Porali - movie review

"...because success is a menace. It fools smart people into thinking they can't lose." - Bill Gates explains in the movie "Pirates of Silcon valley" why a giant IBM would buy anything from a nobody like Microsoft. Perhaps that is what has transpired in the case of Samuthirakani (Nadodigal fame) and M. Sasikumar (Subramaniapuram fame) to make Porali and Eesan respectively. As expected they have cast each other as protagonist in their projects.

Porali starts off with a promising note and a very interesting pan shot of the top viewing camera to capture the typical Chennai housing complex and its residents. The initial comedy tracks are cleverly used to make the audience travel with the main characters Sasi, Ganja karuppu and Allari Naresh (A very commendable comeback to the tamil industry) The first one hour does engage you with interesting developments. The script loosens when Swathi starts falling for Sasikumar. Like many other tamil movies the unemployed youth miraculously finds a way to make a living and succeeds in his life in just one song. Now, it keeps you wondering what the "struggle" is all about.

I really liked the subtle nuances of the director like the Vinayagar coming throughout the film or the prices going up every time he shows the petrol bunk etc. But I couldn't stand the repetitions (one folk song and one song by Shankar Mahadevan) from his previous project and loads of unwanted violence hoping these would save the day. Music director Sundar C babu shines more in re-recording than in the songs. There is a strong contrast between the city and village portions in that give a feeling that these are two different movies !
 
Porali takes too many twists and turns in the treatment that one wonders what exactly the director wants to convey? It was a real struggle for me to figure what Samuthirakani wants to convey? Is this a movie about how gifted children are ill treated, or about Chennai's suburb and its residents or family feuds or a youth struggling to achieve in life or....about Uranium.