Movie Review: Vishwaroopam (Tamil)

Vishwaroopam

As the opening credits roll, you see a flock of pigeons fluttering about in a room as a bespectacled guy feeds them grains and sets them free. You never get to know the real intention behind this seemingly innocuous chore until the second half rolls in and trust me, they are not used as agents of peace! However absurd might it be to look for logic in a movie like Vishwaroopam, Kamal Haasan, who has also conceived and directed the film, does try to offer some interesting insights on peace and terrorism. Particularly the narrative in Afghanistan that forms the crux of the story has been neatly depicted on screen. That these jihadis too have a life beyond killing Americans (this portion is set in 2002, post the 9/11 attacks on the Twin Towers) makes for a heart-warming watch.
 
Omar's (Rahul Bose) asthmatic wife and their son who aspires to become a doctor but is instead blindfolded to identify endless variants of guns and bullets, a fine young man recruited as a suicide bomber enjoying his last few days of life, a public execution of an opium trader for apparently revealing their secret hideout are some of the standout spells when Vishwaroopam breaks out from the mold of a conventional spy thriller. The movie's fantastic production values merit a mention too. The cinematography (Sanu Varghese), art direction (Lalgudi Ilayaraja, Nancy Terryn) and background score (Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy) are top class and the way the action sequences have been choreographed deserve an applause of the highest order. Ultimately Vishwaroopam may not offer anything new, but as a roller coaster ride packed with twists and turns galore, it is a worthwhile watch.