Kamal Haasan's last film was the controversial Vishwaroopam that released in 2012. The very essence of watching the man perform on screen could bring an indelible smile the faces of true film buffs. With a story line which is almost as close as the star-actor's original life, Uttama Villain already promised a sterling performance from Kamal Haasan as far as the first look promos and trailers suggested. An ensemble cast and the chart-buster classical-heavy album made more things more exciting and raised the expectations. So, how is Uttama Villain? Has Kamal Haasan managed to be a path breaker yet again? YES!

Plot

Without spoiling anything, here's a short gist of the story. Uttama Villain narrates the emotional travails of an ageing 21st century superstar named Mano Ranjan (played by Kamal Haasan) and his hunger to make a film. He wants to multi-task in his career but is hindered by a lot of factors surrounding him, especially the family.The eighth century portions and the 21st century portions travel seamlessly and Kamal Haasan keeps drawing parallels between the two to convey subtle references. Will he make the film he dreamt of acting in? Will he finally seek peace with his familial members?

Plus

There are a lot of pluses in the film. Mind-blowing Performances.Stellar background score. Uber-cool, frame-perfect cinematograpy and excellent audiography. The ensemble cast including KB, K.VIshwanath, Nassar, Parvathy Menon, Pooja Kumar, Andrea have delivered splendid performances. While Parvathy Menon and Oovasi are part of some of the film's best scenes, Pooja Kumar and Andrea add to the glamour quotient and do justice to their roles that offer minimum scope.

Nassar proves once again why he delivers the best when he is pitted against Kamal Haasan on screen.Nayagan, Devar Magan and now Uttama Villain. His portions in the eighth century part are an absolute blinder and will be raved about in the days to come. The music of Ghibran is resounding and watching the film in  a good quality theater with nice sound system is highly recommended. Kamal Haasan's dialogues are emotional and too touching at most junctures.

The climax will make you incessantly weep and sweep you off your feet. The screenplay writing is totally brilliant and Ramesh Aravind has a film which he can be proud of in his entire life. 

Minus

The pace of the film is a huge issue. The first half hour is boring and moves very slowly and might irritate the B and C centre audiences. The songs are misplaced at most of the times and cause another worry with the film's momentum. The length of the film at nearly three hours is a tiresome watch and makes one cringe sometimes in anger. 

Bottom-line

If you are a true cinema fan, Uttama Villain is your cup of tea through and through. It's recommended for all the seekers of content-driven cinema. If you are looking for mindless entertainment, then this may not quench your thirst. 

Verdict : An Emotional Big Dipper!

Stars : 3/5