PIZZA FILM REVIEW

PIZZA (2012)

 

Director: Karthik Subburaj
Casts: Vijay Sethupathi, Remya Nambeesan
Music: Santhosh Narayanan
Language: Tamil
Genre: Thriller

‘Pizza’, catchy isn’t it? But this Pizza does not only have a catchy title but also captures a remarkably horrifying experience of a pizza delivery boy. Touted to be an experimental thriller, debut director Karthik Subburaj’s aggressive yet subtly designed promotion ensured that the film gained enough attention despite the ‘shoestring’ budget. Joining the fresh team is Vijay Sethupathi who made a decent come back with Sudarapandian. So how well is this Pizza cooked?

Synopsis

Michael (Vijay Sethupathi) who works as a Pizza delivery boy lives with his sweetheart Anu (Ramya) an aspiring horror novel writer. First test comes in between them in form of Anu’s pregnancy which eventually translates into their marriage. When things looking smooth and steady, what looks like a normal Pizza delivery, pushes Michael into a terrifying, mindboggling experience.

Story – Screenplay

Debutant writer, director Karthik have come up with a crisp, deft and inquisitive screenplay which makes the audience glued to their seats from start to finish. What starts of as a slow tempting ride, soon takes off in a jet speed bringing the audience into 2 hours of psychologically intense journey. His dialogues are razor sharp and relatable be it the cute exchanges of the lead pair or the lines uttered by Vijay during the trapped sequence.

The way he have handled the suspense is brilliant and also have finishes off the film with a twist which no one could have ever guessed. The freshness of the treatment is evident at many instances and the way Karthik have repainted the old school horror is commendable.

In overall, Karthik is no doubt a promising debut director who might be the next big thing in Kollywood.

Casting & Performance

After a decent entry in Thenmerku Paruva Kaatru and Sudarapandian, Vijay Sethupathi is back but this time super effectively. His maturity in handling emotions especially during the trapped sequence is remarkable. It is through his senses are the audience travelling and he trails through the journey meritoriously. With many releases looking ahead, Pizza will definitely be the first big boost in this young actor’s career. Ramya Nambeesan as Anu does her role well with her naturalistic articulation.

Other casts does their role well, especially the bunch of friends who work together with the lead character. Their subtle yet believable portrayal aids the film’s pay back at the end.

In overall, director Karthik have brought the best out of the casts.

Technicality

Technically, Pizza has a lot to offer especially visually. Be it the clean bright tones at the first half and the low key lighting at the chilling scenes, cinematographer Gopi Amarnath, infringes the fear in us. His mysterious angles as he trails behind the characters raise our senses.

Santosh Narayanan’s choices of sound design are exceptional. Especially the songs he uses for the ringtones gives us a nostalgic feelings reminding us of the western old classic horror. A great follow up by this musician after his successful album in Attakathi.

Art director Ramalingam does his job well by creating the right kind of set designs for this thriller flick. Like I have mentioned earlier, it gives us a feeling of watching a western horror classic looking at the practical effects used in the film.

In a time where many big star valued films failing due to lengthy run time, kudos to the editor Leo John Paul for giving us a crisp product which only runs for 2 hours.

In overall, a great team work by the technical team, giving a fresh treatment to the film.

Bottomline

In overall, Karthik Subburaj comes up with an edgy thriller which not only visually interesting but also psychologically intense which barely gives the audience any moment to bink. Pizza successfully marks a new age thriller in Kollywood.

Verdict: This Pizza is sizzling hot and scrumptious

Rating:  4/5