#Kolai Review

#Kolai
2023 - Tamil - Theatre
Starring : Vijay Antony , Ritika Singh , Meenakshi Chaudhary , Arjun Chidambaram , Murali Sharma , Siddhartha Shankar and Radhika Sarathkumar
Writen and Directed by : Balaji K Kumar 

Plot : Leila , An Upcoming Model is founded murdered in her apartment and the case is assigned to newbie Sandhya Rajmohan. As the case becomes complicated  , she seeks the help for her Mentor , Vinayak who is a former Investigation Officer. How Vinayak and Sandhya together solve the case and find the killer forms the rest of the plot.

Vijay Antony as Lead is just dull and monotonous throughout the film. Ritika Singh is energetic and enthusiastic but the showstealer is Meenakshi Chaudhary. Her Character Arc and her performance is convincing. Rest cast like Arjun Chidambaram , Siddhartha Shankar and Murli Sharma are given small parts and perform averagely .Radhika Sarathkumar in a Cameo is wasted.

Technically, the film is Top Notch! Be it the Alternate Setup of Madras , the minimalistic set pieces and camera work everything is fantastic and it's on par with Hollywood. Cinematographer Sivakumar Vijayan and Editor RK Selva deserve special mention for their impeccable work. Girish Gopalakrishnan's Music is not that great but the Rendition of Paartha Nyabagam Illayo suits the mood of the film.
VFX of the film keeps oscillating from being good to being Horrible at places.

On the other side , the Films Pacing especially in the second half is very very slow . The Film's Neo Noir Touch fizzles out in the second half. Also the proceedings are taken in a very flat manner that doesn't invoke any interest beyond a point. Though the Final Reveal was okayish , the back story was not etched properly. The Third Act of the film was a let down.

Writer Director Balaji Kumar has tried to a do Hollywood types Whoddunit by giving it a Vintage Neo Noir Twist but only succeeds Half. There are few very interesting sequence that run as parallel between the Investigation and Protagonist's Personal Life , but beyond that the film falls flat. The Minimalistic Approach works fantastically till a point. If Balaji Kumar had focused more on the writing of the film rather than completely focusing on its making , the film could've become one of the best whoddunits of Kollywood. Unfortunately, it misses the mark by 50%.

Highlights : 
1) Unique Making
2) Minimalist Approach


Overall : Kolai is a visually and Technically Stunning thriller that falters due to average screenplay and a relatively less effective third act.

Rating :2.5/5

Television Rights : Unsold
Digital Rights : Amazon Prime 

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