Vazhakku enn 18/9 is a gutsy movie (Visitor Review)

by HARI HARA SUDHAN

Balaji Shakthivel, the man who made "Kadhal," which is one of the reasons for the transition in Tamil movies is back with a bang. This movie is a proof that a very high quality movie can be made even with low budget and newcomers. All the lead characters are debutantes including the famous guitarist Prasanna, who debuts as music director. Thanks to UTV and Lingusamy's Tirupathi brothers for producing Vazhakku Enn 18/9. 

Cast

The movie revolves around 5 key characters. Two male leads are Sri as Velu and Mithun as Dinesh, female leads are Urmila Mahanta as Jothi and Manisha Yadav as Aarthi. A pivotal role is played by Muthuraman (Kumaravel) as a cop. Velu works for a road-side eatery aka " Kaiyendhi Bhavan". Chinnasamy plays the role of Velu's friend. Film starts off with an investigation by Kumaravel on Jothi's case, who is admitted in an intensive care unit at a hospital. The story has a lots of twists and turns leaving you awestruck when the movie ends. The film is crisp at exactly 115 minutes is a huge plus.

What works?

Everything has worked to perfection in the film. Casting is perfect as all the five main characters are so true to life and portrayed realistic. Kumaravel's characterization is interestingly etched fluctuating between good and bad. The biggest plus for the film is it throughout stays realistic and unpredictable. Prasanna had just two songs, but he has done it in a new way, without background music and focus on lyrics by Na. Muthukumar. Costumes, dialect and location are tuned to perfection. Photography and art direction play an important role in making it all appear as if the story is actually unfolding in real life. This spellbinding work by Balaji Sakthivel will stab your heart, make a deep impact before you even realize. Director needs a standing ovation for taking Tamil cinema to the next level. 

So what doesn't work in this movie? This field should be left blank.

Final word

A gutsy movie with spellbinding performances. Highly Recommended. Rating: 4.5/5