When I saw Ghajini, I was charmed by the romance but a little disappointed that it did so little with the memory loss concept. Ennai Theriuma shows us how much less can be done with the concept! Employing the same plot device as the Adam Sandler-Drew Barrymore romance 50 First Dates but using it as the springboard for a thriller, it crushes the possibilities offered by the concept under its unsuitable tone, gaping plot holes and confusing storyline.

Aditya(Manojkumar) begins each day with his memory a complete blank. A tape recorder, with a tape that he recorded, is his only guide as it gives him a short recap of who he is and the basic information he needs to lead his life. He learns that his uncle(Nasser) and his doctor are the only other people who know about his condition, that he works at a company headed by his uncle and that he is in love with Madhumita(Riya Sen), who also works there. A few goons try to beat him up when he goes out to lunch with Riya but he soon becomes caught up in much bigger problems.

Though the story resembles a thriller, the director seems to have mistaken it for a comedy. Manoj wakes up with his memory wiped clean and is given just some basic information about himself but we see no hint of tension or worry in him as he walks around cracking jokes and goofing around(even his recorded message to himself is delivered in a sarcastic tone with jokes and name-calling). His attitude is completely unbelievable considering the situation he is in and that by itself makes it irritating. Worse, his demeanour doesn't change even when he is chased by unnamed rowdies and later, implicated in a murder. So the direness of his situation is never conveyed(atleast until the very end) and that is quite damaging for a thriller since we never connect with the protagonist.

With Manoj having no memory of anything, very few people to help him and becoming the suspect in a murder investigation, the movie throws up an intriguing mystery filled with possibilities and then proceeds to make a mess of it. The so-called murder investigation is a joke and comedy and song sequences regularly intrude on the proceedings, diluting the little suspense there is. The final twist, while unexpected, has no impact whatsoever because of the way it is presented.

For a bad movie, Ennai Theriuma sure looks good. Right from the opening credits, the film displays a strong sense of style and visual flair. Good cinematography, quick edits, innovative scene transitions and a vibrant background score make many of the sequences stand out. The action sequences are, in particular, picturized very well and the chase where Manojkumar is pursued by a few thugs could well be the best parkour sequence in Tamil cinema yet. The song sequences also have the same traits and so are visually very appealing. Its unfortunate that all these visual flourishes cannot hide the other weaknesses inherent in the film.

Manojkumar, son of popular Telugu actor Mohanbabu, looks comfortable before the camera but his character is so irritating that some of it rubs off on him also. Its only towards the end, when he gets serious, that we see that he is capable of emoting. Riya Sen, who we saw a while back in movies like Taj Mahal and Good Luck, reappears in Tamil after a long gap but has obviously not spent the intervening years working on her acting. She is just as wooden and expressionless as she was then. Sneha Ullal has been talked about for her resemblance to Aishwarya Rai and its easy to see why. But like Manojkumar, our impression of her is also affected by the weakness of her character. Brahmanandam is really irritating as a fashion designer and Sunil fares a little better but the comedy on the whole, including a woman who talks like the voiceover in the Kungumam commercials, is a bit weird and unfunny.