Upon the release of its teaser trailer, Abishan Jeevinth seemed to have chosen a prickly topic for his directorial debut. ‘Tourist Family’ stars Sasikumar, Simran, Mithun Jai Sankar and Kamalesh Jagan as the titular Eelam Tamil collective, all of whom attempt their version of a regional accent.
The film starts in media res with a family of Eelam Tamils in the middle of their escape to Tamil Nadu to find a better life for themselves. We follow this family as they navigate through the usual hurdles of acclimatising to a new country. Jeevinth aims to produce a safe film for all the family to enjoy, and he has achieved this goal. There are no real risks taking place here in the politics or the construction of the film. The story centres on the importance of diversity in a community, as well as how a kind and generous nature reaps what it sows. Despite taking on a subject matter with tremendous weight, the writer/director completely dodges any attempt at tackling the issues behind said subject.
The cast play their roles adequately. Kamalesh Jagan is the standout performance here - the young talent continues to turn in comedic turns and is often the source of the film’s best moments. Sasikumar and Simran as the parents are not asked of much from their roles. The sullen eldest son’s role from Mithun Jai Sankar is instead given the responsibility of portraying someone with a broken connection to his homeland, which he does well with the provided material. The supporting cast include great character actors MS Bhaskar, Elango Kumaravel and Bagavathi Perumal who once again deftly aid with keeping the film afloat.
The film’s technical aspects, although competent, are quite bland. The film runs smoothly, but there is almost nothing noteworthy about the cinematography or filmmaking style. Jeevinth should consider developing a directorial voice with his future projects. The film’s tone often jumps from mawkish sentimentality to sometimes over-the-top comedy, and does not take itself too seriously throughout.
Sean Roldan treads on familiar ground with his score and soundtrack. Despite having his own unique sound, Roldan too likes to play it safe - most of his work feels like the same soundscape being rehashed repeatedly. There are no standout tracks in the film, and it again causes one to wonder if an accompanying soundtrack is required for almost every Tamil film being released.
Overall, ‘Tourist Family’ is toothless in its scope and ambition. The film aims to pull at your heartstrings, but the depth of thought and feeling required for that is missing here.
Krishna's rating: 2.5 stars
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Official trailer for film below.