Movie Review: Retro
Paarivel (Suriya), the adopted son of a don (Joju George) has no reason to smile especially after his adoptive mother's death. His father holds no affection for him, but only values his contribution to criminal activities. When Paari meets Rukmani ( Pooja Hegde), a kind soul who spurns violence, he finally wants to reform and give up his violent life.
But fate has other things in store and his past catches up with him on his wedding day, leading to a break up between the duo.
A shattered Paari finds himself in jail and pushed back to a life of violence until one day he finds his lost love again. But can he give up the violence that follows him? Will she accept him for who he is? What is the secret behind his birth that Paari discovers?
It's a Suriya show all the way and he displays his prowess as a star- actor in every frame. Be it the emotional intensity of his scenes with Rukmani, his frustration, desperation or his battle with self control, Suriya's body language, expressions and eyes speak volumes. The film is splattered with action blocks, each of which Suriya shines through with ease, be it body combat, guns, swords or martial arts. The chemistry with Pooja is palpable and the duo's scenes together bring a smile to the face. The Kanimaa song is a visual delight. Pooja Hegde displays well the quiet maturity of her character bringing a certain dignity and grace to her performance.
Vidhu ( of Jigarthanda xxl fame) plays a flamboyant and cruel villain with panache while Joju George is aptly cast as the evil, selfish , criminal step dad.
Santhosh Narayanan's song already rocked the charts and his bgm ( though a ) serves the visuals well. The retro look, and feel via haircuts, makeup and costumes is well done, giving the film retro feel to the movie all through. The Grand set design deserves kudos.
While the first half takes the movie in a certain direction, the second half veers off in another, taking the story to the actual backdrop of his birth, where he must save his people. While the sequences are interesting to watch, a slight disjointed feel creeps in. Perhaps if some of the repetitive action blocks could have been avoided, the feeling of length towards the end would not be felt.
A film in typical Karthik Subbaraj style and sensibilities, with a well chosen cast, a step back into different world and timelines, Suriya's intense performance, Pooja's charimatic presence, Retro makes for an engaging and gripping watch.
Rating 4/5
*Movie Name: RETRO*
*Directed By Karthik Subbaraj*
Production - 2D Entertainment & Stone Bench
Producers - Jyotika - Suriya
Cast
Suriya, Pooja Hegde, Jayaram, Joju George, Nassar, Prakash Raj, Vidhu, Karunakaran.
Technical crew
Story screenplay dialogue
Karthik Subbaraj
Music composer : Santhosh Narayanan
Cinematographer : Shreyaas Krishna
Editor : Shafique Mohamed Ali
Lyrics : Vivek, Arunraja Kamaraj & 808Krshna
STUNT : Kecha Khamphakdee
DANCE : Sherif M
Custome Designer: Praveen Raja
Costumer: Subier
Art : Jacki - Mayapandi
Co Director : Srinivasan E
DI : Mango Post
VFX : Lorven Studios
Colourist : Suresh Ravi
Mix : Suren G
Chief Associate Editor : Nithin Jp
Associate Editor: Keshav B Raj
Assistant Editor : Vaishnav D
Publicity designer : Tuney John
Stills : Dinesh M
TN Release : Sakthi Film Factory
PRO : Yuvaraj - Sathish (S2)
Subtitle by : Sajith
Audio label : T Series
