(Crisp) Movie Review: SYSTEM by FENIL SETA

System, which has released today on Amazon Prime Video, is the story of a young lawyer and her strained relationship with her father. The father-daughter dynamic plays out very well and adds to the drama. Moreover, Jyotika’s character stands out. There has never been a film where one of the principal characters is a stenographer, adding to its freshness. A twist in the tale is quite shocking and will catch viewers unawares. However, the climax comparatively is thanda. One expects fireworks in the end but the finale is devoid of it. It’s justified but also predictable and hence, underwhelming. The love interest is added for the heck of it, as the character serves no purpose after a point. Sonakshi Sinha is apt for the part and shines in the role. Jyotika is quite natural and terrific, keeping her act subtle yet impactful. Ashutosh Gowariker delivers a very convincing performance as a lawyer who’s not theatrical but knows how to dominate his opponent. Vijayant Kohli (Bajral) and Adinath Kothare (Alok; Neha’s brother) are memorable. Gaurav Pandey (Akshay) is wasted while Upen Chauhan (Inspector Rathi) hams. Nishant Singh (Laxman; Sarika’s husband), Freya Kothari (Inaaya Kothari), Aashriya Mishra (Kusum), Aatma Prakash Mishra (Atmaram; Neha’s junior colleague), Sayandeep Sengupta (Raghav Shrivastav; journalist) and Ravi Mahashabde (ACP Kumar) perform well. All in all, System makes for a decent one-time watch.

My rating – *** out of 5!