After a big disappointment with an iconic film like Kanguva, Suriya is again back on big screen. Retro, directed by Karthik Subbaraj is a stylish gangster drama included with romance and nostalgia themes. Set in the 1970s and 1980s, the film is a total mix of action, emotion, and redemption. This offers gripping cinematic experience. Let’s look at Retro Review, With high expectations surrounding the film, does Retro live up to the hype?
Director: Karthik Subbaraj
Lead Actor: Suriya as Paarivel “Paari” Kannan
Lead Actress: Pooja Hegde as Rukmini “Rukku”
Supporting Cast: Joju George, Jayaram, Prakash Raj, Nassar, Karunakaran
Music: Santhosh Narayanan
Cinematography: Shreyaas Krishna
Production: 2D Entertainment & Stone Bench Creations
Retro Storyline
The film follows in the backdrop of 1970 – 1980s. The story revolves around Paari (Suriya), a former gangster who wants to leave his violence filled past behind. He wants to start a peaceful life with his wife, Rukku ( Pooja Hegde). However, his past still comes in his present, forcing him into a battle between freedom and revenge. As old enemies come back again and hidden truths revealed, Paari must confront his demons while protecting the life he dreams of.
Suriya’s performance is intense and he was effortlessly shifting between a cold-blooded fighter and a haunted man. After a long time Pooja Hegde’s performance looked okay. This role was supposed to be adding depth to the story. Karthik Subbaraj’s direction was brilliant in portraying the layers of the actors and intense dialogues.
The major problem with this film is the slow paced story. Film is a slowly going stroy with very limited scope of performance to the actors. Santhosh Narayanan’s music has matched the vibe of 80s very well and it ended up as the soul of the film. He could carry the whole film as a music album, but the story is not upto the mark for a full length theatrical release.
Critics are also deeply disappointed with the poor execution of the story. There were a lot of scenes in the film that were unnecessarily lagged. Due to the previous film ‘Kanguva’ where people realised the film’s value after it was announced as Flop. This time, fans couldn’t risk missing another film in the threates. But this time, Retro did deeply disappoint the fans.
Positives
Suriya’s performance
Action sequences and cinematography
Santhosh Narayanan’s electrifying music
Negatives
Predictable scenes in the second half
Underdeveloped storyline
Slow pacing in certain sections
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