‘Sirvan Samuel’ movie review: Amateur filmmaking wreaks havoc on a heartwarming story

Ajidhan Thavasimuthu, KG Vishnu in a still from ‘Sirvan Samuel’ | Photo credit: Countryside Films

The ’90s and early 2000s are a delicate form of cracking storytelling. You only need the references to the smartphone generation to get a live perspective on the prestige that comes with owning a Game Boy, the complicated process of tying Manja Kite thread around a tattered cricket bat, and how trading cards were secret currencies. Whereas, the eternal ’90s kids—who aren’t kids anymore—are cautious when it comes to topics from their childhood. many, like last year mudhal ni mudivam ni, managed to take us back in time. Together Siruvan SamuelDirector Sage Burlington had the perfect setting and an excellent story to cash in on the nostalgia, just enough to make a cool kids’ movie that even ’90s kids can watch, but fumble in the process.

Siruvan Samuel Takes you to a boisterous yet harsh world of young children on the outskirts of Kanyakumari. Even when a short man made millions of kids dream big, a game like cricket was still seen as one for criminals. From his parents, older boys and even the PT master of his school, everyone forbids young Samuel (Ajidhan Thavasimuthu) from playing cricket. But Sam is somehow fixated on buying a Britannia cricket bat. The family’s financial situation and the social stigma surrounding the sport are hindrances but when someone informs him that he can buy a bat if he collects a certain amount of trading cards, Sam sets out on a mission.

Rajesh (KG Vishnu) is all that helps Sam navigate this world. Rajesh, who comes from a poor family, is worried about how the world sees him; Everyone loves to scold him for his shortcomings and he does not hesitate to show them a piece of his mind. Things take a turn when Rajesh is accused of stealing a Game Boy from a rich boy with whom he does not get along well. His impulsive alcoholic father pulls Rajesh out of school, and Sam must now pursue his goal of collecting trading cards, even if it means stealing them.

There is so much heart in this story. It’s impressive how it speaks to how adults fail to understand the world of children and how they perpetuate their toxic ideals from their lofty positions of power. Everything these kids do becomes the subject of gossip, and it can be as simple as Sam asking his father to buy him a cricket bat. It’s Rajesh’s character arc that articulates it best: the title ‘Chor’ hangs like a knife over his head and the film even systematically recreates a situation at a house function. develops which shows how class and creed divisions can distort the minds of elders.

And all that heart and noble intentions matter little when they don’t translate on screen; Siruvan Samuel Too amateurish as a movie. Even when there is a visual attempt to make it all seem real, the directorial hermits are adamant on spoon-feeding the audience and disrupt the narrative by constantly foisting on us fabricated nostalgia . For every beautiful shot of Kanyakumari locations or a well-staged scene after a game of cricket, we also have clumsily conceived shots with simple staging, composition and cuts that make it look like an amateur short film Are. And the tight close-ups of tender-hearted children’s teary-eyed eyes, with electric guitars playing a peppy tune in the background, won’t make the scene feel sad if the writing can’t deliver it organically.

And the biggest antagonist of the film is the music and sound design. On the one hand, live sound is used to bring out the live flavor, and on the other hand, is undone with poorly designed artificial sounds. There is also a pointless song set at a wedding, with only two recurring shots for the entirety: a bunch of girls throwing flowers at the couple and the couple. Some other creative decisions become a point of discussion, such as the writing of the scene revealing the mystery of the missing Game Boy that leaves no room for any suspense.

Images from ‘Sirvan Samuel’ | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement

Now, whether trickery should be sought in a children’s film is a question that needs to be addressed. While there have been countless children’s films that simplify the storytelling for the sake of children, but do not compromise on the craft. Siruvan Samuel, you definitely do not know for whom the film is made. But even for adults, the biggest hassle in watching this movie would be the unavailability of subtitles. It claims to be the first film made in Kanyakumari Tamil, a dialect with a high Malayalam influence, and proves to be a strain for the uninitiated.

Siruvan Samuel is releasing in theaters this Friday