Friday Fury- Dec 17 Winner: Easan Review

Every once in a while comes a film that throws you into a world that really exists in front of your eyes and make you completely surrender to the harsh realities. The basic plot of Easan is simple, predictable and even clichd but it is that presentation and performances of all characters big and small that makes the film watchable.

Moving away from his small town milieu to big city Chennai, Sasi does construct an engrossing urban thriller with panache and a fair amount of credibility. The director has focused on the underbelly of Chennai's pulsating glitzy night life and its posh pubs.

Chezhian (Vaibhav Reddy) is a rich spoiled son of a corrupt state minister Devanayagam (AL Algappan), who virtually rules Chennai city with the help of his assistant Gopal, a local thug. Like any other rich brats, Chezhian and his friends party most of the time in upmarket pubs and night clubs and are having a ball. Their life revolves around pretty fashionable girls who visits pubs which leads to brawls, police lock up's from where they are rescued by Gopal. One day Chezhian meets Reshma (Aparna) a rich tycoon's daughter and loves develops.

Meanwhile on a parallel track there is an upright and honest cop , the Assistant Commissioner Sangaiah (Samuthirakani) who wants to clean up the corrupt system. But he is constantly thwarted by Devanayagam and his men. One day after his marriage is fixed to Reshma, Chezhian goes missing. Sangaiah is asked to investigate the mysterious disappearance, which leads to the twist in the story

The film works to a large extent as Sasikumar has taken a leaf from the pages of daily crimes related to Chennai night life and its nexus with politicians and the stinking rich. The central characters are easily identifiable, and some of the incidents shown have been reported in the media, which makes it sizzle with authenticity.

All the lead characters are basically newcomers, which is the major plus of the film. Of the performers, AL Alagappan is astonishingly agile in a very life-like performance of a corrupt politician and a father who is cold blooded but has his emotions in the right place when it comes his family. Vaibhav and his friends are aptly cast. The boy who plays Easan and has a very pivotal role in the second half is fantastic, especially towards the climax. All the newcomers like Aparna, Blessy, the guy who plays Gopal, and Abhinaya are fabulous.

Ultimately it is Samuthirakani who steals the show with a restrained performance as a cop, something different from the usual cop acts. Kathir's camera is cool and lends dramatic sheen and high drama to the film. It looks like Sasi managed to shoot in some of Chennai's famous night clubs and pubs, which gives the story an eerie feel of realism.

On the downside, the film is too long at nearly three hours, with a tedious flashback, and a bloody climax. The songs are total waste of time and slacken the pace. James Vasanth's music does not stay in your mind compared to his earlier works. The violence in the climax is a bit disturbing. One wonders how it got through with a U/A certificate.

Sasikumar has tried his best to make something different within the commercial format. Easan delivers the goods and is a mirror to the dark and disturbing side to night life in a metro.

Verdict: Hard Hitting