[SPOILERS AHEAD…]

Official Trailer:

First things first, this kind of movie is a first for Kollywood. Last few years we have got new crop of promising directors like Manikandan, Lenin Bharathi, Karthik Subbaraj, Mysskin, Prem Kumar, Maari Selvaraj, Vijay Kumar, Nalan K, Lokesh (and few more) who have brought in new blood to Kollywood with their interesting stories and narrative style. Thiagarajan Kumararaja (TK) has raised the bar with his Super Deluxe (SD). Movie reminded me of Magnolia, Once upon a time in the West, and Mad Max: Fury Road. Unique stories, emotional roller coaster of characters of each thread, and out of world, can this happen kind of finale are similar to Magnolia. Recollect raining frogs from that movie? Deliberate stretching of few scenes reminded me of Sergio Leone’s Once upon a time in the West, where each and every episode is long, like the opening scene where we wait along with 3 cowboys for the arrival of Man with harmonica (utters the famous one liner you brought two too many), or the climax where we also wait along with Frank to know why Man with harmonica wants to kill him!! This comparison is not to say TK copied from those movies. Comparison is more about how it is hard to explain why Mad Max: Fury Road is a great ride unless you experience it. Like Fury Road, and other two movies called out here, SD is a movie to be experienced. It is hard to explain an alien, raining TV, or Manushyaputhiran revealing Secrets about Life towards the climax 😀

While in Aaranya Kaandam TK tackled what is Dharma, in SD the underlying theme is randomness of life. There is that question of morality and society’s code. With 4 threads, TK touches on infidelity, cisgender, transgender, porn, ambiguity of faith, power, and existential questions. The way the threads are cut may be disorienting but things falls in place by the end. Each thread goes through a twist, intense emotional ride, characters are pushed to claustrophobic spaces, and realization. Since director doesn’t pass any judgment, every viewer is going to leave with their own interpretation and take on the movie.

Where TK differentiates the movie from other regular fare is the way he uses every available tool to convey his vision. There is a deliberate choice made in every scene, whether it is the color theme, set design, framing, background details, sound effects, or BGM. Intercut between threads are seamless and beautifully done. Slowing and stretching the scenes is again done deliberately to make the audience feel uncomfortable, feel the pain and threat the characters go through. It is really heartening to see TK didn’t compromise his vision, he trusted that audience will get it rather than dumbing down the narration. Most to all of the scenes have more than one audio, foreground conversation, another conversation in the background, something going on in  TV or radio, and a background sound. BGM is very minimal, but when it is there it explodes. Star Wars theme in Nadaswaram….way to go YSR!! Those who look for Easter Eggs, this movie is a minefield. Starting from Aaranya Kaandam references (Singa Perumal obituary, Mayilvaganam, …), you get the wall movie posters (Vazhvin Ragasiyam directed by Karnan!!, Aliens, Kill Bill), Magic Event and Real Life,Flying Monkeys, background conversations, etc.

Each character is well etched out and all actors are brilliant and have given their best performance. Like Tom Cruise in Magnolia, VJS has excelled in a challenging role in SD. Bhagavathy Perumal is going to be one of the most hated villains in Tamil movies, in the lines of Dhanush from Mahanadhi.  SD is a wholesome cinematic experience not to be missed.