playing a petty thief. When the menace of a dreaded gang gets out of control, the police department is left with no choice but to send an 'eli'(rat) to nab the head of the gang. What follows is a series of action
sequences inspired by Jackie Chan movies coupled with clichéd Vadivelu comedies that moves at snail's pace. Whether or not he is successful in his mission forms the rest of the story which appears to be a mere formality.
Performances: As expected, Vadivelu impresses with his comical expressions but his performance doesn't have a platform to elevate itself and thus falls flat. Sadha who plays the female lead, do not have much
of a screen space barring a couple of songs (which acts as a speed breaker to an already slow moving movie). Pradeep Rawat, who has played the main antagonist is the only saving grace Eli has in its performance department.
Technicalities: Both the first as well as second half is way too slow paced to one's liking as even Vadivelu's charm fails to keep Eli alive throughout. Paul Livingstone, the cinematographer, has managed
to capture the essence of 60s giving the film a retro look. His choice of colours though are poor as it fails to connect with the soul of his camerawork. At 2 hours and 40 minutes, Eli could've done with many
more cuts. It comes as a surprise when an editor like VT Vijayan along with TS Jay fails to deliver which is a rarity.
Vidyasagar's background score is apt for a movie like Eli, his songs though are unbearable. Usage of the Hindi classic 'Meri Sapno ki' is inappropriate.
Vadivelu The Small Time Thief Vadivelu's talent has been misused in Eli. Being such a talented actor that he is, he should put extra efforts in choosing his scripts, one might feel.
Stunt Sequences Vadivelu, for the first time, has tried his hand at stunt sequences which he has executed in a decent manner.
