Film-maker Jayakumar thinks assembling pretty faces and shooting them in picturesque locations with nice-sounding music playing in the background is enough to satisfy an audience. The first half of Suzhal has nothing to offer.
That is, until a tragedy befalls the central gang of friends. And I chuckled; not just because I was so disconnected from the characters, but because it was staged like it was supposed to be funny. One character dies and her elimination from their gang is symbolized by a hand game- Saa, Boo, Three. ROFL. Kollywood is filled with such accidental dark comedies.
And this pointless fare takes us to a remarkably gripping second half. However, the chances of you getting here are slim. This is one film where swapping the first half with the second would be an improvement. The latter half takes place inside a luxury ship. The attention to minor details, the distinctive look, the apt setting, the choice of actors and the dark, tense atmosphere.... it feels like someone else walked in and directed it. The key ingredient to this part of the film is Jayakumar's customized version of Russian roulette, a game of death, which the lead character gets dragged into unknowingly. It is indeed not how you play the game but how the game plays you.