narration is also disrupted by two songs in the first half which neither lends anything to the story nor to the listening and viewing experience. But Sathish Chakravarthy adds weight to the tension with his background score.

Ultimately Ner Ethir may win your attentiveness with its interesting screenplay but may not reward you with total satisfaction.