Kuttram 23 review: A medical crime thriller that will leave you shaken

It appears that director Arivazhagan loves being  put to the test, because every time he comes out all guns blazing. This time again, he has delivered a winner that is bound to impress viewers.

Kuttram 23 (Crime 23) is every bit what Arivazhagan had claimed it would be – A gripping medical crime thriller.

The film begins with assistant commissioner of police Vetrimaran (Arun Vijay) being assigned the daunting task of finding a young woman who has gone missing. As he begins to probe the matter, it doesn’t take long for the policeman to realize that the case is connected to another crime – the murder of a priest. More deaths occur, including one in Vetrimaran's own family. Grilling witnesses and gathering evidence, the officer follows a fine line of evidence to uncover a racket that is bound to leave everyone shocked.

The director proves yet again with this thriller why he is rated one of the more promising directors of Tamil cinema. The young man, who worked as an assistant to filmmaker Shankar before turning director himself, seems to have mastered the art of storytelling through cinema.

Kuttram 23 has several subplots, and Arivazhagan’s expertise lies in establishing their clear connection to the main plot through his narration. This ensures that the viewer does not, at any point, lose interest in the film or its plot.

From its script and screenplay to its cast, the film has many pluses. Arivazhagan seems to have scored handsomely not only because of his film’s message, its plot and his storytelling, but also because of his casting choices.

His decision to cast Arun Vijay as the tough police officer, Mahima as the kindergarten teacher who is a witness to one of the crimes, Abhinaya as Vetri’s sister-in-law, Amit Bhargav as Vetri’s brother are examples. Other standout casting choices like Thambi Ramaiah as a constable with ample experience in the police department, Vamsi Krishna as a medical representative, Aravind Akash as a goon and Kalyani Natarajan as a doctor seem to have paid rich dividends. Within minutes, one tends to forget the actors and learns to see them as the characters on screen.

Arun Vijay seems to have given this film his all. From sweating it out in the gym to get those rippling muscles, the stiff body posture of a cop, the high-energy action sequences that are tough and taxing, down to the sweet romantic sequences; he has got them all right.

Mahima has no problem transforming into Thendral. She breezes through the film like a gust of cold air on a hot day providing the much-needed romantic relief in an otherwise grim plot.

One other person whose work needs special mention is Abhinaya, who plays Vetrimaran's sister- in-law. She delivers a neat and powerful performance, playing a loyal, loving wife to Amit Bhargav's character and a caring family member to Vetrimaran and his parents.

Vishal Chandrashekar’s background score is just about right for this film, while KM Bhaskaran’s visuals are a delight to watch.

On the flip side, there are some small details that Arivazhagan could have paid more attention to. The manner in which Vetrimaran stumbles upon clues in the church is not convincing. The same goes for the manner in which he extracts information from Thendral during an interrogation session. These are not faults per se, but the film would have been that much more impressive had these sequences been convincing.

A similar flaw shows up in the fight sequence between Vetrimaran and Vamsi Krishna's character, Vetrimaran is shown causing considerable damage to Vamsi’s hands. In fact, one gets the impression that he has broken Vamsi’s hand. However, moments later, Vamsi is shown delivering blows with the very same hand. All of these lower the credibility of the film.

Having said that, the film, by and large, comes across as a neat thriller and entertainer with a strong social message. It conveys the story of the societal pressure upon individuals and families to have children and how this desperation is exploited by unscrupulous individuals.

On the whole, Kuttram 23 fills you with fear and leaves you searching for answers. Simply put, Arivazhagan, a gold medallist at MGR Government Film and Television Training Institute, has comes out with yet another film that is worth its weight in gold.

Reviewed by Manigandan KR