...y'all didn't think i was going to let y'all escape without my review of Vettaiyaadu Vilayaadu, did you?
To people who haven't seen it yet, there are no spoilers in this review, because this review itself is one big spoiler!
Scenario: It is a Saturday evening, I am sitting with a beer, some chilli chicken and watching the movie. So what follows is a scene-by-scene (almost) critique of the movie. With that long intro, I am sure I have lost all of you, so the rest is purely for my own satisfaction. If by now you have yelled 'Yov! Intro poarum. Review-a start pannu-ya!" at your copmuter screen, I am sorry. Here goes. I have been told by certain people not to say 'I am sorry', that it doesn't mean anything after one has done whatever one has done..........okay, okay!!! Here goes (for real)!!
Ready, joot!!!
Intro: Kamal has, hopefully by now, realised that what has worked for Rajini all these years, will work for him also. An intro with a song. Hmm! lets see! Ever since he started acting in masala movies with 'Ram Lakshman' (I think), I can't, off the top of my buzzed head, come up with a movie where he has had an intro song. 'Raja Kaiya Vechchaa' from...well, if you don't know which movie it is from, there are lots of other blogs for you. Anyway 'Raja kaiya vechcha' comes quite close. And we all know what a big hit that movie was. One would think he would've have learnt. Anyway, better late than never. And how! This intro & the song, to put it mildly, just plain kicks ass! 'Nuff said!!!
Prakashraj is a police officer, whose name in the movie is Arokiaraj. His daughter is murdered. Kamalhassan, who is also a police officer, but whose name in the movie is not Arokiahassan (go figure), is put in charge of the case. Dude goes thru the motions, interviewing potential witnesses.
Behind the scenes - Prakashraj must have told Kamalhassan - Saar, saar! Nayagan-la unga paiyyan seththa scene maadhiri indha padaththula yenakku oru scene kudunga, saar.
Khool dialogue -
DCP Raghavan to a beggar (who may be a witness):Neenga ingadhaan daily pichchai yeduppeengala.
Beggar:Pichchaiyaa??? Zamindaarunga!
Anyways, investigation doesn't lead to much. Arokiaraj moves to New York with wife, both get killed there. Kamalhassan goes to New York to assist in the investigation. Flashback, while on flight to New York - a wife, killed by thugs, Raghavan takes revenge etc. etc.
Dialogue during flashback -
Kamalhassan to Mrs Arokiaraj: Ivalaa? Breaddu, Pittzaa, Lutsaaniyaa, Muckeroni. Thittaraala, menu paera solraala, theriyala.
And then a few seconds later, says in perfect accented Inglipees - 'that you're crazy about me'.Konjam, over toomuch!!
Also, in the flashback, Kamal's favorite Tamil cuss-phrase also surfaces, albeit subtly.
First night in New York hotel, chick next door, Jo, has to be South Indian, Raghavan senses something, breaks open her door, enters room, saves her from suicide attempt, orey loves developing immediately. Next day, having breakfast together, he says - 'naanaa? Software-a?'. What the hell. Indian in US-naa?? Software aalaa dhaan irukkanumaa. I protest!
Raghavan joins investigation, Detective Anderson, NYPD (No. It does not stand for Nock Your Punkass Down), another murder in Princeton, NJ with thonging lemon & finger, same as Arokiaraj's daughter's murder.
More about Jo's marital problems, as usual it always has to be the guy's fault if the marriage goes haywire.
Investigation continues into Princeton murder, Raghavan instinct uncovers something that NYPD doesn't. Note to Gautham Menon - the cop-who-doesn't-play-by-the-rules routine is quite old.
Dead bodies uncovered. Death timelines established, something about the murderer(s) travelling between India and US, look into passenger manifest etc. etc.
More Kamal-Jo more loves. Duet, 'Vennilavey, velli, velli nilavey' which is both khool & cheesy, if that is possible.
More investigation, unnecessary trip to DOJ headquarters in DC, return from DC, sudden switch to shot of the murderers Amutha & Ilamaran, quite khool. More rape/murders.
I N T E R V A L!!!!!
After interval, narrowing down of suspects, Raghavan & Anderson break into Ila & Amutha's aptmt, quite a khool fight scene, Anderson dies, Raghavan seriously injured, Amutha & Ila escape, but not before telling Raghavan all the details about the murders, motivation etc. Plot points pretty much end there.
Rest of the movie, well...good guys win, bad guys die. Oh! Yeah, Kamal marries Jo in the end.
Summation:
1. If your definition of a good movie (mine is) is one that doesn't make you get up before the ending, then this is one. It was worth the 90-mile drive.
2. If you want to look at this movie as a slick, murder mystery types, then it fails. If you want to look at it as a masala timepass, it succeeds. Good company helps.
3. What Manirathnam was to the 1990s, Gautham Menon is to the 2000s - churning out over-hyped movies with a few gimmicks here and there and an air of pseudo-ness, but makes you want to watch them nevertheless.
4. It took a Vettaiyaadu Vilayaadu to make me write such a long post. 'Nuff said.
