Just at the beginning of the third act, after the central conflict is resolved and Rambo (Vijay Sethupathi) has his epiphany, he goes to a tea shop and orders tea with salt - to give him some shame, apparently. He then walks over to an old man and asks him to take off his slippers. "Ammava vittuttu poviyanu kelunga," (ask me if I'll ever leave my mom again) he says. The old man obliges. "Adinga enna," (slap me) he urges. Phatak, phatak, phatak, Rambo comes to his senses. This is perhaps Vignesh Shivan's message to critics who come with expectations.
To be clear, dear reader, I did not expect anything unreasonable. Despite the trailers' warnings, I went expecting only a Vignesh Shivan-esque comedy - an irreverent, lighthanded, college boy-level take on semi-serious issues. For Kaathuvaakula Rendu Kaadhal, even that is too much. Because it is just an escapist male fantasy stretched on for too long.
Read the full review on Film Companion.
To be clear, dear reader, I did not expect anything unreasonable. Despite the trailers' warnings, I went expecting only a Vignesh Shivan-esque comedy - an irreverent, lighthanded, college boy-level take on semi-serious issues. For Kaathuvaakula Rendu Kaadhal, even that is too much. Because it is just an escapist male fantasy stretched on for too long.
Read the full review on Film Companion.