Proportionate to the use of Internet and its far reach, incidence of cyber crime has also risen. The catch in such crimes is the veil of choking population on Internet that covers the suspicion of an incidence, besides the inability to physically keep tab on each one of them. However, some do come to the open, and such crimes arrow invariably rooted to depression as the cause. It has become so commonplace now that it is also a part of the headlines these days, and we don't care much. But it is certainly a matter of concern, and that is what John Robinson has shone light on with the shady thriller 'Nee Naan Nizhal'.
Plot and Cast:
Five men, entirely unrelated are found murdered. On thorough investigation on these Malaysian cases, all five of them have had a common female friend on their Facebook account. And obviously, suspicion shifts to that mystery friend, Asha Black. There is very limited information about herself on her profile, making it difficult to locate her in person. Further, she constantly deactivates her account, making the task of finding her, next to impossible. Anwar Ali (Sarath Kumar) from the Malay police force is deputed on the task of solving this mystery. Meanwhile back in India, aspiring musician Rahul makes a cyber friend on Facebook, who calls herself Asha Black. Slow and steady, their relationship strengthens and he goes to Malaysia to meet her in person and tell her his love for her, as she turns 18. After searching for two days, Rahul finally learns that Asha has committed suicide on her birthday. With the suspect herself dead, the case gets complicated further. Rest of the movie is about solving the mystery.
Though Sarath Kumar features only in a few scenes, especially in the first half, his calibre and demeanour as a cop is as taut as always. Most of the remaining crew is a bunch of fresh faces. Many of the actors are in the movie only to fill the gap, and do not play any active role pertinent to the story - unfortunately, including Black Pandi and MS Bhaskar. The protagonist Rahul plays his role well, but there is a lot of hitch in dubbing and voice over, for everyone except the prominent stars.
Picture:
The story is a thoroughbred thriller. But visual translation of the script lacks grip and many a points, and the thriller falls flat and predictable. John has ensured perfection in art direction and visuals, which are inviting and colourful. However, he seems to have overlooked the screenplay and flow which take a while to set in, considering that incidents shuffle and flutter back and forth in time.
Plus:
Music is a very big plus for the movie. It compensates for the incessant mismatch in voice over. Camera and art direction have also been done with great interest, which shows on the screen. Over anything, story is definitely a plus for the times we are in now, opening our eyes to the other side of Internet, which we think are incidents far and few, while is on the contrary.
Points of improvement:
Screenplay should have definitely been given more importance to. It is unclear in most parts whether the incident is in the past or in the present. We love the music, yes; but we are not keen on watching so many songs shot to perfection. Another hit that the movie takes is logic - it is alright to theoretically conclude that a person might be the convict, but that is not how a cop must think and arrests suspects, and closes a case. Too many details of investigation may not be necessary, but details of where and how the criminal leaves behind evidences is definitely important in a thriller.
Kids mature very fast these days. If our elders complain of being inobedient for our age, as compared to their childhood, children of the coming generations are far more advanced. But human emotions remain unaltered. Need for care and shelter is all the same in all of us. Neglection can cause much worse effects than we imagined in the previous years. Interacting with people in real time is the need of the hour in a generation defined by gadgets. It is a good initiative on the part of John Robinson to bring this to light.
Rating: 1.5/5 - farsighted initiative
Verdict: Thrills in parts, but carries a meaningful message
