(11'436 votes)A bright but faint-hearted rookie cop has to overcome his fears in order to succeed in his first case which sees him partnered with a reclusive senior officer to catch a serial killer on the loose.
POR THOZHIL is a Tamil film that released on Sony LIV on 11 August after creating much buzz in the theatrical space a couple of months back, literally translates to “the art of war”. I urge you not to go by the title of this review. Por Thozhil (2023) is not a film that promotes the crime of serial killing. This is in no way a film that would be recognised by everyone unlike other popular mass pan-Indian films coming out of the southern industries of India such as Pushpa or KGF. But starting from the theatrical release up till now, the film in focus has gathered its own kind of loyal fan base which it rightly deserves.
Por Thozhil is the story of Prakash (Ashok Selvan), a newly appointed DSP and his mentor, Laganathan (Sarath Kumar), a seasoned SP, and their quest of a serial killer whose crime ranges across decades. While Prakash used to be a meritorious student during his police academy days not very long ago and relies on his bookish knowledge at large on the field, his mentor is a “serious”, experienced police officer whose most important tools are his experience and the ability to form an interpretation of his own of a crime scene that he is investigating. When such two contrasting characters are assigned with the task of catching a serial killer, it makes for truly a wild ride. The logical confusions and humane dilemmas surrounding the crimes and their motifs give the film a multi-layered story. Progressing through the film, it feels like peeling through an onion; nothing is actually as simple as it seems.
The debutant director, Vignesh Raja makes his intentions clear as a filmmaker in this marvelous debut right from the beginning. The sheer influence of David Fincher and his Seven-ish police partnership between the two main characters is something that can not be missed. This is a job so well done by Raja that one can find clear reminiscence of both Brad Pitt and Morgan Freeman’s characters through the portrayals by Selvan and Kumar respectively. Apart from these two characters, the expositions of the killer(s) are also done in such a manner that they remind you of Kevin Spacey in Seven, yet again. The killer has always been there right in front of everyone’s eyes, but we fail to recognise them.
Besides the brilliant cat-and-mouse chase between the police and the killer, the film, on another layer, also comments on some major social issues. In the course of the film, we see Prakash confused about even punishing a killer who has committed such heinous crimes because of his upbringing and the influences of the social surroundings on him. Social issues such as child abuse, domestic violence and the trauma caused by a person’s inferiority complex have been addressed so well in the film.
Technically, the music and cinematography of the film does a fairly decent job, although not magnificent. But the tight story and screenplay by Alfred Prakash and Vignesh Raja himself make the watch claustrophobic, yet a satisfying experience in the end. Performances by the supporting cast also make this crime/thriller a watch worthwhile. As teased in the end of the film, I can only wait to see the duo buckling up for another case coated with brilliant artistic work and perfect direction.
