Review Overview
Performances
Screenplay & Direction
Technical Aspects & BGM
Partly taut, partly spiritless!
Kaaval is a partly taut, partly spiritless film that rides on Samuthirakani's solid, savior-like performance.
Cast: Vemal, Samuthirakani, Punnagai Poo Geetha, Ashwin, MS Bhaskar, Imman Annachi and others
Cinematography: NK Ekambaram
Music: GV Prakash
BGM: Dharan
Editing: Praveen KL
PRO: Nikkil Murugan
Story & Screenplay: Rajanish, VR Nagendran
Direction: VR Nagendran
Release Date: 25-06-2015
Run Time: 02:07:00
Debutant director Nagendran’s Kaaval grabbed the eyes of film buffs when the team presented the trailer with an absorbing idea few months back. But, the energy and excitement have gone astray in the film, which revolves around contract-killers and a righteous, principled cop played by Samuthirakani, who shines in his role with a solid, savior-like performance. In fact, it would only be appropriate to call him ‘the lead hero’ of the film. Not Vemal, who mostly sleep-walks in his role that demanded life and enthusiasm.
Samuthirakani works as an undercover cop in the disguise of a balloon seller to keep an eye on the headman of the contract-killer group. Vemal, who is a close acquaintance of the headman, gets pulled into this one-on-one combat because of her girl friend (played by Punnagai Po Geetha, who gets by her role). Will Samuthirakani, a successful encounter specialist, finish his operation? What happens to Vemal? This forms the plot.
The director has presented the chase scenes between cops and contract-killers in an authentic manner with facts drawn from real-life events. We even have a character named after late Alwin Sudhan, the upright young sub-inspector who was brutally murdered by an armed gang three years ago when he was on duty. Though it appeared manipulative, these references made the film a little passable than what it should have been.
The pre-interval portions and the pre-climax portions are the highlights of the film that carries an unbalanced aura throughout. The romance track between the leads is pedestrian and made the proceedings mundane.
Editor Praveen KL is the other savior of the film next to Samuthirakani. With his fine hands on scissors, we get a partly taut, partly spiritless film in a run time of little close to two hours. Director Nagendran, undoubtedly, has made a genuine debut effort. With gritty writing, the film could have ticked all the boxes. And, it is, certainly, a dearly miss.
Kaaval Movie Review Rating: 2.5/5
Written by Surendhar MK