Director Mysskin made history of sorts in 2007 when "Anjathe" came out during the heyday of Valentine's Day, Cut to the present 2017, Mysskin joining hands with Vishal for Thupparivalan (Detective) was a news which stifled me. Anyway it would be right to mention that cinema enthusiasts need to thank Myskkin for those bold initiatives in making Tamil cinema an attainable dream for countless young wannabe filmmakers. So, putting aside the whole "I'm also from Madurai daaww" image we're used to, I was actually hoping actor Vishal would just, you know, act. And surprisingly, he did a decent job! No unnecessary comedy track or going off on tangents. As Kaniyan Poongundran, he actually delivered one of his better performances since that trainwreck "Avan Ivan" (2011), you know, the one dripping with Bala's village fetish but saved by the poor actors.
In "Thupparivalan," Vishal is believable as this detective who ain't afraid to throw down to solve a case, leading to some genuinely gripping action scenes. At the same time, he's this seeker, always trying to figure things out. The overall feel of the movie is a bit "Eeyore-ish," despite some forced, cringey laughs from the side characters - both the bad guys and the good ones. See, usually in a Mysskin film, even the supporting roles have this fascinating writing that sticks with you, you remember them even now. "Thupparivalan" kinda misses the mark there. But don't get me wrong, this flick is still worth your time. It's the kind of cinema that blends well with what good, meaningful movies should be.
Oh yeah, almost forgot to talk about the background score! The whole movie is loaded with good bgm that really amps up the mystery in Mano's (Prasanna) head, that guy's just waiting for instructions while the hero is connecting all the dots with some seriously cool visuals that'll keep you hooked. Good to see cinema like this today when our weekly releases have been flip-flop chicken flicks- blockbusters.
