Released Date : Jul 21, 2023
Avg. User's Rating : 4.0/5
Kolai Movie Synopsis: A model-singer is murdered under mysterious circumstances. Can the police crack this case, which is more complicated than they thought?
Kolai Movie Review: A murder mystery is always a safe bet, as the audience, despite the flaws, wants to stay in the world until the end to discover who the real killer is. Colai is another film that follows the template of a whodunit, where as the investigation progresses, we begin to suspect every person associated with the victim. But what makes it a decent watch is the tone and treatment.
Laila (Meenakshi Chowdhury), a model and aspiring singer, is murdered under mysterious circumstances. Sandhya Mohanraj (Hritika Singh), an IPS officer, is assigned to investigate the case, which he believes will help prove his powers. As things get complicated, he seeks the help of his mentor and ex-investigating officer, Vinayak (Vijay Antony) to nab the killer. Vinayak, who is already going through a personal crisis, reluctantly takes up the case just to find solace in life.
Both Sandhya and Vinayak start interrogating some of the men in Laila's life, including her boyfriend, a modeling agent and a photographer. The revelations that occur take us not only into Laila's mysterious life but also closer to the killer.
" New Fashion T-Shirt : Click Here
Kolai will be a perfect choice for those who love a murder mystery thriller with rich visuals. The film expertly weaves an intricate web of suspicion and intrigue, taking the audience into the wonderful world of investigation. But that's all there is to the film. The writings and the events that unfold do not really surprise us. Balaji Kumar takes us into Laila's life, and parallels the investigation in a non-linear fashion. It is interesting and engaging in parts. However, we are not able to fully immerse ourselves in the emotional aspects of the central characters.
The author's idea of connecting Vijay Antony's personal loss and his trauma with the case he is investigating seems brilliant and helps make the screenplay more effective. The second half, however, slows down a bit, and makes us wait even after the author tells us who the killer is. The killer's back story is also a bit unexpected and could have been fleshed out better in terms of writing.
While Vijay Antony and Ritika Singh's performances are good, Meenakshi Chowdhury's performance and screen presence helps to elevate certain sequences. It helps her look perfect as a model.
The film's technical aspects, including cinematography (Shivakumar Vijayan) and editing (Selva RK), are its biggest strengths. There is a fictional scene where Vijay Antony hangs from the edge of a cliff holding his daughter's hand. Although it is shot using a green screen, the director's thought process behind portraying that particular scene is admirable. Kolai is overall interesting, but somewhere it misses the unconventional writing that films of this genre demand.
