U Turn

'Lucia' Director Pawan Kumar is back with new mystery thriller cinema 'U-Turn', with its surpassing trailer and regular updates in social networking sites created good expectations among audience, Pawan Kumar is well known for creating lively characters with no much strain involved, including this new release and his previous movies he proved again that he is an expert screenplay writer, with neat presentation and edge of the seat thriller 'U-Turn' marks as the must watch movie of this month.

The best part of 'U-Turn' is its timely and funky BGMs, music given by Poornachandra Tejaswi carries the audience in the proper tone and succeeds in holding the audience in its phase, and cinematography team did the tremendous job, including Siddarth Nuni who previously held camera in Lucia along with Satya Hegde, Advaith Gurmurthy, especially the oner or the long take taken in the police station is handled very perfectly and neatly crisped later on the desk, Pawan Kumar's poetic and metaphorical usage is the plus point to the movie flow, that enhances the intensity of the character and the plot, U-Turn is one technically excellent movie among some recent releases, Pawan Kumar and team is an inspiration in making a quality movie in a very modest budget.

Shraddha Srinath performed very well who in preparing an article for a newspaper get entailed in series of murder mystery, Dilip Raj rendered his modest performance, Roger Narayan is a person who deserves appreciation for his finest acting, his screen presence and dialogue presenting are very unique, Radhika Chetan has improved very well in her performance compared to her previous work, as the mystery unlocks excitement on the plot also exceeds its height, Pawan Kumar is a new David Fincher in presenting such mystery thrillers in very effective manner and an unconventional film maker who dares to give a try in presenting story in a different way.

My first foray into Kannada movies and I'm not disappointed. U-Turn is a movie in the horror/mystery genre that shows the brilliance of simple story-telling and the right casting. All actors played to their strengths, and nothing was overdone. Cheers to Pawan Kumar, the director-cum-writer.

The movie revolves around a journalism intern, Rachna (Shraddha Shrinath), who is working on a story about people jumping a divider with their bikes on Bangalore's Double Road flyover, by moving loose blocks of concrete. She sees this as a blatant violation of traffic rules, and the loosened blocks are just kept lying on the street, causing problems for drivers, and sometimes fatal accidents. In her quest to get a violator's perspective, she manages to trace an address and pays a visit. This leads to her becoming embroiled in a murder investigation as a prime suspect. From there on, prepare to be hooked into a world of mystery and intrigue.

Read the full review: http://www.ergophobist.com/2017/06/movie-review-u-turn-kannada.html

Well written screenplay with a social message.. Clean submit.. Well played thriller..

8/10..Thanks Pawan Kumar for bringing the much-needed road-safety message hard-hittingly and convincingly in a very innovative way from your movie 'U-Turn'. Being a Kannadiga, I am ashamed to say that when driving on roads and following traffic rules, Bengalureans behavior is most inhumane, indiscipline, inconsiderate and insensitively rash especially bikers then cabs, small trucks, buses...And this rhetoric is coming from who have experience living in top metro cities across world. Even the most populated and impoverished Mexico City drivers follow traffic rules at their best. Looking at Bengaluru mad and chaotic traffic, it is hard to defend foreigners calling India a shxtty hole. It is shocking that India renews its Guinness records for having most number of road accidents and deaths in world every year. About 15 lakhs Indians have died in last 10 years and in Bengaluru alone, I believe 10-20 people die every day, mostly bikers again. Bengaluru 'Adjust Madi' attitude on roads is wiping out people mainly youth.

About 'U-Turn' movie qualities, it is good but not up to expectations of 'RangiTaranga', 'KendaSampige' or even Pawan Kumar's own 'Lucia'.

Pros -

1. Good road-safety message delivered to society especially the much needed one for Bengalureans.

2. Innovative storytelling with good thrilling elements.

3. Technically decent - sleek direction, good screenplay, decent background score and editing.

4. I personally felt the climax is good, contrary to popular verdict, as I have experienced and heard about similar paranormal happenings in life.

Cons -

1. Movie felt predictable with mystery elements given away with unnecessary special effects before murders.

2. Protagonist actress Shraddha's Kannada pronunciation was not up to mark. Her expressions felt similar in most scenes lacking shades and micro-expressions.

3. Acting by most actors felt flat and routine even in some intense scenes e.g. post jeep and jail murders the actors expressions lacked intensity , fear and depth.

4. Over usage of Kanglish (Kannada with English) in conversations and impractical American words (viz. Homicide for Murder, Cheque for Bill) in Indian culture should have been avoided.

5. Some scenes were not convincing e.g. a beggar residing on flyover and that too watching over people whole time looks filmy.

6. Movie felt hastily shot with minimal budget with sincerity lacking in some places.

7. Inclusion of few preachy scenes on traffic safety would have been good.

Despite the flaws, 'U-Turn' should be watched by everyone for its innovative storytelling and convincing social message on road safety.

Good Kannada movies are hard to come by. This one alone can move the needle quite a bit to the high side.

I will not reveal plots. Except for some shaky scripting in the last few minutes, the movie is remarkably watchable.