BOTTOM LINE: A Tale Of Raw And Realistic Emotions
Rating: 3/5
| Platform: Netflix | Genre: Family |
What Is the Story About?
Meera (Nivedhithaa Sathish) is a city-bred make-up artist working in the movies. She pays a visit to her grandmother Krishnaveni (Srilekha Rajendran) in the village on her request. What happens during Meera’s stay is what the movie is all about?
Performances?
Nivedhithaa Sathish plays a girl from a city character neatly. There is no over action despite a wannabe attitude on display. It could easily have veered into that territory. There is a right blend of irritation and arrogance attitude in her act. However, more than all these, the key emotional moments were delivered adequately.
Analysis
Anand Ravichandran directs the movie. It is his first attempt, and he has done a commendable job without any doubt. The subject is simple, but the treatment is what separates it from other village-based flicks.
Sethum Aayarum Pon is dealt in a hyper-realistic was with zero emphases on the commercial aspect. There are undercurrent humour and regular emotions, but they are not done in a conventional manipulative way.
The director sets the tone at the start. The slow pace also registers instantly. However, things are more often than not, engaging. The critical part is the mourning sequences and the village affairs. They are dealt with in a real way, making one literally feel the happenings.
Few moments involving the core content related to death may seem to drag a bit, but they carry an emotional weightage towards the end. It is here that one gets the art-film vibe that is sent to film festivals. For the rest of the story, there are naturally identifiable emotions.
The key factor that makes Sethum Aayarum Pon work is the bonding between the grandmother and granddaughter. The initial hatred and the breaking of ice and then the love between them have been captured poignantly and realistically.
The fact that when Meera returns to the city in end makes the viewer also feel the same. It is here that the movie scores. After a point, we feel like we are part of the village and hence, the loneliness of the climax portions gives an instant connect. Kudos to the director to get that feel of village-stay for the duration the film lasts.
Overall, Sethum Aayiram Pon is predictable and slow-paced fare. But, it has the right emotions and given a chance, it is bound to connect. Give it a try, but have lots of patience too.
Other Artists?
The movie has very limited characters. Most of the burden of the narrative is shared between three to four characters. Among them, Srilekha Rajendran playing Krishnaveni does the heavy lifting. She makes the character rooted in reality and is sure to bring alive the memories of our grandmothers. The bonding she creates with the granddaughter seems so genuine and emanates affection.
Gabrella Sellus as Amudha is brilliant in the role given to her. She perfectly portrays the talkative no holds barred village belle girl. Avinash Raghudevan is adequate. He shines the most towards the end. Ratha Krishnan is decent.
Music and Other Departments?
There is only one song in the narrative. It is a jazz melody which gets the feel right. The background score is minimal but delivers when needed. Shamanth Nag has done a fine job, overall. The cinematography by Manikantan Krishnamachary is okay for the attempt. It helps in setting the mood right. The editing by Prakash Karunanithi is in tune with the overall making. There are no signs of flashiness or abruptness. He lets the narrative take place at its own pace without any indication of hurriedness. The writing is fabulous and a significant asset of the movie along with the acting.
Highlights?
Casting
Setting
Writing
Emotions
Drawbacks?
Slow Pace
Predictable Story
Feels Lengthy
Did I Enjoy It?
Yes
Will You Recommend It?
Yes
Review by Siddhartha Toleti
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