Midnight Dogs

It is pretty simple. Gautham shouldn’t be expecting any one to like the movie. Sometimes the results that we usually define will not suite certain situations and this is one such movie. When you say you liked the movie, you can only be talking about the attempt and the convincing aspect of the filmmaking rather than the film itself. Nadunisi Naaygal !

Call me spoilt watching every other movie on Netflix, but Gautham’s attempt is no brainer. Split personality is predictable, certain assumptions of the character seemed bookish and infact calling it a thriller seemed too ambitious. But make no mistakes; you have to give it to him only for the format of filmmaking if not for anything else.

Not once you miss the background score – nor does it feel like a documentary. The film’s format has been well chosen and the sound engineering department shines. Note the time when you have a top angle of a compound wall with the police officer trying to scout the house. It starts raining! Well done there!  So is the Cinematography. Manoj’s use of natural ‘looking’ lighting needs no mention. We are never drawn out of the scene by either poor cinematography or its excellence. It fits.

Gautham once again doesn’t mind using a fair amount of English in his dialogues and obviously justified by the urban locality in which the movie happens. Sometimes bookish and predictable but otherwise crisp, it is usual Gautham.  Actors in every role, play it smooth. Sameera, Veera, Swapna Abraham among the few are quite impressive. I just don’t want that Vettaiyadu Vilayadu doctor anymore.  [Remember: I have never seen such a gory murder in my life. That guy]

What really doesn’t work in the technical aspects of the film is its Story. It is not the case of being bad – its just not good enough. Take for instance the relationship of Veera and Sukanya [Sameera] You got to give a little bit of story around his liking from school before he ends up with her. Too much time is taken to bring some basics to Veera and his childhood but little is done to play out or justify his actions because of that. It just happens.  Example: Why doesn’t Meenakshi complain to the police when she is assaulted? Awkward!  That entire part following that, the start of his weird behavior and the whole idea after that seemed too little too quick.

It felt like sequences were being laid out, plugged in dialogues or scenes out of context elsewhere in the narrative only to reveal it later as a surprise. If you say that’s how it is, I would say it isn’t convincing yet. And hey, we do see a bit of Identity in it.

It takes a lot of guts to break a stereotype by rewriting every rule, but you always get only one chance to do it. You do it well, you win. Else you are appreciated but not remembered. Strangely, Gautham will be remembered for his effort, another feather on his cap – but Nadunisi Naygal wont be.  Some other movie that comes along based on NN’s guts will outshine this.

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