Move Review : Blackmail
Mani ( GV Prakash ) and Rekha ( Teju Ashwini) are lovers, who decide to get married. Mani is determined to work hard to support his responsibilities. But his life soon turns upside down instead.
A medical supply businesss owner Chidambaram's tempo, driven by Mani, is stolen. What's worse is that along with the tempo is a hidden parcel of cocaine. A furious owner suspects the innocent Mani and threatens him to find the tempo and the cocaine,or lose Rekha, whom he keeps as hostage.
In Coimbatore, a rich businessman, Ashok (Srikanth) and his wife Archana ( Bindu Madhavi) undergo a harrowing experience when their child, Anu, is kidnapped.
To add to Archana's woes, a former lover, Arun (Lingaa), blackmails her with an incriminating video of their intimate moments and hires Mani and his friend, Ramesh Thilak to kidnap the child for ransom, a task Mani helplessly agrees to in order to pay off Chidambaram and rescue Rekha.
But things dont go according to plan and what ensues is a cat and mouse game of twists and suspense. Does Mani succeed in rescuing Rekha? Does Ashok discover Archana's secret?
Director Mu Maran has fleshed out this thriller with a well thought out and executed screenplay, aided by crisp editing, and a non-linear narration that not only keeps you guessing and adds to the suspense, but also keeps you engaged with a steady stream of twists. The attention to detail, well written dialogues, a superbly chosen cast, absence of melodrama and no loose ends, a bgm which flows without dominating the narration and characters which are fleshed out just in the right measure to keep you engaged and invested in their lives, without dwelling on backstories, are all highlights.. The leads are lovers but there are no excessive romantic interludes to take focus away from the plot. Redin Kingsley brings in the humor element but in just the right dose. Good production values and Gokul Benoy's camerwork, engaging stunts, chases and live location shoots adds to the viewing experience.
On the flip side there are scenes which seem a tad contrived in order to keep the story moving forward but the gripping screenplay overrides such glitches.
GV Prakash delivers yet another power packed, impressive performance and seems the perfect choice for this role, displaying frustration, helplessness, intelligence, grit and inherent innocence in equal measure. With equal credibility, the actor delivers in the well- choreographed action blocks.
Teju Ashwini make for a good pair with him and delivers a neat performance though one wishes more screen time could have been allotted to her.
Lingaa delivers a noteworthy performance in a lengthy role as the villain. Ramesh Thilak delivers another effortless performance as Mani's aide.
Shrikant's superlative act as Ashok, the torn and frustrated father who nevertheless has several aces up his sleeve, adds value to the film, as does Bindu Madhavi's first rate act as the helpless, yearning mom and hapless victim of a blackmailer.
Overall Blackmail, a suspense thriller with ample, unpredictable twists, excellent performances by a top-notch cast, a well fleshed out story, interesting screenplay, well tied up loose ends sans random violence nor melodrama, makes for a gripping and engaging watch.
Rating 3.75 / 5
