Romeo the movie review: Outstanding acting elevates an all-too-familiar tale
These days, the word “Romeo” connotes a hopeless romantic. Shakespeare’s Romeo was far more complex than this, yet over time, the moniker has come to represent this alone. In his most recent movie, “Romeo,” Vijay Antony plays a contemporary take on this role. The film’s storyline is unoriginal, despite his fascinating performance.
‘Romeo’ has several similarities to certain Shah Rukh Khan movies. The story of “Romeo” is comparable to the cliche in “Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi” about a guy creating a new identity in order to win back his bitter wife. A moment from “Romeo” is similar to Shah Rukh’s fear of fire in “Om Shanthi Om,” as is the famous scene when he attempts to rescue his loved one from a burning castle. ‘Kaavalan’ and ‘Mouna Ragam’ are also included. But ‘Romeo’ has potential in spite of these all too common clichés. Even if the narrative isn’t very inventive, it still makes for a fun, enjoyable experience.
The movie begins with a well-paced first half that, even though it is well-known, never fails to make us laugh and keeps the pace high. While Yogi Babu and VTV Ganesh play the main comic roles, supporting cast members Roju, Shalini, Siva Sha Ra, and even Vijay Antony, the main character, add quirky and new humor to the mix.
The movie also includes meta aspects, including jokes that are self-referential from Vijay Antony and VTV Ganesh. For example, Arivu jokes, “Yean indha Arya, Vijay Antony, ivangalaan pathu vayasu vidhyaasathula Kalyanam panalaya?” in response to Leela making fun of their age difference. In another scene, Ganesh’s role in ‘Vinnaithaandi Varuvaayaa’ is mentioned in passing when Arivu asks his uncle VTV Ganesh for assistance. Clichés like “Ponnunga thaali kattum bodhu azhuvanga, yean na adhukaprom vaazhkai full aah aamblainga namma dhaane azha porom?” are still present in the movie, nevertheless.
With his portrayal in “Romeo,” Vijay Antony nearly appears to be taking on a new persona. The actor has been in a string of somber parts after returning from India Pakistan; this lighthearted and romantic role breaks the pattern. His character Arivu in “Romeo” is described as geeky yet very loyal to his wife. Arivu is the exception amid a sea of red flags; she has attributes that Leela may not completely recognize. To really step into Arivu’s shoes, Vijay Antony has shown his bright, goofy side. But there’s a point in the movie when this novel portrayal kind of backs off. The story uses the damsel-in-distress cliché in a scene when Arivu, who is usually presented as shy and timid, knocks up a guy who attempts to wrong his wife. There is another scenario when Arivu asks, “Oru ponna adicha avan aambalai aayiduvana?” which clashes with this. It raises the question of whether heroic portrayals in movies can only rely on a limited number of clichéd devices.
Although the movie isn’t perfect, it is definitely a milestone for Mrinalini. She epitomizes a driven young lady who, in spite of many obstacles, pursues her goals with unwavering determination. The lack of sequences that are meant to evoke sympathy is what distinguishes her presentation. Rather, her enthusiasm and tenacity let the audience relate to her, and they start to cheer for her in spite of her unwavering anger. Though she has a few loose ends, Mrinalini’s depiction of Leela gives her a charming, girl-next-door air that makes her all the more approachable. Leela is a well-written character overall.
The background score by Barath Dhanasekar gives the story a fascinating depth, especially in the initial portion of the movie. His lively remix of “Marumagale Marumagale Vaa Vaa” had me feeling really hooked. The editing decisions often obscured the other songs’ amazing quality, yet they were still rather good. Songs like “Vethala,” which emerge just when we want the tale to go on, jar the narrative’s natural flow. In order to maintain the film’s pacing, a few drawn-out moments in the second half may have been cut.
Like the titular figure from Shakespeare’s play, “Romeo” is undoubtedly flawed. The fact that it is derivative lessens our curiosity about “Will they, won’t they.” However, it makes an effort to include some unique elements, such as Arivu’s early trauma. Even though the plot is well-known, Vinayak Vathianathan manages to tell it in a novel way, providing a clean comedic entertainment that is neither too spectacular nor unimpressive. Ultimately, ‘Romeo’ has a pleasant conclusion that is perfect for a long weekend family viewing. Hey, at least it’s not as dramatic as Romeo and Juliet from Shakespeare.
