‘Leo’ movie review: A fiery Vijay valiantly tries to keep afloat Lokesh Kanagaraj’s weakest film yet
Director Lokesh Kanagaraj loads this ‘A History of Violence’ re-telling with several (action) genre treats as gunpowder, the performer in Vijay as ammunition, and shoots it with a lot of filmmaking fury… only to miss
(Originally published in The Hindu on October 19, 2023)
In Lokesh Kanagaraj we trust.
You have witnessed the inspiring evolution of a filmmaker in four films. You are naturally soaked with all the pre-release fanfare, drama, fan theories, ticket-buying frenzy and whatnot. You have shuffled around all the pieces of information like a puzzle to set just the right expectations. And yet, when you step into Leo, if you forget all that and are overcome by euphoria — a joy that trickles down to your belief in a filmmaker’s vision — it’s largely because of the trust and goodwill he has earned.
But the trust, unfortunately, gets tested at times. Leo, starring Vijay, is a test of faith for Lokesh and his audiences. He attempts an ingenious re-telling of David Cronenberg’s 2005 drama A History of Violence, a story about a small-town family man forced to put up a fervent fight against despicable men chasing after his blood. It’s a done-to-dust routine, partly reminiscent of even Vijay’s own Theridirected by Atlee, but in the hands of a filmmaker who made Kaithi and Vikram, the narrative finds fresh opportunity to be pushed to its limits and become a pure-genre Lokesh Kanagaraj actioner.
Lokesh loads this potent outline with several (action) genre treats as gunpowder, the performer in Vijay as ammunition, and shoots it with a lot of filmmaking fury… only to miss
It’s also apparent where he misses the target. Lokesh justifiably has a lot to do in setting up the world of Parthiban (Vijay), a bakery owner and part-time animal rescuer living the quiet small-town life in Theog, Himachal Pradesh. A wonderfully-conceived and designed scene of a hyena rescue sets the mood for what’s about to come to Parthi, and his family that includes a concerned wife Sathya (Trisha), a son with teenage angst Siddharth (Mathew Thomas), and his daughter Chintu (Iyal) who likes to dance with her dad….
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