Minnale

Gautham Vasudev Menon's first film, from 2001, follows two young people who were enemies at university meeting again years later. To get close to the woman he loves, Rajesh takes on the identity of her fiancé; as the lie grows the story leaves comedy for a reckoning. What has kept the film alive is largely Harris Jayaraj's music and Menon's visual language in the city sequences; it became one of the works that set the look of Tamil romance. Madhavan's performance is natural. Against that, the lie of assumed identity is troubling ground seen from now, and the film does not question it enough. Vivek's comic sections stand apart from the story. Who it's for: viewers who like Tamil romantic comedy and Gautham Menon's work. Who it's not for: anyone uncomfortable with romance built on deception, or wanting a tight narrative.