Team FC
An Old-school Romantic Drama Saved By Strong Emotional Beats. Vinayak Vaithianathan’s debut might not have the depth or originality but it scores strongly on the emotional front.
Romeo (Love Guru in Telugu) reminded me of the old-school family and romantic dramas in which emotions matter more than logic and depth. You know for sure that there are more reasonable ways for the characters to solve their conflicts but logic or reality aren’t deal-breakers here.
Romeo is not original by any means and it runs along predictable lines. There aren’t any surprises in the story, and it isn’t necessarily a bad thing because relationship-based films like these run on the affability of characters and their dynamics, an area where the film scores well.
While there are glimpses of progressiveness through Aravind’s character—like the one when he questions a filmmaker about how can slapping be justified as a masculine trait—it makes you wish the film made more such points.
Romeo operates in a familiar, comforting territory. The humor is clean, simple, and subtle and even though it feels overlong, it is a largely satisfying ride thanks to its neatly drawn-out emotional beats.
Romeo is one of those films where the flaws are evident but you still find it likable because of its heart. The story lends itself to some serious commentary on marriage and relationships which the film cautiously avoids to keep the light-hearted tone intact.