Dark comedies, like Soodhu Kavum, Jigarthanda and Kolamaavu Kokila, have done well in Tamil cinema and is a much-loved genre by directors who want to make a name for themselves and stand out.
Writer and director JK Chandru, who is known for his writing work in Vijay's Greatest Of All Times and Silambarasan's Maanaadu, returns to direction a decade after his directorial debut, Naveena Saraswati Sabatham.
Revolver Rita, set in Pondicherry, we are introduced to Rita (Keerthy Suresh), an employee in a chicken fast food joint, who leads a simple but blissful middle class life with her mother Radhika Sarathkumar and two sisters (Gayatri Shan and Akshathaa Ajit).
Rita is a no-nonsense girl who has to ensure her younger sister clears the NEET to become a doctor and her married-to-a-drunkard sister makes a better life for herself and her young child. Rita's world turns topsy turvy during the birthday celebration of her niece in their small rental home when dreaded Pondicherry gangster, Dracula Pandian, barges inside their home brandishing a gun.
A shocked Rita and her mother confront him resulting in his death and total chaos ensues when her sisters also land up. Now, it's up to these four women to figure out what to do the corpse and ensure they escape the long arms of the law.
Enter Andhra don Reddy (Ajay Ghosh) who wants Pandian dead as revenge and he promptly puts out a hit on him through Martin and his men. Now, why does he want to kill him? Cut next to Dracula Pandian's sons.
A deadly Dracula Bobby, played by Sunil, and a comical younger brother Cheetah, played by Redin Kingsley, panic when their father doesn't return home the next day. The duo and their gang set off on a wild goose chase to nab their father's kidnappers/murderers while in Rita's home, it all falls on her shoulders to get rid of Pandian's body and steer her family to safety.
A family of innocent women caught in a horrific situation; a series of crimes, criminals and dons, and obviously, the police, lends itself beautifully to a dark comedy. The first half of the film introduces the various characters and sets up the background of Rita and her family and the issues they face given there is no 'man of the house'.
Rita's father dies by suicide when she was a child and her mother brings up the three girls by working in people's homes. We are made to understand Rita's emotional status and the motivations that push her towards the grey in a world where black and white didn't support them. The second half shifts gears and moves into more action, cat-and-mouse games and the plot of the film. The various characters come together to we connect the missing dots as the movie unfolds.
Director JK Chandru, who has proved his writing skills in numerous successful films, has crafted Revolver Rita with all the elements of a dark comedy right from humour in tragedy (like Dracula Pandian's death) and Rita's moral ambiguity which is quite grey, to the absurd situations that arise (numerous gangsters double and triple-crossing one another) over the 145 minutes.
However, what lets down Revolver Rita is a poorly written screenplay that sees no novelty factor, emotional connect and repetitive gang fight action scenes (particularly in the second half) that slows down the film. There is no novelty factor as it has an oft-repeated theme of an underdog woman, starring in a women-centric drama, who wants payback for injustice.
The narrative has no freshness to keep the audience engaged and the linear progression, which has been infused with comedy via Redin Kingsley and Radhika Sarathkumar, doesn't really lift the film. The film rests solely on the shoulders of Rita but her character has not been really well-etched out either as it has no depth.
One is forced to compare Revolver Rita with Nayanthara's Kolamaavu Kokila (which this movie reminds us of). In Kolamaavu Kokila, there was a strong emotional quotient and Nayanthara's character arc was well-written so we see her grow from a timid woman to a strong one who threatens criminals. Kokila is also naturally funny because she does silly things that stem from her awkwardness.
One misses an arc like this with Rita and that's a let-down as the audience doesn't become invested in her or the other female characters and empathise with them. The sole emotional hook lies in the suicide of Rita's father and that backstory is not compelling enough either. Rita's sisters too don't have much to do in the film except scurrying around her like deer caught in headlights and the drunk brother-in-law (Shankar) was a character that could've been given a miss.
Having said that, there are flashes of brilliance that the director displays like the brief 1950s style Tamil cinema 'romantic' segment in the second half between Rita and a gangster; along with Radhika's sudden emotional outburst when she yells, "Athai solarain, nee soodu!" to a gangster (Your mother-in-law is telling you, shoot him).
One wishes there were more of these interspersed through the film to surprise the audience and elicit more laughs. Revolver Rita is very stylish in its making and visuals but the lack of inventive storytelling and the constant swerves between action, dark comedy and action, make it tough to enjoy the experience. Music director Sean Roldan deserves a mention as it's the BGM that helps elevate numerous scenes, some of which are mundane.
With regard to performances, Keerthy Suresh, Radhika Sarathkumar, Sunil and Redin Kingsley deliver their roles effortlessly and are ably supported by the others. Keerthy Suresh displays toughness and vulnerability in equal measure when required and her committed performance is to be appreciated. Revolver Rita was a good shot for director JK Chandru to showcase his talent but the movie's uneven screenplay backfires for him unfortunately.
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Keerthy Suresh, Radhika Sarathkumar, Sunil, Redin Kingsley