Kolaigaran Review - On Target!

Bharath Vijayakumar

Kolaigaran, much like Vijay Antony's previous ventures has a very interesting core and is primarily a whodunit. Director Andrew Louis narrates this thriller by having us exposed to various theories and possibilities before wrapping things in the last leg.

Vijay Antony might not be a mass hero but there is no denying that he has a certain image and this works both for and against the movie. You believe he could be the murderer and yet might be routing for him as a result of this image. But this image also dilutes what could have been an even more intriguing cat and mouse game between him and the ever dependable Arjun. The balance in this game is uneven. While we take Arjun's side on account of his subtle portrayal, the screenplay wants Vijay Antony to be one step ahead. The result is a thriller that keeps us engaged but the tension is lacking as we aren't invested with any character in the film.

Simon K King comes up with an overpowering background score. The two songs sort of dampen the narrative and probably could have been done away with in what is a crisp film. But they probably were needed to build the delusional angle that the film forays into. Technically the film is neat with the cinematography creating a stylish and eerie mood.

The central conceit is solid and the loose ends are tied up satisfactorily. But few ideas are far fetched and the emotional angle revealed in the last leg doesn't really work. A couple of better casting choices would have helped the movie immensely. Andrew Louis tries to walk in between a no-nonsense thriller and a film that needs to cater to the emotional sensibilities and he is fairly successful. 

Bottom line:

Kolaigaran is a neat thriller sans diversions and has us guessing till the end.

Rating: 3/5