Director: Hari
Cast: Vikram, Jyothi

Don't say you weren't warned. They had, afterall, said it was 'a pucca commercial movie', implying you should not only suspend belief but also leave your brains behind before venturing out to watch this one. But even if you manage that, you still end up wondering what it was all about. Not that you don't get the point, just that there isn't much ofa point to get.

Hari, who pulled off a taut and immensely entertaining cop flick with Saamy last year, fails to repeat the trick with Arul. Even with Vikram in the lead again and every other element being repeated as well - dark-as-sin politicians, the hero who fights them and for justice with plenty of special FX, the romance on the side, the two songs set in New Zealand and the climax which doesn't take all that much skill to predict.

It's the same formula, but some crucial element is amiss in Arul. Perhaps it's Vikram himself, who looks somewhat fatigued and jaded, several shades duller than he was as the crack cop in Saamy. And certainly nothing like the actor who turned in such a rivetting performance in Pithamagan. Only rarely does he reveal any real fire in the role of Arulkumaran, the millworker taking on the villainous policticians who have the city in their vicious grip.

Or perhaps, it's the fact that the movie deals with a joint family, but runs most of the relationships into mere caricatures. Especially annoying is Jothika's sister who is an overweight object of amusement. Only the bond between ARul and his brother-in-law played effortlessly by KS Ravikumar's amounts to anything. The seasoned Sujatha is impressive as ARul;s mother, trying forever to protect her son from the father's wrath. The others are just cardboard cut outs.

Then again, it may not be the director and his flaky storyline and flimsy characters. It may be just us, tired of all this staleness and intolernat of the cinema emerging from what appears to be a place devoid of ideas, intelligence or emotion.

Arul is grace or a blessing. Not very fittingly, you are likely to leave the cinema hall, cursing its makers.