Kadhal Mattum Vena Review: Dull, directionless and defective

Kadhal Mattum Vena Review: Dull, directionless and defective

The story of this film is so perplexing that stories like Puriyadha Pudhir and Inception seem like children’s tales in comparison
Rating:(1 / 5)

A perennial complaint about film reviewers is that they reveal plot points and spoil the theatrical experience for the viewers. Some filmmakers have even gone to the extent of suing reviewers, but nobody seems to have found a solution to this problem — nobody, except the director of Kadhal Mattum Vena, Sam Khan. The debutant director gives a killer solution to this issue by coming up with a baffling plotline that makes you ponder about everything from the thought behind the script to the very purpose of life. The story of this film is so perplexing that stories like Puriyadha Pudhir and Inception seem like children’s tales in comparison. You want to stop reviewers from revealing plot points? Come up with a story they can’t explain even if they tried.

Director: Sam Khan

Cast: Sam Khan, Elizabeth 

Sam Khan, who is also the male lead, plays a double role (Varun, Vijay); he has different looks but comes a cropper in both. Even in scenes that demand that he emote, he remains stone-faced. For instance, when his girlfriend goes missing, he merely shrugs and looks around, as though looking for a new one. Ukraine-based Elizabeth plays a Chennai girl, Riya, and though we are an audience that’s used to seeing Amy Jackson, it still feels bizarre to see Elizabeth mouthing, "Go to your home and sleep," while the dubbed dialogue says, "Veetuku poi thoongu."

Despite the film carrying the disclaimer that it’s not a true story, it’s quite evident that parts are based on the Nirbhaya rape case. While employing such gruesome real-life events, you’d expect the director to justify the reason for their inclusion. But in KMV, these are just forced into the screenplay, just to check the emotional content box in the ‘commercial film’ checklist.

The film suddenly shifts gears to the future and lands up in 2022, where everything starting from wine shops to cars look the same, except for a fancy animated iPhone owned by the lead. Even though he uses this gimmick to make us believe it's the future, we can't unsee the fact that he is riding a 2010 model Honda Civic.

KMV, I can confidently say, has one of the most bizarre climaxes in the history of Tamil cinema, and it happens at a time when you least expect it. It also underlines the only redeeming feature of the film — a 93-minute runtime. But then, it also goes on to give you a nightmarish end when it suggests a sequel.

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