Raavanan once again finds Mani Rathnam take on a well-known story and put his own spin on it. It is a rather interesting spin told in a captivatingly succinct style, with some gorgeous visuals providing the backdrop. Still, the weak characterization of the most important character prevents the film from meeting all of its aspirations.

As the movie opens, Veeraiya(Vikram) kidnaps Ragini(Aishwarya Rai), the wife of the SP Dev(Prithviraj). As Dev, with the assistance of a forest guard(Karthik), goes after Veera to save his wife, Veera goes on the run with his brothers(Prabhu, Munna) and his loyal group of followers. Ragini is forced to tag along and she soon learns why Veera has abducted her and understands why he is revered by the villagers.

It is by now common knowledge(even if not, the film's title makes it amply clear) that Raavanan is Mani Rathnam's take on our epic Ramayana. Mani has had experience doing this as he took on the more complicated Mahabharatha in Thalapathy. While that film was a more straightforward retelling of the story with a core set of characters, he has attempted something different in Raavanan. Its almost as if he has picked the characters from the epic and then weaved a different story around them.

Mani never lets us forget the film's source material. There are numerous references - some subtle, some not so subtle - to the Ramayana. So Vikram talks about the 10 voices in his head, he asks Aish if Prithviraj is a God or an avadhaara purushan, Priyamani is threatened about her nose being cut off, Karthik jumps around like a monkey, Prabhu keeps eating or talking about food all the time and probably for the most tongue-in-cheek reference of them all, Karthik states a proverb that directly refers to the Ramayana.

But after setting up our expectations in this way, Mani delights in breaking them. After reinforcing the movie's basis with all these explicit references, he takes the storyline in very different directions. The basic elements - Aish's kidnapping, Karthik's infiltration into Vikram's hideout to meet Aish, the lie detector test, to name a few - are all in place. But what grows from them - the causes and effects of those elements - are very different from what we know and expect. Whether its the history between Vikram and Prithviraj, the way Priyamani's episode plays out or the fantastic way the lie detector ploy is employed, the story constantly closer to and far away from its source material.

But the biggest surprise lies in the arcs for the 2 main characters, who undergo complete transformations from the time the movie starts to the time the end credits roll. Selvaraghavan did the same with the 2 leads in Kaadhal Konden but while he relied on Tamil cinema stereotypes to surprise us, Mani combines our familiarity with a well-known epic and a non-linear narrative to achieve the same results. Our knowledge about the characters of Vikram and Prithviraj and the point where the story starts make us see Vikram as a cop-killer and a kidnapper and Prithviraj as a loving husband and a conscientious cop. But by the time the movie ends, they have morphed in front of our eyes to the point where Vikram lets Prithviraj live because of his love for Aish while Prithviraj manipulates that love to nab Vikram. This transformation the two go through, both in our eyes and the eyes of Aish, is the film's chief pleasure.

It is possible to enjoy Prithviraj's carefully orchestrated transformation and Aish's changed view of Vikram is understandable as the story unfolds. But the film's key aspect, Vikram's transformation, isn't as emotional as it should be because its reason isn't showcased well enough. While its love that softens hs heart, it happens too soon(a passionate number like Usure Pogudhe... definitely deserves a longer build-up and stronger feelings) and it doesn't have the strong foundation needed to earn our emotional involvement. His feelings for Aish never rise beyond seeming like part infatuation/part lust and she doesn't do anything extraordinary to justify all those things he says about her, especially in the climax.

Mani Rathnam is never condescending of the viewer and nowhere has this been more evident than in Raavanan. The film is lean and this is primarily because he rarely spells things out. He shows only what is necessary, banking on us to put together the pieces required to figure out what led to that. While this technique sometimes seems like an easy way out from explaining difficult questions(like how exactly Karthik managed to sneak into Vikram's place), it does keep the movie short, meaningful and to the point. Mani also frequently shows us something before showing us what was behind it(this is evident both at an interpersonal level, as when Prithviraj calls Aish Naattiya PeroLi before we see that she is a dancer and at a higher level, as in the structure of the entire movie). This approach ensures we are involved right from the word 'go' and requires that we really pay attention.

Vikram, after a couple of duds, finally finds a role he can sink his teeth into. The 'psycho' parts of his character are more overt but its in the quieter moments, when he gazes at Aish longingly or leers into a mirror in the police camp, that he really makes an impression. Aishwarya looks beautiful whatever she goes through. Her expressions still don't feel natural and she overdoes some of them but this is definitely her strongest performance yet. Prithviraj is solid and is able to bring a lot of intensity to his single-minded pursuit of Vikram. Priyamani makes a great impression even with a short role. Her initial chirpiness and her eventual sorrow are both equally believable. Karthik hams in his usual way while Prabhu, looking almost unbelievably big, is in Vikram's shadow most of the time.

The film is a visual feast, more so than other Manirathnam films since it is almost entirely shot outdoors. Many of the locales are breathtaking and Manikandan/Santosh Sivan have captured them in all their natural beauty. The film is character-based but it is dressed up like an action movie. The dark, damp forest provides a claustrophobic environment and the slo-mos and close-ups as the leads slide down, fall into water, climb up, etc. are of the kind usually found in action movies to reiterate the fact that its the actors and not stunt doubles performing those activities. The climactic fight between Vikram and Prithviraj on the suspension bridge is phenomenally shot and executed. Mani Rathnam continues to show us that he is done with treating songs as separate entities. Barring Kodu Poattaa..., none of the other songs plays fully and they are all integrated into the background score. Kaattu Sirukki... has a different version while the song that plays over the end credits is soulfully sung.