Plot:Burma entirely revolves around ‘car seizing’ and almost all the primary characters are involved in this trade, if you can call it one. The principal characters fight for supremacy in this trade and backstab and get backstabbed in turns and the finale is about who emerges triumphant.

Cast:

Michael Thangadurai in the title role as Burma with a no nonsense attitude is impressive. Sampath and Atul Kulkarni should have probably been given more space. While they make their presence felt whenever possible, more screen space for them should have spruced up the proceedings further. Reshmi Menon does emote well and looks promising to take up more challenging roles. Karthik Sabesh once again scores with his innocent antics.

Crew:

The technical team of Burma has created the right mood on screen. Just a few seconds into the film and an aerial shot from above a windmill on a deserted highway is enough for you to realize that this is a film from a team whose intention cannot be doubted. The lighting and texture are in sync with the mood and attitude of the characters on screen.

Direction:

Dharanidharan has crafted a unique film and there are absolutely no second thoughts about this. There are no commercial compromises if you can excuse the songs that seem one too many for a film that runs just under 100 minutes. The “Run For Money Dude” song is placed at a point where our curiosity is at a peak and we wish we had a remote to get past it. The detailing impresses at places. Sampath wearing the same shirt before and after is imprisonment period is a prime example. There are no backstories to explain why the characters are doing this for a living and no moral justification either. The director just tells a tale and these departures from the regular fares make an interesting watch. Another notable aspect is unlike the recent trend where these sort of heist films or black comedies let off their protagonist scott free, Burma does not take this route.

But some gaping misses are shocking. During a crucial sequence when a woman who is on the run after being shot at we have her chasers get down from a car and then chase her down on foot only to lose her. Couldn't the director have thought of a much better excuse to have her escape from cold blooded criminals? The movie is definitely an interesting watch with not much to complain about. However you feel it is slightly longer than the actual runtime. It looks like the director has paced it lethargically on purpose and that is not much of an issue and we would have definitely enjoyed his craft more if not for the indulgence on the songs. Another area where Burma loses out is for a film that is about the seizing of cars all these episodes are treated very normally with nothing very exciting. People just rob cars as and when they please and it all looks so easy on screen.

Bottomline:

Both the central plot and the narrative style of Burma are not something we get to see often in Tamil Cinema. Definitely an easy watch for movie buffs who are bored of the routine.

Rating:2.75/5