96 - movie review
Very few movies live up to the hype. In this age of fake news, fake media and fake..everything, it is becoming very hard to trust anything, be it mainstream news or even movie review for that matter. When the songs for this movie got released, it literally set the social media on fire. Facebook was agog with status messages dripping in the saccharine sweetness of the songs and everyone who listened to those songs were getting nostalgic about their past love(s). The songs were really good and much different from what were being bandied about as chartbusters by the erstwhile puyal. When the movie got released, there were unanimous acclaim and every review was positive. Having already received bulbu over "Chekka chivantha vaanam" I was very much apprehensive. But was counting majorly on Vijay Sethupathi. That guy has the midas touch for movie scripts and majority of his movies are watchable, credit to his realistic performances. And another intriguing factor was his pairing with Trisha. When "Nanum rowdy thaan" was being announced with him pairing Nayantara, was wondering how their combination would gel, for I thought Nayan, at the risk of sounding chauvinistic, having worked with mostly senior actors prior, might look like his elder sister and Vijay Sethupathi, often characterised with unholy approach to his looks, might look even older. But the casting proved a blockbuster hit and both of them looked a million bucks with crackling chemistry. At least Nayan has maintained herself over the years and is turning out to be the lady version of Benjamin Button. But Trisha? For the doubters, she has pretty much been herself in the movie and her effort to try not hard to impress has succeeded big time.
Story wise its a simple and straight forward one of high school love between the lead pair, that survives even after 2 decades, with one of them even being married to someone else and having a kid. The theme glorifies first love as something that would remain forever fresh and would survive even if it doesn't succeed in marital union. The movie begins slowly, very slowly with Vijay sethupathi taking lots and lots and lots of pictures. Those ten minutes make you wonder on your decision to watch the movie. The moment Janagaraj comes on screen, the story slowly gathers pace and you never realise when it reaches interval. There is love, romance, bro-mance, friendship care and every form of lovable emotions on display for the next one hour between every character on screen. Devadarshini, my all time favourite TV comedienne, proves yet again to tamil movie industry their fallacy in not utilizing her full potential. If she was a hoot as elder sister to Prasanna in "Kanda naal mudhal" watcher her as the sister-friend to Vijay Sethupathi. The ten minutes she gets on screen, is all hers. Baks from "Naduvaula konjam pakkatha kaanum" plays the side kick friend to perfection. If not the love story portion, definitely everyone would've had, having, friend like him and Devadarshini in real life. There are many scenes in the movie where there are no dialogues, especially the school portions where the younger versions of the lead characters have dominated. Especially the girl who plays Trisha's younger part. Very cute and very realistic. The kid who plays the shy Vijay Sethupathi is so original at times you dont't realise that its an act for a movie. Very candid. Ilayaraja proves yet again why he is so highly rated for his melodies. All those songs, that are sung by the girl, without any music, still recreates the same magic. Very rarely we get to see guys being portrayed as shy, realistically and not over the top or psychotic, in tamil movies. Kudos to the director for showing school love in all its originality, yet retaining the filmy touch. The moment Trisha joins the party, the party literally begins and from then till the end, its just her and Vijay Sethupathi.
As is said, there are way too many close up scenes, with little dialogue and no BGM, solely relying on the capability of the lead pair to take it forward. With just the two characters, who doesn't even change their costume for three quarters of the movie (when was the last time such a travesty happened in tamil movies, I couldn't quite figure), doesn't even speak in certain sections, it couldn't have been any more expressive. Their eyes light up when they discuss about their time together and reflect the pain of near misses that have set them apart. Their smile is so genuine, you wouldn't quite realise that you were smiling yourself, being like a third wheel on a lovely conversation. My pick of the eminent lot of characters would be that of Vijay Sethupathi, who/which brings out the subtlety in a guy, so madly in love, that he is content to watch her from a distance, leading her life and him in memory of his love for her, could've gone bombastic when that character gets a chance to be with her alone after a gap of so many years and yet retains his dignity and emerges untainted. The movie ends with one more piece being added to his memory baggage, literally and figuratively and the ending didn't felt sad. For such an out and out romantic movie, which doesn't have an happy ending, it proves that, even normal and realistic ending need not be sad or clichéd to be successful, for the climax does happen in an airport.
For almost 2 hours of the entire running time of two and half hours, its just these two, their emotions and conversations and yet its hardly boring. In many places there is not even BGM to stir up the audiences, who would've very well caught into the unfolding romance between the lead pair by then and would've been rooting for them to unite. The director remains true to his sense and the movie heads towards a logical and practical end. Considering the current trend of glorifying live-in relationships, getting physical before marriage, with even legal system supporting adultery, its noteworthy that the movie comes clean on the "moral" aspects. Probably because the theme is love story from the late nineties? Wonder what would've been the ending had it been '06 instead of '96!!! Last but not the least - the songs. For those who are familiar with the album, when you are watching the movie, you can very well guess which is song that is going to fit into the next scene. They have been melded into the storyline and for a movie that thrives on silence and simple conversations driven by emotions, the songs add up to the glory.
Gils verdict - love stories often make people nostalgic, either of their own stories or the ones about their friends and mostly about their own road not taken. The hangover post watching this movie, had it been because of Ram and Janu (the lead characters) that would be the success of the movie and I believe it has succeeded.
Story wise its a simple and straight forward one of high school love between the lead pair, that survives even after 2 decades, with one of them even being married to someone else and having a kid. The theme glorifies first love as something that would remain forever fresh and would survive even if it doesn't succeed in marital union. The movie begins slowly, very slowly with Vijay sethupathi taking lots and lots and lots of pictures. Those ten minutes make you wonder on your decision to watch the movie. The moment Janagaraj comes on screen, the story slowly gathers pace and you never realise when it reaches interval. There is love, romance, bro-mance, friendship care and every form of lovable emotions on display for the next one hour between every character on screen. Devadarshini, my all time favourite TV comedienne, proves yet again to tamil movie industry their fallacy in not utilizing her full potential. If she was a hoot as elder sister to Prasanna in "Kanda naal mudhal" watcher her as the sister-friend to Vijay Sethupathi. The ten minutes she gets on screen, is all hers. Baks from "Naduvaula konjam pakkatha kaanum" plays the side kick friend to perfection. If not the love story portion, definitely everyone would've had, having, friend like him and Devadarshini in real life. There are many scenes in the movie where there are no dialogues, especially the school portions where the younger versions of the lead characters have dominated. Especially the girl who plays Trisha's younger part. Very cute and very realistic. The kid who plays the shy Vijay Sethupathi is so original at times you dont't realise that its an act for a movie. Very candid. Ilayaraja proves yet again why he is so highly rated for his melodies. All those songs, that are sung by the girl, without any music, still recreates the same magic. Very rarely we get to see guys being portrayed as shy, realistically and not over the top or psychotic, in tamil movies. Kudos to the director for showing school love in all its originality, yet retaining the filmy touch. The moment Trisha joins the party, the party literally begins and from then till the end, its just her and Vijay Sethupathi.
As is said, there are way too many close up scenes, with little dialogue and no BGM, solely relying on the capability of the lead pair to take it forward. With just the two characters, who doesn't even change their costume for three quarters of the movie (when was the last time such a travesty happened in tamil movies, I couldn't quite figure), doesn't even speak in certain sections, it couldn't have been any more expressive. Their eyes light up when they discuss about their time together and reflect the pain of near misses that have set them apart. Their smile is so genuine, you wouldn't quite realise that you were smiling yourself, being like a third wheel on a lovely conversation. My pick of the eminent lot of characters would be that of Vijay Sethupathi, who/which brings out the subtlety in a guy, so madly in love, that he is content to watch her from a distance, leading her life and him in memory of his love for her, could've gone bombastic when that character gets a chance to be with her alone after a gap of so many years and yet retains his dignity and emerges untainted. The movie ends with one more piece being added to his memory baggage, literally and figuratively and the ending didn't felt sad. For such an out and out romantic movie, which doesn't have an happy ending, it proves that, even normal and realistic ending need not be sad or clichéd to be successful, for the climax does happen in an airport.
For almost 2 hours of the entire running time of two and half hours, its just these two, their emotions and conversations and yet its hardly boring. In many places there is not even BGM to stir up the audiences, who would've very well caught into the unfolding romance between the lead pair by then and would've been rooting for them to unite. The director remains true to his sense and the movie heads towards a logical and practical end. Considering the current trend of glorifying live-in relationships, getting physical before marriage, with even legal system supporting adultery, its noteworthy that the movie comes clean on the "moral" aspects. Probably because the theme is love story from the late nineties? Wonder what would've been the ending had it been '06 instead of '96!!! Last but not the least - the songs. For those who are familiar with the album, when you are watching the movie, you can very well guess which is song that is going to fit into the next scene. They have been melded into the storyline and for a movie that thrives on silence and simple conversations driven by emotions, the songs add up to the glory.
Gils verdict - love stories often make people nostalgic, either of their own stories or the ones about their friends and mostly about their own road not taken. The hangover post watching this movie, had it been because of Ram and Janu (the lead characters) that would be the success of the movie and I believe it has succeeded.
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