Review Overview
Performances & Plot
Technical Aspects & BGM
A watchable thriller
Richie is a modern cinema which neither has fight scenes nor any bloodshed but had the complete feel of an action movie. It is indeed a quality film in terms of making and for its technical values like top notch BGM score, sound mixing. If the decoding part (too many) was made easier for audience understandings, Richie could have been a standout film in this genre and not just as an one time watchable film.
Cast: Nivin Pauly, Natty, Shraddha Srinath, Prakashraj, Murugadoss, Elango Kumaravel, Lakshmi Priya & others
Cinematography: S Pandi Kumar
Music: Ajaneesh Loknath
Editing: Athul Vijay
Stunts: Supreme Sundar
Sound Designers: MR Rajakrishnan, Sree Sankar, Vishnu Govind
Art Direction: Rembon Balraj
Story: Rakshit Shetty
Screenplay: Gautham Ramachandran & Rakshit Shetty
Director: Gautham Ramachandran
Produced by: Yes Cinema & Cast n Crew
Distribution: Trident Arts Ravindran
Release Date: 08-12-2017
Run Time: 01:50:00
Tamil cinema somewhere down the line in recent times witnesses some dark action movies, but whether to applaud the effort or just pass it by completely lies with the audience. Richie is one similar attempt where the screenplay moves on from one chapter to another and there are some lapses that wander in air as the characters don’t seem to be really impactful except for few.
Nivin Pauly is the real breakthrough of the film which moves at an unhurried pace. Richie unties the knot with a mystery story in the start and Shraddha Srinath who plays an intellectual journalist wants to know more of the myth that happens in Tuticorin on the Christmas eve. She happens to listen to the story from Elango Kumaravel, a fisherman and tries to reason it with the story that happens in the present. When she tries to move forward she gets to know about Richie (Nivin Pauly) and the betrayal from his friend Ragu.
Nivin Pauly, son of Prakash Raj, who is a church father, spends his time in juvenile home for almost eight years for the crime that he didn’t commit whereas his friend Ragu escapes. The story is a mystery for only Richie knows the truth and all the circumstances make him a notorious criminal in the town when he comes out of the juvenile home.
Natraj has a simple role that is drenched in depression because he couldn’t save his friend from a gang and out of guilty conscience, moves from Madurai to Tuticorin to eke out a living. He becomes a boat mechanic and falls in love with Lakshmi Priya, sister of Elango. Natraj wants to express his wish to Lakshmi Priya but never does. Out of fear, he happens to tell Elango and he nods with happiness. Elango is been targeted by Richie for he opposes Annachi, a big shot in the city. Like this, how each central character gets intertwined in the story forms the plot.
As of performance Nivin Pauly stands tall for his expressions and mannerisms and does his best. Natraj’s role seems to be simple and impactful towards the end, and for someone of Prakashraj’s calibre, it is a cake walk.
Overall, Richie is a modern cinema which neither has fight scenes nor any bloodshed but had the complete feel of an action movie. It is indeed a quality film in terms of making and for its technical values like top notch BGM score, sound mixing. If the decoding part (too many) was made easier for audience understandings, Richie could have been a standout film in this genre and not just as an one time watchable film.