Lee Review

By: Immanuval
Friday, March 02, 2007
Lee (Sibiraj) is the football player who has 10 like minded friends who are a gang of friends. All of them are a part of their college's football team. Buthiran alias Arya Buthiran (Prakashraj) is their coach. The correspondent of the college Rangabahyam (Jagir) has a drug-addicted son. He would like to make his son the captain of the college football team with the help of Buthiran. But being a disciplined coach, Buthiran refused to co-operate with Rangabhayam. Immediately, he sacked Buthiran from the college. Lee and his team members express their objection strongly. The correspondent throws them out of the team with immediate effect.

The very next day itself, Buthiran and his disciples got an offer from the rival college in the same area. They join that team and they win against Rangabashyam's colleges team. The enraged Rangabashyam uses all his influence and becomes the Chairman of the Sports selection commission and blocks Buthirans Team from competing in Santhosh Trophy. One of the vexed friends of Lee commits in front of the Sports Authority office because this involvement of politics in football. Buthiran rushed to Rangabashyam's resident for Justice. But Rangabashyam killed him.

Lee and his friends soon dissappear. But they intend to come back and take their revenge on Rangabashyam. Rangabashyam moves up the ministerial ranks and soon becomes the Union Sports Minister. The people in hiding come to Chennai, get odd jobs - enough to buy a gun. Finally they save the required amount and they buy the gun. When they try to kill the Minister, Chellam (Nila), Lee's girlfriend, witnesses the attempt ob the ministers life. But Lee does not lose his heart. He approaches the media for justice and exposes all the corruption and political games involving in ports.

In the end, Lee does not just become another victim of a corrupt system or at the other extreme, a vigilante. He has after all committed crimes, necessary though they may have been, and so he serves his prison term and resumes his passion for football - he becomes a coach, just like his inspiration, Butthiran.

Lee is a different and sensible film. The topic of sports amongst our youth and opportunities for young sportsmen has not been dealt with before and is truly essential in this day and age. It is admirable that director Prabhu Solomon has conceptualized as well as implemented such a thoughtful story. But he should give more strength through the treatment. For Sibi, it is the most important film. He has done a commendable job. The young scion of the Sathyaraj family has been waiting for the right break in films for a while now, and with Lee, he has shown a quiet and yet, youthful intensity in his character. He also comes across well in the action scenes.

Prakashraj, of course, does not need any words to extol his acting skills - small films or big budget, this man is one of the most versatile actors in the South film industry. In Lee, he has done a great job as the inspiring and fiery Butthiran and keeps the tempo of the film in right time. There is nothing to say about Nila. She unnecessarily interrupts in the story and singing irrelevantly with shaking her lightly bulged belly. D.Imman's music and re-recording keeps the phase well. The soundtrack moves with the moods in the film and really adds to the film's quality

Rajesh Yadhav's camera work is good. In stunt scenes, Anal Arasu really thrills the viewers. Lee is the debut film of veteran Actor Sathyaraj. On commercial part, there may be a chance for some crisis, but the film serves the right message at right time to the society.