‘Leo’ movie review: A fiery Vijay valiantly tries to keep afloat Lokesh Kanagaraj’s weakest film yet – The Hindu
In Lokesh Kanagaraj we belief.
You may have witnessed the inspiring evolution of a filmmaker in 4 movies. You’re naturally soaked with all of the pre-release fanfare, drama, fan theories, ticket-buying frenzy and whatnot. You may have shuffled round all of the items of data like a puzzle to set simply the fitting expectations. And but, if you step into Leo, in the event you overlook all that and are overcome by euphoria — a pleasure that trickles right down to your perception in a filmmaker’s imaginative and prescient — it’s largely due to the belief and goodwill he has earned.
However the belief, sadly, will get examined at instances. Leo, starring Vijay, is a check of religion for Lokesh and his audiences. He makes an attempt an ingenious re-telling of David Cronenberg’s 2005 drama A Historical past of Violence, a narrative a few small-town household man compelled to place up a fervent struggle towards despicable males chasing after his blood. It’s a done-to-dust routine, partly harking back to even Vijay’s personal Theridirected by Atlee, however within the arms of a filmmaker who made Kaithi and Vikram, the narrative finds contemporary alternative to be pushed to its limits and grow to be a pure-genre Lokesh Kanagaraj actioner.
Lokesh hundreds this potent define with a number of (motion) style treats as gunpowder, the performer in Vijay as ammunition, and shoots it with numerous filmmaking fury… solely to overlook.
It’s additionally obvious the place he misses the goal. Lokesh justifiably has lots to do in establishing the world of Parthiban (Vijay), a bakery proprietor and part-time animal rescuer dwelling the quiet small-town life in Theog, Himachal Pradesh. A wonderfully-conceived and designed scene of a hyena rescue units the temper for what’s about to return to Parthi, and his household that features a involved spouse Sathya (Trisha), a son with teenage angst Siddharth (Mathew Thomas), and his daughter Chintu (Iyal) who likes to bounce along with her dad.
Leo (Tamil)
If the hyena rescue exhibits us what we’re to imagine of our hero, what units the stage for this character is a show-stealing scene at his bakery, when a bunch of reckless hoodlums (performed by Mysskin, Sandy and others) wreak havoc. A scene that Cronenberg and author Josh Olson constructed purely to infuse nerve-wracking stress of their movie will get an outright Lokesh remedy, proper from the stereo enjoying 90s Tamil songs like ‘Karu Karu Karupayi’ and ‘Thamarai Poovukkum’ to close-ups tapering into Vijay’s face earlier than what we all know is coming.
Apparently, Leo additionally delves even deeper than A Historical past of Violence into an harmless man’s psyche after his household is uncovered to a nasty world.
Whereas Lokesh continues to construct all he has to, you get a touch of fear that the story nonetheless hasn’t launched the chief antagonists —Antony Das (Sanjay Dutt) and his brother Harold Das (Arjun) — who imagine that Parthi might probably be the formerly-presumed useless Leo Das (an uber-cool Vijay). You marvel if the remaining runtime might maintain the expectations from the anticipated flashback in addition to the character arcs of the Das household. Lokesh’s Leo, to a lot disappointment,derails right here, changing into his weakest movie to this point. It loses out on the entire “Who’s Leo Das and why did he flip towards his personal folks?” query, the pillar on which the whole movie rests. And also you by no means actually look after any of the Das gangster squadron.
Even a stunningly-conceived automobile chase sequence (in contrast to something on Tamil screens earlier than) can’t save this actioner from dropping its zeal; the various boring knife fights solely dampen it additional. Moreover, Lokesh may need teased us with what he might do with the romance angle to start with, however the emotional beats and Sathya’s character arc wither away earlier than lengthy.
The filmmaker does handle to faucet into the performer in Vijay — the star delivers what the scenes demand — however scene-writing blues can reduce deep; it’s disappointing that Lokesh the author (Rathna Kumar and Deeraj Vaidy share credit with him in Leo) who we’re conversant in from Vikram, delivers this substandard try at what might have been an enchanting character research.
If you happen to already know the reply as to if Leo is a part of the Lokesh Cinematic Universe, however desire to be in denial until you watch the movie…. this can be a cue to exit. However Leo does make one marvel if the filmmaker’s knack for world-building doesn’t prolong to universe-building, as every little thing in regards to the LCU in Leo feels dreadfully compelled.
Solely the joy to witness Kamal Haasan and Vijay — the celebrities — collectively on-screen stays, however will we be actually invested in watching Parthiban enter the world of Vikram? How Lokesh will carry the story ahead with 5 main stars within the recreation stays to be seen. The tip credit soundtrack, the ‘I’m Scared’ shock zinger, and the various callbacks to Vikram show that composer Anirudh Ravichander stays the heartbeat of Lokesh’s Cinematic Universe.
Leo may need missed the mark, however the affect of Lokesh’s earlier movies is such that the audiences will proceed to bat for him. In Lokesh, we nonetheless imagine… for now.
Leo is at the moment working in theatres
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