NOOB FILM REVIEW: MIRUGASIRISHAM: THE ORION directed by Vijay Ganesh

SYNOPSIS: A married couple and the wife's brother face escalating paranormal dangers. Their response to supernatural threats transforms them into mystical exorcists, leading to unexpected discoveries.

REVIEW:
This film is a good example of a simple story told in a great way. Vijay Ganesh, the director (this is his debut), who also plays the main protagonist, says a lot about what he is really trying to say.

A mix of tones from being the Hong Kong comedic classic, Mr. Vampire, to a romance interlude in Act 2, which finally leads to a cathartic grand closure to all loose ends, and resolution in the finale.

It successfully closes the story arc, and this is the kind of film that will live with me for a long time. One reason is that, despite being almost 3 hours long, each scene is necessary and contributes to the story, and it is being paced and edited without anything being too draggy or too short. That includes the long romantic interlude, which is key to understanding the character's motivation and being empathetic towards them.

Another contributing factor is, Vijay Ganesh, who is also the writer, managed to creatively tell the story about a generic and stereotypical theme in the genre (and taking it, thus himself, seriously). He links the past with the present and the future scenes flawlessly, with no obvious cheap MacGuffins trope!

It is a complete exploration of the local lore and beliefs, right up onto the supernatural, spiritual, and finally to the celestial workings of time and fate.

Vijay Ganesh invites the audience to think, and he leads them towards the end, nuanced and knowing that we will get it. This is how he shows respect towards the general audience, saying we are not stupid.

It is unbelievable that this masterpiece of storytelling was denied the grant for FINAS funding. Despite that, Vijay Ganesh has successfully crafted this labour of love and silent critique on the state of the Malaysian Indian community, like how Shan did it in Tamil School Pasanga earlier this year.