Dark comedies are generally a tough genre. It’s either you understand it or you don’t. The same can be said about it’s audience – it’s either you love it, or end up shunning it. It’s an acquired taste, some call it.
Coco, directed by debutant Nelson dangerously threads the line and manages to fall on the former. The last time Tamil cinema came close to delivering a genuine dark comedy was Naanum Rowdy Dhaan (also coincidentally starring Nayanthara) and Coco doesn’t’ take much time differentiating itself from that comparison.
The movie, running just above 140 minutes doesn’t take much time to establish it’s premise. Here we have Kokila, the lead protagonist of the movie who is set to carry the entire story forward and the challenge is to showcase her characteristics in order to justify the proceedings that is set to follow.
Nelson’s answer to that is a sequence of brilliantly constructed introduction scene. Kokila is shown asking for a raise to her superior, and as we have seen in many movies, the superior indicates that Kokila spends some time with her to have coffee. After years of watching Tamil cinema, we would have already assumed the ensuing scene (we practically imagine Nayanthara storming out of the office, with tears in my eyes feeling humiliated) – yes that does happen, but not in a way that we expects it to. Kokila in return remarks about how the superior’s wife would react if she finds out about this.
There. Character established. Kokila, if pushed is able to go to any extent to protect herself instead of reacting like your typical Tamil heroines. Talk about precision.
Taking the theme of drug smuggling, Coco takes it’s time in establishing the reasoning behind Kokila’s action to join the syndicate. But some might feel that elaborate scenes showcasing their desperation could have been cut slightly shorter. Nelson gives you enough reason to justify why a typical middle class family would work together with a drug lord for money – but still, you want him to get to the point faster.
Coming to the story, Coco can proudly add itself in the elusive list of successful dark comedies in Tamil cinema over the last few years. Nelson’s ability to write scenes that are wacky, yet believable in the context he has set for the movie is whistle worthy. He makes you uncomfortable – take the scene in where Kokila demands the thug to bring her parents into the room to watch as he attempts to rape her. Or the scene where Kokila demands her boss to shoot the betrayer in the group.
These scenes make you cringe. It makes you think whether you should watch it. But Nelson so cohesively puts it in a context. All these scenes allow you to buy in to the premise. It creates an universe in where you genuinely believe a typical middle class family can smuggle 100kg worth of cocaine.
One of the film’s major strength lies in it’s cinematography. Sivakumar Vijayan (Vidiyum Munn, Irudhi Suttru) scores in his brilliant framing and lighting of the scenes. The set up for Kokila’s house is intentionally framed to be suffocating, and that helps to set the mood for their desperation. A brilliant example of how cinematography helps to tell a story.
Other supporting casts, including the hilarious Yogi Babu, Saranya Ponvanan, Jacqueline among others all do justice to their limited, yet impactful roles. The director’s ability to give each one of them a fully developed character arc is noteworthy. Each one of them is given a reason to exist in the movie, and adds to the reasoning behind the story moving forward. Nelson even plays a small cameo, which incidentally becomes the main reason why Kokila gets into the smuggling business. Cheeky touch!
All said and done, the real star of the show has to be (yet again) Anirudh Ravichander. What a strength the man is to the way the movie is set up. Right from the wacky background music, which helps in the mood of the black comedy, to his chart-busters – he elevates the movie a notch higher. As much as “Kalyana Vayasu” was the face of the movie before the release, the rest of the song will now get the place it deserves. Take a bow son.
If one could forgive the slightly draggy pacing of the movie, Coco gives you a wholesome experience of watching a wonderfully written script being translated on the screen.
Comments