Thread by @rajamanirajesh

A thread on the Tamil film 'Doctor' by Nelson Dilipkumar. At the heart of it, 'Doctor' is essentially an extended lollu sabha episode. But it becomes novel to the Tamil audience in how Nelson Dilipkumar places it in a Wes Anderson-esque world.

Nelson, who has already claimed to be a huge fan of Anderson borrows from the American filmmaker's sense of mean humour, deadpan delivery and even repeatedly frames the locations symmetrically and places the characters at the dead centre. All Wes Anderson trademark punches.

While 'Doctor' is mostly a laugh riot, it stays more true to the lollu sabha universe than the Wes Anderson world. Nelson's characters might be emotionally stunted, goofy and childish, like the men in Anderson's films.

But Nelson isn't able to build the emotional redemption that Anderson offers to his characters towards the end. That's because Nelson hasn't really tried to write unique characters here. But has just focused on the funny lines and their delivery.

Which is why the film works beautifully as long as it has a joke to share. But the moment it has no joke to offer or when it wants to slide into emotional or serious territory, it jars and starts revealing its deep flaws.

The strength of 'Doctor' lies in its motley crew of smaller actors who are very similar to a lollu sabha troupe expect the humour delivery here is deadpan unlike the loudness of the Vijay TV show. Am not sure if Sivakarthikeyan really adds anything remarkable to the film.

Nelson has used him very similar to what Mysskin did with Udhayanidhi Stalin in 'Psycho'. So at best, it seems Nelson roped him in to purely help with the ticket sales.

Vijay Kartik Kannan's cinematography also seems to borrow from Wes Anderson's world.

But am not sure if they really understood it right or borrowed effectively. Because while the cinematography here is unique, it is also sweepingly inconsistent and seems quite thoughtless in how it shifts moods or styles.

But it certainly offers a visual quality not seen much in Tamil cinema.

Apart from his funny lines, Nelson's remarkableness lies in how he is able to work effectively with stars who are average or below-average actors.

Both Nayanthara, as in 'Kolamaavu Kokila' and Sivakarthikeyan here have interesting screen presence but are bland actors. Nelson writes them into characters that are by default emotionless and expressionless and plays with their strengths. Or rather their weaknesses.

But then, what makes 'Doctor' work in spite of these inconsistencies are its jokes and how they land on you at the most unexpected of times.