Written and directed by Ilango Ram, after their father dies, two brothers discover an embarrassing problem, he has departed this world with a raging erection. They’ll have to find a creative solution quickly before the news reaches the gossiping locals. Starring: Kaushalya Fernando, Priyantha Sirikumara, Thusitha Laknath, Chandani Seneviratne and Ranjith Panagora.
When you hear the synopsis of Tentigo, you’re probably imagining something along the lines of Death at a Funeral, physical comedy, hijinks and calamity but Tentigo is something much more interesting and unusual. That’s perhaps the most fascinating thing about the film, it has a highly unique tone, it’s comedic yet sombre.
Ilango Ram manages to impressively build a genuine edge which captures the theme of loss and grief while combining it with a calamitous caper. It’s a nice reminder that comedy has many facets, it can achieve something much more relatable than your average flick would lead you to believe.
Ram’s directorial style is a big part of that, it doesn’t try to add unnecessary flair or to speed things up. It’s all very grounded and views the situation through everyday eyes, almost approaching their problem logically and respectfully rather than theatrically. It downplays the tone, it never feels like it’s waiting for a laugh track, it’s organic. It moves at a gradual pace but has a great progression to hold onto your attention.
Undoubtedly, the cast are the final piece to puzzling together that balance between sincerity and mischief. It’s very much an ensemble film, everyone has something to add, they feed into the emotion while also holding onto a playful feel. The reactions are never over the top, they’re all extremely sympathetic. They each present a different struggle in facing the loss of their loved one, which does a wonderful job of holding onto that genuine feel, while also being funny.
Tentigo is a clever comedy, it captures a bizarre and satisfyingly ridiculous situation while never itself feeling over the top. It has a surprising and unusual balance to handle the topic of grief in a respectful manner, while being funny throughout. There’s a great ensemble, the direction is nicely understated and it’s genuinely different, which is always lovely to find in a film.
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