Rathna is introduced to the viewer just as he is making huge leaps in the world of crime and power. Here, Chaitanya builds Rathna as a man with a clean slate who is writing his destiny. However, the sudden revelation of a backstory brought up in the second half feels disingenuous. That one brief sequence, providing context for Rathna’s childhood, belies everything we have learned about Rathna until then. Gangs of Godavari has many such over-reaching strides that derail the film. Usually, such films are saved by a strong central performance. However, Vishwak Sen, playing Lankala Rathna, never attempts to scratch beyond the surface. He excels in conventionally heroic moments but is far too content with merely providing a swaggy outline to Rathna. If there’s anything more existential about Rathna, we never get to know.

Such a hasty attempt to tell a big-scale story also leads to multiple missteps in the film’s tonality. The character of Doraswami (an impressive Goparaju Ramana) dwindles between appearing like a strong adversary and a comically dim-witted rival. Mala’s character, after a colourful intro, moves in and out of the narrative at the makers’ convenience, being called in to play whenever Rathna needs a helping hand. (Anjali, despite her sincere performance, is wasted in this miniscule role.)

In one of the more interesting stretches of the film, Rathna uses his cunning and shrewd thinking to outwit his adversaries. Considering the introduction sequence where Rathna is showcased as a macho, physically menacing man, these moments work in a pleasantly subversive manner, as Rathna revels in his own lack of moral compass. However, we soon return to the familiar visuals of a daredevil hero figure cutting limbs and slitting throats to protect his family. There are also a few stylistic touches sprinkled around to keep things interesting, like the visuals suddenly turning black-and-white when Rathna explains the workings of Doraswami to his subordinate.

Krishna Chaitanya does succeed partially in building the multiple action set pieces, lending them some adrenaline. Yet, there is little originality at play here, and the excessive slo-mo shots and deafening music do little to convince us otherwise. Even the dramatic scenes are bombarded with a heavy background score, often overpowering the events on screen. At one point in the second half, as Rathna waits at a hospital for a beloved to regain senses, a small board in the background reads, ‘Noise Annoys.’ I couldn’t help but chuckle at the irony, while wishing that director Krishna Chaitanya also pondered that scenario as long as I did. Maybe then he would have realised the irony of it, and Gangs of Godavari would at least have been a slightly quieter film.

Film: Gangs of Godavari

Cast: Vishwak Sen, Neha Sshetty, Anjali, Nasser, Goparaju Ramana

Director: Krishna Chaitanya

Rating: 2/5 stars

Film Critic Tony Toscano joined us with movie reviews for the weekend.

After being delayed by the actor’s strike and writer’s strike, “Billy the Kid ” returns to MGM+. The series focuses on Billy the Kid and his early days as a cowboy and gunslinger in the American frontier, to his pivotal role in the Lincoln County War and beyond. Tony says, “Billy the Kid is a western that shares the legend and is not about historical accuracy, it’s simply a love letter to the old fashioned TV western. He gives it a B and it’s rated TV-MA.

In selected theaters is the biographical drama “Sight”. The inspiring true story of Ming Wang, an impoverished Chinese prodigy who flees Communist China to become a pioneering eye surgeon in America. When tasked with restoring the sight of an orphan who was blinded by her step mother, he must confront the trauma of his own violent youth. Tony says, “One of the most inspiring films this year, “Sight” offers a story of overcoming odds, commitment and victory.” He gives it an “A” and it’s rated PG-13.

Also in theaters is the comedy / drama “Ezra.” “Ezra” follows Max and Jenna struggling to co-parent their autistic son Ezra. When forced to confront difficult decisions about his future, Max takes Ezra on a cross-country road trip that changes both their lives. Tony says, “Ezra is a must see film that offers a comedic and tenderhearted approach to the subject of autism. The film is poignantly funny all the while showing us the struggles of parenting a child on the spectrum.” He gives it an A and it’s rated R.

You can learn more at screenchatter.com.

A still from ‘Garudan’ 
| Photo Credit: Special Arrangement

After a brilliant makeover from a comedian to a lead actor in Vetri Maaran’sViduthalai: Part 1, Soori’s sophomore outing as a protagonist, Garudan, proves that his transformation is not a flash in the pan. With a neatly woven script that has enough brawn to overcome its minor shortcomings, director RS Durai Senthilkumar makes a splendid comeback with this raw and intense rural drama.

In Garudan, Soori plays Sokkan, an orphan who finds solace in Karunakaran’s (Unni Mukundan) solidarity, turning him into a living embodiment of the word ‘loyalty’. Meanwhile, Aadhithya (Sasikumar) is Karuna’s best friend and the duo also professionally works in tandem. Akin to a marksman’s deafening gunshot disturbing the tranquillity of a peaceful forest where its inhabitants keep their animal instincts in check, trouble brews in multiple forms. The film catalogues the rift in these bonds down to the proverbial ‘mann, ponn, penn’ (greed for land, wealth and women). When these events rattle his perfect world, Sokkan is forced to take it upon himself to restore balance.

A cop wants to resign, a minister wants to swindle away a large piece of temple land, a character from a once-affluent family has a hard time making ends meet, a couple is distraught about their inability to conceive, a relationship leads to unplanned pregnancy, a cordial relationship between two people blooms into romance…. Garudan discloses all its cards with breakneck speed and introduces us to a plethora of characters. While it takes a while to settle within this world, the screenplay goes against its title to put us amidst the action instead of giving us a bird’s eye view of happenings.

Soori is arguably at the cusp of his career’s apogee. At a stage where a little ‘mass’ would do wonders amidst a lot of ’class’ (three of his films are having a dream run at film festivals), the actor could not have asked for something as bespoke and vivifying as Garudan. Not only does the film play to his strengths and does a brilliant job with the ‘rise of an underdog’ trope that we enjoyed in Viduthalai, but it also gives him enough space to showcase his talents across aspects like action, romance and even a little dance.

A still from ‘Garudan’ 
| Photo Credit:
Special Arrangement

But Garudan does not break boundaries with its plot; it offers the usual tropes of brotherhood, deception and retribution that we have seen often, and scenes do remind us of its own actors and director’s films like Kidaari, Subramaniapuram and Kodi. In fact, if Maamannan can be interpreted as the perspective of Vadivelu’s character Isakki from Thevar Magan, Garudan is the equivalent of Isakki taking it upon himself to end the feud with those he considers his bosses. However, despite looming over familiar territory, Garudan manages to give us something fresh thanks to its treatment and performances.

Director Durai etches the three primary characters brilliantly and it starts right from their very names; Aadhi is the all-giving do-gooder and a ray of hope from the above, Karuna takes in a nobody under his wings and values fellowship more than anything, and Sokkan — keeping with the title of the film — is the bird that lives between these two entities. Soori is picture-perfect as Sokkan; the character is often called a dog because he is faithful and dependable, but the same man’s best friend can turn rabid when pushed into a corner.

A character elaborates on a dream she had featuring horses, elephants and men with weapons; a scene straight out of the Kurukshetra War. But in this game of chess, what’s often overlooked is how a simple pawn, when it reaches the other extreme end, can transform into something powerful and Soori aces that transformation. His distinct monologue of truth bombs that he delivers to Karuna, the humourous side that often comes out during his escapades with lady love Vinnarasi (Revathy Sarma), his show of allegiance to the families of Karuna and Aadhi, and the impressive action sequences featuring him make for some of the best scenes in the film. Sasikumar also fits perfectly in the role of Aadhi, a dignified character who is an extension of several lead roles he has previously played. A pleasant surprise comes in the form of Sshivada pulling off her limited but salient character with poise. But what feels like a miscast is Unni Mukundan whose dialect does not help with his rushed character arc.

The film has its fair share of issues ranging from painfully convenient twists to unnecessarily gory and violent action scenes. Still, they end up as mere speed-breakers in an otherwise enjoyable joy ride. Add to it an in-form Yuvan Shankar Raja whose scores elevate the mood of the film and Arthur A. Wilson’s well-crafted frames, the technical prowess successfully push the film over the finish line. It would not be a stretch to call Garudan as director Durai’s best work, and leave you wanting more of this metamorphosis of Parotta Soori to protagonist Soori!

Garudan is currently running in theatres