Ronth, Detective Ujjwalan, Azadi and Mr & Mrs Bachelor

With the OTT platform being an integral segment to reach out to the audience, there has been numerous occasions when I came to know about a particular movie only when it was streamed there. There were quite a few among the ones that I will be talking about in this opinion piece that belongs to that category. So did it surprise me as to why they failed at the box office? The answer to that will have to be no, in most situations.

Ronth: "Engaging for most parts with a solid Dileesh Pothan!!!"

Over the past decade, if I had to choose the most gripping police dramas that had released in Malayalam; then it will undoubtedly feature "Joseph" & "Nayattu". Incidentally, both of them belong to Shahi Kabir & hence that was more than ample reason to be eager about his latest release which is also set against his previous profession.

SI Yohannan (Dileesh Pothan) was a seasoned police officer who had dealt with all kinds of scum as part of his job. As the name suggests, the story is essentially about the events that unfold in the life of Yohannan & his assistant, CPO Dinnath (Roshan Mathew) during their night patrol. They come across various type of cases that night which takes a toll on both of them on a moral and emotional level.

Yet again, Shahi has come with an engaging police dramas that works for most parts. It reminded me of Abrid Shine's "Action Hero Biju" which is about the various cases that a police office has to tackle on a daily basis. This was pretty much the same except that this happens in the night & maintains a grim  tone which increases towards the climax giving the vibe of "Nayattu". To be honest, the climax felt rather forced & hence it didn't quite have the impact that Shahi would have wanted to create. If we go through Shahi's previous flicks, it gives a lot of emphasis on the character & life of the protagonists such as their personal traumas, ideologies and we get to see that in Yohannan and Dinnath. 

Kudos to Manesh Madhavan's visuals for the realistic feel to it while the rest of the aspects were neatly done. The caliber of Dileesh & Roshan is something that all of us are well aware about and they continued the good work here as well. However, if I was to compare between the two, then Dileesh was fantastic hands down while Roshan was fine especially in the emotional breakdown portions towards the end. 

Verdict: Though not quite upto the mark in comparison to his previous directorial efforts primarily because of a forced climax, it still comes across a gripping police drama pulled off by a praise worthy performance by Dileesh!!!

Rating: 3.25/5

Detective Ujjwalan: "Investigative aspect could have been more thrilling!!!"

The regularity with which Dhyan Sreenivasan's movie releases is a mystery that continues to baffles many especially since most of them had sunk without a trace at the box office. This was least surprising as majority of them were quite mediocre. However, when Sophia Paul's Weekend Blockbusters announced their latest project, I was more than eager to check it out due to their decent track record. 

The movie unfolds in the quaint village of Plaachikaavu where Ujjwalan (Dhyan) had a library which predominantly had detective novels. His interest in it also saw him solve minor theft cases which was the most that the villagers had been witness to until the murder of the school principal, Ashokan (Kalabhavan Navas). This was soon followed by another murder & a special investigation team led by SI Shambu (Siju Wilson) was entrusted to unravel the case. Though at loggerheads initially, Ujjwalan joins forces with Shambu as they try to nab the psychopath murderer. 

This is Indraneel Gopalakrishnan & Rahul G's directorial debut & they have done a decent job in showcasing their craft. However, the same cant be said about their scripting abilities as it was not quite upto the mark. It had the feel of a 'Minnal Murali' & 'Kunjiramayanam' in terms of the colour tone & retro aesthetics for which Premkrishna Akkattu and S.Harichandran deserves praise. The humour elements take centre stage early on and that had worked out well. But when they came to the core subject, it definitely lacked the punch with the antagonist and the related back story not having the heft that piques our attention. 

In terms of performance, it was a character that gelled well with Dhyan's easy going demeanour and hence made it quite likeable. Siju did his part aptly as the macho aspect of the character was portrayed well. Rony David provided the comic relief with support from Ameen and Nihal while Kottayam Naseer was quite solid as the supporting cast. 

Verdict: From a thriller perspective, one is bound to feel let down by the manner that angle was not explored adequately. However, it keeps us entertained coz of the humour and the performances.

Rating: 3/5

Azadi: "Interesting jail break that could have been better!!!"

When it comes to jail break movies, I dont think our industry have been able to tackle that genre as well compared to others. Jo George decided to make his directorial debut on this subject with Sagar Hari pitching it with the story & screenplay, and it would be fair to say that it was indeed a decent effort. The bulk of the portions are staged within the premises of the Kottayam Medical College where Ganga (Raveena Ravi), a pregnant prisoner was brought in for her delivery. She was accused of murdering the scion of a prominent politician & her husband, Raghu (Sreenath Bhasi) along with her father, Shiva (Lal) were working on an escape plan for which they had recruited the services of a couple of people. However, it was easier said than done as they had to outwit the police & the politician's contract killers.

There is no doubt that the core thought was promising and it does keep us engaged for most parts. But Jo's direction certainly lacked the freshness and the zing that the movie demanded. On the whole it had an outdated feel to it with Saneesh Stanly's cinematography being average. Even Sagar also needs to take the blame for an average screenplay and at times, mediocre dialogues especially the ones rendered by Vani Viswanath. The thought behind some of the characters also made no sense be it the behaviour of Lal's character or the relevance of Saiju Kurup. On the performance front, Sreenath has done justice to his part along with TG Ravi. As for the rest of the cast, Lal & Co. were ok while Vani Vishwanath hams it big time and Shobhi Thilakan was average. 

Verdict: If more thought had gone into the screenplay, it could have been much better. 

Rating: 2/5

Mr & Mrs Bachelor: "Miscast & lazily written!!!"

Deepu Karunakaran is not a name that inspires hope for movie lovers after all his previous ventures hasn't quite been off the top drawer. His last directorial flick was about 8 years back & this project was in the news prior to its release due to the tiff between him & Anaswara coz of the latter's lack of co-operation in the movie promotions. Anyway it came & went without much of a whimper and it was not surprising to say the least.

The script penned by Arjun T S unfolds on the eve of Stephy's wedding (Anaswara Rajan) with the news that her groom, Sijin (Rahul Madhav) had backed out and gone missing. However, rather than blame her fate, she decided to locate him & find out the actual reason. This is how she ends up in Trivandrum where she gets acquainted with Siddharth (Indrajith Sukumaran), an affluent businessman and a bachelor & seeks his help. 

Apart from the fact that it was a gross miscast with zero chemistry between the lead pair, there was nothing in the story that was worth talking about. It was lazily written and except for a couple of chuckles there is hardly anything that was worth mentioning. By the time, the climax came along we are least bothered as to how the makers ended it. None of the technical aspects deserves mention and when it comes to performances, I fail to understand why a talented artist like Indrajith finds himself in such worthless projects. He genuinely struggled to find his form while Anaswara was better and did what was possible with that character. 

Verdict: Don't bother!!!

Rating: 1/5

Narivetta, Moonwalk & Aabhyanthara Kuttavaali: "Better writing could have guaranteed better returns!!!"

It's been quite a while since I have penned my opinion about the movies that I watched. However, that doesnt imply that I didnt watch any in that period. On the contrary, I had watched a handful in Malayalam, Tamil, Hindi & English, & except for ones like "F1", most of them were average or failed to impress. This opinion piece talks about some of them & hopefully some of the exciting projects that is linked up for release in the next month or so, will make up for it. 

Narivetta: "Decent portrayal of a real life protest!!!"

The 2003 Muthanga incident is a dark chapter in the history of our state & for the unversed, it was the protest of the tribals against the state machinery for not having honoured their promise of alloting them a dedicated land for their livelihood. Despite being interested in history, I have to admit that I didn't have much knowledge about this incident except for the basic premise. But the fact remains that the hardships of the tribal community continues to this day. 

Based on this incident, Kendra Sahitya Akademi Yuva Puraskar recipient Abin Joseph crafted a fictionalised version of it with Anuraj Manohar calling the shots. The movie unfolds in Kuttanadu where Paul Varghese (Tovino Thomas) is shown as a carefree yet educated & politically ignorant individual who was in a relationship with Nancy (Priyamvada Krishnan). Despite having got the job as a police constable, he was reluctant to join initially as he aspired for a superior position. However, circumstances required him to take up the job & as part of that he was part of the battalion that was entrusted to control the tribal protests in Cheeyambam in Wayanad. What subsequently unfolds as part of that protests is what this movie is about. 

These kind of subjects are handled expertly by Tamil directors such as Vetrimaran, Pa Ranjith etc. & in that sense, Anuraj can be proud of what he had pulled off. This is his sophomore project after "Ishq" & there is no doubt that he has done a fine job when it came to capturing the core incident. He deserves appreciation for the manner it was staged and executed along with the cinematographer, Vijay; as both of them were able to build the pressure on screen. Giving them competent support was Jakes Bejoy, who I personally rate as the finest in his line of work at present. His BGM was impressive & the 'Minnalvala' track rendered by Sid Sriram & Sithara is undoubtedly the song of the year. 

At the same time, Abin's script could have been more impactful, though I guess the sensitivity of the issue might have made him tone down the intensity. The lack of adequate awareness about the incident among the public might have been the reason why he chose to portray Paul as rather naive and insensitive to the demands of the tribals. On paper that looked fine but Tovino's portrayal of the character was quite watered down while Suraj was top notch as Basheer, the seasoned head constable. Arya Salim (as CK Janu obviously) was impressive while Cheran, Pranav Teophine (as Thammi) & Priyamvada did their parts aptly.

Verdict: There is no doubt that Anuraj & his technical team has done a fine job in executing the plot. However, Abin's script could have been much more impactful which also contributed to Tovino's performance not being quite upto the mark. 

Rating: 3/5

Moonwalk: "Cultural nostalgia is the main USP!!!"

When I reminiscence about my school days, one of the things that instantly pops to mind is the youth festival where the three houses slug it out over two days for the ultimate honour. The iconic event was undoubtedly the dance events, especially Western dance where 'Break dance' ruled the roost with Champions at it literally treated as demi gods. I was so inspired by one of my seniors, that I used to memorise his moves and practise it back at home. In future, I have been lucky enough to use it in competitions to good effect. Hence when LJP share the first look poster of "Moonwalk", which he had bank rolled, I was keen to check it out.

This is Vinod AK's debut directorial venture & he had penned the script as well which lacked the conventional template though it can be termed as the journey of an underdog. The movie is set in the late 80s when Michael Jackson was setting the world ablaze with his electrifying music and dance moves. It had landed on our shores as well & the movie is about a group of friends from various strata of society who was bound by their passion for break dance. Along with Mathew Varghese & Sunil Gopalakrishnan, Vinod has crafted the screenplay in such a manner where we get a glimpse of the political outlook, societal pressure, family dynamics and most importantly, camaraderie among this band of friends. 

Did it manage to keep me invested in it for the entirety of its run time? It didn't but at the same time it didn't test my patience as well. Rather than the dance as such, the earnest performance of the artists & the emotional connect between them on the face of challenges is what had me interested. Majority of them were newcomers & hence I dont know most of their names. However, among them; Anunath (as Jake) & Sibi Kuttappan (as Sura) had more screen time and both of them did their parts well, with the rest of the gang supporting them aptly. On the technical side, Sabu Mohan's art direction & Ansar Shah's choreography deserves special mention as it did justice to the period that it was staged. Prashant Pillai's music was in sync with the mood while Sreejith Dazzlers choreography was decent. 

Verdict: It would certainly give you a sense of nostalgia especially if you were born in that period. From a story point of view, it could come across as rather underwhelming for quite a few due to lack of a core plot!!!

Rating: 2.25/5

Aabhyanthara Kuttavaali: "Relevant theme let down by its writing!!!"

Section 498A of the Indian Penal Code is something that most of us are aware about, having read or heard about it in print and media respectively. The harassment that women face as a result of dowry related arguments is a menace that refuses to die down despite much talk about it. At the same time, there has been instances where women have taken advantage of it & put the men on the docks. The directorial debut of Sethunath Padmakumar is based on this theme which he has penned as well. 

The person in question is Sahadevan (Asif Ali) who had recently tied the knot with Nayana (Thulasi). The couple has been together for just about 10 days, when Nayana decided to head back to her home uninformed. However, soon enough Sahadevan was called up by the police on accusation of domestic abuse and mental harassment by his wife. It was now upto him to seek justice & prove his innocence. 

Sethunath has certainly chosen a relevant theme but where he has faltered was when it came to giving a balanced outlook to it. It was way too skewed and one sided, so much so that almost all the characters that was shown in the movie were victims of it. So much so, the point raised by the opposite party in the end failed to evoke any sense of empathy which led to the climax being average at best. If it wasn't for Asif's performance, the movie would have fallen flat coz he is a pro when it comes to showcasing the helplessness of characters. Both the female artists, Shreya Rukmini (as Adv Anila) & Thulasi was average and their performance was also hampered by poorly written parts. The rest of the cast included Jagadish who was wasted after being shown as an imposing character while Azees Neumangad and Anand Manmadhan were ok.

Verdict: It had the potential to become a worthy watch if more attention was paid to its writing. In short, the makers has much to thank Asif, if people tend to watch it till the end!!!

Rating: 2/5

Regards...Ben

Prince & Family, Sarkeet & Padakkalam: "Appeals to the family audience!!!"

With "Thudarum" having a sensational run at the box office, it was always going to be a tall ask for the subsequent releases to stay afloat. Hence quite a few of them had moved their release dates, though a couple of makers decided to stick on with their original plan & take their celluloid creations to the audience. So how did the audience warm up to them???

Prince & Family: "Dileep manages to pull in the family audience!!!"

It's been quite a while since Dileep had a flick that showed any semblance of being a box office success which he had aplenty in the past. His latest release in with Binto Stephen who is making his directorial debut, with Sharis Mohammed working on the script. So will these duo manage to orchestrate a change in box office fortunes???

Prince (Dileep) was a designer by profession and the eldest of three sons, though unlike his siblings he was still a bachelor as none of the martial alliances quite worked out. With his age being on the higher side, he wondered whether he would ever be able to tie the knot. It was at this juncture that he met up a girl that he believed was an apt choice. But was it indeed??? Sharis has penned it in such a manner whereby the first half has that typical comedy that we usually associate with such bachelor. It doesn't imply that it doesn't work as quite a few sequences genuinely managed to evoke laughs, but it lacked freshness. The tone shifts in the second half which I am not explicitly mentioning here, might have come across as an abrupt change. But knowing Sharis's track record of touching upon a socially relevant topic as in "Queen", "Jana Gana Mana" etc., it shouldn't come as a surprise. However, Binto has done a decent job in its execution while the technical aspects were satisfactory but it doesn't deserve special mention. 

On the performance front, Dileep has done a decent job along with Raniya Raanaa in her debut venture though she does go over the top at times. However, Vincy Aloshious who had dubbed for her was impressive and captured the character variations well. Manju Pillai impressed in her part while Johny Antony felt like a miscast for that role. As for the rest of the cast, Siddique & Bindu Panicker did their parts aptly, Dhyan Sreenivasan appeared in an insignificant role (I guess he was included to handle the online marketing) & Urvashi, in a cameo stood out as expected with her dialogue delivery. 

Verdict: Based on the box office reports, the movie seemed to have made a profit for the makers. However, in terms of whether it managed to engage me, it was average at best!!!

Rating: 2/5

Sarkeet: "This sarkeet could have been way more impactful!!!"

Over the past year or so, Asif Ali has been on a roll with his choice of movies that he backed up with endearing performances. The latest to be added to that list is Thamar's "Sarkeet" which is essentially about the bond between two strangers from different walks of life. As a film maker, Thamar had already proved his potential with "1001 Nunakal" & hence I was quite eager to check this out especially with Asif in the lead.

As Thamar is based in the Middle East, he is quite well versed with the terrain & the various characters that set foot on that land in the hope of a better future. This is what he had showcased in both his flicks with the focus here being on two sets of characters. On the one side, there is Ameer (Asif Ali) who had come with the hope of finding a job, but all his efforts had drawn blanks. The other side had a stressed out middle class couple, Balu (Deepak Parambol) & Steffi (Divya Prabha), parents to Jefron (Orhan Hyder) who was diagnosed with ADHD. As fate might have it, Ameer crosses path with Jefron and the events that happens subsequently is what this movie is about.

In the hands of lesser directors, there would have been an overload of melodrama in dealing with a subject like this. However, Thamar has shown both the parties in a realistic manner which makes it an engaging first half. But he failed to create the same effect in the latter segment as it was quite watered down or rather cinematic despite the earnest performance of the artists. At the same time, the technical team has done a fine job especially Govind Vasantha's music and BGM which was completely in sync with what the movie demanded. 

Asif Ali has steadily improved upon his craft over the years & one particular aspect that stands out is his effortless portrayal of emotional scenes. Over here, he impresses with an understated performance that is endearing and the bond with Orhan is convincingly exhibited. Orhan has also done his part well as he was certainly irritating at times as the character demanded. As for the rest, Deepak & Prasanth was ok while Divya was average.

Verdict: An endearing movie for most parts that focused on the emotional bond between two characters which was endearingly performed by Asif & Orhan. However, it felt like more suited for the OTT platform!!!

Rating: 2.5/5

Padakkalam: "Decent fun fantasy comedy!!!"

It's been quite a while since we had a genuinely hilarious comedy flick that doesn't depend on sexual innuendos & Manu Swaraj decided to do just that in his directorial debut. Along with another debutant, Nithin Babu, the duo penned the script which essentially falls into the fantasy comedy genre. The movie unfolds with a narration speaking about a tablet that held mysterious powers and made its way across generations. In the present day, the story is set in a college where Jithin (Sandeep Pradeep) is on the verge of breakup with his girlfriend. Around the same time, two of his professors, Shaji (Suraj Venjaramoodu) & Renjith (Sharafudeen) were battling it out for the position of HOD. Eventually, the position went to Renjith as the former had manhandled the Principal. But there was more to it than what met the eye.

There is no doubt that it had some genuinely hilarious sequences with opportunities provided for the three main characters to perform. It did have the feel of Binu Sadanandan's "Ithihasa" but it still did have an identity of its own coz of the dynamics between the friends and the pop culture banter makes it an enjoyable watch. Friday Film House is always known for spotting talents & supporting this, & it was no different here as Manu has done a fine job in executing the project by staying true to what the content promised.

The technical aspects were handled neatly but the USP is undoubtedly the performances. Sharafudeen was impressive as he handled both villainy & humour with ease. It's been a while since Suraj has featured in a role that dabbled with humour and he has done a fine job as expected. The surprise was undoubtedly Sandeep who did utmost justice to the part given to him as it could have gone horribly wrong. The rest of the cast such as Saaf, Arun Pradeep, Arun Ajikumar etc., did their parts aptly.

Verdict: As per the makers, the movie has already broke even & that was not surprising considering it is a flick that will appeal to the family audiences. So do give it a try!!!

Rating: 2.5/5

Regards...Ben

Bazooka, Alappuzha Gymkhana & Maranamass : "Middling returns from the box office!!!"

Even as "Thudarum" continued its triumphant march at the box office, none of the other releases that had hit the screens this holiday season managed to replicate a similar response from the audience. With a couple of weeks left before the next academic year commences, it remains to be seen whether any of the upcoming flicks are able to evoke satisfaction to the audience & makers alike. Anyway this opinion piece is about the Vishu/Easter releases that did make us sit up and take notice coz of the cast & crew that had lined up. So did these movies manage to entertain me???

Bazooka: "Felt more like a toy gun as an interesting idea gets lost in translation!!!"

Over the years, Mammookka has encouraged talent that led to the introduction of numerous technicians into the industry. The latest to be added to that list is Deeno Dennis whose directorial debut has been in the news for quite a while now. However, it's release was rather low keel due to its multiple postponements & the legend's health related issues. 

A significant part of the initial portions unfolds in a bus where Caesar (Mammookka), a forensic expert is narrating the tale of a series of heists that had happened in Kochi over the past few months. Despite the best efforts of ACP Benjamin Joshua (Gautham Menon) & his team, they haven't been able to track down the culprits or crack the clues that the latter had given them prior to each heist. It is at this juncture that Caesar is called in for help in the hope that he would be able to outsmart them. 

The USP was that it was advertised as the first game thriller in Malayalam. Well it did sound like an interesting idea but unfortunately, it didn't proceed beyond that. None of the elements in Deeno's story were fleshed out adequately as the investigation angle was amateurish while the so called 'games' barely managed to pack a punch as it was childish at best. If at all there was one aspect that stood out, then it would be the climax section which I felt was rather decent (though it bordered on being outlandish at times). On the technical side, Nimish Ravi & Roby Varghese has picturised it in a slick manner but when the screenplay failed to deliver, the style quotient failed to keep us invested in it after a point of time. 

It's a type of role that barely challenged a performer like Mammookka as it mostly required him to showcase only his style and swagger. Towards the end, I personally liked the variation brought to his character but in certain instances, it went over the top and came across as comical. Gautham Menon was average, Hakkim was wasted while the rest barely had anything much to do.

Verdict: At times, we use the statement 'style over substance' & that can be applied here except that the substance part was barely significant. In short, a disappointing effort!!!

Rating: 1.5/5

Alappuzha Gymkhana: "Unconventional sports drama!!!"

Khalid Rahman is a name that has been in the news over the past few weeks following his arrest for possession of hybrid cannabis. Anyway as a film maker whenever his movies had come along, it did manage to keep us engaged with its realistic treatment and an underlying shade of humour. His latest flick is a sports drama that he had penned in the company of Sreeni Saseendran & it was quite unlike the usual template that we are used to which was certainly a positive. 

Coming to the story, Jojo (Naslen) & his band of friends had completed their +2 exams and except for one, the rest had flunked at it. This raised concern as to how they would get admission into college & that's when Jojo came up with the idea of pursuing the sports quota route. Hence they decide to enroll into the boxing academy, Alappuzha Gymkhana under coach Salim (Kottayam Nazeer). In due time, they make it to the District Championship & subsequently, to the State Championships and this journey is what is covered over here.

As mentioned earlier, it does not have the typical template of the triumphant underdog, which was sensible as it would have made it quite predictable. At the same time, I found the story to be quite wafer thin with hardly anything worthwhile especially in the second half. There are a bunch of fights and it comes across as quite repetitive barring some humorous sequences which I do admit did hit the mark. 

Regarding the technical aspects, the boxing choreography was quite impressive & kudos to the team for that. Jimshi Khalid had handled the visuals & it was neatly done, while the rest of the aspects were average at best. All the artists have done their parts well such as Naslen, Ganapathi. Lukman, Franco (as 'Cheruthu'), Sandeep (as 'Valuthu') etc. 

Verdict: The humour, performances and sensible deviation from the standard sports template does make it a decent watch despite the lack of an engaging story. 

Rating: 2.25/5

Maranamass: "Interesting blend of quirkiness & humour!!!"

Another individual that made his directorial debut on that weekend was Sivaprasad for "Maranamass" which was bank rolled by Tovino Thomas Productions. Even Siju Sunny took up the mantle of a script writer for the first time in this venture & worked on the screenplay as well along with the director. 

The focus of the story is primarily on the antagonist, Sreekumar "SK" (Rajesh Madhavan) who was a serial killer on the prowl which had terrorized the state & put the police on high alert. Around the same time, Luke (Basil Joseph), an influencer who was a nuisance to his villagers decide to get rid of him by packing him off to Europe on a trip. However, their plan didn't quite materialise as circumstantial evidence seemed to indicate that Luke could be the elusive serial killer. How Luke manages to get himself off from this mess & earn the love and trust of his girlfriend, Jessy (Anishma Anilkumar) is what this story is about. 

The main positive is undoubtedly the thought that had gone into the peculiar characters, the spoofy nature to the proceedings and pop culture references. All of these was blended in well along with situational humour giving the audience ample opportunities for some genuine laughs. The second half however could have been better especially since the bus sequence onwards, it does falter at times. The technical aspects were fine though it doesn't deserve special mention. But all the the artists did a fine job & was able to make sure that the impact of what was written on paper was delivered. Basil has been on song for quite a while & as Luke he was spot on while Rajesh's performance evoked laughs for the transition in his character. Anishma was impressive while Suresh Krishna & Babu Antony tickles the funny bone with Siju providing support. 

Verdict: The writing is quite unlike a typical script bu still manages to keep us entertained with its quirky characters & the humour that they generate. In short, do give it a try!!!

Rating: 3/5

Regards...Ben

Thudarum: "Lalettan & Tharun's mastery over their craft and box office continues!!!"

Last Friday, "L2: Empuraan" hit the OTT platform after a thumping run at the box office which saw the makers earn in the range of about 360C inclusive of all deals. In the meantime, there has been quite a few releases over the past fortnight during the Easter/Vishu weekend. However, this opinion piece is not about those movies (which I will pen over the next week or so) but rather about Tharun Moorthy's "Thudarum". To be honest, I have been eagerly waiting for its release as I was impressed with his previous releases & hence I was curious to know as to how effectively he would be able to utilise the caliber of a legend like Lalettan. 

The movie unfolds in Ranni where Shanmugham aka Benz (Lalettan), led a peaceful life with his wife, Lalitha (Shobhana) & their two children. He was a former stunt man who presently plied his trade as a driver albeit without proper permits in his beloved vintage Ambassador car. Things took a turn when he went to attend the funeral of his former boss as his car was seized by the police as part of an investigation. What subsequently follows are his efforts to retrieve the car. 

K R Sunil is a name that most of us may not know unless one is into photography as he is quite accomplished at it & with his debut effort as a script writer, he has proved that his skill with the pen was in no way inferior to his frames. On paper, it comes across as a standard revenge drama but the screenplay that he had penned in the company of Tharun made sure that it had all the elements that interested the audience & excited the fans. The first half had the self deprecating humour and quite a few light moments that kept us in good spirits. But subsequently, there was a marked shift in tone with emotional and action sequences taking centre stage. 

The characters were well etched be it Lalettan, Prakash Varma or Binu Pappan, with the major positive being the emphasis given to the latter two characters i.e. the antagonists. More often than not, the makers tend to forget that the antagonist has to be portrayed equally strong to ensure that the impact of the protagonist is celebrated even more. Over here, Tharun & Sunil didn't make that mistake & also included some interesting events such as the landslide etc., as relevant to the plot. On the whole, certain scenes and its treatment reminds us of flicks like "Bhramaram", "Drishyam" , "Oppam" etc., but it still has an identity of its own. Another major positive was Jakes Bejoy's music which elevated many of the sequences and the choice of specific instruments for the main characters was impressive. As for the visuals by Shaji Kumar and editing by the late Nishadh Yusuf & Shafeeque V B, both aspects were neatly done. 

It's been a while since we came across a movie that celebrated the actor in Lalettan & this one ticks most of the boxes in that respect. He is given the opportunity to showcase a myriad of emotions which kept us invested in the story.  Prakash Varma is a doyen in the ad world & he was absolutely brilliant as CI George Sir with his mild yet intimidating manner of dialogue delivery. Binu Pappan was impressive as well while Shobhana manages to score in the latter half especially when it came to certain expressions. But on the whole, she didnt come across as endearing as I had expected. The rest of the cast such as Thomas Mathew, Farhaan Faasil etc were fine in their parts.

Verdict: Undoubtedly, the most wholesome Lalettan movie that we have seen in quite a while. It just goes to show that in the hands of a talented film maker and a credible storyline, the legend will continue to shine. In short, do check it out!!!

Rating: 3.75/5

Regards...Ben

L2: Empuraan: "Visually impressive but lacks narrative depth!!!"

Finally the most awaited Malayalam movie of the year has hit the screens in a manner that was reminiscent of the tsunami. The pre-release ticket sales threw up some astonishing numbers and all that contributed to a historic global box office opening of around 65C. With Eid falling on Monday, the extended weekend should have Aashirvad Cinemas & Sree Gokulam Movies reasonably confident about their returns in investment. But the question is whether the movie has the substance to sustain this excitement beyond the weekend, after the initial hype abates???

The movies unfolds in 2002 where communal riots led to the massacre of many Muslims which included Zayed's family (Karthikeya Dev) as well. The attacks were orchestrated by Balraj (Abhimanyu Singh) & his brother, Munna (Sukant Goel), with Zayed being the only one who managed to escape from the horrific mass slaughter. In the present day, Jatin Ramdas (Tovino Thomas) who had been the CM for close to a term found himself embroiled in numerous scams and financial irregularities. To add to that, a prominent political party with roots predominantly in North India decided to make their presence felt in Kerala. In this bleak situation, Govardhan (Indrajith) tries to locate Stephen (Lalettan) to seek help. 

First & foremost, this is undoubtedly the finest Malayalam movie in terms of the production quality. Hats off to Prithvi for the way he has mounted this flick as it embodied grandeur. It definitely deserves to be watched on the big screens & the main reason for that are the exquisite frames captured by Sujit Vasudev. The action sequences were brilliantly staged especially the one in the jungle though the climactic one felt rather outdated (& in a way, reminded me of "Jilla"). As for Deepak Dev's music, it was quite underwhelming for most parts with the BGM at times failing to enhance the high moments. 

However, irrespective of the canvas, the backbone of any movie is the script & to be honest, I was quite disappointed with what Murali Gopi came up with. The focus of the movie is on two aspects, one being Khureshi Abraam & the other, Stephen Nedumpally. Coming to Khureshi, the character was explored superficially with focus more on aesthetics rather than heft in the conflict that he had with other nexus. As for Stephen, though there was more meat to proceedings, many of the sequences & dialogues felt more like a rehashed version from the prequel. In effect, it failed to evoke as many high moments as expected. In terms of content, Kerala politics,  international nexus, backstory & reason for change of certain integral characters made it feel like there was more adequate stuff to make it a delightful treat. But the truth is Murali has failed to gel it convincingly. 

Coming to performances, Lalettan was impressive & did what was possible within the scope of the character though it didn't give him much opportunity to perform as such. He effortlessly carried the swag & the aura that the character demanded and owned the action sequences. Both Prithvi & his younger avatar, Karthikeya did their parts aptly.  Abhimanyu & Sukant were both impressive in their negative avatar while Jerome Flynn as Boris had a significant role and did justice to it. Manju Warrier had more scope to perform and did her part aptly along with Tovino. There were numerous others also but most of them barely had adequate screen time or character arc to showcase their ability.

Verdict: There is no doubt that the movie deserves a watch & that too in the theatres. However, the weak storyline could certainly hamper the potential that it could otherwise have had. Anyway it will certainly inspire other makers from our industry to dream big & hopefully, Murali will have a banger script in L3!!!

Rating: 2.75/5

Regards...Ben

Bromance, Painkili & Daveed: "Interesting mix though the returns continue to be meagre!!!"

This Valentine's Day saw a trio of releases which as expected was catered towards the youth (I guess most movies are isn't it). The response to all three of them was varied & that was reflected in the box office report that the producers association had published. So how did it turn out for me???

Bromance: "Breezy comedy that thrived coz of performances!!!"

In the span of a couple of movies like "Jo & Jo" & "18+", Arun D Jose has made a name for himself with his flicks that focused on humour & youth. In his latest venture, the focus is on Binto (Mathew Thomas) who was in the lookout for his elder brother, Shinto (Shyam Mohan) who had disappeared without a trace. Apparently, Shinto was the darling in the family & spoke of with high regard by people who knew him. In contrast, Binto was quite the opposite and detested the comparison, though the brothers shared a tight bond. Binto came out about his brother's missing from the latter's friend, Shabeer (Arjun Ashokan) who presumed that it could be because of the breakup with Aishu (Mahima Nambiar). Their search was assisted by Hari (Sangeeth Prathap), a hacker & it also led them to another potential suspect, Courier Babu (Kalabhavon Shajon). So, who was actually responsible???

It is a fun filled flick that does have quite a few genuinely hilarious sequences though the plot as such isn't substantial. In a way it had the feel of a "Hangover" and the major part of the credit for making the movie enjoyable goes to the technical aspects in giving the necessary feel and appearance to the frames. Kudos to Govind Vasantha's music. Akhil George's colourful frames & Chaman Chacko's seamless editing gives the necessary vibe that the movie required. 

Coming to performances, Sangeeth Prathap was top notch with his counter dialogues and expressions. Mahima was quite impressive and is given equal screen space as the rest of the gang which consisted of Mathew, Arjun & Kalabhavan Shajon, all of whom did their parts adequately. 

Verdict: It delivers what it promised in the promos and i.e. a full filled flick.

Rating: 2.5/5

Painkili: "Heart attack is unavoidable for the producers!!!"

When the makers had released the 'heart attack' track on YouTube, I would have to admit that I was genuinely impressed with the way Sreejith Babu in his directorial debut had picturized it. Actually that was the main reason why I decided to check it out & also because it was Jithu Madhavan who had penned the script. Little did I realize that the sole positive was that song.

Well it barely had a proper story & the screenplay worked in certain sequences in the initial parts of the movie. It is essentially about a girl, Sheeba (Anaswara) who was constantly trying to elope in order to avoid the alliance that her parents had found for her. During one such instance, she gets to meet Suku (Sajin Gopu) who was faking insanity to obtain a medical certificate that will be his ticket to freedom from a legal issue. Whether they eventually end up being together is what the story is about.

Apart from what I had mentioned earlier, I dont have anything to add as the movies gets irritating after a point of time. The humour was forced for most parts and the performances from both Anaswara & Sajin were fine in the portions they behaved normally but when it required them to put in eccentricity, then it was quite mediocre. Roshan Shanavas (as Paachan) & Jisma Vimal (as Suma) were good while Abu Salim, Chandu etc. were also ok. 

Verdict: Jithu's script is the sole reason for the failure as it barely had any content for the artists to perform to. In short, check out the song but as for the movie, forget it!!!

Rating: 1.5/5

Daveed: "Decently made though the story as such lacked the punch!!!"

Being a sports buff apart from being a cinephile, I have always loved sports dramas but it's a genre that is not easy to make due to the predictability in its template. In most instances it would be about an underdog who rise up against the odds in the final act. This is pretty much the template that Govind Vishnu has chosen for his directorial debut which he had penned in the company of Deepu Rajeevan. 

Their protagonist is Aashiq Abu (Antony Varghese), a lazy dude who occasionally worked as a bouncer in celebrity functions. The family was taken care of by his wife, Sherin (Lijomol Jose) who was fed up with his irresponsible nature even though for their daughter, he was a hero. Life takes as a turn when he is called in as a bouncer for a function to felicitate the World Boxing Champion, Sainul Akhmadov (Mo Ismail). But it eventually turned into a tussle between the two of them with Sainul challenging him to a match. 

It is your typical standard generic story that failed to produce any unique element that we haven't seen in such movies in the past. The protagonist has that mental trauma/inhibition due to a past incident & how he manages to overcome that to take up the latest challenge with the help of a seasoned coach who prepares his ward with an array of unorthodox methods (sounds familiar, well that's not surprising). Despite the predictability, I enjoyed the manner in which the boxing match was staged and the action choreography associated with it. The technical aspects were fine with Salu Thomas's cinematography in the climax deserving special mention.

Among the cast, Vijayaraghavan was spot on as expected while Antony's performance was decent with the physicality that he provided to the character being quite impressive. Mo Ismail did justice to his part while Lijomol, Saiju Kurup etc did their parts aptly.

Verdict: Predictability was the primary issue with the story, however Govind has still managed to take it reasonably well especially in the latter half!!!

Rating: 2/5

Regards...Ben