Star(2024) Movie Review

If you’re expecting a space exploration movie based on the title, you’ll be disappointed. It’s not about that, nor is it about an aspiring actor as you might think. The protagonist’s father, a cinema enthusiast with strong acting views, imposes his passion on his son. The son, not the brightest, believes he wants to be an actor and pursues this not as a goal, but more of a desire, reflecting his father’s wishes. The film could have been aptly named ‘Moon’ instead of ‘Star’.

The protagonist doesn’t just aspire to be an actor; he also acts like a hero, doing annoyingly heroic things like hitting another student with a guitar, sneaking into a girl’s room out of love and staying there all night, and giving impromptu speeches whenever possible.

It’s not uncommon for films to inaccurately portray various professions, but when the subject matter is cinema itself, one would expect a higher degree of accuracy. This film, however, fails to depict the true struggles and sacrifices inherent in the pursuit of acting. The protagonist’s journey is more about waiting for opportunities than honing his craft.

Despite moving to Mumbai to study acting, the narrative focuses more on his survival struggles, such as working odd jobs, rather than his artistic development. The lead actor, Kavin, has a background in serials and other roles before this film, but the film doesn’t effectively depict the hardships and sacrifices associated with acting, despite its ample runtime.Films like Kaviyathalaivan and Vellithirai, which only partially involve acting, provide a better representation of the craft. The film’s tagline, “The world falls in love with a stubborn heart,” aptly describes the protagonist, who is stubborn but lacks the desperation, obsession, or passion typically associated with an aspiring actor.

Lal, who plays the protagonist’s father, delivers a commendable performance. His dialogue, delivered in a Mallu accent, and bold voice makes is so warm. A standout scene involves the father revealing how a popular actor’s casual praise led him to pursue acting, resulting in a wasted life. This scene feels more genuine and relatable compared to the rest of the film. The director's real life father was playing heroine's father character and it doesn't add anything to the film feels like a reverse nepotism.

The film presents a surprising turn of events just before the break. From this juncture, it seems to oscillate between various narratives. It reminds one of the Telugu film Majili, where the protagonist, having lost his zeal and love, leads a life of indifference until a secret admirer marries him and attempts to rejuvenate his life. The protagonist takes up a clerical job, and life seems to improve. Interestingly, the film portrays this job not as monotonous or depressing, but rather as an avenue for fun and enjoyment.

The rap segment includes lines such as ‘Stop wasting time and trying, just leave the fight’, seemingly attempting to embody Charles Bukowski’s ‘Don’t try’ philosophy. This suggests a potential shift in the film’s trajectory, possibly aligning with the movie Mayakannadi. Had the film concluded abruptly at this point, it could have been unique in its own right. However, subsequent lines of the rap and ensuing scenes reveal that these words are directed at the protagonist’s adversary, and the film does not proceed in this direction. Instead, the protagonist is once again bitten by the bug.

From this juncture, the protagonist’s life takes a ‘mayakkam enna’ turn, where he deliberately sabotages the few positive aspects of his life and spirals downwards. Mirroring how in mayakkam enna one of his photographs, rejected and from floor, lands on someone’s desk and improves his life, a deus ex machina moment occurs here. A renowned director makes a cameo, playing himself, and rectifies the protagonist’s life. His presence on screen was enjoyable, and he was laughing throughout, fully aware of the scene.

The climax was somewhat abrupt similar to the ending of director Elan’s previous movie, Pyar Prema Kadhal. It concludes somehow but doesn’t really do justice to the rest of the film. Overall, it is a decent movie to have playing in the background while you are engaged in office work.