Tamil romantic thriller "Rummy" which released in theaters on Friday has received mixed reviews from critics.
While Balakrishnan marks his debut as director with "Rummy", Vijay Sethupathi, Gayathrie, Inigo Prabhakaran and Aishwarya take on the role of lead characters in the film.
Read the reviews here:
M Sugant of The Times of India writes: "And, so it ends, Vijay Sethupathi's enviable run of envelope-pushing movies, with this very familiar tale of blood-soaked romance that clearly aims to be another Subramaniapuram. Right from its period setting (late 1980s) to the countryside duets and the ruthless characters, Rummy recalls the Sasikumar film, almost to a fault.
"If it isn't mentioned that the film takes place in the 80s, we would still have bought this as a contemporary story taking place in the lawless South (even if it isn't the reality). And, yet, despite all these problems, we stick till the end because of our inherent nature of finding some comfort in the familiar."
Prashanth Reddy of Desi Martini writes: "What "Rummy" should have been is a celebration of friendship and love with power to wrench our hearts at the mere mention of the atrocities and the senseless killings of lovers in the name of pride. But what it is is an insipid, boring and punishingly long attempt to tell a story that has been told too many times already. Even on the performance front, Sethupathy and Prabhakaran aren't any good.
"Even well into the third hour, "Rummy" throws the kind of scenes which should have appeared in the first 30 minutes. It brings up conflicts which should have been resolved in the first hour."
Behindwoods Review Board writes: "The 80s period has been emphasized with the references to Silk Smitha's raging popularity in that era. The Rajini factor and 'Oliyum Oliyum' also find a place in the scheme of things as the director tries to portray the period authentically.
"Ultimately, the biggest drawback of Rummy is its laborious pace and its familiar premise.The conflict element in the movie has been shown countless times in yesteryear movies and there is nothing new on offer. Also, at a time when Vijay Sethupathi commands such popularity and attention, Rummy does nothing to capitalize on that and instead relegates him to the background."
Gautaman Bhaskaran of Hindustan Times writes: "Rummy's first half lends itself to a campus story, some of its incidents drawn from the helmer's experiences and observations. So, it's autobiographical in a way. But was Tamil society so violent then, replete with honour killings of young couples in love?
"Rummy is often violent, with the strongman's underling slicing off the arm of a young man who dared to fall in love with a girl from his village. There is more bloodshed and gore to come, more revenge and brutality -- sometimes treated with arrogant casualness. However, the high point of Balakrishnan's script is the shock it presents at the end."
