Beauty Movie Review

Beauty is a new-age romantic family drama directed by Vardhan. Featuring Ankith Koyya, Nilakhi Patra, Naresh, and Vasuki in key roles, the film is presented by noted director Maruthi and has hit the screens today. Is it worth a watch? Let’s find out.

Plot

Alekhya (Nilakhi Patra) belongs to a lower-middle-class family and falls for Arjun (Ankith Koyya). However, things change when Alekhya’s mother (Vasuki) catches her red-handed having a bold video call with Arjun. She beats Alekhya badly, which upsets the young girl, who later elopes with Arjun, leaving her parents in distress. A stunned father (Naresh) rushes to Hyderabad, only to find out that his daughter has landed in deeper trouble. What that trouble is and how Alekhya comes out of it forms the crux of the story.

Performances

The female lead in Beauty has a very bold character and is ably played by Nilakhi Patra. Be it the boldness, rebellious nature, or guilt factor, the character has it all, and Nilakhi performs with a lot of ease, making her a perfect fit. Ankith Koyya is okay in his role and should have done better in the first half. His performance looks forced, but once he gets into his groove in the second half, he is neat. Vasuki plays the typical mother, gets two powerful scenes, and excels. The outburst she showcases after witnessing her daughter in such a bold avatar is quite effective. Naresh plays the helpless middle-class father, but there is nothing new to talk about in his role.

Technical Aspects

Shrie Sai Kumaar Daara’s camerawork is effective and showcases the film in a decent light. The editing is bad in the first half and makes sense in the second. The production values, dialogues, and other technical aspects are just okay. The story of the film is nothing new. A girl falling for a boy, taking daring steps, and creating tension for parents has been showcased in so many films to date. The only solace of Beauty is that the twist that is showcased in the second half is solid, and one does not expect it. Barring this, the rest of the story and execution are routine.

Positives

Twist in the second half
Nilakhi Patra’s performance

Negatives

First Half
Routine melodrama
Forced emotions

Analysis

During all the promotions of Beauty, everyone stated that the film carries a strong message for parents. In this aspect, Beauty stays true to the hype, as it gives a decent reminder to all parents to keep a close eye on young adults, especially in today’s time. Apart from this, the film is executed routinely. There is nothing exciting except the main twist that keeps the story going.

The initial half an hour showcases the love story, which is boring and handled in a silly manner. None of the first-half scenes makes an impact. The episode of the father buying his daughter a bike and how things are executed looks overly cinematic and far from reality.

That said, director Vardhan saves the best for the last fifteen minutes, where he reveals a shocking twist. This creates interest and helps the film end on an engaging note. However, the ideology of the female lead is not justified properly. A girl being overly social media–savvy and treating buying a bike as her life goal feels far-fetched. One also gets the sense that the narration is a bit old-school.

Though there are no over-the-top moments, Beauty doesn’t really offer anything that stands out either. Adding to this, several over-the-top scenes between the lead pair should have been toned down. The director portrays the couple as desperate for each other physically, even in tense situations, which looks odd.

On the positive side, the chemistry between the leads is good, and one feels that if the emotions had been developed more strongly, the film would have made much more sense. Beauty has an interesting storyline and an impressive twist, but the way things unfold feels outdated and lacks grip.

Bottom Line: Old-School Narration

Rating: 2.25/5