What Is the Story About?
Guru (Kavin Raj) is a newly recruited team leader in a software company, Amrak Solutions, in Chennai. To his surprise, Harini (Amritha Aiyer), whom he had met in Mumbai five months ago, also works at the same place as an HR.
On his first day at the office, Guru stays late to finish work at the request of his manager. He notices strange things happening with no one around him. Soon he realises there is some paranormal activity taking place. It turns out Harini is also struck with him. Who are the ghosts? How is it linked to the lift, and what happens to Guru and Harini is the basic premise of Lift.
Performances?
Kavin is effortless and charming when it comes to playing the boy next door fun kind of part. It is seen in the initial portions of the movie and his interactions with the heroine. However, Lift is not the usual rom-com and is a thriller. He is okay in the dramatic parts displaying fear.
Amritha Aiyer is the leading lady. She gets a near equal role to the hero lengthwise. But, she misses out on the key sequences story-wise. She is also acceptable overall but is better in the romantic portions, which are fewer and at the start only.
Analysis
Vineeth Varaprasad directs Lift. It is set in a corporate world and comes with a supernatural twist. The basic idea is nice and offers some intrigue undoubtedly.
The movie begins on a predictable note establishing the world of the company. The characters, the jokes are on predictable lines. They add up to harmless fun, and one looks forward to what happens next.
Those who have seen the trailer might have an idea, but for others, Lift is sure to take by surprise what happens next. It turns into a survivor drama thriller with a supernatural element mixed in. The take-off is extremely slow and tedious, but the subsequent proceedings make one engaged.
The problem occurs when the director has to hold the attention by sticking to only two characters for more than an hour in a single location. The thrills begin to feel repetitive. Also, too many twists or shocks at every turn soon look logic-less.
Out of the blue, the hero has some ideas which don’t connect. It is mainly due to a lack of clarity with what is happening. A couple of well-planed payoffs are neatly executed, though.
After all that has happened, the ending, although compelling, seems too contrived. It is as if one has to pass a message to make it all look alright. The whole flashback makes Lift come across as a typical ghost based movie. Most of the time, we see horror-comedies, here the same is used for a thriller. It is the different aspect.
Overall, Lift has some thrilling moments if one keeps the logic and weak making aside. Lift is for the lovers of the horror genre as it offers some difference within a predictable space.
Other Artists?
Balaji Venugopal playing the manager is good. It looks normal at the start, but the turn it takes makes it register later, Murugunatham has a small role, and he has done a decent job with it. Abdool Lee offers some comic relief at the start. The movie has limited characters as most of the focus is on the principal leads.
Music and Other Departments?
The background score by Britto Michael is good. It adds to the mood and enhances the thriller feel. The cinematography by S Yuva is alright. It could have been better, considering the setup. The editing by G Madhan is neat. It gives a slick feel for the most part. However, there are scenes where it also adds to the confusion due to the abrupt cuts.
Highlights?
Few Thrills
Basic Idea
Setting
Drawbacks?
Routine End
Illogical Moments
Feels Lengthy
Did I Enjoy It?
Yes, In Parts
Will You Recommend It?
Yes, But With Huge Reservations
LIFT Tamil Movie Review by Binged Bureau
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