Kuttrame Thandanai Review – An interesting piece of art !!

Bharath Vijayakumar

The fascinating aspect of Kuttrame Thandanai is how equally different and similar it is to Manikandan’s debut Kaaka Muttai.Like his previous film this too is low key, extremely realistic and never goes outside the main plot. But the genre itself is very different and so is the absence of the lighter moments that was pervasive throughout Kaaka Muttai.

Plot:

An eyewitness tries to make the most using his trump card. Does the end justify the means?

Kaaka Muttai was such a debut that you pretty much resign to the fact that Manikandan could never really make a bad film. Few seconds into Kuttrame Thandanai and this thought only gets stronger. The entire film is narrated through the eyes of the lead character Ravi (played by Vidharth). You later realize what a smart move this is as it nullifies the few questions that do remain after the reveal of the climax. The film never tries to manufacture any tension. It is only the background score that seems a tad loud at times.

The acting is extremely real. This is a sort of ‘realism’ that is hardly seen elsewhere. You would understand what I am saying if you look around for other realistic cinemas. You could always sense that people are enacting before a camera in most of these films. This feeling is delightfully absent in Kuttrame Thandanai. The actors are excellent. The best thing is that you cannot justify this using any particular scene.

The movie is extremely interesting and you are invested in it. But what goes slightly against the film is the absence of the “what next?” feel.  Though treated like a drama, the film involves a murder and the search for the murderer is a crucial plot point. As much as we are interested in getting to know the murderer, it has to be said that there is the absence of a simmering tension. It is not as though Manikandan has missed this because it is very obvious from the narration that his intention is completely different. If not he would have not revealed the crux of the film in the title itself.

Bottomline: 

Kuttrame Thandanai is an extremely interesting film. Engrossment is what takes a backseat.

Rating: 3/5

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