Harshini S V
This Action Film Is Too Formulaic To Leave An Impact. When the film is done being predictable, it either force-feeds deeply affecting scenes or is busy focusing on the aesthetics of its action sequences
Set in the 1980s. The film introduces GV Prakash’s Kathir, a Tamilian from Munnar who pursues his studies in Palakkad. Like Kathir, there are several other Tamil students in the college, so much that they account for 25% of the total population.
While Malayalees live in the ‘A’ hostel — a space that looks bigger than the tea estate in Munnar, we’re told, Tamil students are made to stay in the ‘B’ hostel. You see them sleep on floors in a narrow single room.
We can even overlook the other issues. But the film repeatedly portrays sequences that deeply disturb you. Although the depiction of the violence inflicted on Tamil students is necessary, there is hardly any need to show particularly brutal scenes on repeat just to “stir audiences’ emotions”
Tamil youngsters successfully fight for their rights in an election campaign. The film also captures events with an ad-like quality. In a film as serious and important as this, shouldn’t hero worship be the least of its concerns?
There are moments of such brilliance that make you realise how powerful this story might’ve looked on paper, like the inner transformation of the discriminative head is one of the highlights in Rebel, which is otherwise loud and mostly predictable.