Cast: Vishal, Anjali, Dushara Vijayan, John Vijay, Jayaprakash, Ajay
Crew:
Written and Directed by Vishal
Cinematography by Richard M Nathan
Music by G.V. Prakash Kumar, Abhinandan Ramanujam
Edited by N. B. Srikanth
Produced by Jithan Ramesh, Jiiva
Vishal's latest film, Makutam, released in theaters today. Produced under the Super Good Films banner and presented by the late legendary producer R.B. Choudary, this action drama features Vishal handling both the lead role and direction. Let's discuss how the movie turned out.
Plot:
Krupakar (Vishal) is a peaceful, middle-class medical representative in Chennai who lives happily with his wife Jamuna (Dushara Vijayan) and two children. Their lives turn upside down when they buy a second-hand car for a family vacation. Based purely on the car's number plate, a ruthless smuggler named Naga (Ajay) attacks the family, resulting in the tragic deaths of Krupakar's wife and daughter. The rest of the film explores Krupakar's hidden past and his connection to Naga's criminal empire.
Analysis:
Vishal as an actor is very good in several films but forgettable in few others. In this one, he is unbearable more than forgettable. He tends to over emote and overact. Being a director, he seems to have just went for it with what all he can execute rather than really doing the necessary.
Makutam also struggles with a highly predictable script that heavily borrows from familiar action films like Leo, Varasudu and Nayakan. The first half is very slow, taking nearly half an hour just to set up the core plot. The family scenes fail to create an emotional bond with the audience, making the central tragedy hard to digest.
The second half flashback introduces Anjali, and her love track with Vishal brings some relief. The story does touch on a very relevant social issue regarding the fatal dangers of duplicate automobile spare parts smuggled from China.
However, Vishal falls short as a director due to an outdated storytelling format. A weak villain, the lack of powerful heroic moments, and a stretched climax bring the movie down. On the bright side, Anjali gives a 100% committed performance, even shining in the action blocks, and the cinematography looks rich.
Positives:
Excellent cinematography
Anjali's brilliant performance
Negatives:
Outdated and predictable story
Weak screenplay
Absence of a strong villain
Dragged climax
Bottomline:
A routine and outdated revenge drama that fails to engage.
Rating: 2/5
Disclaimer: The views/opinions expressed in this review are personal views/opinions shared by the writer and organisation does not hold a liability to them. Viewers' discretion is advised before reacting to them.
