ABCD - Film Review

Prelude:

I am not different from the normal film goers, only that I happen to be a serious cinema buff off work close to 6 hours post work watching , foren films on TV1000 viasat.For a change happen to see a new Tamil release today..Was pretty impressed, so thought why not blog abt it.

Lets start with a film in Tamil, titled .. ABCD. Coincidence this is my first attempt @ blogging on films..:)

Protaganists :-

A - Anand(Shaam), B-Bharathi(Nandana) , C-Chandra(Sneha) , D - Divya(Aparna)

Story revolves around these 4 characters, A, a struggling jobseeker, B , a Man hater(not eater guyz), C , a Widow post an abused married life, D - teenager exploited by typical materialist world..

Main Story line

All the female characters are shown to be people abused or hurt by men, with contempt for the other sex, but how they transform when they meet Shaam tells the story.. Film also echoes the pathos of the socialist economy(70's) in India but set in 2k.To be fair I found this odd, these days you have a booming economy, so a rank holding MBA with decent communication skills not able to find a job!! Pls gimme a break..Context would have been more opt in 70's perpective.

Portrayals

Credit does go to Shaam who does underplays a very soft role of a jobseeker(portrayal draws similarities to Vikram's AMBI in Anniyan), unlike the usual college going/fun loving persona he gets..I think its another feather in his cap after Iyarkai and Ullam Ketkume..He is one of the talented upcoming heroes but who has had his share of bad films, probably bit early in his career..But i dont think he is a struggling actor(skills per se)whatever the industry portrays him to be..Credit also goes to the director to have managed to get this performance out of him.

Sneha does a fabulous job(She had earlier portrayed a similar role in Ennavaley with Madhavan) once again as an abused woman who decides to split from her husband and wants to lead a dignified life outside wedlock..One jarring detail I find is, she starts out by mentioning her willingness to look for a job but couple of scenes later, we dont see that happening on her husband's death..Wonder why..These days just having cash doesn't really mean security, wonder what the story was trying to tell here? Anywayz need to give a round applause for her dignified portrayal..

Nandana and Aparna have done a decent job as the girls who have been spurned by Shaam(oops have i given out the climax).Nandana particularly emotes well in in the intro when she meets her suitor and in the Climax when she professes her love to Shaam..But the photographer in me, didn't find her make up upto the mark..

Vadivel's comedy acts as a light relief to the heavy story line.

Music

By Imaan, didn't find a different fanfare, but we can see a impact of Vikraman's movies on the back ground score , particularly from the manner in which we find a single background song being played through out the movie, which starts something like "Ulagamada Ulagamada un mele". This particular song sounds pleasant but creates the feel that we have heard it somewhere else before(if am not wrong its from a Hindi album, am not able to recollect the original though)..

TakeAway

Overall a admirable offering from Saravana Subbiah the director, a real change from his previous "forgettable" venture "CITIZEN".. Need more such movies with good stories and taut script.. Gets a 7/10.

Nach Scenes to watch out for - Nandana's meet with her suitor, Sneha takes Shaam out for a marriage(real teaser).