Leo movie review: Vijay delivers career-best performance in Lokesh Kanagaraj’s almost misfire – The Indian Express
As soon as expectations start to mount on them, administrators begin following the voice of hype and never their uniqueness or expertise that earned them that acclaim within the first place. Lokesh Kanagaraj, nevertheless, is keenly conscious of this tendency and constantly avoids falling into this lure. Lokesh’s type deviates considerably from the standard masala components the place the mass attraction is launched at each juncture in accordance with the star’s reputation. As a substitute, his movies derive their ‘mass’ from the particular narratives and focal factors, contributing to their distinctiveness.
His newest, ‘Thalapathy’ Vijay-starrer Leo, is, nevertheless, a mixture of this and plenty of different issues; however what it lacks is a stable screenplay that Lokesh used to ensure.
In contrast to many Indian filmmakers, who usually copy from completely different sources with out giving due credit score, Lokesh boldly begins Leo by acknowledging it as a tribute to David Cronenberg’s 2005 actioner A Historical past of Violence. What units Leo aside is that it isn’t diminished to a mere imitation of the unique, as a substitute Lokesh adapts the storyline to suit the essence of Tamil/Indian aesthetics, thereby developing a particular world.
The movie narrates the story of Parthiban, an animal rescuer and café proprietor who lives in Himachal Pradesh along with his household, spouse Sathya (Trisha) and their two youngsters. As talked about by Lokesh earlier, the movie refrains from giving Thalapathy a grand introduction or highly effective dialogues initially, emphasising his bizarre, unassuming life. Nonetheless, because the plot unfolds, he turns into concerned in a sequence of challenges, attracting media consideration. The state of affairs escalates, and his story turns into recognized all through the nation, catching the curiosity of ruthless criminals who discover his hanging similarity to former gangster Leo Das, the son of notorious warlord and tobacco magnate Antony Das (Sanjay Dutt). Though it was assumed that Leo died in a tragic fireplace accident, Antony and his brother Harold (Arjun), upon seeing Parthiban’s picture, are satisfied that he’s Leo. The remainder of the movie revolves round their makes an attempt to uncover the reality, whereas Parthiban struggles to guard himself and his household.
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Though Vijay’s introduction doesn’t adhere to the standard Thalapathy template, Lokesh offers him with one thing much more intriguing, akin to what NTR Jr acquired in SS Rajamouli’s RRR — a face-off with a human-eating hyena. Nonetheless, as a substitute of utilizing this scene to showcase his bodily prowess, Lokesh zooms in on Parthiban’s presence of thoughts and sharpness, steering away from the traditional Vijay movies. Just like Lokesh’s earlier films, Leo unfolds at a gentle tempo, avoiding abrupt transitions and compelled cuts. The movie takes its time to delve into the varied features of Parthiban and his household’s bizarre and cheerful lives.
Just like A Historical past of Violence, the movie appropriately justifies the inciting incident and the purpose of no return (PONR), albeit with a extra intense show of violence. The primary half of the film adeptly navigates by way of the varied obstacles encountered by the characters, as quite a few makes an attempt are made on Parthiban’s life below the belief that he’s Leo. This seems to successfully set the stage for the explosive occasions that await audiences within the second half.
Nonetheless, within the latter half, the main focus narrows right down to a single query: Is he actually Leo? This singular focus hinders the general narrative, resulting in a way of repetition, with the audiences anticipating an imminent reply to permit the story to progress. Nonetheless, by delaying the revelation till the ultimate moments, the movie turns into fixated solely on this side.
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Though the movie started on a robust notice, script-wise, it takes a big downturn within the second half. Despite the fact that Lokesh managed to transliterate A Historical past of Violence with out merely translating it, the movie lacks a way of originality, particularly for the reason that story is nearly 18 years previous, and the one freshness in it’s the incorporation of a regional essence. Moreover, because the “good man with a darkish previous” is a trope that many Indian films have regularly capitalised on, the writer-director’s failure to reinforce it additional ends in Leo being the least compelling screenplay by Lokesh to this point.
Regardless of a number of characters repeatedly asserting Leo’s ruthless nature, the flashback scenes depicting him seem insufficient to justify these claims. The sudden look and disappearance of Leo’s sister Elisa (Madonna Sebastian) additionally disrupts the film’s stream.
Though the movie reveals halfway that it is part of the Lokesh Cinematic Universe (LCU) with out providing substantial references, in contrast to Vikram (2022), the makes an attempt at integration really feel extremely synthetic and compelled, missing the natural high quality seen within the Kamal Haasan-starrer. This may lead one to imagine that Leo might have been a stronger film if it had existed as a standalone Lokesh venture. Moreover, sure abrupt omissions of scenes within the film, notably within the center, seem jarring.
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Regardless of the script’s shortcomings, what actually units Leo aside is Vijay’s distinctive efficiency. Avoiding his Vijay-ness, the actor delivers an excellent portrayal, paying shut consideration to the nuances of the character. With a transparent grasp of the character’s calls for, Vijay locations vital emphasis on particular moments, sustaining composure when crucial and unleashing the beast in him when the state of affairs requires it. Leo undeniably stands as one in every of Vijay’s most interesting performances thus far, showcasing the extent of his expertise when he reins within the star persona inside him.
Opposite to different Thalapathy movies, Leo presents substantial roles to different characters, permitting the supporting forged corresponding to Trisha, Sanjay Dutt, Mathew Thomas, Iyal and Gautham Vasudev Menon to ship commendable performances. Nonetheless, Arjun falls quick, presenting a mediocre efficiency. If it weren’t for the hype within the narrative, his position might simply have been forgettable.
The distinctive contributions from the technical group in Leo considerably compensate for the typical storyline. Cinematographer Manoj Paramahamsa’s work weaves magic in each body, whereas Lokesh, alongside colourist Glen Castinho, ensures a singular visible therapy according to the film’s setting, diverging from the color palette of different LCU movies. Though stunt masters Anbariv had much less house right here in comparison with Vikram, they flawlessly executed the motion sequences. The VFX group additionally deserves commendation for his or her excellent work, because the scenes requiring visible results displayed brilliance, in contrast to seen in most big-budget Indian movies.
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Anirudh Ravichander’s soundtrack and background rating additionally contribute considerably to the film’s momentum. Departing from his typical star-worship compositions, Anirudh infuses Leo with distinctive tracks, including a particular contact to the movie.
In brief, whereas Leo is undoubtedly a feather in Vijay’s cap, it’s certainly a step again for writer-director Lokesh Kanagaraj.
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Leo film forged: Vijay, Trisha, Sanjay Dutt, Arjun, Gautham Vasudev Menon, Mathew Thomas, Madonna Sebastian
Leo film director: Lokesh Kanagaraj
Leo film score: 3 stars
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