There can be no topping this pretty perfect ‘Pizza’
PIZZA 2: VILLA
(10/10) IT is extremely rare for a film to reach such a level of perfection and a greater rarity to see a first-time director achieve this. But this is exactly the feat of director Deepan Chakravarthy, who makes his debut with Pizza 2: Villa.
Although billed as Pizza 2, the film is not a sequel but a totally different story with different characters.
Ashok Selvan ( Soodhu Kavvum ) and Sanchitha Shetty ( Kollaikaaran and Soodhu Kavvum) play the lead roles, supported by Jaikumar and Vegan Rajesh. There are also special appearances by Naaser and actor-director SJ Surya.
Jebin Jose (Selvan) is a writer of English suspense novels, but he is unable to find a publisher.
As he struggles to come to terms with the debt of his estranged late father (Naaser), Jebin learns about a villa that his dad bought and registered under his son’s name.
Encouraged by his girlfriend, Aarthi (Shetty), Jebin decides to see the villa before taking a decision whether to keep it or sell it and pay off his debts.
Their lives alter dramatically for the better after he sees the villa.
They see the building as a good omen, but its secrets soon begin to reveal themselves.
It is difficult to believe that this is only Selvan’s second film, and he assays the complex role of Jebin with consummate ease.
Shetty refuses to be overshadowed in her role as Aarthi, playing it to absolute perfection.
All the others, including the minor actors, do a superb job of their respective roles.
Usually, one finds it easy to identify flaws in the screenplay or suggest ways in which it could have been improved, but newcomer Deepan Chakravarthy denies the critic that opportunity with a screenplay that is meticulous and so well crafted that its effect is nothing short of breathtaking.
With recent films having achieved massive heights in cinematography, it is significant that Deepak Kumar Padhy’s cinematography towers over even them. Each short is painstakingly crafted for maximum artistic effect, and editor Leo John Paul uses a unique editing style to maximise the visual impact.
Santhosh Narayanan is emerging as one of the most exciting finds in the music field. Although there are only two songs in the film, his background score does enough to make his mark.
Chakravrthy shows an exciting eagerness to experiment with the medium, challenging cinematic norms like a seasoned professional.
Pizza 2: Villa is by no means a horror film or thriller, but it will certainly terrify and thrill in places. It is a story that is rather cryptic and the multilayered twists make for captivating viewing.
It is one of the best films I have seen in a long time.