Vishal has hit a jackpot with Mark Antony (2023). I watched the film five days after its release on a weekday, for a houseful show with whistles and laughter all through. The movie was enjoyable, thanks to a unique time-travel idea and an entertaining performance by S J Suryah. There was no attempt by the Director to exhibit any brilliance, he seemed to have had mindless fun making the film and it infects us too. Mangoidiots give a Ripe.
This is a gangster film, set in the 1970s and 1990s, and it’s a parody of the films of the period. Director Adhik Ravichandran’s treatment of a light-touch comedy and the absence of any heavy elements made a difference. The recreation of Chennai’s famous double-ducker bus complete with its dull lighting and Silk Smitha lookalike was impressive. G V Prakash Kumar’s background score added the needed momentum, but it was also high-pitched and loud in many places – headache-prone people need to be careful.
The film starts with a familiar plot of two best friends ruling a city as powerful gangsters, one of them is murdered by their enemy and the other seeks revenge for it. Decades roll by and the sons of the best friends come into the picture, who resent their fathers. How they reconcile themselves is the main story. A telephone that can be used to talk to the past comes into the mix.
Though the reveals were handled well, the climax sequences were unnecessarily lengthy and tiring. Nothing to mention about Vishal’s performance. Ritu Varma, Sunil, Nizhalgal Ravi, and Selvaraghavan appear but the film is dominated by the double actions of Vishal and S J Suryah. After years, Y G Mahendran has been given a small but memorable role. Though it gets tiring, I liked the husky voice spoken by Vishal and Suryah in their 1970s roles.
Overall, watch Mark Antony for some senseless comedy.
மார்க் ஆண்டனி (2023)
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