Technically Brilliant, Narratively Confusing... But Hey, It's 'Art' Right?"
Welcome to EVOL: A Love Story in Reverse, where plot coherence is optional, and artistic flair takes the wheel. Ram Yogi Velgapudi seems to have one goal in mind: break the boundaries of Telugu cinema so completely that you'll either love him or never want to see another movie of his again. The man has style, no doubt. But does style alone make a good film? Not quite.
Technically, the film is awe-inspiring. Cinematography that would make even Hollywood directors nod in approval. The visuals are lush, the lighting perfect, and the camera angles scream, "Look at me! I'm different!" And you know what? I'll look. The movie is a technical tour de force, pushing Telugu cinema into a new era where bold, boundary-pushing content is king. But after the first hour, you start to realize that maybe the emperor has no clothes.
Velgapudi tries his best to convince us that the reverse storytelling technique is revolutionary. And I'll admit, it takes guts to construct a film this way. But guts don't always equate to brilliance. Sometimes, they just equate to confusion. The narrative is more convoluted than the most complicated love triangles I've seen in Telugu cinema, and I've seen plenty. The problem isn't that the story goes backward-it's that it never really makes us care enough about the characters to follow them on this disorienting journey.
Now, don't get me wrong. I'm all for breaking rules. Conventional storytelling has its limits, and I applaud Velgapudi for smashing them. But breaking rules for the sake of breaking them doesn't always result in something profound. It's almost as if the film is so obsessed with being unconventional that it forgets to actually tell a story.
But I'll give credit where credit is due. The editing is sharp, the transitions smooth, and the soundtrack? Haunting. This film feels like a technical masterclass. The problem is, it feels like a masterclass in everything but the one thing that truly matters: emotional connection. If you want to marvel at how far Telugu cinema has come in terms of technical prowess, give EVOL a try. If you want a love story that moves you? Maybe wait for the sequel... if there ever is one.