Tamil director S J Surya has always been known to combine his racy screenplays with risque story-telling and his last few outings have been unanimously condemned by family audiences.
This time, he's back with Madras Entertainment's Tamil film Newtonin Moonraam Vidhi (Newton's Third Law), directed by Thai Muthu Selvan. The results are mixed at best.
Certainly it seems to be a new outing as far as S J Surya is concerned when you first see him going through the motions as pizza-delivery guy Guru, and also simultaneously plotting the downfall of the villain. These scenes pass far too quickly and soon it's back to a flashback full of raunchy romance.
He first meets Priya (Shayali Bhagath), a TV anchor who makes him fall for her candid camera shots. Love blooms and that's when you realise that Priya's life is closely linked with the antagonist: Jayaprakash aka JP (Rajeev Krishna), the head honcho of Eagle TV, the second most popular TV in town. The man wants her but she refuses. Guru, Priya and JP are caught in a lust-love triangle, and tragedy ensues.
A la Ghajini, Guru takes on JP in the style of David against Goliath. He uses his brains to outwit the moneyed and resourceful JP at every turn. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't.
Credit must be given where it's due. Thai Muthu Selvan has obviously taken Chidambaram's story and worked hard on his screenplay, giving it polish (even if it makes you wonder which Hollywood movie he's borrowed his screenplay from). The screenplay does keep you hooked in major portions before skidding all over the place with too many anti-climaxes.
S J Surya has recognised his chance at hard-core action and melting romance, and has used it. It's his show all the way as he makes plans, talks gruffly and terrorises the villain in style.
Shayali Bhagath has some chance to act instead of just romancing the hero all the way. But its Rajeev Krishna's performance that really is a pleasant surprise.
Vinai's background music works much better than the songs, which hamper the movie's tempo. Saravanan's camera does its work well.
The screenplay loses its focus at points and logic takes a toss. The final half-hour is pure overkill. Still, Newton's Third Law has been illustrated painstakingly and packaged with all the commercial elements intact.
Rediff Rating: