‘Nilavuku Enmel Ennadi Kobam’ film assessment: Mathew Thomas steals the present in Dhanush’s rocky rom-com

Other than Prabhu and Nila’s love story, there’s additionally Venky and Sriya’s on-and-off relationship. Rajesh’s standing is the proper instance of calling a relationship ‘difficult’ and Anjali, seeing the plight of Prabhu at Nila’s wedding ceremony, develops a delicate nook that blossoms into one thing extra. Thrown into the equation are the seniors performed by Sarathkumar, Aadukalam Naren and Saranya Ponvannan who do a high quality job of pulling the kids in addition to the movie again on observe once they go sideways.

And hitches are aplenty in NEEK with the evident one being the lead pair. Dhanush’s nephew Pavish, in his debut outing, struggles to slot in, like his character within the movie. Be it the emotional stretches the place the character’s vulnerability exhibits up or the “mass” moments when this middle-class boy tackles his girlfriend’s wealthy dad, his appearing prowess — or the shortage thereof — makes it troublesome for us to root for him. When he’s not mimicking Dhanush, he tries to get cowl behind a pair of darkish sun shades. Anikha, as the feminine lead, is seen largely reacting to her circumstances, with little company.

A nonetheless from ‘Nilavuku Enmel Ennadi Kobam’
| Photograph Credit score:
Particular Association

It’s Matthew Thomas, probably the most skilled of the younger crop of actors in NEEK, who finally ends up because the show-stealer with a stellar efficiency. Breaking the age-old stereotypes affiliated with the character who performs the hero’s pal, Dhanush etches Matthew’s Rajesh with gravitas and the actor pulls it off successfully. The remainder of the younger solid have their fair proportion of sequences wherein they shine.

One other takeaway from NEEK is how Dhanush laces the movie along with his love for movies of the bygone period with a pinch of his personal life. The lead character’s title occurs to be Dhanush’s actual title, Venkatesh Prabhu, and identical to the actor’s preliminary want of turning a chef, Prabhu too performs one. Rajesh’s cellphone ringtone is ‘Oodhungada Sangu’ and his canine is called Harry Potter, a direct reference to Dhanush’s Velaiyilla Pattathari, and Prabhu’s home appears to be like eerily just like the one from VIP, making one consider that Saranya enjoying the mom in each movies is something however incidental. There are references to AR Rahman and Ilaiyaraja and Dhanush even makes use of the ‘Ithu Enna Maatram’ observe from 7G Rainbow Colony as a hat-tip to his brother. Talking of music, GV Prakash, who’s on a roll, does an exquisite job and so does Leon Britto whose camerawork provides a vibrant gloss to NEEK.

The movie is a light-hearted romance and like a double-tipped cupid arrow, it has its execs and cons. With out delving deep into any of the myriad sub-plots, the movie maintains a painful distance from the proceedings and its repercussions sink means after we depart the theatre premises. For example, what occurred to Prabhu’s pragmatic pops or the chirpy mother who loves conversing in English? We’ll by no means know. Equally, NEEK leaves us wishing we bought to know extra about Preethi, Prabhu’s potential associate, who occurs to be probably the most mature one of many lot.

Dhanush tries to subvert cliches, like when the gang runs away from what might have been an motion sequence or not villainising Nila’s groom. He additionally amps up the comedy issue, just like the bromance between Prabhu and Rajesh, which works brilliantly in some stretches. However regardless of some intriguing moments, NEEK has its fair proportion of flaws due to handy writing and underwhelming performances. NEEK is perhaps Dhanush’s weakest directorial however has sufficient to point out glimpses of his prowess as a filmmaker and on condition that his subsequent as a director is titled Idly Kadai, let’s hope he’s cooking one thing extra appetising.

Nilavuku Enmel Ennadi Kobam is presently operating in theatres