Movie Review – The Great Indian Kitchen

Great Indian Tragedy

Great Indian Kitchen is a treat to watch, pleasure to discuss and a joy to write. It’s one of the few movies, which you know will work right from seeing a frame. In fact even that’s not necessary, just the title hits you so hard with its sarcasm. This is an universal film, even if people don’t talk your language, the kitchen doesn’t look like yours, the political issues are not similar, it’s as local and rooted a film can get. Because everything above just acts as a metaphor. The underlying issue and its effect if what makes the film.

There are two things which I didn’t like in the movie. The opening credit and the ending scene. The opening credit goes on for five minutes without any music and any hurry. Wonder whether it’s intentionally done to make people understand that it’s going to be artsy movie, asking us to practice patience from then on. The last scene, where the dance choreography was beautiful of course, and it was nice to see Nimisha Sajayan happy, but the scene totally out of place in a movie which was that classy till then. I got a satisfactory explanation from one of my friends stating that how the other films end without us knowing what would have happened to the character, but here we know that the character is happy and knows what she is going to do in her life. Even though cinematically the scene didn’t appeal to me, I was satisfied with this explanation. For me, it’d have been apt to finish the movie when she walks in the streets, out of her home, crossing the hoardings of Sabarimala protest by females. That would have been a classy finish.

In fact the Sabarimala episode was a high risqué portion, which they handled beautifully. Even though I didn’t like the scene where some people torch up a ladies scooter but otherwise the episodes are home were brilliantly done. The torching up scene comes out of the blue and doesn’t impact because we don’t know that character. Even though the director lingers around our (men’s) minds, it’s at that episode he strikes a nail in the coffin. I’m sure, even for a pro ‘Great Indian Kitchen’ folks, there would have been one or two scenes which would have come as a shocker and made yourself realize that you were doing something wrong without even knowing that it was wrong.

For a film like this which revolves around the kitchen, like some ninety percent, needs that one impactful scene, otherwise, it’d just be a Big Boss episode of our household. This film which runs for around one hour and forty five minutes has only cooking scenes for about one and a half hour but that one scene which happens post that makes for the movie. May be for a movie of this caliber, that’s a cinematic scene, which I didn’t realize while watching of course, but the impact of which was so strong that it made me hoot. And personally I loved it because, after all these things I didn’t want Nimisha to undergo physical abuse and then react. She reacts before she’s hurt even a single bit physically.

The beautiful thing about the movie is, even though it’s only cooking and kitchen for about one and a half hour, it keeps us invested in the movie. The shot of the stove, the sink and more importantly there is a side angle shot of the kitchen, it’s so haunting as if you’re seeing a “found footage” type of horror.

The reason the Tamil movie failed is because they saw the film as women centric film and concentrated only on the female character. Of course Nimisha was terrific. Just like any other film, she gives a “is she the heroine?” vibe at start and makes us root for her character in the end. But the bigger players here were Suraj Venjaramoodu and T. Suresh Babu. Suraj is one of the actors whom you’d overlook because of his capability to blend with the film. Even though I’ve seen few films of his, it’s only this film which made me realize what a great actor he is and how well he had done in the films which I had watched. T. Suresh Babu as his dad was, oh my god, eclectic. Just him sitting in the bed and swiping his WhatsApp, makes such a horrific act.

The film kind of gave vibes of Elippathayam through T. Suresh Babu. May be it was ode to Elippathayam. Even though ‘Great Indian Kitchen’ was as classy as it could get, in the end it was straightforward picture. Just think of how ‘Elippathayam’ works subconsciously, without even knowing that we’re affect by it. That shows what a master Adoor Gopalakrihnan is.

For a film this classy, I felt the scene where a guest arrives at their home and cooks and gives free advice could be avoided. Even though his character irritates us, it makes us relax a bit from a highly intense movie.

Movie Review – Nanpakal Nerathu Mayakkam

Oh, the unrelenting pleasure of an afternoon nap

‘Nanpakal Nerathu Mayakkam’ had my curiosity right from the word go. Be it the title or a sleepy faced Mammooty coming out of a hut, it had everything I’d ever want on lonely watch of a movie. Even though I imagined that this film would be one of the purposeless movie with Mammooty wandering around without any real motive, it turned out to be different, which was good too. But if it had been of my concept, watching it laid back, without even wanting to know what’s going to happen next, it’d have been terrific, just like an afternoon nap. Is there any great pleasure than that?

It was one of the rare movies which had a lot of wide frame and the frames were not necessarily made to accentuate the natural beauty. So in a way it was tough to concentrate on who’s doing what. For example, in the opening scene when someone tries to wake people up, it was confusing as to who it was. I tried and tried but eventually couldn’t. But it was okay, we have to get rid of films coming nowadays which use only close ups and tight frames.

Obviously and rightfully, the first few minutes of the film was slow and purposeless. The bus journey especially was so lovely. People who had taken afternoon buses, where the drivers don’t go beyond a certain speed, would know the pleasure of it. The film takes a turn when James (Mammootty) gets out of the moving bus and becomes Sundaram (Mammootty). This movie could have been made in any other way. But to do it in this style and opting out of being a comedy caper, is what made the film special. This is a film, if made or written by Crazy Mohan, would have been an absolute blast, which again would have been enjoyable but the treatment here by Lijo Jose makes it one for the ages.

When comparing this with his previous films, it’s not his best, still he shows why he’s one of the greatest of directors. And enough said about Mammooty, he can be charming in any film. He makes this film such an indulgent watch, just being the two characters and not overdoing it. Generally when the same actor plays two different characters, just to show out the differences, they employ, “you see I’m acting” method and spoil the feel of the film. That would work for performance oriented films, something like ‘Anniyan’ but not for a film like this which works as a mood piece. The actors have to be so careful and know what they’re doing.

Talking about the treatment, it was good the see that actors play by it and not shriek at every given moment, may be yeah, they go a bit artsy too by emoting less than we generally do but its Lijo Jose’s world, we can’t comment. He does it with so conviction that you don’t doubt what’s happening out there. If it had been any other film in village setup, there would have been a lot of chaos, but here its silence.

The setting plays wonderfully and with the sun beating down and people sleeping, the village setup couldn’t have be more apt. It’s heartening to see a non-Tamil director have so much finesse in getting a proper Tamil village setup. It doesn’t stop there, probably the greatest thing about the movie was the Tamil song and dialogue selection in the background. It’s no normal work. The dialogues and songs we got to hear were not the very famous ones but something which would only be possible by someone who had watched every single Tamil film out there or through an Artificial Intelligence tool which gives out what all scenes one can play in the background for that specific emotion. If there is someone who has to be appreciated in the film for sure, it must be the person who worked on this.

‘Nanpakal Nerathu Mayakam’ is not a film you question but it’s something you feel. Wish it would have been more abstract. The dream post which Mammooty becomes James again and the final shot about the Drama troupe, gives something away. Fortunately it was shot well, otherwise the answers would have made people satisfied. I’d have loved Mammooty to just get back and walk post another nap, rather than seeing Sundaram’s image in the dream. But this works too as it was handled in a Tarkovskian way with hazy images.

Movie Review – Maheshinte Prathikaaram

Not to the perfect size?

This movie was one of my long hauled overdue and somehow escaped my radar all this while. Considered to be the finest of Fahadh Faasil and start of a new era by Dileesh Pothan and Syam Pushkaran. Unfortunately as I had watched and blown away by ‘Thondimuthalum Driksakshiyum’, as a non malayalee who doesn’t understand the meaning of the words, even by the rhyme of it, ‘Maheshinte Prathikaaram’ was a little underwhelming. I guess both of it together would work as a dual feature, not like that or Tarantino and Robert Rodriguez, but something like that of ‘It’s a Wonderful Life’ and ‘Mr. Smith Goes to Washington’. The feeling was similar to how it felt after watching ‘Mr. Smith goes to Washington’ after being blown away by ‘It’s a Wonderful Life’

The initial vibe of the film was terrific, the elongation of the word “pennu” and the sudden halt while saying “Idukki” in the titular song would give smiles to anyone settling in theatre. It’d have given a proper settling of rustling leaves vibes when you had seen people enter the theatre and you’re already in your dreamland. I thought it was going to be one happy film seeing that song sequence but it was entirely not so.

Mahesh (Fahadh Faasil) is a normal guy, in writer Sujatha’s words, a satharanan, one who has lived his life in peace in a small town, known by his friends and hated by none. He’s neither skillful nor terrible. He lives his life as if he’s not even in the frame. He loves a girl who too has affection on him but it doesn’t materialize for obvious reasons, the reason not explained in the movie but it felt like an eventual. This breakup felt harsher and realistic than Fahadh Faasil’s highly acclaimed but terribly boring ‘Annayum Rasoolum’. He doesn’t grimace in pain, may be part of him too knew that it was not going to happen. There isn’t any bitching, thankfully. Furthermore, post her marriage we don’t see her suffer. There were mild cues in the movie where the groom was shown as a possessive man, but thankfully being a positive non melodramatic movie we don’t see her suffering even though a part of us who sympathize with Mahesh would want that.

Due a sequence of events, a Butterfly Effect may be, we see Mahesh getting into a fight and getting beaten up and he swears that he wouldn’t wear a chappal until he avenges his man. While we think that the movie was going to get into a serious tone, the man who beat him up goes to Dubai. It was a terrific interval. It’d have been great if the movie had just ended there. The second half felt obvious. A girl who’s a sister of that man, Mahesh avenging him and asking for the girl, felt a little bit preposterous. The punch that he had expected while the directors name flashes on screen actually happens during the interval block.

As much as one would want to appreciate Fahadh Faasil, not just him but everyone could be appreciated in the same vein. There wasn’t a single badly acted scene in the whole movie. Everyone did their role to perfection. Even Mahesh’s Kung Fu colleague who beats up the auto driver. The climax fight gets us on the hook but isn’t it a film which is greater than this to have our emotions ridden in such a straight forward scene.

There was a part where Mahesh’s dad asks him not to call his studio as shop. There was a slight “coming of age” touch there but it wasn’t overdone and didn’t drift the film in some other direction. But it’s something which could’ve even be taken off and the film would have still worked fine and his character would have felt earthier. For some reason I was constantly getting ‘C/o Kancharapalem’ vibes which made me feel that this film as a less great one among the two.

As I said before, this movie would have worked better if I had seen it first and seen it with less disturbance. It’s not a movie for pause and play, in fact no movie is. But as it plays around with the feelings and emotions more than the story, a strong settling time would be appreciated.

Movie Review – Drishyam 2

Twist, too many!

It was one of the movies which was cited as a sequel which was better the first part. So naturally I was intrigued to watch. ‘Drishyam’ could easily be classified a modern day classic, just the amount of remakes would be a proof of it. With each additional language the movie released, the respect for the original got higher, not only for filmmaking but for Mohanlal’s acting as well. It’s not just the mere numbers but the difference in each of the films which got praise for the first film. But with the second part of the film which feels like a “suspension of disbelief” or “too much of a coincidence”, it makes the part one feel far less great and whimsical.

The movie begins at the most important juncture of part one, where a man on the run sees Georgekutty coming out of Police station. He gets arrested by the police later. The setup was good because it’s a given that no one who commits a crime would do it without leaving a trace but the problem which that scene made was, it makes us think of the moment this was going to break. So we couldn’t enjoy Georgekutty’s normal life.

This was a tool which was appreciated by majority of critics and kept the casual film goers hooked but it was the same reason I started disliking the movie. It would have been nice to have seen their family who was still reeling under the aftereffects, without a problem of contention which was going to come in future. Thankfully the problem was not as bad as ‘Taken 2’ which would lead to the second daughter facing a crisis.

Around the interval block we get to know that the neighbors are not really neighbors but undercover cops. That secret reveal was nice and un-guessable. Actually the film till then was a bore. It felt like Jeethu Joseph wanted that as interval and wrote the remaining part to maintain the “normalcy” which was not as normal and enticing as the first part. It lacked the charm. By charm I don’t mean that it should have had a happy vibe but at least the oscillation between the restlessness and normalcy could have been conveyed in a more interesting manner.

The second half was quite engaging and made as an “Edge of the Seat” thriller but the sudden introduction of characters, especially the lawyer who fights for Georgekutty felt finicky. The book twist was too good to believe. Ebert said that if one doesn’t understand something it’s not meant to be understood. Similarly, if it’s too good to believe, it’s not believable. The fun and satisfaction of seeing George Kutty escape in the first film couldn’t be matched in the second one.

The director used various tools to employ the tension. The storytelling, literally, was different because it was literal at most points, as you hear it from people directly and don’t see it. Kalabhavan Shajohn was a major miss from part one, the tea shop too looks different. So the whole acting heavyweight falls on Mohanlal, which he does well but there are carefully composed massy elements and minute “high” scenes, like the one where he comes out of the court. These scenes actually make us look at him as a hero and applaud but not a man next door.

It was great the way the image of Georgekutty had transformed among the villagers, who no more see him as hero but jealous of how famous he had become. It was a nice change of play. Wish we could have seen more of Jose George’s story (Ajith Koothattukulam) which felt like an intriguing prospect. Guess, it was intentionally kept that way so that there could be some solid story/twist in part three. But whatever little role he got he was terrific.

The major problem, as said above was the scenes where he escapes. He becoming friends with everyone, writing a book, using it as evidence etc. was farfetched. Didn’t like the oral dictation of his character as a man who has sworn to protect his family at any cost by the police. Wish he wasn’t made such a hero but left as such a person who did heroic things.

Movie Review – Hridayam

Darshanaaaaaa….

‘Hridhayam’ should be ‘Darshana’ by a fair distance because it is a film all about her and a splendid performance by Darshana. But that takes nothing away from ‘Hridhayam’ being ‘Hridhayam’. There is a reason why it’s a much-loved movie by everyone in recent days. It plays the nostalgia part very well and gives the feel goodness only the Mallus can do. Though it feels like too much of events happening everywhere and it takes the ‘coming of age’ tag a little too generously, it still is one of the best feel-good films of recent days. May be if it had been told from Darshana’s point of view, it could have ended up as a much better film.

There were a couple of films which were constantly coming to my mind while watching ‘Hridhayam’. One is ‘June’ and another one in ‘Tamasha’. Both are unbeatable by a fair distance. The fact that the films is about Arun (Pranav Mohanlal) and his journey in life couldn’t help but make us compare with an Imtiaz Ali film. Though its not a story about a broken man like that of ‘Tamasha’, the loneliness of Deepika in “Heer to badi sad vai” somehow reminded me of Darshana. How mature these ladies are whereas the men just go haywire once they’ve fallen apart.

‘Tamasha’ by fair distance is a better film Hridhayam both for its story as well as film making because none can beat Ranbir when it comes to “coming of age” films. He has absolutely mastered the art of it. That combined with Imtiaz is a firecracker. But luckily or happily, ‘Hridhayam’ trends in an unglamorized ‘Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani’ way or its much closer companion would be ‘Vaaranam Aayiram’, a film which felt like it was overdone than necessary. I’m sure that Pranav with guitar in railway station would have got many reminded of ‘Vaaranam Aayiram’.

What’s beautiful about Hridhayam is that it doesn’t take itself too seriously. Especially the clashes amongst the friends. I thought at least one big fight was bound to happen, but it didn’t. Everything was handled in a comical way. Be the scene where the senior walk out from Arun’s room after hearing English, the playboy Kedar Kamalesh (Abishek Joseph George) not fighting seeing Arun etc. Those scenes could have easily given a mass appeal to the hero, but they didn’t, thanks for that. If it had been done, it should have been done in the right way like ‘Premam’ where the action sequences were lit but it immediately changes the tempo to comical one in the next scene. But again ‘Premam’ is a much more serious film when compared in ‘Hridhayam’ because ‘Premam’ was perfect in what it did.

The film stars with a “hero” introduction scene but wasn’t overdone like how sons of Tamil or worse, Telegu stars would get introduced in their debut film, but it still was an “introduction” scene by Malayalam standards. Then there were regular college antics like ragging and stuff. I loved the part where he starts wearing branded clothes back, it was like a statement not only to seniors but for the nation as a whole. From there till the breakup, with Darshana song, was the best part of the movie. The feel goodness just oozing out of movie. My thought was that they’d have a great romance, and the heroine would die in interval and next heroine would soothe him in second half. I knew that Kalyani Priyadarashan was there so expected this to happen but didn’t want it to happen. Thankfully it didn’t.

Following the Darshana part was the one where he loves another girl, becomes violent etc. The worst part of the film but thankfully they don’t justify it, he comes back to normal and when he goes to Maya’s fathers’ death when he was about to patch up with Darshana, it was such a lovely juncture. As much as I didn’t want Maya to be a scapegoat for his problem, I wanted him to reunite with Darshana as well, but the director went one notch higher with that twist. And after his death he breaks up with her too, so it was perfect.

The tamil boy Selva’s (Kalesh Ramanand) part didn’t really attach to the story. It would’ve been good may be as a standalone part but just to have an inspiring part and on top of it make that character die was little farfetched, it didn’t stick to the movie. Just like the search for kid part in ‘Varanam Ayiram’ or may be Malar’s memory loss in ‘Premam’. Both, especially the latter was a very convenient way to end that chapter. But thanks to Nivin Pauly, the crying scene was out of the world so none could complaint on it.

Similarly, the long hair, trekking, photography, food vlogging etc. were like a template which everyone has begun to do nowadays, it was one of the mundane parts of the movie. In fact, the whole second half felt like a different movie. Kalyani didn’t have much to do, except for being nice. Wonder how she even agreed to do the part. I think from that point the director just decided to go the cuter way and make the film enjoyable. Not just does he get another beautiful girl, but they get married, have kids and all. Too many events in such short time, it felt like a YouTube video than a movie. For a movie which started this promising, it shouldn’t have been dealt this way.

And finally coming to Darshana. What a woman! And it’s not just that, how well was her character written. She is not one of the women who’s downright pretty, like a Kalyani in second half but such charm. Look at her transformation from a girl who jumps on her senior after her first night out with boyfriend to a girl who wears saree in front of her ex’s wife. That was some arc. If this movie had been titled ‘Darshana’, it would have ended up being a movie as great as ‘June’ but don’t know whether it was intentionally written the ‘Hridhayam’ way or was it tweaked for a star kid. If it was intentional, I’m not sure what to comment. I can only appreciate giving so much depth for a female lead in a hero centric movie but if its tweaked, it’s still a brilliant tweak instead of like tweaking ‘Manachitradalu’ to be made a Rajni film ‘chandramukhi’. This was done holistically or to put it better way, ‘sweetly’, a the trait which is missing in film nowadays.

Movie Review – 22 Female Kottayam

Surprisingly good but expectedly not so good

It was one of the movies which I don’t know how it ended up in my list and for some reason I was very disinterested too, so watched it hastily. But quite surprisingly, it was an interesting watch. The movie was quick to grip. The typical feel goodness of Malayalam film was there to be seen in the first act and that’s the best part. The way their love casually blossoms, the not so meaningful scenes and all those niceties were superb, just when I thought I was going to settle it for a surprise feel good movie, the typical Fahad psycho mode started and movie got out of place…

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The movie begins with Tessa (Rima Kallingal) escaping from someone’s clutches where she phones and thanks him. It then shifts to flashback mode where we see her try to go out of the country. She meets Cyril (Fahadh Faasil) from the travel consultancy agency and they both fall in love with each other. It was a cute love story till then and Fahadh Faasil was excellent in that. Plus, there was no sign of any doubt in their relationship. It felt as organic and natural as it could be. Even the introduction of Hegde (Prathap Pothen) and all of them being together was as natural as it could be.

The first twist was when Hegde asks Tessa whether he can have sex with her. Generally, Prathap Pothen is really good in psychic characters but he wasn’t as menacing as he would generally be.  At that point we’d be thinking of how Cyril would take revenge on him but the second twist happens when he too becomes psycho. Even though the first act was best, the way the movie transforms too was nice, even though I didn’t like the idea, the execution was good but it’s the part post that which was entirely a debacle.

The jail scenes in the second half was a total let down. What should have been a hard-hitting passage of time was let down by poor story which looked like yesteryear antics. That part had an uncanny resemble to ‘Ek Hasina Thi’, wonder whether there could be so much coincidence. Thinking about the film now, the entire story feels like it, just that the first act was lovely here. The jail part was the best one in ‘Ek Hasina Thi’ and that’s the reason why the film worked. Whereas it’s the opposite here.

She comes out and takes revenge. That was of no surprise but I loved her collaboration with DK (Sathaar). That was a lovely character who looks flirty and villainous in the first half but becomes a hero of sorts in the second. Also, I loved his concept of love. Though he has multiple affairs he doesn’t cheat any. May be even his wife knows about it and approves. And he’s someone who never shies away from mentioning about his wife, to which no muses of him get irritated. It was a welcome change from typical ‘minor kunju’ types in Tamil cinema.

The revenge scene with Cyril was inevitable but wish we could have seen more resistance from him. Also, as per Wikipedia, she tries to woo him by being a typical “femme fatale”. Seriously? She looked hardly any different. The final dialogues between Cyril and Tessa were nice with Fahadh Faasil taking the onus. Good that the movie doesn’t end with Tessa killing him. It would have been mundane. Plus, she even after doing penectomies, has a little bit of sympathy on him and he has more agony on her. He challenges her and she still looks weak somewhere. That passage of play was nice to watch. May be with a better actress, it would have been nicer.

Movie Review – Silencer (2020)

What was it even trying?

There are many ways to defend ‘Silencer’. People generally do that. But when a movie doesn’t even work an iota, why even try defending it, even if its Tarkovskian. I’ve said a number of times, that there are movies which even if it doesn’t work for you, you know that there is some greatness associated to it. Then there are some movies which simply don’t work even though it’s called a great movie. ‘Silencer’ fits in the latter, but don’t know whether it’s considered a great flick anyways. It, put in simple terms, is a debacle.

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‘Silencer’ was trying to be artistic, which I got to know only during the last twenty minutes and that’s when I completely wrote off the movie. I was expecting something on the lines of ‘Android Kunjappan Ver 5.25’, where even if all the sci-fi thing doesn’t work, it’s a film of warmth. A film need not compulsory be of warmth, it could have been of wrath too. Seeing Lal, I thought its one such film but it wasn’t that too. With the way the film progressed I thought he had lost it but it felt like every character looked lost. In short, it’s a film full of confusion.

The editing is cluttered and confusing, even though it was intentional it didn’t work. The cuts had to be in such a way that it has some meaning. There should be some revelation or shock when the film cuts to the old or may be have a feel which makes you like the process like ‘Premam’ but here the flashbacks come at needless places and we don’t know what it tries to prove. May be that’s the intention, the war, the rage and everything is of no use. But it definitely could have been shot in a much interesting way.

It’s another movie where the lead actors lock horns. Lal in his silencer less bike and Irshad in his Fortuner fight it out, even though not literally, but mentally. Their irritation upon each other gets on us too. Even though considered amongst the power house of actors, I feel Lal’s acting to be monotonous. His coarse voice, demeanor and body language are all too stiff for acting and he repeats the same in every film. It feels like he could play ‘The Hound’ perfectly because of his hard outlook and soft nature. But keeps repeating it in every format. It’s appreciable for once but not always.

Of all, it was the last act which got me to write off the movie completely where it was going towards art house. It only felt like an art of escapism to me because these things work when you create a mood and not when it takes you off the hook all of a sudden. There could be underlying meaning but the movie in the end couldn’t simply hold my attention.

Movie Review – Kettyolaanu Ente Malakha

A taboo topic with a twist

‘Kettyolaanu Ente Malakha’ is a sweetest way one can make a film on taboo topic. It resonates with the typical feel goodness of Malayalam films even though the topic is a heavy one. ‘Kalyana Samayal Saadham’ did to a certain extent but it was given a humor coating to deal with and the title too wasn’t apt. The director bettered himself with ‘Shubh Mangal Saavdhan’, right with the title and then the making. ‘Kettyolaanu Ente Malakha’ takes it do the next stage where the situations are more real and the story more connectable.

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The film starts with an everyday sequence of a common man, Sleevachan (Asif Ali) who goes about doing his job without any disdain. Seeing his ailing mother lying unconscious in kitchen, for the first time, a thought of marriage comes to his mind. In fact, that was the only bad scene of the movie for me, which is a typical feel good template to get a wife material where its expected for a lady to take care of a man’s mother with love and compassion with no thought about a woman’s dream.

But in this film, there is an interesting twist to it because Sleevachan is a not a typical misogynist individual. He’s a man who doesn’t know how to love his wife. The very next scene to the one where he decides to marry, he goes to the bride’s house and checks on her ailing mother. So, both the scenes get balanced. That scene was made further beautiful by the fore act where we already see a prospective groom going out of the house, a groom where all the members of the bride’s family are happy with. So, when a lesser glamorous Sleevachan comes home they’re not very keen on the proposal. The relatives don’t even want to see him because they’re satisfied with the previous groom and they’ve started with their party. Once Sleevachan settles home and Kuttiyachan (Jaffar Idukki) tells the bride’s family about his assets, their faces light up. It might sound cruel on the paper but it’s a typical arranged marriage setup made superbly. The whole act was made in such a soothing fashion that it allows us to settle in our seat and enjoy the movie.

With the poster and the title and the way the movie moves forward it feels like a typical joy ride but the movie takes a twist when Sleevachan rapes his wife in the name of making love. What starts as a humorous incident turns horrific because of Sleevachan’s naivety. It’s a topic which has never been discussed in cinema, even if it had been, it’d be an act of an antagonist, not of a man who respects woman. So, using the tool of introverts the director explores the concept of both marital rape as well as ignorance from a man’s point of view.

The film already wins hearts by this point, its only about conclusion after it. Sleevachan reminds us of ‘Mouna Ragam’ Mohan in the latter part of the movie. In fact, the entire last act feels like a ‘Mouna Ragam’ setting with an understanding husband, an angry woman who’s ready to forgive his husband’s fault. The film ends in the same vein too and makes everyone feel good.

I was waiting for one big fat speech about how couples should be post marriage. The director teases for it. There were a couple of scenes giving a lead for the same. Instead of that, a local help gives Sleevachan the best advice a man can give and a man can get. May be the church speech would have been cut in the editing table or the director just wanted to tease us. Whatever it maybe it looks like its intentional and it’s a great decision.

Movie Review – Athiran

You’d need therapy post watching the movie

Like I promised here is the second unknown (by me) Fahadh Faasil film which I mentioned when I wrote about ‘Varathan’. Even the name rhymes similar to it. With this I also exhaust the Hotstar watches for the year. So, it’s a lot more nostalgic than what I expected. Plus, this film didn’t have subtitles. It’s not a big deal anyways. The movie is plot driven, so even if you completely don’t understand the language you can still get the story. But being a Malayalam movie, it was fairly understandable too.

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The movie happens in 1972, for reason unknown, not sure why a period setting was selected but what should have added charm to the movie actually acts as a hindrance. It was fairly shot indoors with no real scope to explore the outside world of 70s so its quite a safe bet but the mansion, costumes, make up and even people don’t look like they belong to 70s. Everything looks superficial and cheaply made. May be the director would have thought it’s a clever idea when he chose just an indoor space to showcase 70s but even that doesn’t feel like it.

On top of it, the movie starts in 1967, where we witness a number of dead bodies strewn around a house. With time we get to know that it’s Nadakkal Kovilakatthu Karthika Thirunaal Nithya Lakshmi or simply Nithya (Sai Pallavi). Actually, the twist is quite evident, I got it at the very beginning that it wouldn’t be something which Nithya would have done. I even got who would have done the killings and what’s really happening in Mental asylum. Anyways that’s alright but at least the making could have been interesting. Being a film with period settings is fine but it looked like a film of 70s with old age twists.

May be the filmmaker wanted to use the traditional method so Dr. Mooledatthu Kannan Nair (Fahadh Faasil) coming out of a secret room without the key and falling into the water were all made to look visibly fake. Some interesting technique to mask it would have been nicer, even though making it without giving a clue would have been a total disaster.

Sai Pallavi was a wrong choice for the movie. May be the director, Vivek wanted to break the image of her in the movie and she too wanted the same but it totally doesn’t work. Her charm is her weapon but here she has none. It’s evident that she has tried to be sane and doesn’t want to overdo things but frankly, for some scenes she looks clueless. Fahadh Faasil too doesn’t have much scope to act. Maybe he’d have chosen the movie for climax but it was such a bore.

Somewhere I read the movie to be an adaptation of ‘Shutter Island’ and I was hating myself for knowing the fact because not only would it spoil the suspense but it’s also one of my favorite movies. Even though I was relieved in the end that it’s not a remake of it but was irritated beyond words that the original end was disappointing. Anyways, for the fact, the film is a cultural remake of the movie Stoneshearst Asylum, which I’ve no idea what it is.

The main problem of the film is it tries to project itself as a psychological thriller but has all the horror elements in it which makes it look superficial. It’s not intelligent enough to set the right mood for a psychological thriller. Take for example, a ‘Shutter Island’ which was not even rated among Scorsese’s best works. Yet, the mood setup in the film is terrific. It makes us feels as if we are hallucinating. That’s how one should be making a psychological thriller and not like ‘Athiran’.

Movie Review – Varathan

Love, lust and smoking barrels

‘Varathan’ has one of the most generic, mundane of openings. It was one of the two Fahadh Faasil movies in my list which I had not heard of, but still added to my list. I’ll come up with the review of the next one in a couple of days. The opening of the movie being such a lull, made me think, that is the reason why it isn’t as famous as Fahadh Faasil’s other movies. But with time it slowly builds up and has a great ending. From a boring opening to a showy second act, it blasts open to an extremely satisfying third act. It could serve as a great guilty pleasure movie and satisfy all our senses in the end.

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The first twenty minutes or so of the movie is such a lull, where you’re not sure what you’re watching, its so easy to even stop the movie and pass off after the first fifteen minutes. It has three songs, a needless Dubai setting and worst of romances. The events too are too mundane like Abi Mathew (Fahadh Faasil) losing the job, Priya Paul (Aishwarya Lekshmi) having a miscarriage and them two returning home. The flashback song was so needless. I can understand that all that was done to showcase their love but it totally doesn’t work. ‘Ishq’ is a similar movie where the first act had been done superbly. Even though it totally transforms into a different movie after that, the way the romance was shown keeps us longing for it.

The second act is all about built up. It’s of course showy. Amal Neerad is a showy guy. It worked in ‘Iyobinte Pustakam’ which too was a Fahadh Faasil one vs all movie. But the making of it was lovely. The built up suited it because the environment was like that. The period setting added charm to it. But here with just a resort, Amal Neerad couldn’t do much. He uses a typical thriller film template. It of course makes us glued to the screen. General audience wouldn’t find a fault. But cinematically it’s not such a great skill.

The villains do a decent job but instead of heavyweights, he had used young guns here. Arjun Ashokan was terrific in whatever little screen space he gets. The new gen actors like him, Sreenath Bhasi, Shane Nigam and all are such a pleasure to watch. Even though Sreenath Bhasi is my absolute favorite, whom even I thought would have done a great job if he had been in place of Fahadh Faasil, Arjun too is an actor who does so well without being so loud.

Even though the whole film is a lead to the final act, it could have been named differently. The title was too plain and simple. Just by the title the director makes it evident that he doesn’t care about others. But for such a movie to work, more than the fight, the reason for the fight is important. The reason here is Priya. The movie could have been even named as Priya. That would have served a whole lot of purpose. She was terrific in the role. Right from the time she says that she didn’t see heartbeat in her child to the climax where she shoots his abuser, she was fabulous. And a whole lot sexy too. Her costumes were brilliant. Except for one bad scene which brings in a transformation in Abi, other scenes were good.

Abi explodes in the climax. It would have been a total fanboy moment for all Fahadh Faasil fans out there. It’s a piece of cake for him which he does effortlessly. One should appreciate the fact he leaves the last bit of pleasure to Abi. It was so satisfying. Both the shot and her expression. But till the end, they don’t reveal what job he was doing, how he garnered all these Mission Impossible skills. It was still a “nee idhuku saripatu vara matae” setting. But it’s not a movie to criticize that deep, it’s a movie to watch with emotions. If it had to be criticized, there are lots to be done before the third act.