Pavithra Srinivasan reviews the Tamil movie Mynaa
It might be an entirely romantic tale, but Mynaa's strength are not rooted in it: the luxurious hillsides of Theni are an equally important part as Myna and Suruli fall in love. What makes the locale interesting is that it's not synthetic. Gutters lie exposed, drains are clogged and random rubbish dot the hillside. And yet, peace pervades the place; the sense of isolation is complete.
Adding colour are the secondary characters: Sethu, Ramaiyya and Sevvalai make the picture come alive with their animated performances. Particularly hilarious is Karthik (Manroadu Manickam), with his off-hand one-liners that make you crack up. Poovitha, as Myna's mother, seriously packs a punch. Even Sethu's wife, with her psychotic episodes and intensely loving family makes an absorbing watch.
The leads, around whom the story revolves, have played their parts well: Vidhaarth's body language is particularly effective while Amala, with her quiet smiles and expressive face lingers with you for a while.
D Iman's music, though a combination of Braveheart and 7G Rainbow Colony, adds an unexpectedly pleasant layer to the movie. The songs have a familiar echo to them, but the background score is appealing.
Sukumar's camera goes to town with the locales; the forest scenes must have been difficult to shoot, but he brings a sense of immediacy that's effective. Vairabalan's art-work comes to the fore with his work in the little villages, but L K V Das's editing skills could have put to better use.
Mynaa might be a serious story, but humour is an important component of what makes it work, interspersed in volatile situations. The dialogues add a lot of sparkle.
Not that the movie doesn't have its faults: the story is wafer-thin, and the similarities, character and dialect-wise, to Paruthiveeran, Subramaniapuram et al, is startling. The basis for Myna and Suruli's love is baffling too: they have every reason to like each other, but such utter and complete devotion seems too much.
But these are minor quibbles. With plenty of realism, a touch of angst and sparkling humour not to mention the hills of Theni themselves, Mynaa is an interesting romantic journey.
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