Good Night Movie Review

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Sporadically Tamil cinema presents us with a spectacle out of the blue. This time it comes in the form of Good Night from debutant director Vinayak Chandrasekaran. The flick is about an IT professional whose personal life is put in jeopardy by his snoring issue. Actor Manikandan who was last seen in the hyperlink flick Sila Nerangalil Sila Manidhargal is back on screens with his romantic comedy drama Good Night. Actress Meetha Raghunath has portrayed the female lead role in the movie.  So, how has the action thriller drama Good Night come out? Will it help propel actors Manikandan and Meetha Raghunath as marketable leads in Kollywood, and be a memorable debut for film maker Vinayak Chandrasekaran? To know that let us get into the movie review. 

The film follows the life of Mohan (Manikandan), a corporate employee whose life is made vexatious by his snoring problem. He lives with his mother (Uma Ramachandran), and his two sisters Maha (Raichal Rabecca) and Ragavi (Sree Arthi). Against the family’s disapproval, Mohan’s elder sister Maha weds his best friend Ramesh (Ramesh Thilak), who is employed as a water filter technician. Mohan’s lack of English eloquence and a personal beef with his boss Hayagreevan Balaji (Bagavathi Perumal) makes his job stressful. To make matters worse his snoring habit has prompted his colleagues to address him as Motor. Due to his snoring problem, he finds it hard to have a proper shot at romance. Parallelly, we have an orphan named Anu (Meetha Raghunath) who lives in a rented house of an elderly couple. One day, Ramesh is sent to the couple’s house to change the water filter. Mohan accompanies him, and chances upon Anu. Yep. After initial hiccups they fall for each other and decide to get married. 

Anu subscribes to the notion that she is ill-fated as she lost her parents at a young age. Mohan permeates hope into her life with a promise to start a new life. But he himself is scared that his snoring habit will take a toll on his marriage. But Anu reassures him otherwise, and they start living together. Mohan’s snoring robs Anu of her sleep. Apparently, it weakens her health and she collapses while on the job. Mohan learns of the news and is dejected. He makes up his mind to sleep alone in the adjacent room. He deploys different methods to end his snoring. But nothing bears fruit. Soon their relationship starts to deteriorate. A tragic incident in the family makes things worse for the couple. Will Mohan and Anu choose to separate, or will they find a way to exist together, is what makes the crux of the story. 

Story teller Vinayak Chandrasekaran displays a great hold over his craft with his agile screenplay and super solid execution. He also has a knack for staging events in a way to exploit situations to draw comedy. It is these sound fundamentals that makes Good Night worthwhile. Director Vinayak Chandrasekaran desires for creativity even in how formulaic events are dealt with. Like when the lead pair come across each other for the first time, and how the friend turned brother-in-law equation is handled. Even the romance bit is intriguing. This style of work spurs a wave of freshness into the plot which keeps us engaged. 

Another interesting aspect about Good Night is it has no animated or brash characters. Its universe is made of humble vulnerable people trying to cope with life. Anyone could instantly relate with them and tag along to witness their journey. While on the go film maker Vinayak Chandrasekaran touches up on social conditioning and how it impacts the life of individuals who are even slightly distinct from what is perceived to be normal. The film has its share of drawbacks too. Everything is fine until it threads within the humor valley. Later in the second half it gets serious and a bit melodramatic with the couple at discord. The incidents that are fabricated to elaborate the pressure on Mohan are overstretched, and feels exhausting. But then the mood is lightened with a dash of humor to a delightful ending. 

Actor Manikandan shows signs of a promising artist in the making with his prowess to fabulously shoulder a challenging part. He gets under the skin of his character and brings it to life. He takes complete control of the proceedings without much exertion. Actress Meetha Raghunath’s character does not involve complex layers. But the actress brings about her cute and pleasant aura and elevates her part to a different level. Actor Ramesh Thilak entertains us thoroughly with his spectacular expressions and dialogue delivery. Actress Raichal Rabecca for her part combines well with Ramesh Thilak to add to the humor quotient. Actor Bagavathi Perumal as usual makes his presence felt even in a constrained screen time with his fine performance. Actor Balaji Sakthivel serves the purpose for which he was brought on board. Actress Kausalya Natarajan lives up to her role. Actress Uma Ramachandran does complete justice to her part. Actors Nikhila Sankar, Jagan Krishnan, Priyalaya, Sree Arthi, and Saivam Kala have done their roles well. The rest of the cast has delivered what was asked of them. 

On the technical front, music director Sean Roldan’s music strengthens the drama. His songs are enjoyable though not playlist worthy. He shines with his background score where his music easily blends with the lighthearted mood of the movie. Especially in the funny moments where the lead character struggles with his snoring issue. Cinematographer Jayanth Sethu Mathavan’s frames are splendid. His lighting is a treat to the eyes. Editor Barath Vikraman has put his scissor at the right spots and has complemented the work of his colleague well. 

On the whole, actor Manikandan’s Good Night is a heartwarming feel good family drama that entertains us thoroughly at its best moments.