Plot
Mannar Mannan (Guru Somasundaram) is a middle-aged man who questions the loopholes of democracy and government rule. But the police officials and general people consider him as 'paithiyam'. What made Mannar feel responsible as a citizen? What made him question the government and protest against them? The film answers it beautifully, filled with emotions.
Direction and Screenplay
Director Raju Murugan has a great vision and one has to appreciate him for coming up with such a film. The dialogues are also bold and straight-forward, which conveys the intended notions at the right proportion. The love portions between Somasundaram and Ramya Pandian is cute and the emotions throughout the movie work big time. Though the film might be less on engagement factor, there are no yawn moments as there is something regularly on offer. Writing is very smart and it is great to see a bold film about politics after a very long time. The emotional second half explains what happens when poor people don't get the basic amenities due to the government's less functioning.
Cast
Guru Somasundaram, the man who impressed us with his character performances in films like Aaranya Kaandam, Jigarthanda, has played the lead role for the first time, and he has done full justice to his role. He is a thorough performer, and there can be no second thoughts about his acting. Coming from the theatre background, his performance is unmatchable. Both, Ramya Pandian and Gayathri as typical rural ladies fit into the role easily. Ramasamy and Bava Chelladurai gives their ample support to the film. Especially, Ramasamy's performance in the climax scene needs special mention. Though the cast doesn't have any big names, the acting has been immense from the entire cast.
Technical
Sean Roldan's music is a very big plus for the movie. His background score is emotionally moving, thereby standing as a great pillar. He has been very selective with his movies, and Joker is a wonderful addition to his career. The songs are also well in sync with the movie and gives you the right feel. Chezhian's visuals are neat and shows the beauty of Dharmapuri in the most convincing manner. The movie is crisp with a running time of 2 hours and 10 minutes. Art direction has been noteworthy, for the fact that the locations and properties used in the film can be easily associated with the film's core plot.
Producer S.R.Prabhu needs a special mention for showing the courage to invest on a refreshingly bold script like Joker.
Verdict: A bold and hard hitting political satire that might not have compromised entertainment but stands high on cast, music and writing
