- Date of Release: 19 October 2023
- Genre: Action, Crime, Drama
- Language: Tamil
Leo
Introduction
Thank God It Is Friday and this weekend is mainly all about its theatrical releases! And last night, I finished watching the biggest release of the weekend, the Tamil film Leo starring Thalapathy Vijay and another addition to the Lokesh Cinematic Universe(LCU). Yes, the film is directed by Lokesh Kanagaraj whose previous films of the LCU include Kaithi and Vikram which had created an absolute bomb at the box office. And with the introduction of Thalapathy Vijay in the LCU, things only started to get heated up.
One thing worthy of taking note with respect to the release of Leo was that none of the National Multiplexes have released the film. This was primarily due to the limited OTT window for the film wherein I expect the film to be out on Netflix in almost no time(remember Master?). What then happened was a mad hustle to find out which theatres were running Leo with English subtitles(it generally was easier given that PVR always did screen films with English subtitles). Finally, I could zero in on a screen just in time before the show, and with palpable excitement, I did venture into Leo. Just a little worrying sign for me was the form of Thalapathy Vijay which wasn’t the best, but the good news was that he was in familiar territory following his reunion with his ‘Master’ director. So then, does Leo manage to impress….let’s find out.
Story & Screenplay
Loosely based on the English film A History Of Violence, Leo follows the story of the protagonist leading a happy and content life up in the mountains with his family, until an incident at his cafe changes his life for the worse. The story here is a typical mass masala entertainer packed to provide whistles and claps while promising a gala time at the cinemas. But one criticism straight up for me was that it seemed to be a forced entry into the LCU with only marginal references to the previous films. In other words, the story wasn’t seamlessly integrated with the LCU(but who frigging cares). The screenplay standing at a whopping length of almost 165 minutes could have been slightly trimmed in the second hour but boy did I have an amazing time with the packed crowd at my screen. It was an energizing experience laced with hooting and clapping wherein the fan service did hit home finally for Thalapathy Vijay.
The drama opens with the shot of a burglary followed by a murder which almost acts as a prelude. But soon, you are introduced to the protagonist in grand style who was met with whistles and claps as he saved the town from a hyena. The drama here has multiple action set pieces and the opening one just sets the tone for the drama to follow. One thing to bare in mind is that unlike a few of the other Lokesh Kanagaraj films, the screenplay here isn’t very complex. The writers have kept things simple with the sole intention being of fan service of the protagonist. Yet, the presentation is such that most notes hit home in the first hour.
The writers decide to introduce a conflict in the form of a burglary at the cafe of the protagonist, and that entire sequence of about 10 odd minutes was so well executed that it made for an incredible watch. There were moments of tension followed by fan service packaged in a stylish action set piece that connected, and connected so well. The proceedings are engrossing particularly with the identity of the protagonist, and with the introduction of a few other characters at the halfway mark, the stage is set for a riveting second hour. But that is where the film slightly dips.
The trajectory of the film reminded me of the Tamil film Jailer which had a riveting first hour and a slightly lesser second hour, but the film did not derail. Same is the case with Leo where things slow down relatively with the primary question revolving around the identity of the protagonist. A little flashback does give a glimpse of Leo and his equation with the people around him, yet the question remains on whether the protagonist is Leo himself. I did feel that this portion was a little stretched and could easily have been trimmed a bit given that the writers were going around in circles. But the film gets back on track with a wonderful executed ‘animated’ sequence in the pre-finale followed by a couple of action set pieces in the final act, that ensured that the film ended on a high. And the little LCU reference at the end, although forced, also sent the packed crowd in a dizzy. Overall, the screenplay caters to the fan service of Thalapathy Vijay and it is done well!
Dialogues, Music & Direction
The dialogues are massy and they create an impact. Some of the Hindi lines also add to the authenticity of the area where the drama is set in. The music by Anirudh is spectacular with some foot-tapping numbers that made me want to get up and groove. But what stands out yet again is the brilliant BGM that accompanies the character of the protagonist, in his introduction, in his face-offs, in multiple action set pieces, the BGM is absolutely badass and how! Anirudh just seems to understand the world of Leo just so well by introducing multiple notes which are style personified! The cinematography is outstanding, particularly in the action set pieces which are captured just so well. The editing is crisp and it makes for a spectacular watch too, although the little lag in the second hour could have been avoided! Director Lokesh Kanagaraj is definitely not at his roaring best but given that he is in the league of his own, even his lesser impressive product stands out amidst the crowd. And he just knows how to present his protagonist doesn’t he? His director was still very good although not better than Kaithi and Vikram.
Performances
The performances are pretty good here. There are a couple of surprise cameos here and I shall keep them under wraps. Priya Anand and Trisha as Sathya are decent but it was always going to be a challenge when the script is heavily tilted towards the protagonist. Mathew Thomas is first rate here. Gautham Vasudev Menon is sincere and earnest. Arjun Sarja as Harold is menacing and does a good job. Sanjay Dutt as Anthony oozes of style and got the next best cheer from the capacity crowd. I thought he was wonderful to watch as well. But let’s not fool ourselves. This was an out and out Thalapathy Vijay show. As Parthiban(aka Leo???), he is style personified and how. One of the complaints that I had from his recent films was his bare minimum fan service. But that had also to do with his filmmakers who were either succumbing to his star power or simply not presenting him in a way the audience wished to be. But he was in safe hands with Lokesh, and boy did he play to his strengths. His agility and slow motion walks were catering to the rousing sentiment of a superstar, and he just hit it out of the park here. And, the emotional scene that he performed so well was an added bonus too!
Conclusion
Leo is bloody sweet, bloody dope and a bloody good entrant in the LCU, and it makes for such an entertaining outing at the cinemas. Available in a theatre near you.