Kuthiraivaal movie review: A meandering but fascinating tale of stories, their purpose and the lack thereof

Language: Tamil Why do humans tell stories? There are several ways to look at it. We could say that stories were a means of sharing experiential knowledge, which helped us to survive. In a broader perspective, you can also say stories help us understand the world. With stories, we create perspective from the information the world throws at us — as a means of coping with being a human in this universe. Kuthiraivaal is a film about stories — different kinds of it — dreams, fantasies, mythology, and local legends. It reflects on our tradition to deify real people — we call them Nattar Deivangal. Usually victims of traumatic violence, they get enshrined as kaaval deivangal. If stories are our tool to make sense of the unknown world, are our dreams the key to our unknown subconscious? Are dreams Freudian slips? The protagonist of Kuthiraivaal, Saravanan [Kalaiyarasan], who often calls himself Freud, is curious to explore that path. He has reason to. He wakes up on one fine day to see a horsetail on his back. Why? His search for the answer forms the tangible narrative of the film. Kuthiraivaal is fantastical. It is a delightfully weird film that takes you on a trip into the land of legends. The cinematography is magical — the film is staged and shot beautifully. The camera dances in and out, almost as if it is moving in the shape of infinity. It seamlessly merges fantasy with reality, creating a vibrant visual mosaic. The visuals often play with our perspective using distorted angles. The kooky vantage points, and the views they present, reflect the unreliability of our memories.

Kalaiyarasan plays well into this wacky universe — finding a good balance between eccentricity and subtlety.

Reflections form a significant motif in the film — both visual and narrative. The film draws several parallels between man and the universe — and about how both are currently out of balance, which is another important theme. Most mammals use their tails for balance. But as humans, we do not have one. In fact, the word ‘vaal’ [tail] is used in a very different context for humans — as an indicator of mischief of unruliness. Kuthiraivaal is filled with such introspective observations and questions. There is talk of shifting goalposts, global warming, loneliness, and several other larger themes. It questions our notions of ownership, boundaries, ambition, and even relationships on a profound level. But Kuthiraivaal meanders around quite a bit. A lot of what happens in the first half does not really tie in with what happens later in the film — which focuses more on folk tales and legends. The observations are atmospheric — sometimes even the information is. There are moments that feel very convoluted. For an audience who is used to being instructed on how they need to feel, this experience can be disorienting. However, Kuthiraivaal is not a film that aspires to be logical. Why is Babu killed in such an eccentric manner — by drawing his blood out in 200 syringes? We do not know. There are no answers to most of our questions. In a way, it is like life itself. No one tells us what we are supposed to feel. We do not know where we are supposed to go. All we can do is experience what we get. Even though we have created several theories to find meaning and reason, life is, ultimately, an experience. And that is what Kuthiraivaal is too — a rich experience. Kuthiraivaal is playing in cinemas. Rating: ***1/2

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