Movie: Captain Miller
Rating: 2.5/5
Banner: Satya Jyothy Films
Cast: Dhanush, Priyanka Arul Mohan, Shiva Rajkumar, Sundeep Kishan, Nivedhithaa Satish, Jayaprakash and others
Music: GV Prakash Kumar
DOP: Siddhartha Nuni
Producers: Sendhil Thyagarajan, Arjun Thyagarajan
Written and Directed by: Arun Matheswaran
Release Date: Jan 26, 2024
Dhanush’s films always generate interest. His latest film, “Captain Miller,” was recently released in Tamil and has now been dubbed into Telugu with the same title. The film is now in theaters.
Let’s explore its strengths and weaknesses.
Story:
The story revolves around Agneeswar (Dhanush) and takes place in a village in Andhra Pradesh prior to independence. He and his villagers were denied an entry into the temple they built due to their low caste. Agnee decides to join the British army to escape oppression. There, he takes on the new name 'Miller' and becomes known as "Captain Miller".
His brother, Shivanna (Shiva Rajkumar), is a freedom fighter.
When Miller is asked to shoot nonviolent protesters fighting for freedom, he realizes he is being asked to kill his own people and returns to the village. He joins a gang that robs. The story revolves around Miller's journey to become a hero and the savior.
Artistes’ Performances:
Dhanush appears in various getups. As always, he delivers the best. Though his performance isn't particularly terrific, it does hold the film together for the most part. Both Priyanka Mohan and Nivethitha Sateesh are portrayed as strong women, but their roles make little difference to the overall story. They do, however, perform well in their respective roles.
Shiva Rajkumar has a "mass moment" during the climax sequence. Sundeep Kishan plays a minor role.
Technical Excellence:
The production values and strong technical output make this film appear grand. GV Prakash Kumar's background score is riveting. The cinematography is impressive.
The dialogue writing and editing fall short of expectations. The action stunts are similar to those seen in the "KGF" movies.
Highlights:
Dhanush
Grand production values
Background Score
Drawback:
Never ending violent action stunts
The slow and boring narration
Not exciting dialogues
Analysis
In the opening scenes of the film, "Captain Miller" creates the impression that the story revolves around the issue of social hierarchy and discrimination. Consequently, we are presented with sequences depicting a local ruler prohibiting the entry of villagers belonging to lower caste groups into the temple. Additionally, we witness a scene where Dhanush contends that there is no distinction between the British colonizers and the indigenous rulers. These scenes evoke a sense that the film is following a familiar trajectory seen in previous Tamil movies that explore themes of caste discrimination and oppression.
The director has segmented the story into multiple chapters. The narrative in slow paced but the background score and the situational songs keep it hooking. But the point is that the topic of oppression on outcast has become a beaten track in Tamil films which doesn't excite or instill emotion much.
Following the intermission, the film transforms into a complete action film.
It has never-ending fight sequences, and the narration is filled with guns, gunpowder, fire, and bloodshed until the very end.
The film goes overboard in depicting certain episodes which are not in sync with the narrative. It's also absurd to see Dhanush and other actors wielding weapons similar to rocket launchers and machine guns in the British era.
Overall, "Captain Miller" is action-packed, featuring a theme of revolt against oppression by the British and the upper-caste Indians on the lower-caste people, filled with extended action sequences. Despite its actual duration not being excessively long, the film may give the impression of being too lengthy. There's a hint of a potential sequel for this action-packed film.
It's worth noting that the struggles against the British and oppression from upper-caste Indians have become run of the mill themes in Tamil cinema. "Captain Miller" follows this trend without offering a new experience in terms of ambiance and backdrop. It caters primarily to a patient audience who can truly connect with films set in the British era and depicting upper-caste oppression. Fans of lengthy action scenes may also endure this narrative.
Bottom line: Feels Lengthy!
