'Cheater', helmed by Narayana Barla, hit the screens on September 22. Produced by realtor Parupati Srinivas Reddy of SRR Fortune Infra, the film is a crime thriller. Let's find out what are its hits and misses:
Plot:
As the very title implies, the story is about a fraudster who knows how to seduce rich women and pin them down. He aims to strike gold overnight. When greed overtakes his menacing psyche, he shows no scruples and morals. The anti-hero woos the daughter of a millionaire. The rest of the story is about how the protagonist (who also becomes the antagonist as the story progresses) goes about executing his evil design. Does his victim have a strategy to outwit him? Or, will she allow herself to be coerced and hoodwinked?
Performances:
The artists in crime thrillers usually possess a defined array of acting chops. They don't have much liberty in terms of trying out something new. In 'Cheater', the lead artists uniformly show promise although they don't push the envelope. After a point, the viewer feels that their range of expressions should be wider. The newcomers can land interesting roles in the coming years if they hold ground.
Since 'Cheater' is not heavily reliant on its performers to do the talking, the earnestness on display is enough. Some scenes would have vastly benefited had the actors surprised the viewer by bringing out a unique side to their acting selves.
Technical Departments:
Arjun Nallagoppula delivers average output. A few scenes look flat for want of better music. The cinematography by Govind Babu Cherla resorts to some stock angles. Despite the obvious demerit, the photography doesn't seem low-end.
The action choreography could have been better. The editing pattern adopted is a mixture of both linear and non-linear narrative styles. There are no length issues per se.
Merits:
The screenplay. Thanks to the police procedural scenes that change the mood of the film, 'Cheater' redeems itself to a good extent.
Production values. This is no ambitious piece of cinema.
Some commercial elements.
No 'cheating screenplay' in the name of offering (manufactured) thrills.
Demerits:
The story does have some hackneyed elements. There are some dialogues and elements that shouldn't have found a place in a film of this kind.
The background score should have been more forceful and compelling.
Vox Verdict:
'Cheater' stays true to the genre and the beats of its subject. Despite flaws, it comes across as a decent outing.
Rating: 3 / 5
