'Custody' was released in theatres today. Skepticism around the movie has been strong. A Kollywoodian directs it and the casting is predominantly Tamil. Will it work in Tamil but not in Telugu? Can Naga Chaitanya, who is not known to get success with action movies, manage to secure a box-office win? The jury on those questions is still out. For now, read this review to know what is in store.
Story:
On a messy night, constable Shiva (Naga Chaitanya) arrests a notorious accused man named Raju (Arvind Swamy) and a CBI cop (Sampath Raj) without knowing their identities. The CBI wants to produce Raju before a court in Bengaluru. It has to happen within 24 hours. Raju has got the backing of Chief Minister Dakshayani (Priyamani).
When Shiva comes to know the dynamics involved, he must make an audacious decision. He now has to make sure that Raju is produced before the court. He has to go against the system, including Sarathkumar's cop character and Raju himself. Revathi (Krithi Shetty), his girlfriend, is by his side.
Performances:
Naga Chaitanya is able, although he takes time to sell the character. The poor writing in the first 35 minutes makes his character look lackadaisical. The 'Bangarraju' actor shows more calibre in the second half. The flashback scenes that have him in a bearded get-up are good as far as his acting is concerned.
Arvind Swamy allows his character to acquire multiple hues. He is not a typical villain. Priyamani is wasted in the role of a one-dimensional Chief Minister. The character played by Sarathkumar should have gone to a mainstream Tollywood actor. Vennela Kishore is hardly funny.
Krithi Shetty gets to play a full-fledged role. She struggles to enact seriously in some scenes. Overall, however, she is good.
Technical Departments:
The choices made by Maestro Ilaiyaraaja and Yuvan Shankar Raja as composers are questionable. Because the film is set in the 1990s, does it mean the songs must be so old-fashioned? The background score (the running score is awesome) helps but not by much, especially in the first half. SR Kathir's cinematography leaves much to be desired. There are some unambitious scenes that look pale because of the lackluster camera work. Venkat Raajen's editing is far from perfect. At 147 minutes, 'Custody' is a tad overlong.
Plus Points:
The idea of an ordinary constable taking on a powerful, vile system.
No routine villainy and screaming.
Believable combat scenes here and there.
Minus Points:
The casting is somewhat unsatisfactory. Priyamani and Sarathkumar bore you.
The overlong running time.
Logical loopholes here and there.
A very simplistic courtroom scene.
Lack of force in many scenes.
Lack of believability.
Vox Verdict:
'Custody' is middling for the most part. Despite a rare premise, the film somehow struggles to develop its own gripping narrative.
Rating: 2.5 / 5
