“I do not simply counsel, I am also a censor” says Kasthuri, a sentence that embraces the ambition and the confusion at the core of Breakfast: Accept the Reality. Director Gandhi Krishna of Chellame and Anandha Thandavam turns to dissect love in a time that is characterized by impulse, fast marriages and faster divorces. It is a powerful premise, almost too close to reality. But somewhere in between its stratified storyline and the film-within-a-film technique, the narration starts to stall. The purpose is clear, and unity is lacking. Despite the consistent backing of Vinodhini Vaidyanathan and G. V. Prakash Kumar music uplifting significant scenes, the movie never really delivers on its offer.
The story begins with a couple of the Insta-era where the relationship develops at a breakneck pace. They get in love, cohabit, get married and in a very short time they end up in court in a bid to divorce. It is a keen mirror image of modern relations and it is shocking in its recognizability. When they are brought before a judge, portrayed by Vinodhini Vaidyanathan, the movie takes an interesting twist. She does not pass a usual verdict, instead referring them to counselling with Kasthuri.
The character of Kasthuri is impressively noticeable. I do not simply offer counseling, I am a censor, an important person, she says, and sets the style in which she speaks. She presents a movie in the movie, a story, which becomes the emotional and thematic heart of Breakfast. It is a grandiose machine, but not necessarily a smoothly running one.
In this inner story we have Raanav, a sanitation worker whose potential is yet to be fully harnessed and who is acted by Raanav. Across him is the debutant Rosmin, with actor Rosmin Thadathil, a self-assured business executive. They meet as she provides him with a job and a relationship starts to develop. Predictably, it passes through the stage of conflict, emotion tension and subsequent separation, just like the couple does during counselling.
Its ambition cannot be denied, but the narration is not coherent. The jumps between narrative layers are sudden, and the screenplay does not flow even with a strong connecting line. Emotional intent is obvious, and it is seldom impactful. What comes out is a perceivable lack of connection which undermines the very fabric of the film.
Rosmin Thadathil comes as a pleasant surprise. She adds body and soul to the story, especially in the climax, when her acting is of an unrefined intensity. Raanav has potential but falters in tougher situations and some scenes are underpowered.
The other cast members lend a certain texture, but Archana, Sampath Kumar and Bala Chettivel appear in a very brief, yet effective appearances. The burden of the story is mostly placed on Vinodhini and Kasthuri and a slight twist to the character of the latter gives it some intrigue.
The visuals of the film are its strongest technically. Cinematographer M. V. Panneerselvam presents well-thought frames all over. The honeymoon song which was filmed in a foreign place is exceptional because of its visual beauty, which is backed by the lyrics of Vairamuthu.
The musical score composed by G. V. Prakash Kumar is also an important element that contributes to the emotional atmosphere of the movie. The songs as well as the background score attempt to fill in the gaps in the story, which frequently give gravity to otherwise unintense scenes.
In its simplest form, Breakfast is about a humble but still powerful concept: it is not that separation is difficult, but maintaining a relationship requires effort and perseverance. It is a theme that directly addresses contemporary relations. Nevertheless, it lacks successful execution and the writing does not completely develop into the powerful story-telling it strives to achieve.
This could have been a much stronger movie with a finer writing style and a more solid screenplay. The concepts are there, the purpose is good, but the performance is not so good.
At the conclusion, Breakfast has an interesting premise but fails to provide the payoff it sets itself off.
Rating: 2.5/5