Thalapathy Vijay in 'Leo'.
Credit: Special arrangement
Styling the regular gangster genre, Lokesh Kanagaraj executes an old story anew. Starring Vijay as Parthiban (also, Leo Das), the film positions the family life of an ex-gangster who ensures to close all possibilities of connection with his past. However, a sudden encounter with a group of dangerous hoodlums exposes Parthiban’s isolated life and his past surfaces.
The storyline may seem quite predictable but the cinematography and the execution of the narrative makes it persuasive. We are introduced to Parthiban as a coffee shop owner and as an animal rescuer at the beginning of the film. The struggle he takes to capture a ferocious animal directs towards predictability. The little nuances of a family life are paid attention to, and Trisha Krishnan as Sathya has performed the character rightly so.
The spectacle of the movie increases twofold as it brings in famous artists in the highlight. Sanjay Dutt, Arjun Sarja, Gautham Vasudev Menon, Arjun Das, and Mysskin deliver compelling performances. Minor cameos by Anurag Kashyap and Maya Sundarakrishnan comes in as an absolute surprise to the audience. George Maryan, the well-known Tamil comedian, implements his role well accentuating a relief in a stressful situation.
The movie is laudable for Vijay’s performance, and it only elevates his stature as an actor. It is not just the action sequences, but his well-timed jocular counters, immersive expressions in a dramatic segment to fluid dancing make him an excellent actor. A couple of scenes stand out vividly emphasising on Vijay’s performance. We see a helpless Parthiban begging the police to safeguard his family; and just a few scenes later, we also see a destitute husband explaining to his wife his situation. The involvement of the actor into the character emerges convincingly to invoke the right emotions in the audience.
Leo sets up as a delight to Thalapathy fans, and Kanagaraj has deliberately played with the conclusion of the movie that leaves the audience in anticipation of a major collaboration in the future.