Rajini roars in this Loki movie
“Coolie”
– Review
The movie begins with the murder of Sathyaraj. His friend Rajinikanth, a former coolie, comes for his funeral but is asked to leave by Sathyaraj’s daughter Shruti Haasan.
While it is earlier said that Sathyaraj dies of natural causes, Rajinikanth later finds out that he was murdered. He sets out to find the person who was responsible for Sathyaraj’s death.
This leads him to a gang in harbour led by Nagarjuna. Is Rajinikanth able to find out who killed Sathyaraj, why he was killed and is Rajinikanth able to avenge his death forms the core plot of the story.
Directed by Lokesh Kanagaraj, the cinematic experience lives up to every bit of the hype surrounded its announcement. The action sequences, in particular, are a treat to behold. Lokesh eschews over-the-top theatrics for a more grounded, brutal, and immersive style of combat that feels both real and exhilarating. The long takes and fluid camera work during these scenes are a testament to the director’s unique vision and control.
Rajinikanth delivers a performance that will be remembered for years to come. He steps away from his recent, more flamboyant roles and gives a performance that is more restrained and intense.
As coolie, his eyes do most of the talking, showing us his past pain and his current anger. He is a force of nature in the action scenes but also incredibly moving in the emotional parts.
With an ensemble if cast including Nagarjuna, Sathyaraj, Shruti Haasan, Shoubin, Uppendra and Amir Khan, everyone of them have got a meaty role and have done complete justice to their characters. Shoubin in particular steals the show with his performance.
Anirudh Ravichander’s music is a major highlight. His background score is a character in itself, driving the pace of the movie and making every action scene feel more epic. Camerawork by Girish Gangadharan has captured the proceedings in an effective manner. Rest of the technical aspects of the movie are laudable as well.
Rating: 4/5
By Naveen
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