We frequently hear the phrase Story is King, when it comes to illustrating the importance of the plot in the scheme of things with respect to a movie. Meiporul, made by a group of software engineers in the US, shows us that the other aspects are equally important in making the final product effective. Strong on plot but made with tacky production values, the film turns out to be a mixed bag.

Sam(Krish Bala), a neurosurgeon, and Devi(Anusha), a reporter for the magazine Thendral, are a well-to-do couple living in Silicon Valley. Devi gets caught in a sudden glare of publicity when she helps nab the kidnapper of a young Indian child. Meanwhile Sam meets Rajan(Natty Kumar), who works for NASA. He is initially sceptical when Rajan claims to possess ESP but turns believer after a couple of convincing incidents. But he is in for a rude shock when Rajan foretells Sam's own death.

The film is a slow-burn thriller that appears to meander along with no focus for the most part. There are a few things going on that keep us from losing interest completely. Natty's ESP powers, Krish's struggle to come to terms with it and his days being numbered are good hooks that keep us curious about how things are going to turn out. But the curiosity never translates to real suspense or tension. The screenplay doesn't exploit the plot points in a strong enough fashion to propel the movie forward and keep us engrossed. The proceedings seem sluggish and the film has no momentum.

The film has a few good twists and surprises up its sleeve. As far as the plot goes, it does most things right in wrapping things up. The way everything comes together at the end makes us see past events in a new light, realize the red herrings that were cleverly inserted and applaud the cleverness of the plot. The motives are not entirely clear and the director relies on a few coincidences to move things along but most happenings are explained satisfactorily.

But considering how unhurried the rest of the movie seemed to be, its quite frustrating that the portions where the dots are finally connected seem rushed. The full dimensions of the plot don't sink in and there are a few key, unanswered questions.

The film is an effort from a group of software engineers in Silicon Valley. Their passion and determination to realize their dream is laudable. But the fact that it is an amateur effort definitely shows. The cast is generally wooden and inexpressive and seems rather inhibited. The numerous closeups which end up highlighting the lack of genuine expressions don't help either. Their dialog delivery is rather stilted and artificial. The camera is mostly static and camera angles and shot compositions are amateurish. So the movie never rises above the level of a home video and doesn't forge the kind of involvement that a movie does.