‘Writer’ review: Samuthirakani delivers impressive performance in the moving film

Police have been portrayed in various ways in Tamil cinema, but most of them have been over-the-top. think about singam franchise, where Suriya’s mighty punch took off half a dozen people. or recently courtier In which Rajinikanth became a crook in the form of a cop.

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of franklin jacob Author It also has a cop, Thangaraj, as its protagonist, but he is a far cry from the cinematic cop universe. When we first see Thangaraj (Samuthirakani), he is sitting in a police station in Thiruvembur, fixing his glasses and reading the morning newspaper. The song ‘Kavalai Ilatha Manithan’ from an old Tamil film plays in the background, perhaps alluding to the fact that Thangaraj is living a life of contentment. But is he?

He is fighting for a cause – to establish a union among the police force, to ensure fair working hours – but there is a slight blemish in the Thangaraj system. A clash with his higher-ups ensures that he is transferred to Chennai. Despite repeated instructions to stick to his job profile, Thangaraj inadvertently gets caught up in a case involving a college-going boy and other police officers. Can he, a humble writer, stand up to the powers that be?

It may sound like a clichéd tale of a weak man taking over the system, but Author Packed in some solid material, especially in the second half. Of course, the biggest takeaway is the real-life-like portrayal of the main characters. You can go to any police station near you, and find characters like Thangaraj & Co.

But it’s not a real victory Author, much like malayalam film nayattu, which also brilliantly showed the three policemen on the run, Author A fascinating story weaves around the protagonist. There is a lot to like about Samuthirakani, which is very different from his earlier message-driven films. Trapped in a system he hates but has become used to, he is at times oblivious to what is really going on around him. Samuthirakani shines in these sequences; There is a sequence that involves a tense tension between him and another cop, in which he reveals a lot without uttering a single word. Most of the supporting cast also put in a solid performance; Merku Thodarchi Malai Antony manages to put some humor in an otherwise serious subject, while Kavin Jai Babu impresses as well.

There are small missteps like Devkumar (Hari Krishnan), a young man pinned in the main case in the film, receiving a flashback that is a little longer than necessary. There are also some pertinent points on caste that the film raises – no wonder the film is produced by Pa Ranjith, who is known for his fiery films and social statements. With AuthorDebut director Franklin Jacob joins a long list of exciting Tamil filmmakers.

The author is currently playing in theaters