Mark Antony Movie Review: Vishal Tries But SJ Suryah Shines In This Bizarre Time-Travel Gangster Drama

Director: Adhik Ravichandran

Cast: Vishal, SJ Suryah, Ritu Varma, Sunil, Selvaraghavan, Abhinaya, Y. G. Mahendran

Where: In theatres near you

Rating: 2 stars 

Tamil gangster flicks follow a predictable pattern. Frankly, a done and dusted narrative, if you’d ask me. But, when you sit down to watch Mark Antony, the premise seems promising. Infusing an element of time-travel in a gangster film is not only a fascinating idea but one that can guarantee something new for the masses. So, what does director Adhik Ravichandran have in store for us with his film?

Year 1975. Antony (Vishal) and Jackie (SJ Suryah), two inseparable best friends rule their kingdom from Chennai. Together they face a common enemy in Ekambaram (Sunil). In an ensuing fight, Ekambaram pulls the trigger and finishes Antony. Circa 1995. Mark, (Vishal again) Antony’s son is hateful towards his father’s legacy and is unable to cope with his mother’s tragic murder. He is lovingly nurtured by Jackie who isn’t particularly fond of his own son Madhan (Suryah again). One day Mark discovers a time-travel phone made by prominent scientist Chiranjeevi (Selvaraghavan), which allows him to place a call in the past. Mark takes a chance and places a call. He then finds a purpose to learn the truth about his parents and alter the course of events that led to his predicament.

Mark Antony is a genius of an idea when on paper. But, executing it seems to have gone awry for Ravichandran, as his screenplay goes all over the place. Let’s look at how time-travel is dealt with in the film. While the device used is crucial to dictate the story, watching several characters misuse it, reduces its credibility to be taken seriously. It almost appears as if a bunch of school boys found a toy and everyone wants to try a hand or two. Secondly, even the director doesn’t follow the rules he lays out for the use of the device. In many scenes Mark explains that the device can only be used once on a day, but several scenes later, you see more than one call placed on the same day through the device.

Leaving the concept of time-travel aside, the director doesn’t seem to be doing justice to the film, even as a gangster drama. Both his lead actors are sincere and invested in elevating the material handed out to them but they are hardly aided by other factors. One of the biggest letdown for me personally is the music of the film by National Award-winning composer G.V. Prakash Kumar. Though I watched the Hindi version of the film, I’ve heard the Tamil soundtrack to stand firm by my view. Which brings me to the viewing experience of the film in Hindi. As is the case with most South films, the terrible translated Hindi dialogues only disconnect the viewer further from the film.

If redemption is to be found, it is strictly in the performances put forth by both leads. While Vishal is commendable, the film is a treat for Suryah fans. With both roles, the actor completely disappears into playing between maniacal and exaggerated. He is a range of emotions. Sunil, who is the best find in Tamil and Telugu cinema, is engaging as Ekambaram. Selvaraghavan is eccentric as the madcap genius Chiranjeevi. The women have precious little to do. Ritu Varma, who plays Mark’s girlfriend Ramya is reduced to just being a pretty distraction.

If executed with a tighter screenplay, Mark Antony had the potential to soar high. Unfortunately, it merely levitates.