Maareesan

Maareesan works best when it lets its contradictions breathe - two criminals finding kinship in their damaged moral compasses, each justifying their crimes through different lenses.

Right around the interval mark, Maareesan takes the sharpest and most abrupt ninety-degree turn in terms of tone and genre, derailing what had been a pleasant ride with a string of unpleasant surprises.

Fahadh Faasil and Vadivelu do most of the heavy lifting in this comedy thriller while director Sudheesh Sankar and others just watch with the cameras on. The movie wastes its potential by swerving into thriller territory with hollow writing, and the climax almost ruins the few good things about Maareesan.

The movie sets the stage for an amazing drama but the payoff feels a tad underwhelming and formulaic. And that's despite having two stellar actors shouldering it.

Maareesan explores the aspect of dementia in good measure by taking up a protagonist who has forgetfulness — that itself is a triumph. While the first half is a slow burn with leisurely atmosphere-building and very little happening, an arresting interval block sets things up nicely for a thriller, and the film deserves a look in for its cheekily woven popular Ilaiyaraaja number.