Vikram si sforza di catturare l'attenzione dello spettatore con un ritmo velocissimo, con numerose sequenze d'azione, con un'energetica colonna sonora. E con un cast da urlo per scritturare il quale qualsiasi regista sarebbe pronto ad uccidere. Kamal Haasan è anche il produttore di Vikram, ma ha generosamente accantonato il suo status di superstar per concedere ai colleghi ampio spazio di manovra. Kamal ha purtroppo contratto il coronavirus durante le riprese, e questo spiegherebbe un certo affaticamento rilevabile nella sua interpretazione. Vijay Sethupathi è al solito travolgente (pure in senso fisico), ed è un peccato che il suo personaggio sia così trito. Quanto a Fahadh Faasil, luminosa stella in prestito dal cinema malayalam, la mia ossessione è cosa nota: Fahadh è l'attore indiano più mostruosamente di talento oggi in circolazione, e nel film regala una performance precisa e inappuntabile in ogni aspetto. Ma vogliamo dimenticare il fulminante, sanguigno (anche sanguinolento) cameo di Suriya? Sarà l'eroe negativo nel sequel? C'è una petizione online da firmare?
Vikram è un prodotto anche godibile, però manca di vera tensione, quella tensione che ti angoscia e ti tiene avvinto allo schermo (come in Kaithi, ottimo action thriller diretto nel 2019 dallo stesso regista). La sceneggiatura e la regia si sono dannate per sacralizzare l'aura e il carisma degli attori protagonisti e per creare occasioni utili all'innesto delle scene d'azione. Il resto? Assente o inaccurato. La trama è macchinosa, soprattutto nel primo tempo (la sceneggiatura è comunque estremamente ingegnosa nell'offrire, con un gioco ad incastri, i tasselli che compongono la storia). Affollamento di eventi che si snocciolano in rapida successione. Personaggi che spuntano come funghi - appaiono, scompaiono, riappaiono. Nomi, volti, combattimenti. Nel secondo tempo tutto si semplifica, ma, a parte le sequenze d'azione, rimane poco altro.
TRAMA
Due agenti della narcotici (di cui uno corrotto) e un civile (padre del poliziotto onesto) vengono uccisi da un gruppo armato e mascherato. Il caso è assegnato ad un corpo speciale capitanato da Amar. L'indagine di Amar si concentra sul narcotrafficante locale, Sandhanam, che risponde al boss Rolex, ma anche sull'enigmatico Karnan, il civile assassinato.
ASSOLUTAMENTE DA NON PERDERE
* La sequenza delle forchette è memorabile. Memorabile.
RECENSIONI
The Hindu:
'A new era has dawned in Tamil cinema. Lokesh Kanagaraj, the four-film-old filmmaker, has opened the gates to a new Cinematic Universe that hints at wondrous possibilities with Vikram as the first big step. There has never been a filmmaker before Lokesh to steer the conversation around delivering a true cinematic experience in the right direction. Before Lokesh, cinematic experience meant grand ideas and needless adornments to massage a star’s male crowd. But this filmmaker is committed to giving you an experience of a certain standard. There’s a certain taste, visual flavour and a certain style to the way he writes and directs. (...) But with Vikram, he plays it safe and goes by the demands of the market. (...) Do not get me wrong. Everything about Vikram is good - except for Kamal Haasan. Why do you even need the man for this film? Why make a film with Kamal when you don’t even get to register and feel his presence? (...) The disappointment comes from the fact that Lokesh has failed to realise the true potential of his idol - both as an actor and action star. Nevertheless, there is a lot to chew on. (...) Right from the start, it is a thrill-a-minute ride with a battalion of characters. (...) As a writer-director, Lokesh does a neat job in the world-building exercise and sustains the intrigue. (...) Vikram truly comes alive post the adrenaline-filled interval scene. Action is Lokesh’s forte and the second-half has impressive stunts (...) and a superior camera work. (...) Yet, there is something missing. And that something leads us back to Kamal. You could quite see Lokesh’s struggle not knowing what to do with Kamal’s character as Vikram. (...) Vijay Sethupathi (...) is remarkable. (...) Perhaps after a long time, we see the effort he has put in to play a character and not be weighed down by the Sethupathi-ness. (...) There are two heroes in Vikram: Fahadh Faasil and Anirudh [Ravichander]. When there are no guns or deafening explosions, Anirudh’s background score does the talking. The entire film belongs to Fahadh. He is magnetic (...) and a scene-stealer'.
Srivatsan S., 03.06.22
Galatta:
'This is an action movie - the first real genre-specific action film of Tamil cinema. (...) You get all the emotion you need from Kamal's eyes or from Fahadh Faasil's sly body language. Fahadh is fantastic - he manages the considerable feat of almost stealing a Kamal movie. (...) The screenplay demands close attention - there's quite a bit of parallel narration. (...) It builds slowly and meticulously, adding micro-detail after micro-detail to a police procedural conducted by rogue cops, headed by the Fahadh character. And it cuts loose after the sensational interval block, becoming a full-fledged treat for action lovers, especially 80s/90s Hollywood action lovers. (...) There is not one bad performance in the bunch. (...) The only issue I had with Vikram is with Vijay Sethupathi's villain. He gets a terrific entry scene (...) and you expect great things from this character. But the writing is content to leave him a rather generic villain. It is left to the actor to add to the role more colour and flavour with his funky presence. (...) The film is all of a piece, perfectly realised and a perfect tribute to a great genre and a great actor. Even when absent from screen, we feel his presence'.
Baradwaj Rangan
Film Companion:
'Big guns, little glory in a derivative action film that's obsessed with references. Like how you start talking, only to realise mid-sentence that you no longer remember the point you were making, Vikram needs the crutch of a hundred films from before, and at least a couple from the future, to distract you from the hollowness of the moment that's actually playing on the screen. (...) It's disappointing to see one of our most gifted directors go the Marvel way to construct its mass moments around intertextuality. Like a game of connect the dots, it's not going to be easy for someone to really get Vikram without having watched a specific list of films. (...) Lokesh's clarity is what I missed the most. (...) There's always the feeling that you've already moved on to the next big action set piece, even before you've truly understood the point of the previous one. (...) What more can you write about a film that's so happy to live in the reflected glory of other films (and its massive star) that it forgets that Vikram is a film too?'.
Vishal Menon, 03.06.22
Cinema Hindi: ***
Punto di forza: Fahadh Faasil, il sorprendente cameo di Suriya, le bizzarrie di Vijay Sethupathi (da gustare nella sequenza di presentazione del suo personaggio), il carisma di Kamal Haasan. La fotografia notturna ha il suo fascino. Alcune scene divertenti (ad esempio: l'incontro con la prostituta, la bomba nel laboratorio di Sandhanam).
Punto debole: narrazione macchinosa, trama affollata di eventi e personaggi, mal realizzata la vicenda del bambino, fuori luogo il pippone sulla droga. Alcune sequenze ridicole o involontariamente esilaranti (ad esempio: la rianimazione del bambino, la scena dell'ascensore). Il continuo appellarsi baby fra Amar e la moglie. A proposito: Amar come rientra in camera dalla finestra dopo esser saltato al secondo piano inferiore? Amar e Vikram geniali e pieni di risorse ma: Amar non mette in sicurezza la moglie e Vikram non trasferisce il bambino (qua non si perdona niente, veh).
SCHEDA DEL FILM
Cast:
* Kamal Haasan - Karnan/Vikram, ex capo del primo corpo speciale governativo segreto denominato Black Squad
* Vijay Sethupathi - Sandhanam, trafficante locale di droga
* Fahadh Faasil - Amar, capo dell'attuale Black Squad
* Suriya (cameo) - Rolex, trafficante di droga, boss di Sandhanam
* Narain - ispettore Bejoy
Sceneggiatura e regia: Lokesh Kanagaraj
Dialoghi: Lokesh Kanagaraj, Rathna Kumar
Colonna sonora: Anirudh Ravichander. La colonna sonora ha un suo stile proprio, e costituisce una marcia in più per la pellicola. Segnalo i brani (tutti interpretati da Anirudh) Porkanda Singam (EDM version), Wasted, Pathala Pathala (testo e voce principale di Kamal Haasan), Once upon a time, e Vikram (che contiene un campione di Vikram Vikram, interpretato da Haasan, incluso nella colonna sonora del film Vikram del 1986).
Azione: AnbAriv. Le sequenze d'azione non sono spettacolari come quelle ideate, sempre da AnbAriv, per K.G.F (ormai una bibbia in tal senso). Da un certo punto in poi, si limitano allo sfoggio di armi sempre più rumorose e di dimensioni sempre più grandi. Ma la scena delle forchette è semplicemente geniale, e la resa dei conti finale godibile.
Coreografia: Sandy
Fotografia: Girish Gangadharan
Montaggio: Philomin Raj
Lingua: tamil
Anno: 2022
RASSEGNA STAMPA
* Lokesh Kanagaraj on ‘Vikram’: Kamal Haasan has been running a one-man relay, Srivatsan S., The Hindu, 31 maggio 2022:
'Lokesh Kanagaraj has never worked as an assistant to a director. He never went to film school. Instead, he maintains that he learnt filmmaking by watching Kamal Haasan’s films. In his four-film-old career, he admits to having written all his characters with shades of Kamal in them, drawing also from Kamal’s movie characters except for one film: Vikram. So the story goes that Lokesh had narrated an idea for Kamal, which the actor liked. The conversation veered towards Vikram (1986) and Lokesh, a fan of the original, was curious to know more about what Kamal originally conceived, which critics dismissed as far ahead of its time. At one point, Lokesh was so engrossed by Kamal’s idea - of a protagonist - that he stopped him right there and asked if he could borrow this character sketch and induct it into his narrative. The veteran warmed up to this idea. The meeting ended with Kamal providing the meat Lokesh was looking for, in addition to a weighty budget, a battalion of stars including Vijay Sethupathi and Fahadh Faasil, and an arcade of guns - most owned by Kamal himself. The new Vikram, says Lokesh, is a full-blown action extravaganza. (...)
Clearly you are fascinated by action films...
I am heavily influenced by the 1990s Hollywood films I grew up watching. (...) In Tamil cinema, there have been very few unadulterated action films such as Kuruthipunal, Chatriyan, Inaindha Kaigal and Theeran Adhigaram Ondru. When people ask me why my films happen at night, it is probably because of the impact of Oomai Vizhigal. When I started making films, I was influenced by Kamal sir’s Sathyaa. So, I was very particular that Vikram shouldn’t be just another action flick... I wanted the impact to linger on. (...)
How different is the writing for ‘Vikram’?
The initial pressure I had was to meet the expectation of fans. Even though I made it clear that I was a fanboy, I knew making a film with Kamal sir wasn’t an easy task. The actual pressure was to impress Kamal sir with my writing because he hasn’t done a movie close to six years [discounting Vishwaroopam 2 which was shot before]. From his side, I was sure he would be particular about a weighty script. In fact, he was so keen on the language and diction that I wanted to live up to his standard. He liked the original idea I had narrated to him. But because I was so impressed with his idea, when he did the original Vikram, I wanted to take his character and fit into my world. I took a long time to write and he was constantly in touch, though I was giving him excuses saying that it’s taking longer than usual. When I gave the bound script, he liked what I came up with and said, ‘This looks completely like your world. So, I’ll just come on board as an actor.’ For some films, you can gauge whether it will work or not at the writing stage. And there are films you know only after making them. Kamal sir understood that this film belonged to the latter. He was also convinced that I would pull it off because he’s seen my previous work and liked it. (...) Vikram still is an experiment for me in terms of storytelling. It is a complicated film dealing with various characters with layers to them. This film has two genres: the first half is full of mystery and the second half is full-blown action. In fact, the driving force itself is action in the latter half. I insist that Vikram will be a theatrical experience because of the kind of effort that went into its execution. (...) Imagine that scenario for 100-odd days, where you start work late into the evening and shoot till dawn. Imagine 1,000 people working all night with such a huge star cast to realise that dream. (...) After we wrapped up the Kamal Haasan portions, we still had the Fahadh and Vijay Sethupathi portions to shoot. Since this film has a particular timeline, we had to maintain continuity. As a filmmaker, I had the responsibility to make sure that my crew also has the same infectious energy that I have. (...)
Kamal rarely indulges in ‘fan service’ in his works. Everything is written into the framework of the film and is never in your face...
Yes. In fact, I was hesitant about the ‘Pathala Pathala’ song. I like Kamal sir as a dancer but at the same time, I wanted it to have some relevance in the film. He was okay with both and we knew the song would help in terms of marketing. Ultimately it was my call and I went ahead with it. Having said that, I haven’t glorified Kamal sir in Vikram because I don’t know how to do that. What I meant by fanboy was, there will be moments to celebrate but within the film. (...)
Filmmakers have said that working with a great actor makes the job easy.
I wanted to explore the action side of Kamal sir. Capturing him as a filmmaker was a blessing. (...) The main challenge I had was with Kamal sir’s portion. Obviously, it was an exciting challenge. Since this film happens in a particular timeline, he needed to maintain the character’s mood throughout. The more you explain to him about what you want, the better he gives and that too, in multiple variations.
The one quality you admire in Kamal, Vijay Sethupathi and Fahadh Faasil?
I had lots of takeaways from all of them. I have huge respect for what Sethu (...) has done for this film. He underwent an acting workshop for his character and was trained by actor Pooja Devariya, who worked on his body language and diction. I am someone who believes in the actor’s inputs. I have so much to say about how Fahadh sir has this incredible capacity to switch on and off. The moment you say action, he transforms into something else and that focus he has is a wonder. There was a language barrier for Fahadh but he was quickly able to adapt to my style of working. I had long discussions with him about how he approaches his characters. Of course, Kamal sir is a towering figure. What surprised me was, when I asked him if he would like to watch an edited sequence, he vehemently said no. The reason he gave was even more surprising. He said, ‘If I look at it, I’ll only see the flaws.’ He didn’t want my confidence to take a hit. In fact, he looks at the monitor very rarely.
What was your experience directing your idol?
What I cherish the most is that in between breaks, I would ask him to share anecdotes and memories He doesn’t go into his caravan; he would sit on a chair reading on Kindle. (...) In Vikram, I have worked with my team who are also my close friends. But that wasn’t the case with Kamal sir. He used to hop film sets working with technicians of varying degrees of knowledge and experience. What I learnt, having interacted with Kamal sir, is that he has been running a one-man relay.
Does writing action come naturally to you?
Other than the actual choreography that happens on set, everything will be on paper. I make it a point that action scenes are as authentic as possible. The basic sketch of the scene will be there on paper. When I told AnbAriv, (...) they hugged me and said, ‘You have written everything. What more do you need from us?’ (...)
Suriya plays a cameo in ‘Vikram’. Was it to get a little more push at the box office?
We didn’t realise the market aspect when we brought him on board. Until then, we were campaigning with the rest of the stars (laughs). We wanted Suriya sir’s cameo to be a surprise but the news was leaked and we were forced to make it official. This wasn’t done for market push. His cameo will be a surprise to the audience. Kamal sir had announced at the audio launch about the possibility of extending this universe. Depending on the response, I have a few plans'.
CURIOSITÀ
* Oltre ad essere il sequel spirituale dell'omonimo film del 1986 (sempre interpretato da Kamal Haasan), Vikram è il secondo titolo del Lokesh Cinematic Universe (LCU), serie di action thriller. Il primo è il brillante Kaithi (2019). Oltre a qualche cameo, l'unico personaggio di rilievo comune ad entrambi i titoli è l'ispettore Bejoy. Karthi, protagonista di Kaithi, ha prestato la voce in Vikram. In futuro dovrebbero aggiungersi Kaithi 2 e Vikram 2.
* Riferimenti al cinema indiano: numerosi. Cito Asuran (tamil, 1995).
* Riferimenti all'Italia: sbaglio o Vikram ad un certo punto fischietta il tema de Il buono, il brutto, il cattivo?
GOSSIP & VELENI
* Fahadh in Vikram è quasi bello. Non so di chi sia il merito - truccatore, regista, direttore della fotografia -, ma vorrei i contatti per beneficiare dello stesso trattamento.
* Questo caldo tropicale mi sta fondendo i neuroni. Se non tappo le orecchie, rischio che evaporino e chi li riacchiappa più. Controllo i sintomi dell'alzheimer: anche la difficoltà di concentrazione è nella lista. Dovrei allarmarmi, perché confesso che, alla prima visione, ho seguito con grande fatica la trama raccontata nel primo tempo di Vikram - capendoci poco o niente, facciamo niente. Alla seconda visione, al contrario, mi sono persino divertita (con moderazione). Quella sceneggiatura frammentata che aveva messo a dura prova la mia pazienza, mi ha in seguito intrigata. Non so cosa pensare. Meno male che non scrivo recensioni per vivere.
