Why does the hero quote Bharatiyar poetry? So the director can justify the title of the movie.
It is interesting that a director who set out to beat cliches many
decades ago ends up with such terrible cliches that it is laughable.
Unfortunately, there is zero humour in the movie. So, you are not even
given that release.
Kaatru Veliyidai is a dud. Not because it fails to deliver but because it never takes off. There is no soul, no chemistry, no humour or sizzle. The hero is just a boring ass****, with zero charm to endear him to the audience. He is not an interesting victim either with a back story... the whole movie reads like a one paragraph description that never goes beyond that. An expensive one paragraph fiasco of a man's obsession with his Rayban glasses.
There is zero reasons for the lead pair to connect and
when they keep saying that frequently, you tend to believe it too - There is very little physical chemistry, there is not even the usual
push and pull that is so common in relationships. If one looks at the
brilliant sharp dialogues of Alaipayuthey or even the irritating energy
of Idayathai Thirudathey or the realness of a Mouna Raagam... there is
just nothing here to this couple except abuse. They look like the kind
you will want to place bets on how soon they will split.
The whole movie
is just an ass****'s long drawn redemption and his terrible treatment
of his woman who keeps saying that she believes in a relationship where
she will be respected. And, even his redemption does not convince. You
feel nothing for any of the characters, have zero curiosity about them
and could not care what happens to them either.
The beginning
few minutes could easily be one of the worst ever opening scenes
delivered by Mani who usually gets off to a kick-ass start. The
dialogues are terrible and sound more like a spoof than intense agony.
The words are pompous, delivered badly and feel strange and out of place
and disconnected coming from the characters.
Only one person
delivers a decent performance and unfortunately, she is so wasted in the
movie and that is the convincing vulnerability of Aditi Rao
Hydari. But the story does not have enough substance for her to hold her
performance. The heroine seems to be a balanced person and fairly clear
on her standards on what she expects out of the relationship but
continues to look tired and sad while continuously being abused by the
hero. I wonder if a different hero might have worked. May be....
Karthi who was brilliant in Paruthiveeran with a girl who matched his
fire is so tame it is incredible. Even his character in this movie is
not even interestingly flawed like Karthik's was in Agni Nakshatram. He
is not just an emotionally unavailable man. He is simply not there...
And, Delhi Ganesh and other characters including RJ Balaji have no real
role to play. The older couple of Ok Kanmani were an interesting
parallel into the young couple's own lives. In this film, no other
characters distract one from the main couple, who themselves are simply
not there.
Never seen a romantic film where the hero repeats 'I
love you' and you are almost on the floor laughing. It looks ugly and
crude and repulsive instead of romantic.
The Kargil war? Oh,
when the hero is not taking his lady love on free charter rides, or
asking his boys for a single malt or dancing away, he also fights a war
very casually for a hobby.
And, last heard, Rayban's sales have
started dropping after this movie. Never seen a movie in which a person
wears sun glasses i.e Rayban at the hospital, a wedding dance, in a
Pakistani jail. I felt a bit let down that he was not wearing it when
they make love...
One's initial thought was whether the
linearity of the narrative was an issue but after some time, you realize
no one has a chance in this movie not even Maniratnam.
The
ending was almost as bad as the beginning. So, this is one film that is
consistently bad, from the beginning, the middle and the end.
My
rating: 1/5 - Just one star for Aditi Rao Hydari [ Wondering if i
should add another star for myself for having gone and watched it!]
