184. Kannai Nambathey; movie review

 

KANNAI NAMBATHEY

Cert 15

132 mins

BBFC advice: Contains sexual violence, brief drug misuse

For about 75 minutes, I wondered why Kannai Nambathey has had such a panning from movie reviewers.

I was gripped by the twists and turns of what I perceived as an unusual thriller, albeit with a low-key main character.

But its makers just keep piling on so many shocks that it became ridiculous.

Mu Maran's film stars Udhayanidhi Stalin as Arun, a young man who has been looking for a place to live after being kicked out of the home he shared with his girlfriend (Aathmika).

He finally finds a place to share with a previously unknown fella (Prasanna) who then invites him for a drink.

While taking some air from the bar, he has an encounter with a stranger (Bhumika) which will change everyone's lives forever.

Murder and mystery ensue as deaths, accidental and deliberate, punctuate a hectic effort to avoid the police.

To be fair, Maran must have given a heck of a lot of thought to his script - there are so many tangents that are eventually woven together.

And I quite admired the chemistry between Stalin's quiet lead and Prasanna's more decisive one.

Much of the action takes place in heavy rain and at night to add to the drama.

But, unusually for Indian movies, the second half is a let-down compared with the first - becoming plain confusing when a major element is introduced that doesn't make much sense.

Ultimately, it amounts to a movie which has some interesting ideas but lacks quality execution.

Reasons to watch: Impressive number of twists

Reasons to avoid: Not easy to follow

Laughs: None

Jumps: None

Vomit: None

Nudity: None

Overall rating: 7/10

Did you know? Udhayanidhi Stalin is also a politician and was appointed as Minister for Youth Welfare and Sports Development of Tamil Nadu in 2022. His father, M.K. Stalin, is the chief minister of Tamil Nadu.

The final word. Udhayanidhi Stalin: "Earlier, Tamil films spoke politics but the frequency of such films became rare. Recently, we have seen filmmakers taking this genre up again. It is nice that the films become talking points. While entertainment continues to be the major pull, films are also being made with social responsibility." 

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