Thozhar Cheguevera Movie Review : This Heart-rending Story Deserves More Focus and Clarity

Thozhar Che Guevara Movie Synopsis: When forced to choose between studying or surviving with respect, Napolean struggles to find the right weapon to fight back.

Thozhar Che Guevara Movie Review: At the heart of Thozhr Che Guevara is a deeply disturbing story of oppression and caste-based violence. Beginning with an agonizing story of a young boy who is beaten to death because he questioned an upper-class politician Kalivardhan (Anish Edmond Prabhu), the film hits us hard in the gut. However, every genuine intention needs to be backed by the right execution. Barring the powerful score by PS Ashwin and well-thought-out action sequences, the film fails to create any engagement.

There are finer details like how Cheguevara (Sathyaraj), a college professor, is mistreated by his colleagues. He is given a separate water can and tumbler to use. The principal waits for a chance to dismiss him. Napoleon (Alex AD, also director), an 18-year-old who aspires to go to college isn’t spared either. He is not only bullied and made fun of by his peers but is also disrespected by his professors. And we are made to realise that it’s important he tolerates all this because his whole community looks up to him and the young kids going to school rely on him to believe that the world is a better place and they can somehow live in it.

The film also makes you question a lot of things. Cheguevara says he took the weapon of books to fight back and you are left wondering if that helped him at all. But when Napoleon struggles to find a way to fight back, we are as confused as him. Although such detailing in the story draws us into this cruel world, the making choices pull us right away, creating a distance between the viewers and the characters.

For instance, the film begins with a voiceover as Sathyaraj explains this world and the atrocities of Kalivardhan but he just dumps too much information that you are not able to keep track of all names and events. This initial disconnect and the preachy dialogues give the film a documentary feel and it takes you a long time to get invested in the story. Also, a lot seems to have been added as an afterthought during the dubbing session that you just hear dialogues without the characters speaking and it constantly distracts you. Some sequences are even treated like a reel with just pictures and music.

Only when Napoleon finally makes a decision does the film pick pace. The properly choreographed action moments, the dialogues, and a comedy subplot with Motta Rajendran – all begin to click and you get a glimpse of what the film aimed to be. The actor in Alex AD too is brilliant and tries to make up for the director in him. However, such a heart-rending tale deserved a better screenplay with more focus and clarity.

Written By: Harshini BV