Vetrimaran's Visaranai Review - Brutally Brilliant!

Vetrimaran's vision of good cinema shines through in every frame. Vetrimaran has weaved a gripping tale under 2 hours, without making any commercial compromise -- every single scene, dialogue, shot and frame serves a purpose of moving the story forward. 

Plot

The film deals with police brutality and how voiceless innocents are made victims in the face of injustice and corruption. Vetirmaran's Visaranai is based on the novel titled "Lock-up" written by an auto driver, Chandra Kumar. Visaranai faithfully recounts Kumar's first-hand experiences under police custody for 13 days to accept a crime that he did not commit. The movie throughout emphasizes police atrocities and make viewers empathize with the the voiceless poor people.

Screenplay and Dialogues

Vetrimaran's exceptional writing talent come to the fore in Visaranai. Many of the subtle dialogues and one-liners help visualize the underlying story behind the characters who appear on screen momentarily. The desensitization of policemen and how they go about conducting their day-to-day business without any remorse is shown convincingly. The sorry plight of innocents on how they are forced to accept uncommitted crimes and pressure faced by police men from higher authorities is shown in a very stark manner. The dialogues are natural and razor sharp.

The screenplay has a linear flow with smooth transition from one scene to another. It is constructed in a way that it is difficult to even point out when a scene ends and when the next one begins. The second half takes on a few cinematic liberties as it layers in political undertones and bigger canvas, largely narrated through the dialogues.

Casting and Characterization

Vetrimaran's casting and characterization choices are exceptionally identifiable and so true to life. Even though the movie is littered with numerous characters, every one stands out clearly and makes an indelible mark. Attakathi Dinesh and his friends have enacted their respective roles very well. Attakathi Dinesh's usual mannerisms suit him well in this movie. Samuthirakani excellently portrays his role as a conscientious inspector caught in difficult circumstances. Samuthirakani should be credited for shouldering the movie in the second half with his terrific screen presence and natural dialogue delivery. Kishore plays a brief and pivotal role around which the story revolves around in the second half. 'Kayal' Anandi comes in a couple of scenes during the initial minutes before the grim tale starts unwinding. 

Music and Technicalities

The technical brilliance gives the experience of witnessing all these events unfold in real life.  The movie has a uniform tone and unobtrusive style from start to finish. Ramalingam's lighting is very natural and makes one wonder whether there were any artificial lights used during the making. Late editor, T.E.Kishore,'s contribution is immense. T.E. Kishore deserves standing ovation for managing the transition between shots seamlessly blending well with the screenplay. GV Prakash's music maintains the right mood for the movie throughout. The set properties and art direction for both Andhra and Tamil Nadu prisons are diligently done. 

Vetrimaran's confidence and control over the medium is unquestionable. This is strongly established in this latest edition. It is evident that Vetrimaran has etched each and every character with painstaking details and brought them all to life on screen. It is difficult to point any flaws in this remarkable movie. One of the very few scenes that momentarily falters (subjective) is when Attakathi Dinesh secretly  passes his cellphone to Kishore in between the interrogation. It is in contrast with the behavior and motive of the central character. The final scenes showing the Auto Driver Kumar's speech at film festival comes abruptly before the audience could even fully internalize the cinematic experience.

Verdict

Visaranai is a must watch for all fans of good cinema. Visaranai is an engaging unadulterated cinema at its purest form, executed with a shoe-string budget. Visaranai will be cherished for the brutally bold vision of its auteur. 

Rating :  4/5

Visaranai is currently rated 80% at MC, post your rating and review for Visaranai here