Quick Review: Vellai Pookal
by Rinku Gupta
Vellai Pookal is a thriller produced by a group of NRIs from Seattle who work for Microsoft, as thier maiden production under the Indus Creations and Tentkotta movies banners.
Directed by Vivek Elangovan, this thriller is set in Seattle. Rudhran ( Vivek) is a retired DIG who goes to the US to visit his son ( Dev) and his American wife ( Paige). There he meets another NRI (Charlie) who becomes his good friend.
The ex cop soon comes across a series of kidnappings in the area he lives in. The cop in him kicks in and he is determined to solve these cases with the support of his friend. His son deters him from doing so but when he himself is kidnapped, Rudhran goes full steam ahead to get back his son and solve the crimes which he feels are linked. Who is behind it all? Does Rudhran succeed ?
The story has some superb twists and the screenplay and narration are its highlights. Be prepared for an unexpected climax.
The actors fit thier roles perfectly. The director has succeeded in bringing out the serious actor within comedian Vivek and we hope he does more such roles
in the future ( or even a sequel perhaps?). With a quiet dignity Vivek handles the emotional scenes, and the cop portions in a controlled manner. Dev as the son has done a good job and hopefully should be seen more on screen after this film. Charile as the comic foil is the perfect match for Vivek and the two make a great team ( one more reason for a sequel or series).
The city of Seattle is so beautifully captured as is the area the family lives in. It becomes a character in the film. The big homes and near empty streets shown, reflect the lonliness the father feels in the big city, away from his land.
The bgm is excellent, in keeping with the mood of the film.
The makers have desisted from going overboard with unnecessary dialogues or glamourising the film trying to show America in all its glory. The crisp dialogues laced with humor and emotions are a big plus. Director Vivek has stuck to the thriller genre and yet managed to give the film an emotional angle, keeping us invested in it right to the end.
On the flip side, some of the dialogues featuring the non-Indian actors seem artificial and the homes shown, though modern, dont look lived in for some reason.
Overall, Vellai Pookal has everything going for it to make for an interesting watch.
Vellai Pookal is a thriller produced by a group of NRIs from Seattle who work for Microsoft, as thier maiden production under the Indus Creations and Tentkotta movies banners.
The ex cop soon comes across a series of kidnappings in the area he lives in. The cop in him kicks in and he is determined to solve these cases with the support of his friend. His son deters him from doing so but when he himself is kidnapped, Rudhran goes full steam ahead to get back his son and solve the crimes which he feels are linked. Who is behind it all? Does Rudhran succeed ?
The story has some superb twists and the screenplay and narration are its highlights. Be prepared for an unexpected climax.
The actors fit thier roles perfectly. The director has succeeded in bringing out the serious actor within comedian Vivek and we hope he does more such roles
in the future ( or even a sequel perhaps?). With a quiet dignity Vivek handles the emotional scenes, and the cop portions in a controlled manner. Dev as the son has done a good job and hopefully should be seen more on screen after this film. Charile as the comic foil is the perfect match for Vivek and the two make a great team ( one more reason for a sequel or series).
The city of Seattle is so beautifully captured as is the area the family lives in. It becomes a character in the film. The big homes and near empty streets shown, reflect the lonliness the father feels in the big city, away from his land.
The bgm is excellent, in keeping with the mood of the film.
The makers have desisted from going overboard with unnecessary dialogues or glamourising the film trying to show America in all its glory. The crisp dialogues laced with humor and emotions are a big plus. Director Vivek has stuck to the thriller genre and yet managed to give the film an emotional angle, keeping us invested in it right to the end.
On the flip side, some of the dialogues featuring the non-Indian actors seem artificial and the homes shown, though modern, dont look lived in for some reason.
Overall, Vellai Pookal has everything going for it to make for an interesting watch.
