With COVID 19 having unleashed havoc across the globe, the economy had nose dived in most countries & our nation has been no different. As the lock-down restrictions are still not completely taken off, the film industry has been one of the worst hit with the theatres not given the permission yet to function. This has led to quite a film makers opting for release of their celluloid creations in OTT platforms like Amazon. One such movie that released this weekend is Eashvar Karthic's "Penguin" that has Keerthy Suresh in the lead. Personally, I found the trailer pretty interesting & hence the expectations for an engaging thriller was rather high.
The film unfolds in Kodaikanal, where Rhythm (Keerthy Suresh) was a few months away from the birth of her child. However, her pregnancy upto that point wasn't peaceful as she was constantly traumatized by the nightmares of her lost son who was kidnapped by a mysterious character dressed up as Charlie Chaplin. The loss of her child also led to the separation from her partner, Raghu (Lingaa). Things take a turn when her son, Ajay (Advaith) reappears out of the blue though at the same time, another girl goes missing. So where was Ajay all these years & was the same kidnapper responsible for the latest abduction???
With all due respect to the director, the primary reason why this movie made heads turn was coz Karthik Subbaraj was involved in this project. Later on it dawned on the audience, that he was in the capacity of a producer but however it would be fair to say that it provided a springboard for the debutant Eashvar Karthic to showcase his talent as a story teller. Unfortunately, he failed to utilize the opportunity as the script was far too underwhelming & just didnt have anything worthwhile that would keep us engaged except for the opening sequence which was impressive. However, two individuals deserves special mention & those are Kharthik Phalani for his stirring cinematography & Santhosh Narayanan for the apt BGM.
None of the characters were well etched & it might have contributed to the fact that I felt the casting ought to have been a lot better. Hence none of the artists manages to awe the audience which includes Keerthy as well who I would have to admit without mincing words, over acts in many parts. Actually Cyrus, the dog has done a fine job & seems the most sensible among all the characters.
Verdict: After all the expectations that were created coz of the well crafted trailer, the movie as such was a huge letdown. They tried to create a westernized feel with some stunning visuals & impressive BGM, but without a solid script to back it up; it didnt serve any purpose. In short, dont bother!!!
Rating: 1.5/5
Regards...Ben
No comments:
Post a Comment