When it comes to narrating a tale in the dark with stark realities pinned up in each and every scene, hardly any director other than Mysskin would throw in their hat in the ‘Kollywood’ ring! He has emerged as a wounded tiger from the cave to deliver a gritty and gripping tale of a wolf which is on the run.
OA’s story revolves primarily around 2 characters - the wolf (Mysskin) and the lamb (Sree). ‘Wolf’ alias David is a dreaded criminal who has committed a series of murders and is on the run. The fact is that he is on a mission to save some lives and he coerces Chandru (Sree) to assist him. Whether ‘Wolf’ was able to save the lives that he intended to save was told in a gripping manner with some over-the-top dramatics in a typical ‘Mysskin Fashion’.
The noir in the narration was perennial as in all Mysskin movies. All the scenes have been shot during the dark in order to keep up with the theme of the movie. The script did not have substantial twists but the narrative style bound the script together from the start till the finish.
The performances were so typical of Mysskin with some ‘frozen acts’ that were remnant in almost all the characters at sometime or the other. Mysskin’s performance as the cold-blooded murderer was nothing special and his naturally heavy build has ably assisted him in establishing himself for the role. The scene where he narrates the flashback in a metaphorical rant was an impressive space where he tried to score and make a name for himself! Sri was conspicuous for this role and his actions were so similar to that which he performed in ‘Vazhakku Enn’. Among the supporting cast, Shaji as the CBCID was a natural performer with a ‘Mallu’ accent and an authoritative tone.
Other major highlights of the movie were the tautly orchestrated action blocks that looked so real yet super-heroic and Ilayaraja’s BGM, which added to the narrative’s appeal and elevated so many good scenes to super good ones. Majority of the times, silence played along, with the characters doing the rest!
The cinematography would have been challenging, especially with respect to the lighting aspects as it was shot during nights throughout. Balaji should be lauded for doing a neat job at it.
Editing could have been crisper, especially the run down towards the climax appeared to be a bit of a drag.
Director Mysskin is back to his own form as he plays to his strengths and stands like a tyrant, dictating terms on how a taut thriller has to be made by not even obliging a bow to commercial aspects like a fair-skinned heroine or some comedians to do the heavy-lifting or an item girl with an ‘oomph’ number. This one can be watched for Mysskin’s sheer belief that the soul for any movie is a well thought-out script that is logical and engaging!
Rating: 3.5 / 5
Verdict: Recommended!
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