"Mouna Guru" will easily qualify as the most well scripted movie of the year on par with "Aranya Kandam".
As said earlier script is very well written by Shanthakumar. It has been a very long time since one has seen such a engrossing thriller which keeps one in the edge of the seat for almost more than 2 hours of the running time. There is no lag in the screenplay anywhere which is lucid & gripping all the same.
The research & homework that the director has done before execution is evident in most places , the psychiatric aspects of it in particular. The manner in which the psychiatric jargon is used aptly . The manner in which it takes the sides of the anti-psychiatric movement's stance which is frighteningly factual in certain aspects is awe-inspiring for anyone who tries to take a movie on this subject. The issue of how a sane person can be falsely diagnosed as insane by vested interested personnel & the stigma he has to deal with due the same is told in the hard- hitting manner. Though a similar attempt was made by "Porali" , it lacked in the ingenuity & accuracy of the portrayal here.
Not only in this but in each & every frame the hard work shown in the writing is obvious. Be it the family structure of the protagonist with a rural mother almost forgotten after the marriage of his elder brother pampered to come & stay in the city after a child birth to take care of the baby of the working couple. The uncomfortable relationship between the protagonist & his sister-in-law. The characterization of the protagonist in itself is very interesting , showing him to be an idealist & a fantasist , which also helps one understand his decision in the end.
Not only the protagonist , the characterization of pregnant Inspector Palaniammal , portrayed excellently by Uma Riyaz Khan is very fresh. Director not only portraying a strong woman on screen with this character , but showing what is usually thought of as the most difficult & vulnerable period of a woman's life ie , pregnancy is not much of an impediment for the strong willed career driven woman of today. Kudos for Shanthakumar for this piece of excellent characterization.
The antagonists also have a well rounded depiction. On the contrary of what is usually shown in Tamil cinema , the antagonists are not that pervasively evil or strong. They are portrayed to have same levels of vulnerabilities & temptations that most of us have. And once pushed towards the wall the fear , confusion & mistakes take over. Another example of terrific writing.
Next is the portrayal of an arts college. It is not as silly as that of "Eeramana Rojave" or "Kuthu" but the same time not as idealistic as that of "Kaloori". The respect shown by even the most troublesome of students towards the professors & the dignified exposition of the college life is another aspect which gives one another reason to get captivated by the writer - director.
The romantic aspect of the movie is refreshing , credible & natural . The exchanges between the lovers are so casual , realistic and matter of fact. Except for the routine montage romance song , everything else about this aspect of the movie is also well done once again to writer- director.
The action sequences are done without any over the top action choreography & are well within the mood of the movie.
Arulnidhi with his casual & subtle acting has done a good job as the protagonist Karunagaran. Actually it is an intelligent casting by the director for Arulnidhi is not a great actor but whatever acting is needed for the character of Karunagaran is aptly present in him. Sarcasm with a wooden face suits him well.
Iniya looks cute & her expressions are apt. Though she doesn't have much to do she makes her presence felt . Uma Riaz Khan has done an excellent job in a well written & well executed role. Wonder where talent like her's been & how under-utilized such talents in tamil cinema industry are.
John Vijay is another bundle of talent which has been exploited well by the director in this movie. The expression , the voice modulations , the demeanors are all how a police officer will be. John Vijay will be talked about a lot after this movie.
Krishnamurty who has come in lots of minuscule comedy roles so far gets a substantial part here & he has done a worthy job of it. Balakrishnan who also gets a break & he has utilized it well.
Casting & the performance of everyone in the supporting roles is apt & worthy of mention. Usually in movies like these made by a débutant , there will be a lot of overacting & amateurishness from the support cast but not here.
Thaman's Background score is of high-quality & elevates many scenes with his excellent score. "Yennayidhu" is a hum-worthy melody.
Technically also the movie is first class . Mahesh Muthusamy's cinematography explores the dark brightly. Raja Mohammad's editing keeps the movie moving at a brisk pace without any impediment to the flow.
All said & done , only negative aspect of the movie is the manner in which they have depicted the mental health professional as people who are inhumane & brutal. Also how long will these writers describe "shock treatment" (electroconvulsive therapy) as a dreadful treatment aimed at killing or torturing people. Wonder where all the home work & research went when the director dealt with these aspects.
On the whole , "Mouna Guru" is a well written & executed thriller and Shanthakumar is a precious talent who will surely make Tamil cinema proud in the future.
Bottomline: Taut Thriller
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