Onaiyum Aatukuttiyum Review - Stands out from the crowd

Bharath Vijayakumar

There are a handful of directors in Tamil cinema who have a dedicated following and a section of people are on the lookout for movies by these creators irrespective of the star cast. Mysskin definitely belongs to this rare breed. After attempting a relatively lighter genre with Mugamoodi, Mysskin is back on home turf with OA.

Plot:

A medical student gets into a quagmire after he rescues an injured assassin on the run. The police force decides to use the student as a trap to nail the assassin. What happens then in a single night is narrated in pure Mysskin style.

Performances:

This is not a movie for melodramatic performances. In fact a few such scenes towards the end are what actually stick out like a sore thumb. This is a good follow up for Sri after Vazhakku En 18/9. He particularly impresses in the initial scenes where he gets exposed to the negligence and indifferent attitude of a few policemen and a doctor. From thereon his character goes through stages of fear, helplessness and bravery. Mysskin as the ruthless assassin is as good as it gets. He needs to be stone faced for most of the movie instilling fear in those around him. His long soliloquy towards the climax where he does not even blink for a second brings out the performer in him. This particular scene which actually narrates the entire story to the audience is definitely a double edged sword. While it is innovative it is no denying the fact that this scene stretches a bit too far both in length and melodramatic quotient. Almost everyone apart from these two are either non actors or lesser known faces. Writer Shaji who plays an upright police officer comes up with a neat performance that catches our attention.

Music:

You can also infer Ilaiyaraja's background score as a performance as it almost travels through the entire film as a character. Not including songs in a film that runs for almost 2 hours and 20 minutes requires some real guts. Mysskin's fascination for the Maestro is very much evident as his is the only name that is shown during the opening credits.

Camera and Stunts:

Cameraman Balaji V Rangha shines brightly in this nocturnal thriller. The angles do have a Mysskin stamp about them.The stunts are nicely done. Mysskin's agility does surprise us in the action sequences. But only Mysskin should be able to explain the need to have the two henchmen dressed like caricatures in the climax fight. These definitely seem like overindulgence atleast on the surface.

An assassin turning into a saviour due to his remorse is actually a plot that has been used quite a few times. But where OA stands out is that though this is supposed to be the plot around which the movie revolves this is revealed quite late and the entire lead up to this is a thrilling cat and mouse game between Mysskin, his former boss who is now his tormentor and the police. A little crisper and the movie might have been just perfect. The last twenty minutes or so can test the patience of a few. Also, once you understand the purpose of all that has been going on you simply cannot deny the fact that you do get the feeling that at least some damage control could have been done to the number of lives lost had Mysskin's character sought a much easier or sensible route.

Bottomline:

A well made thriller and a different cinema going experience.
 

Reviewer Rating :