The “Badhil” part highlighted in the title could be read in an ironic sense, that the movie will be leaving you with so many questions unanswered. Another crucifixion-resurrection story told in a trippiest way after Trance that released in early 2020, starring Fahadh Faasil which also had a resurrection angle told with psychedelic visuals.
Well, Nenjam Marapathillai takes it a few more levels and lets you feel like you got stuck inside an unpolished prism for 2 and half hours. Remember the “Oh Eesa!” song from Aayirathil Oruvan? If Nenjam Marapathillai can be reduced into a music video, it could very well be a “Oh Yesu!” song with a similar atmosphere oozing madness.
This is also a resurrection of Selva into his next version. Like how the filmmaker who gave us Kadhal Kondain and 7/G Rainbow Colony died and came back as a new self giving us Pudhupettai and Aayirathil Oruvan. Now we have another brand new version making movies like NGK and Nenjam… While it could be a bit saddening that the way his movies used to emotionally engage with the audience is diminishing, this is a classic case of an auteur who is building upon familiarity and creating craft to suit his / her vision.
I am excited that we finally have filmmakers who are subjecting Tamil cinema to quirkier narrative experiences like a Yorgos Lanthimos style of filmmaking. I was thinking of The Killing of a Sacred Deer all along while watching this. Added to that, there is a maniacal aura of Darren Aronofsky’s “mother!” (biblical allegory again) seen through a Gasper Noe-ish lens inducing visual provocations.
The other things I liked about this movie is the seamless shift in the central characters. Till one point, we travel along with Mariam and after a while we fixate on Ramaswamy (or Ramsay) and end the journey with Swetha; then the killer song sequences — I think Selva could pull off a La Land Land in a Tasmac bar or say stage a Broadway musical in a fish market in North Madras set up. If you were even slightly fascinated by the staging of “Enga Area Ulla Varadhey” from Pudhupettai or “Music of Joy” from 7/G, you are sure to have a ball with “En Pondaati Ooruku Poitaa!” — sure to redefine the way one sees that comical line conceived in Janakaraj comedy in Agni Natchathiram. “Kannungala Chellangala” sequence that starts in the Police station is a Saturday night party with Satanic cult.
Coming to the performances, it is a cake walk for SJ Surya with that wackiest persona he carries. This was a happy marriage between the wackiest actor and a filmmaker who carves eccentric characters. And look what the movie does — makes an MGR out of a Sivaji Ganesan.
And Nandita is brilliant and is definitely someone whom Tamil cinema should make more use of.
I was not able to gauge much about the production quality at places. But that it seemed mediocre was like a happy accident here in setting up the required quirky atmosphere — made it look like the movie would have met all the requirements even if it was taken using a broken phone camera. That said, I wished Selva had stopped being Selva at some places; being less selfish. Well, he has all the rights to be — for instance, the very last leg could have been shorter and less indulging. The climax fight need not have been overtly long. Like how he borrowed inspirations from Mackenna’s Gold and beautifully adapted it for Aayirathil Oruvan Natarajar shadow scene, the climax fight here seemed to be drawing inspirations from Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon for the stunt choreography — A great idea but wish it was shorter. We already have surrealism oozing out in all possible directions and I started to get a feel that the show must end when the audience is clapping. I wish one day these ambitious filmmakers like Selva, Mysskin, etc. get to bring their outputs on screen that exactly match ones running inside their heads.
And, I kept wondering this is probably a movie that Selva can make into a stage play and call it “Satanic Tamasha” and the theater scene in town will further go berserk.
Cinema Paradesio 