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Not so young, after all!
Youth suffers from a frail story and aged lines
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Pearl
You have to wonder what the title has to do with this Tamil film. Could it be that, at a point in time when films with youngsters are proving popular, filmmakers are attempting to drive home the point that Vijay is still 'young'?
Directed by Vincent Selva who has helmed a few average grossers like Priyamudan, and produced by Poornachandra Rao, Youth seems thematically tailored to appeal more to the middle-aged than the young, as many portions of this film become preachy.
The film opens with a wedding scene -- that of Vijay, a home-science graduate, who is a cook. The groom frolics in the kitchen as the mahurat nears --- and then comes the rude shock as the bride ditches him, leaving behind a note that she does not like him.
The groom, however, is not crestfallen. He does not see the rejection as a personal slight nor the end of the world.
But the girl's family is shame-faced. Besides, Vijay and the bride's brother are also friends, so it is finally Vijay who ends up consoling his not-to-be in-laws before leaving for the city with his friend.
In the city, Chennai, Vijay, his friend and Vivek (the comedian, without whom a film is incomplete these days) live in a huge house complete with swimming pool. (How convenient!) The explanation is that the friend is lucky enough to become caretaker of the bungalow.
Meanwhile, Vijay meets Sandhya and falls in love. He is yet to reveal his feelings to her when he is invited for her birthday party where her family announces her engagement to Yugendran. When she demurely introduces her fiancι to him, Vijay on his part, blurts out that he is in love with her.
Sandhya does not reciprocate his feeling. The finale after the usual twists and pretzel turns is predictable.
Vijay has evolved into a casual and easy actor and good dancer. However, one wishes he wouldn't do his Rajnikanth fan bit. It is overdone.
Vivek, the indispensable friend who provides the funny lines, dominates almost the entire first half in the character of KaruthuKandaswami. Newcomer Sandhya fails to impress, looks and otherwise.
Malayalam director and character actor Cochin Haneefa draws quite a few laughs as the drunkard brother of Tamil director-actor Manivannan. He steals the few scenes he appears in.
Yugendran, who appeared in Poovellam Un Vaasam, is okay and perhaps will be pigeonholed as a villain.
A dominant aspect of the film is its music, scored by Mani Sharma. The songs appeal even more on screen, especially Aal kootathal Boopathi where Simran makes a special appearance. Whistles and hoots accompany the song, even as Simran sashays in.
Youth has clear screenplay, good comedy, good cinematography, but something just doesn't click. The reason could be attributed to the fact that the director sets out to offer a tribute to love with preachy dialogues. He fails to carry through with it in the frail, worn out story.