Kuttram 23 movie review: A welcomed relief from the recent drab of Kollywood
Director: Arivazhagan
Cast: Arun Vijay, Mahima Nambiar, Thambi Ramaiah, Abhinaya
Kuttram 23 is a film where a pregnant woman who vanishes under mysterious circumstances turns into a larger and thrilling investigation, spearheaded by an intelligent young cop.
Directed by Arivazhagan and based on a crime novel by Rajeshkumar, IPS Vetrimaran (Arun Vijay) is given the task of investigating the disappearance of a pregnant woman named Jessica, who’s the spouse of a media tycoon.
Soon into the investigation, Vetrimaran meets Thendral (Mahima Nambiar) - a witness in the crime. He learns that the source of the crime is medical in nature and things soon become personal when his sister-in-law Abhinaya (Abhinaya) becomes pregnant after many unsuccessful years in her marriage. She shortly commits suicide, and her death seems to have the same pattern as that of Jessica’s. What’s the end game of all these murders? And from where is it coming from? The reminder of the film plays out this scenario and is done so with style and sophistication.
Kuttram 23 has its share of flaws with the climax feels rushed, but the overall ambiance of the film is a welcomed relief from the recent drab of Kollywood. Director Arivazhagan known for his superb making style has placed much emphasis on the script and the technical crew, and it shows in the output. The scenes are a curiously interesting mix of camera perfect visuals and singular devotion to the story line.
Arun Vijay is as fierce as ever, and doesn’t let that beat go away. He shines in every aspect, be it his looks, body language and delivering dialogues. Mahima is given a character with some amount of substance and she has stood up to it well. Despite without makeup, Mahima looks pretty. Others such as Thambi Ramaiah playing the comedic bits satisfy without hogging the limelight. Abhinaya delvers in a well-conceived role. Amit Bhargav is adequate. Dev and Vamsi in villainy roles do their best.
The accolades for the aforementioned visuals go to cinematographer KM Bhaskaran. Vishal Chandrashekhar in the music department does a lively job. Kuttram 23 is not a movie to blow your socks off. The movie is wholly commercial and the script doesn’t leer off into uncharted and interesting territories. But as a thriller and entertainer, the film is fulfilling. With its making, you are guaranteed to be lured into the present moment for majority of the 2 hours and 30 minutes run time.
