System Review {3.0/5} & Review Rating
Star Cast: Sonakshi Sinha, Jyotika, Ashutosh Gowariker
Director: Ashwiny Iyer Tiwari
System Movie Review Synopsis:
SYSTEM is the story of a daughter trying to prove her worth. Neha Rajvansh (Sonakshi Sinha) is the daughter of celebrated Delhi-based lawyer Ravi Rajvansh (Ashutosh Gowariker). Neha is also an aspiring lawyer and yet, Ravi doesn’t allow her to be employed in his law firm. He asks her to win at least 10 cases to be eligible. Accordingly, Neha works under public prosecutor Ahlawat (Pranay Narayan). Meanwhile, Sarika Rawat (Jyotika) works as a stenographer in the High Court and bumps into Neha. She happens to provide a valuable tip to Neha, which helps her win a case. Impressed by her insights and experience of dealing with several cases, Neha asks Sarika to help her in her upcoming cases. Sarika is the sole breadwinner of the family as her husband, Laxman Rawat (Nishant Singh), is handicapped due to an accident. Her daughter Kusum (Aashriya Mishra) is academically bright and wishes to visit a Science Fair in Pune, which is an expensive affair. In short, Sarika is in dire need of money and accepts Neha’s offer. However, she makes it clear that she’ll charge Rs. 20,000 per case. With Sarika’s help, Neha starts winning case after case. Soon, she emerges victorious in 9 cases. She’s just one victory away from working with her father. This is when Ahlawat asks her to handle the case of the death of social media influencer Inaaya Kothari (Freya Kothari). The cops have strong reason to believe that noted builder Vikram Bajral (Vijayant Kohli) murdered Inaaya. Interestingly, Vikram will be defended in court by none other than Ravi. What happens next forms the rest of the film.
System Movie Story Review:
Harman Baweja and Arun Sukumar's story is unusual and fresh for the courtroom genre. Harman Baweja and Arun Sukumar's screenplay (with additional screenplay by Ashwiny Iyer Tiwari and Tasneem Lokhandwala) is engaging because the drama and character dynamics possess a certain novelty. However, the writing also has its share of blemishes. Akshat Ghildial's dialogues are sharp.
Ashwiny Iyer Tiwari's direction is proficient. Her biggest strength is that she gets to execute a script that has a lot of drama, especially the one rarely seen in our films. The way the father-daughter dynamic plays out makes for an interesting watch. Moreover, Sarika’s character stands out. There has never been a film where one of the principal characters is a stenographer. The film touches upon the fact that these people are present all day in court and have years of understanding as to how lawyers emerge victorious. Hence, a stenographer can be a valuable asset to a lawyer and this aspect is deftly handled by the director. There’s a solid twist in the pre-climax that would catch viewers unawares.
On the flipside, the second half is where the film flies and even falters. After a dramatic mid-point, one expects fireworks to happen in the court during the face-off between the father and daughter. Instead, the father, who’s supposed to be a tough lawyer and who eats up his rivals, doesn’t seem to be put up a tough fight. One can reason that since it’s his daughter opposite him, he doesn’t go all the way. If that was the case, the director shouldn’t have raised the hopes of viewers in what seemed like an interval block. What’s also puzzling is that Ravi knew that Neha has stumbled upon an important piece of evidence and should have ideally thought of a loophole or some way out, in order to win. The twist in the pre-climax is great and one expects something explosive in the finale. However, the climax, though completely unjustified, is also underwhelming as it's predictable. Lastly, the character of Akshay Rao (Gaurav Pandey) disappears in the final act all of a sudden. A crucial scene involving him and Neha in the second half, as well as their love track, doesn’t add anything to the narrative.
System Movie Review Performances:
Sonakshi Sinha is apt for the part. She breathes life into the character of a girl born with a silver spoon who’s out to make a name for herself outside the shadow of her father. Jyotika is terrific and is quite natural, even in some very challenging scenes. Her subtle act is her strength. Ashutosh Gowariker delivers a very convincing performance of a lawyer who’s not theatrical but knows how to dominate the opposition lawyer. Vijayant Kohli is dependable and looks every inch a shady, rich person. Adinath Kothare (Alok; Neha’s brother) lends able support. The scene where he visits Neha in the post-interval portion is memorable and unpredictable. Gaurav Pandey is wasted and it’s puzzling how the makers completely forgot about his character after a point. Also, it seemed like he stepped out of the set of THE TRIAL and shot for this film, as in both titles, his character and profession are very similar. Nishant Singh and Pranay Narayan lend able support. Freya Kothari and Aashriya Mishra are fair in small roles. Aatma Prakash Mishra (Atmaram; Neha's junior colleague) leaves a mark. Upen Chauhan (Inspector Rathi) hams. Preeti Agarwal (Renuka; Neha's mother) doesn’t get much scope. Sayandeep Sengupta (Raghav Shrivastav; journalist), Ravi Mahashabde (ACP Kumar) and Prashant Singh (Ramnath Dhabi) are decent.
System movie music and other technical aspects:
Both songs, 'Tum Aaina' and 'Subah', are forgettable. Kartik Manickavasakam's background score is satisfactory.
Rangarajan Ramabadran's cinematography is appropriate. Sandeep Mohan Meher's production design is too filmy and doesn’t look realistic. For instance, the prosecutor firm, where Neha works, is supposed to be an uncomfortable workspace with no AC facility. Instead, it looks like a cosy office. Moreover, viewers have seen realistic court and legal setups in JOLLY LLB and MAAMLA LEGAL HAI. Hence, this is one area where the makers should have been more mindful. Sanam Iqbal Ratansi's costumes are straight out of life. Charu Shree Roy's editing is sharp.
System Movie Review Conclusion:
On the whole, SYSTEM is an unusual legal film that works due to its drama, the dynamics between the characters and the performances of the lead actors. However, the writing gets too convenient after a point, thereby diluting the impact. Nevertheless, the genre and casting will ensure healthy viewership for the film.