Bigil Movie Review
Bigil Movie Review

Vijay-starrer Bigil is a sports drama leading the women's football team of Tamil Nadu. Any sports drama ends with a victory for the team or individual. This is also the case with Bigil. As a women's soccer team, we have a minor background, clinic victories, recovering from the end credit roll and we see the term 'dedicated to women'.

Yet somehow the film is not about women. It is always about his star, Vijay, and how he steals the show, even if it is not meant to spark his scene. For a film that is presented as a tribute to women, Biggill doesn't get a lot of things right.

Raiappan (Vijay) is a don, but a good one in northern Madras. He chooses a life of violence to protect the rights of his people. His son Michael Raiappan alias Bigil is a state-level footballer. But, due to circumstances, he left his career behind and became the Messiah of the people in North Madras.

Meanwhile, Michael's friend Kathir (Kathir) is seriously injured, which forces him to take up his post as coach of the Tamil Nadu women's football team. The rest of the film follows Michael's journey to win the hearts of the women's football team and he 'guides' them to glory.

Director Atlee has always known the art of playing in the gallery. Almost all of his films are sensibly packed. So well, that there are elements that satisfy people of all age groups. Bigils are of the same type. You get a predictable storyline, but Atlee, as expected, adds massive elements, emotional scenes and kick stunt sequences to keep you engrossed in its product.

Along with Bigill, the major lethargy is the story and its long duration (2 hours and 58 minutes). Even with three hours to itself, the film does not delve deep into the characters' lives, making it difficult to empathize with them. Most things are 'told' on-screen and they never appear. Perhaps, Attlee and many other directors forget that this is a visual medium and some things are not better.

The women's team wins a game and there is a full-on festive dance that lasts for 2 minutes, which literally adds nothing to the story. Similarly, you see Nayantara as a physiotherapist, but she is hardly doing her job. Her romantic excerpts with Vijay are not as fun to watch on-screen.

But Attlee also gets a lot of rights. Biggil is a delight for Vijay fans and is happy to glorify Atlee's trademark style as his 'Aaran' filmmaker adds a lot of context to Vijay's previous films and his own past ventures, which are present

Coming to the angle of women empowerment, Vijay took the front and he decided what women should do on the field. Even though football players are shown to play the game, they always need their coach, otherwise, all hell breaks loose.

In one particular scene, Vijay's character Michael is working with an acid-attack victim (Reba Monica John). Although she advises him to face his biggest fear, she does not check whether he is ready to deal with her. But, the way Riba pulls out the scene will clap for Sandesh and his performance.

Vijay is extraordinary in Biggill and so is his sentiment. As the young Michael Rippon, he is full of energy. However, as Rayappan with stuttering issues, he slightly tweaks his role. Nevertheless, their swag, style, and comic timing will bring a smile to your face.

Apart from Vijay, cinematographer GK Vishnu is the second hero of Bigil. Their framing, lighting and color tones are very beautiful to see. AR Rahman's Mathare song, which makes an important part in the film, is based on your heartbeat.

The supporting characters played by Amrita Iyer, Reba Monica John, Kathir, Induja Ravichandran, Varsha Bolamma and Yogi Babu give their best and their contribution gives the film the much-needed depth.

The main issue with Bigill is its prediction. You can easily guess the characters that will be dead and which will end prematurely. Despite all this, Bigil is a treat for Vijay's ardent fans.