Movie Review: Retta Thala

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 When Kaali ( Arun Vijay) returns to Goa to find his childhood best friend Anthre (Siddhi Idnani))   the two become close again. But soon, a series of events take place, which takes them down a convoluted, dangerous path, when Kaali discovers a look alike, Upendra, a dangerous and rich don, whom the duo decide to kill for his money so that Anthre can have the good life she yearns for,  which a poor Kaali cannot give her. 



But Upendra's murder opens up a pandora's box of events which land Kaali in trouble and danger. What happens to both of them? Do they get the money or do they risk losing everything they worked for?

The film , shot mostly in dark hues, is on a slow burner, with a flashback narration that takes the viewer through Kaali's story, with many a twist along the way,  notching up the suspsense factor and uncovering layers to the characters and the story. 

The narration is slow in places but picks up at other moments. The film requires your full attention in order to enjoy the unraveling of layers.




Arun Vijay excels  in a dual role, playing each character in a nuanced manner, with changes in body language, looks and dialogue delivery, to make both distinct from each other. In the action scenes, which are his forte, he exudes style and charisma, packing a mean punch alongside. Yet another top notch performance from the consummate actor is on display in Retta Thala.

Siddhi Idnani gets a meaty role, of an ambitious young woman who is in touch with reality and can no more bear to continue with menial tasks to survive, and chooses money over love. And Siddhi rises to the occasion, pulling off her role with a quiet dignity and panache, delivering a noteworthy act.

John Vijay is type cast yet again in a stereotypical role of the corrupt and lecherous  cop villain, which makes for tiresomw viewing to say the least. Surely directors can think more imaginatively to choose from the wide pool of talent in Kollywood instead of typecasting him repeatedly?

The Kanamma song sung by Dhanush is a melodious number that is  filmed aesthetically. But  the darker color hues of the film however, get tedious to watch after a while and a lot of subtext imagery is lost in the bargain due to dimly lit premises, or daylight that seems like  twilight.

 Overall, the film is a slick and stylishly made edge-of-the-seat action drama with plenty of unpredictable twists to keep the viewer engaged, a terrific performance by  Arun Vijay, boosted by a novel screenplay and storyline that keeps you guessing till the end. 

Rating 3.75/5

Retta Thala’

Starring: Arun Vijay, Siddhi Idnani, Tanya Ravichandran and Others

Directed by Kris Thirukumaran
Produced by Bobby Balachandran (BTG Universal)
Music - Sam CS


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