2 / 4 STARS
DIRECTOR: PRIYADHARSHAN
ACTORS: --NONE!--
ACTRESSES: JOTHIKA, TABU, OTHERS
MUSIC DIRECTOR: VIDYASAAGAR
STORYLINE:
Vasu (Jothika) and her friends are pranksters in an all-girls' college. They sing songs, break rules, and wreak general havoc. They also have a grudge with Gita, another girl from the college. Lakshmi plays one of Vasu's friend's aunts -- she wants her niece to get married. But in order to escape this, Vasu and her friend make up a fake boyfriend named Ramesh. But this fantasy takes on a frightening new reality when a real person calls and says that he is that boyfriend.
Eventually, this fictitious Ramesh is murdered, and suspicion falls on Jothika and her friend. Gayathri, (Tabu) meanwhile, is a man-hating police officer who is on the case. To top it off, Gita disappears. Eventually, Jothika and her friend become fugitives, running from the law to prove their innocence.
And the real killer is still on the loose.
COMMENTS:
They have a word for this kind of movie in English. It's "camp." "Campy" movies are those that are so horribly done, they end up being fun to watch. "Snehithiyae" is full of gimmicks -- for example, there are no male actors, except for the man who plays Ramesh, and he has very little screen time -- and is also a mix of the well-known thriller/horror genre. However, the plot-line, until the very end, is ridiculous. The most serious scenes -- for example, the explanation of why Ramesh's corpse ended up on-stage -- are hilarious, and prove that even the director and writers didn't know how to end the movie until they themselves came to that point.
This movie, however, is a groundbreaker in that there have not been many movies of this genre made in Tamil. And the killer's identity IS unpredictable. The problem is that there are so many holes in the storyline, the ending itself seems funny. The movie starts out as an "Agni Natchathiram" for Women with the Vasu-Gita rivalry, turns into a "Vaali" where Sonna comes to life and hunts people, and then transforms into a "Fugitive" for Women with Vasu and her friend on the run, and then finishes off well. The ending is well done, but the ride to get there is bumpy.
The word for this kind of movie is "amateurish" and I'm surprised a well-known director like Priyadarshan could possibly come up with a movie full of uneven direction and inappropriate song sequences. Several plot holes are in the movie, such as the blood on Lakshmi's hands. And those plot holes that ARE filled are ridiculously explained. A fun movie, but if you want a good murder mystery, go rent something like the English "Usual Suspects."
NOTE ON THE MUSIC:
The songs are mediocre. Vidhyasagar has done okay, but not spectacularly.
RECOMMENDATION:
Ultimate popcorn-and-couch flick. Watch it on video.
VIJAY VANNIARAJAN