Movie: Rum
Direction: Sai Bharath
Cast: Hrishikesh, Narain, Sanchita Shetty, Miya George, Vivek
Music: Anirudh Ravichander
Cinematographer: Vignesh Vasu
Editor: Sathyaraj Natarajan
Genre: Thriller
Rating: ∗∗½
What is it about: It’s a horror-comedy, where a bunch of cons are trapped in a dense forest inside a haunted house after a heist. What happens next forms the crux of the story directed by Sai Bharath.
Why it’s disappointing: The film had a great plot and a strong quotient for comedy. But it fails out on few aspects which makes this film quite stale at most of the points. For starter, the VFX of the film was very down market, as this film required good VFX. If that had taken care, would have made RUM a commendable one.
Then the cinematography was out of proportion. Vignesh Vasu, couldn’t lock on to a colour in the film, which was not in sync.
It was said the lead was Hrishikesh in the film, but he hardly appears to be one. Unfortunately doesn’t have the charm to carry one yet. Just like actor Vivek states in the film in a scene.
Narain, looked out of place and was not in sync with other characters. And so was Sanchita Shetty who was just used for glam quotient.
Miya George’s cameo was short lived and she seemed stereotyped.
The music was quite average, it takes a while for you to get around the idea that it was composed by Anirudh. Who seemed like have lost his way, except for “Hola Amigo” which in fact hardly comes in the film, all other tracks were average. And the songs were forcefully induced in to the film.
What to watch out for: Three reasons due to which “RUM” becomes a plausible one. Vivek, Amzath and Arjun Chidambaram. These three were in sync with each other and had great chemistry. Their comedy timing was perfect and brought in genuine laughs. Vivek was seen in the old form after a long gap and Amzath was the surprise package with a meaty role.
The editing by Sathyaraj Natrajan was sharp and kept the film on tight leash.
The film has its highs and lows, but manages to scare the audience in clichéd form and laced it with humour.
Verdict: Sai Bharath, manages to present a decent horror-comedy, which makes a plausible case in fulfilling the entertainment quotient. Definitely worth a watch, you won’t completely feel bored.
