Parking

Here's a simple but effective addition to the "Bruised Male Ego" cinematic universe which already features the likes of Driving Licence, Ayyapanum Koshiyum, Kaduva, Adi, and plenty more in Malayalam. This time, the setting is a house in Chennai and the ego clash occurs between tenants who get worked up over their shared parking space. The Tamil thriller follows the same pattern as the Malayalam films I've mentioned where a minor incident gradually spirals out of control and leads to irrepressible repercussions. The writing takes it slow, letting us into the distinct worlds of its protagonists; I use the word "distinct" as they come from different strata of life and have completely different ideologies, yet they share one common element - an easily wounded ego.

MS Bhaskar and Harish Kalyan play the two men at loggerheads with each other, and the former's character is unquestionably easier to hate. Beyond a point, he shows no redemptive qualities (as his wife puts it across) as a husband, a father, or a human being. While Harish Kalyan doesn't show signs of struggle as a performer, I feel the role could have produced a greater impact in the hands of a more seasoned actor. That it's his face alone on the film's poster is also a decision I'd like to challenge. Bhaskar, as expected, is outstanding with even the subtle changes in his facial expressions adding to the film's overall positives. The score by Sam CS is also a definite plus.

There are also some really tense moments within the screenplay that work in its favor. These include a fantastic raid scene at a government office, a sabotage scene at night, and a public showdown between the two men. On the other hand, Kalyan's character ends up getting the short end of the stick, with his problems mostly limited to being there for his pregnant wife. There are flashes of other issues that are brought up, like how he's underdelivering at work and frequently being an absentee, but it's all conveniently brushed aside for larger thrills. The cops also only show up in one instance, and they're also rendered inconsequential in this scenario. The women, like most others in similar films, are the ultimate sufferers.

While it works within the thriller context, the screenplay route in the film's penultimate and final acts becomes increasingly predictable, especially once we get a hang of how things are shaping up. For a good while, I thought writer-director Ramkumar Balakrishnan had done away with that particular idea, but the film circles back to it in a rather uncomplicated and rushed closure.

The core conflict is slightly misleading, and the basic premise (from outside) may raise doubts among the majority of viewers, who would question how a simple disagreement over a parking spot could lead to more serious consequences.

I can understand their concerns, as I had the same doubts initially. My skepticism grew during the first half an hour, as there were no major events taking place. However, once the story started to escalate, there was hardly any time to catch your breath. This was thanks to a fast-paced screenplay that kept the momentum going.

"Parking" is undoubtedly one of the better films in the Anti-Revenge space, with a strong script that delves into the clash of egos between two self-centered individuals and their ideological differences, portrayed with remarkable authority and conviction.

My only complaint is the lack of development for the supporting characters. While I was fully invested in the intense battle of egos between the lead characters, I wish there had been more emphasis on their families to make me more worried about their well-being.

I and my family loved this movie because:

-> Every scene is interesting

-> Very realistic

-> Vera level BGM in the scenes

-> Great humour in 1st half

-> Serious tone in second half having us at the edge of the seat - Every scene was thrilling, making us think what will happen next

-> One of the few films that doesn't mock women for the sake of joke, and that shows the aggressive mindset of some husbands and how it's unacceptable (kudos for that, appreciate such films)

-> Like others said, top-notch acting from the two leads and even some of the side characters

Some said the ending could have been different but it was good enough, I can't think of how it could have been done better.

The entire November there was no good movie out so I was forced to go to Jigarthanda and I regretted in the first scene itself that I had to come out of the theatre during interval because it was SO boring. After watching that kuppa padam, I wanted to go for a family-oriented, violence-free, story-rich, humourous movie and thank goodness this movie is released! Before watching Parking, I first thought that this is going to be a decent film that won't bore me and that I'll just go to the movie to have the theatre experience, enjoy it and come back. But I did not expect that the movie was going to be soo much good. That too, I watched Parking in the biggest screen in TN (EPIQ) and I loved the entire experience. Thanks to the movie team for creating such a great film.

One of the best ego clash movie i have ever witnessed in any language. This will be one of the best in tamil ever. Harish kalyan will be his career best movie, one of the best performance from him. And M. S. Baskar omg he is a master of all perfomances. The negative shade which has perfectly suited him. He just lived in that character. Every scene and screenplay is top notch not a bit boredom. A pure ego clash. The director script is soo good. So animative and makes audience feel the heat in the seat. A perfect thriller. Parking a must watch movie available in hotstar. Please do watch it. All the other characters did their best.

Unique writing and screenplay. Great acting by Harish and MS Bhasker. An ego fight between two adults. Two men taking out their frustrations on each other. I couldn't think of any Tamil movie of this sort in the past decade. Things start small and become so huge. Indhuja has also done a good job. The struggle is real with rented places! An apt title for this movie. It's easy to gel into this story. Supporting actors have also done a fab job. No songs, no comedy, cliche scenes or dialogues. The movie is to the point and would not let you think of anything beyond. Unlike his other movies, Harish has chosen a different genre this time.