Sookshamadarshini, Hello Mummy, Anand Sreebala, I am Kathalan: "Interesting array of movies in November!!!"

Less than a month left for the year to get over & with some big banner releases lined up for release in December, it was curious to see whether there was any interesting projects prior to it. I happened to watch quite a few flicks over the past weeks & some of them were quite worthwhile. Though there is still indecision regarding the venue for the Champions Trophy, there was no confusion among the audience about the fate of these movies.

Sookshamadarshini: "Smart deception by the makers about what is in store eventually!!!"

There was quite a buzz in the lead up to this latest release from Jithin M.C primarily because it marked the return of Nazriya onto the screen after a hiatus which also had Basil Joseph, who is on a purple patch. The promotions gave the impression that it was a fun flick & that I have to admit was a smart ploy as it kept the audience guessing pretty much for most parts. 

The movie unfolds in a close knot neighbourhood where Manuel (Basil) & his mother, Grace (Manohari Joy) had recently moved into their property after many years. The decision to come back was primarily because Manuel wanted to take care of his mother who had health issues. One of their neighbour was Priya (Nazriya) who had a keen eye for detail, & something about Manuel's demeanour didn't seem quite right to her. Though her husband, Antony (Deepak Parambol) tried to dissuade her from putting too much of thought into it, her investigative instincts got the better of her & she decided to dig into it further after roping in the support of her friends. So was Manuel actually up to something???

This is Jithin's second directorial venture after "Nonsense" & he has penned the script with Athul Ramachandran and Libin T.B working on the screenplay. The strength of the movie is undoubtedly the screenplay as it kept us engaged by indicating that there is certainly something mysterious and along with Priya, we also go about trying to piece the puzzle together. At the same time, with humour also sprinkled liberally, we are distracted from working through the reason for the mystery until it reaches the very end & we are left a tad surprised by what is revealed (I certainly was). Christo Xavier's BGM was impressive as it provided heft to the suspense while Chaman Chakko deserves praise for the seamless edits.

Basil continues to shine in whichever role he appears & it is no different here as well as it involved balancing the seriousness with the humour which he has done well. Nazriya has done a fine job as well especially in the latter half with Akhila Bhargavan & Pooja Mohanraj giving her able support (the duo's sequence in Manuel's house was top notch), while Merin Philip was also ok, though her role didn't have much note worthy moments despite the screen time. As for the rest of the cast, Manohari Joy's role was quite unconventional, the decision to cast Siddharth Bharathan was damn smart while Deepak Parambol, Kottayam Ravi etc did their parts aptly. 

Verdict: Undoubtedly, one of the best movies of the year & kudos to Jithin for his deception and execution. Do check it out!!!

Rating: 3.5/5

Hello Mummy: "Interesting premise that failed to punch its weight the whole way through!!!"

If we look into this year's major Bollywood box office successes, one thing that stands out is the fact that the audience had warmed to the horror comedy genre with flicks like "Stree 2" & "Bhool Bhulaiya 3" laughing their way to the bank. It may or may not have been a cue for Vaishakh Elans, who made his directorial debut in this genre with the script penned by Sanjo Joseph. 

Boney (Sharafudeen) hailed from an affluent family who was not keen on a marital relation as he felt that it would be an inconvenience to the freedom that he enjoyed as a bachelor. However, when his brother-in-law brings the alliance of Stephy (Aishwarya Lekshmi), who was academically inclined unlike him, he has a change of heart. In due time, they warm up to each other but there was one major issue & that was the spirit of Stephy's mother being with her even though she had passed away more than a couple of decades back. But Boney assured her that he would still like to tie the knot with her (as he did not believe what she said). Little did he realise that it was indeed true. 

It was certainly an interesting thread & Vaishakh made sure that the humour angle was fleshed out especially in the post marital segment. But the last act goes down a predictable route of black magic & the drama which was not quite to the mark though I felt that the choice of antagonist was good. Vaishakh could have amped up the horror aspect over there to make it impactful but unfortunately it was quite watered down. Chaman's edits in his second release of the week was decent while the VFX and Praveen Kumar's visuals were impressive right throughout and in sync with the mood.

There is no doubt that the movie worked for a large extent due to the choice of Sharafudeen as the antagonist who was top notch in the manner that he handled humour. The veterans in the form of Jagadish & Johny Antony gave credible support while Aishwarya was average at best. Sunny Hinduja did justice in his role and was an excellent choice, though his role wasn't adequately explored. As for the rest of the cast, Bindu Panicker, Aju Varghese etc did their parts aptly though their roles required better writing. 

Verdict: It certainly provides the laughs and did have an interesting thread to narrate, though it takes a familiar track towards the end. Despite the predictability, it doesn't test our patience unlike many of the other horror comedies that we usually come across!!!

Rating: 2.25/5

Anand Sreebala: "Vishnu shows promise in his debut directorial venture!!!"

Just like "Hello Mummy", this is another movie in which the mother plays a prominent role in the form of a spirit or rather the figment of imagination of the protagonist. The movie is the directorial debut of Vishnu Vinay, the son of the veteran director Vinayan & he had joined hands with Abhilash Pillai who had written the story which was undoubtedly inspired from the 2017 Mishel Shaji case. 

Yet another person was reported missing & this time around it was Merin Joy (Malavika Manoj) whose whereabouts couldn't be traced by her frantic parents. They sought the help of the police & it eventually led to locating her dead which was concluded as a suicide, that the parents refused to believe. A few months later, Sreebala (Aparna Das), a TV journalist decided to take up this case as part of her crime file show and sought the help of her boyfriend, Anand (Arjun Ashokan) who was an aspiring police officer. Soon enough, he finds loopholes in the investigation & raised queries about it. So what had made him to believe that it was a murder???

The idea of having the mother as a presence around Anand was interesting & how it helped him put together some of the clues was intriguing. But it isn't explored much apart from the initial flourish and what we get to see is that character pop in and out for no particular reason. The investigation showcased was pretty decent & Vishnu's direction did indicate that he is not a green horn at it. On the whole, I felt the story was ok but it doesn't provide anything in terms of unique twists or turns. The technical aspects were handled well be it Vishnu Narayanan's cinematography, Kiran Das's editing & Ranjin Raj's music.

Even though the writing could have been better for the characters, the artists who performed those roles had done their parts quite well. It starts off with Arjun Ashokan who deserves praise for his work as the talented investigator that had emotional issues. Saiju Kurup did his part well along with Malavika Manoj while the rest of the cast such as Aparna Das, Siddique etc did their parts aptly.

Verdict: A pretty decent effort from a debutant director as well as from the cast who are led down to a large extent by the screenplay which lacked the drama to elevate the viewing experience. 

Rating: 2/5

I am Kathalan: "An engaging flick on hacking!!!"

As part of the promotions, Girish A D had mentioned that this flick was completed more than a couple of years back but couldn't be released due to some financial issues. So much so, it was supposed to be the first movie to have Naslen as the lead but ended up releasing much later, by which time he has made himself an bankable star at the box office. 

Vishnu (Naslen) is introduced as one who is least bothered about his career with quite a few supple papers though he was worried that he risked losing his girlfriend, Shilpa (Anishma Anilkumar) if he didn't get a job. On the other hand, Shilpa decided to move ahead with her career by joining as the IT lead in her father's finance company. She was far from impressed with his irresponsible attitude & suggests that it is better off for both of them to put an end to their relationship. It was a decision that Vishnu was not willing to accept & when her father insults him when they cross paths, he vows to wreck havoc with his hacking skills. 

More often than not, most Indian movies fail when they deal with such kind of techno thrillers as they either make it over the top with a lot of unnecessary jargons of which they neither have much idea nor able to convey properly. This is where Sajin Cherukayil has played his cards well as the story is grounded and the technical stuff that Vishnu deals with is explained in an understandable manner. Another interesting aspect is the casting of Lijomol Jose as an ethical hacker, though I felt her portions required more detailing. The reaction of the protagonist to the humiliation that he faced & the things that he did as a response of that was effectively handled by Girish. Among the technical crew, Akash Joseph's editing was fine while the others also put in their effort.

Coming to performances, Naslen has done a fine job along with Anishma and Lijomol. Dileesh Pothen was effective while the usual troupe of artists in Girish's movies such as Vineeth Vasudevan, Sajin & Vineeth Viswam did their parts aptly.

Verdict: A sensible flick on hacking that is grounded and relatable. 

Rating: 2.5/5

Lucky Baskhar & Amaran: "Praise worthy performances complements the impressive directorial efforts!!!"

About a fortnight back a sense of gloom & frustration swept across Wankhede as the Kiwis clean swept the series with consummate ease. However, there was no dearth in Diwali celebrations in the theatres with big banner releases in many states. Two such releases happened to be Venky Atluri's "Lucky Bhaskar" & Rajkumar Periasamy's "Amaran" & both of them turned out to be an enjoyable experience. So what were those movies about & what made it endearing???

Lucky Baskhar: "Telugu movies continues to be lucky for DQ!!!"

After the debacle of "King of Kotha", there has been hardly any releases from Dulquer except for a cameo in "Kalki 2898 AD". Anyway he is back with his next big release in the company of Venky Atluri who had penned the script as well with the focus being the life of a middle class man employed in the banking sector. Baskhar (DQ) was a bank cashier who did his work honestly & earnestly making him a much sought after person both among his colleagues & customers. However, he struggled to make ends meet & took loans to sustain the needs of his family. But his financial situation failed to improve & he opted for means that resulted in quick bucks. This was just the beginning as he started to take bigger risks & the question was whether he would be able to prevent himself from getting burned by his greed.

In terms of the theme, Venky has taken a leaf out of impressive web series like "Scam 1992" & movies like "The Big Bull" and developed it. He has crafted it well with the technical aspects also executed quite well. It is the type of story where we root for the protagonist who is the underdog despite being aware that he also possesses ample shades of grey. In the first half, the focus shows the struggles of the middle class man & later on, it is about his urge to make a change to the financial health of his life even at the cost of losing his morals. The audience is kept engaged with the proceedings even as Venky doesnt try to confuse us with difficult banking jagrons. The art team has done a fantastic job in recreating the period while GV Prakash comes up with impressive BGM. Similarly, Naveen Nooli's editing was fine while Nimish Ravi's cinematography also deserves praise.

DQ is the heart & soul of the movie and he has done an excellent job as the protagonist. It was a character that required to be both charming & yet shrewd enough to pull the strings and he was an apt choice for that. Meenakshi Chaudhary has done her part aptly and provided ample support to DQ's character along with the rest of the cast.

Verdict: It's been quite a while since we have a movie that doesnt have bloodshed & that itself was a huge relief. In all probability, it should work at the box office & continue DQ's purple patch in Tollywood. The movie as such was fine & is worth a watch!!!

Rating: 3/5

Amaran: "Among some of the best biographies to date!!!"

Even before going into the details, I would confidently say that this is undoubtedly one of the best movies of the year & among the best to have released when it came to biographies. Based on Shiv Aroor & Rahul Singh's 'India's Most Fearless: True Stories of Modern Military', it is the biography of Major Mukund Varadarajan & is helmed by Rajkumar Periasamy who had worked on the screenplay along with Stefan Ritcher. 

The movie takes us through Major Mukund's (Siva Karthikeyan) through the last decade of personal & professional career which begins with his college life where he meets Indhu (Sai Pallavi) & also takes the decision to join the Armed Forces. As Indhu was from a different faith & religion, there were some objections from their families early on, but in due time they warmed up to their relation. At the same time, Mukund steadily made a name for himself in the forces for his selfless nature & valour.

At first, it would sound like the standard template of most biographies but what made it unique was the manner in which Rajkumar had picturised Mukund's professional life by keeping it grounded rather than portraying chest thumping jingoism or painting with evident political undertones. The warmth of the relationship between Mukund and Indhu could be felt and the main reason for that was the performances. The technical aspects were neatly done especially the action choreography by Stephen Richter & CH Sai's visuals.

As mentioned above, the main strongpoint of this movie were the performances and all of them have done justice to their roles. Sai Pallavi is undoubtedly one of the finest artists that we have in the country & her performance as Indhu was a testament of her caliber. In all likelihood, she will be a strong contender for the best performer even in the Nationals (though her diction was quite problematic especially when you are showing her as a Malayali). SK has been going from strength to strength with his choice of movies and performances and over here, he has truly impressed with his act. The rest of the cast such as Geetha (as Mukund's mom), Bhuvan Arora (as Vikram) Rahul Bose, Shyamaprasad etc have done their parts well.

Verdict: Certainly an engaging biopic that gets elevated primarily coz of the performances. Do check it out!!!

Rating: 3.5/5

Pani: "Apt casting & neat execution proves that Joju knows his pani!!!"

For any aspiring artist, Joju George is a name that is bound to inspire them to reach for their dreams. From a junior artist who was one among the crowd to emerging as one of the most talented actor in the industry is no mean task & it is a testament to his hard work, passion & unwavering belief in his ability. Hence when he had announced that he was venturing into direction, it had created headlines for obvious reasons. Finally after more than a year into its making, the movie have hit the screens & to be honest, it was certainly a credible effort.

Giri (Joju George) & his buddies were the main players in the Thrissur mafia syndicate who stuck with each other through thick & thin, so much so they were literally a big family. The movie unfolds with two youngsters, Don (Sagar Surya) & Siju (Juniaz) who worked as mechanics make an entry into contract killing with a murder right in the middle of the city. Soon enough, they cross paths with Giri who beats them up for misbehaving with his wife. This sets off a series of events which literally puts the city into high alert. 

Apart from calling the shots, Joju has also penned the script which had the template of a typical cat & mouse revenge action drama. Even as the story was quite normal, what made it truly unique was the attention that he had given to each main character & the emotional equations involved between them. So much so, we absolutely detest the antagonists & root for the opposite side to have their vengeance. The manner in which Joju has executed the whole thing gives it the feel of Joshy's directorial style. The technical aspects were top notch be it Venu & Jinto George's cinematography, Manu Antony's excellent cuts which made the action sequences thrilling & music by Vishnu Vijay, Sam CS & Santhosh Narayanan that blended well with the mood. 

Kudos to Joju's choice of artists was a mix of freshers & known faces and his selection was spot on as most of them did complete justice to their roles. The best among them is undoubtedly the brilliant performance showcased by Sagar & Junaiz who were so convincing in their body language & expression that it was literally hard not to hate them. Joju as usual was top notch along with Abhaya Hiranmayi and ably supported by Bobby Kurian, Seema, Prasanth Alexander etc. 

Verdict: The USP of the movie is undoubtedly Sagar & Juniaz who has given exceptional performances. It also proves Joju's ability as a film maker who gives an engaging flick which was technically well executed. Do check it out!!!

Rating: 3/5

Regards...Ben

Bougainvillea: "An engaging psycho-thriller with an underwhelming climax!!!"

Whenever I hear about 'bougainvillea' the first visual that flashes through my mind is the numerous bougainvillae that we had in my school, Infant Jesus Thangassery. I still remember the day when one of its thorns pierced into my scalp when I was playing around it with my friends. These memories came back to me when I read that Amal Neerad's latest flick also had the same name. As a movie buff, I have been a fan of his film making skills ever since he burst into the industry with the stylish "Big B".

Based on Lajo Jose's "Ruthinte Lokam", the focus is on the couple, Reethu (Jyothirmayi) & her husband, Dr. Royce (Chackochan) who met with an accident eight years back. As a result of that, Reethu was diagnosed with retrograde amnesia though Royce made sure he took utmost care of her to ensure that they led a happy and contented life along with their two kids. Things take a turn when ACP David Koshy (Fahadh Faasil) turned up at their doorsteps as Reethu was the prime suspect in the disappearance of a minister's daughter. So was she actually involved & it seemed all the more trickier for both the parties involved to prove their point considering her medical condition.

As I haven't read Lajo's book, I had no clue as to what the story was about prior to watching it though I presumed it would be as close an adaptation as possible as he had worked on the script along with Amal. The film takes its sweet time in establishing the characters & their routines and that is essentially what wewitness in the first half. The mood & ambience is set & the mystery and intrigue is slowly yet steadily taken up by notches with each passing minute. However, in the process of this engaging build up, a couple of pointers is given to the audience which kind of drastically reduced (atleast for quite a few) the impact of the surprise element in the latter half. So much so, the back story segment, the menacing nature of the character failed to provide the sucker punch that was expected & in a way, some of the elements that Amal had used in the climax sequence reminded me of "Varathan".

At the same time, as expected from a Amal Neerad movie, it was technically well executed. The choice of location was apt and the technical team has done complete justice to all the aspects involved. This includes Anand Chandran's fantastic frames & Sushin Shyam's BGM and music as well as Vivek Harshan's editing. It's been more than a decade since Jyothirmayi have made an appearance on the big screen & she more than made up for that absence with a brilliant performance as Reethu. It was a character that demanded her to be emotionally frail & unpredictable and she was spot on. Chackochan did a fine job as well in a role that gave him ample scope to perform though I still felt that it could have been written a bit more better while Srinda provided able support. Veena Nandakumar was just about ok as her dialogue delivery could have been better. However, I fail to understand as to why the makers wanted Fahadh for this role except for attracting more footfalls to the theatres. It was an insignificant role that barely had anything for him to do & the same also goes to Sharafudeen, who was equally wasted. 

Verdict: Coming on the back of "Kishkindha Kaandam", it also had a well constructed build-up but unlike the former it had quite an underwhelming climax. On the technical side, it was well made with fine performances from Jyothirmayi & Chackochan. In short, you can give it a try!!!

Rating: 2.75/5

Regards...Ben

Vettaiyan: "Stuck between theme & stardom, manasilayo!!!"

Dussehra marks the victory of good over evil & to celebrate this festive season we have one of the most awaited anticipated flick of the year hitting the screens. It is none other than T Gnanavel's "Vettaiyan", which has quite an enviable star cast headlined by Big B & Rajini with Fahadh in a supporting role to name a few. I was quite curious to check out the flick primarily because I had loved Gnanavel's "Jai Bhim" & see as to how he was going to do justice to his story without being forced to celebrate their stardom. It was definitely not going to be an easy task. 

The theme of the story is pretty much set in the opening sequence as Justice Satyadev (Big B)in a lecture to aspiring officers makes it vehemently clear that he abhors the idea of encounter killings & the celebration of such officers as heroes. It was essentially a reference to SP Athiyan (Rajini), encounter specialist who had recently busted a drug mafia ring in Kanyakumari with the help of his informer, 'Battery' Patrick (Fahadh) a thief/tech genius on the basis of a complaint from a school teacher, Saranya (Dushara Vijayan). As usual, Athiyan manages to get scot free much to the chagrin of Satyadev. However, things take a turn when Saranya is murdered & Athiyan is called in for the investigation. 

Recently, I had come across an interview clip of  director Tamizharasan who stated that that the characters in his "Lubber Pandhu" was inspired from Sachi's "Ayyappanum Koshiyum". In a way, it seemed like Gnanavel must have been inspired by Dijo Antony's "Jana Gana Mana" which dealt with a similar theme. In an industry where killings are glorified especially when the protagonist is a police officer, Gnanavel's effort to put in a moral compass to that was appreciable. It was essentially an anti-thesis to Rajini's previous release "Jailer". However, in an effort to establish his cause & still satisfy the Superstar's fans, he is invariably stuck in a place that is in between both of them. This was not the case in "Jai Bhim" where he used the star power of Suriya to push the topic he wanted to convey. But then we have to accept that pulling off something similar with the stature of Rajini is easier said than done. In the end, we are left with a movie that is neither able to convincingly establish his relevant topic nor give us genuinely goosebumps evoking mass moments.

On the technical side, it was average at best with Anirudh Ravichander's music being quite ok though 'Manasilayo' track is a chart buster. Except for a couple of scenes, his BGM failed to elevate most of the mass moments. Thalaiva was as always has done utmost justice to his part & does the heavy lifting even when the screenplay failed. The choice of Big B made complete sense & he provided the aura that the character demanded, however the impact that his face off with Rajini lacked the punch & that was another example of the flaw in the writing. In terms of who actually provided the cheers, then it goes to Fahadh who rocked even in the supporting role with Dushara Vijayan doing a fine job as well. As for the rest of the cast, Manju Warrier did what was possible in a rather insignificant role, Rana Daggubati was the victim of a poorly written role while the others were ok.

Verdict: Despite the shortcomings, it is still a decent movie that is worthy of  one time watch. However, there is a good chance that it might falter at the box office if the fans go with the expectation of watching another "Jailer"!!!

Rating: 2.5/5

Regards...Ben

Kondal, Bad Boyz, Nunakuzhi, Vaazha, Footage, Paalum Pazhavum: "Most of them failed to engage!!!"

With many of the movies getting released on the OTT platform much quickly than in the past invariably meant that we end up watching more Malayalam movies. In that list, there were quite a few that I happened to watch over the past couple of months & since there wasn't much to do this weekend apart from watching the Women's T20 World Cup & Jon Watts's "Wolfs", I thought to pen about those flicks that I presume all of you would have watched as well.

Kondal: "Interesting premise & performances let down by an average screenplay!!!"

This Onam saw Ajith Mampally make his directorial debut with his own script that he had penned along with Roylin Robert & Satheesh Thonakkal that focused on a revenge drama that unfolds in a boat in the middle of the sea The movie unfolds in Achuthengu, a fishing hamlet where the people were facing a lot of heat from the public due to rotten fish being sold. Incidentally, the issue was caused by a small company in their village & Manuel (Antony Varghese) got involved when the former refused to accept the blame and manhandled the villagers. The brawl spirals out of control & Manuel is forced to leave the village for a few days during which time he takes up a job in a fishing boat that was set for sail. What subsequently unfolds was the equation among the people in that boat.

On paper, it was that typical generic revenge drama but what made it interesting was the premise that Ajit had chosen. The tension is created but for a significant amount of time, it was just people looking at each other suspiciously with hardly anything happening. The makers ought to have been more smart when it came to keeping the audience interested by providing tit bits right throughout until the reveal. Not to mention, they left way too loose ends at times be it certain characters or sub plots which just disappears abruptly. What made it engaging for me to a certain extent was the performances and the technical aspects which was decently done. 

The cinematography was impressive as it is not easy to keep the audience interested considering the confined space & both Deepak Menon and Jithin Stanislaus deserves praise for that. The VFX was also quite well done to the extent that I felt it was far better than "Devara". Another team (Vikram Mor, Kali Kingson & Thavasi Raj) that deserves special mention is the action choreography with Sam CS providing the apt BGM for it. For Antony, it felt like a role that was within his comfort zone & he has done justice to it though he does struggle with the accent. Raj B Shetty's extended cameo role provided punch while Shabeer Kallarakkal, Nandu & Pramod Veliyanad did their parts well. Both Sarath Sabha & Rahul Rajagopal had roles which was quite different from what they had done in the past & it was fine. 

Verdict: Ajit certainly had a proper idea in terms of the settings but lacked the same in the screenplay!!!

Rating: 2/5

Bad Boyz: "Indeed bad!!!"

"Why would you even bother watching this?, you deserve this...haha", I am pretty much that this would be the statement that I would hear from majority of the people. To be frank, though hesitant I decided to give it a try in the hope that Omar Lulu wouldn't make anything worser than "Nalla Samayam" & rediscover some of his form from "Happy Wedding". In addition, the presence of Rahman in Malayalam after a hiatus was a factor that tempted me to watch it. 

Trying to give a gist of the story (did Omar even write anything?) is no mean task as there is no proper structure to it with Sarang Jayaprakash's screenplay being equally abysmal as the spoofs failed to land & the jokes were like from mediocre skits. It is essentially about Antappan (Rahman) & his men, getting caught in the crossfire of the drug mafia after they unintentionally attack Vettukad Benson (Babu Antony), the leader of the drug syndicate. None of the aspects were worth mentioning & hence it would be unfair to blame the artists since there is nothing much they can do with such poorly written roles. 

Verdict: I came across a video where Omar was abusing one of the online reviewers. Well I dont know what that reviewer has said, but there is no denying that this movie was quite pathetic!!!

Rating: Forget it

Nunakuzhi: "Solid performances makes it a worthwhile comedy entertainer!!!"

This Independence Day saw Basil Joseph feature in two flicks with him headlining in Jeethu Joseph's "Nunakuzhi". Though Jeethu has done humour in the past with "My Boss", this would certainly be the one where he has gone all out as Krishna Kumar who after "12th Man" & "Kooman" has given a laugh riot against the backdrop of a crime. 

Eby Zachariah (Basil) had recently taken up the reins of his father's company following the latter's death, though he was far from equipped to lead it. Things take a turn when an IT raid happens in the company & as part of the procedure, they seize his personal laptop which had personal videos that threatened to wreck his marriage. Left with no choice, Eby goes in search of the IT officer, Bhamakrishnan (Siddique) who had orchestrated the raid. But it led to a comedy of errors that saw many other characters getting entangled in it. 

The main strength of the movie is the manner in which the situations are blended with humour & requires the audience to accept the fact that the performances are required to be over the top. In typical Jeethu style, the mystery aspect is all thrown into the proceedings & all of it makes it a reasonably hilarious affair. The story pattern had that typical Priyadarshan flair where there a couple of parallel narratives before everything comes together at the end. On the technical side, it was neatly done thogh it doesn't warrant special mention. 

Such movies primarily work on the ability of the artists to pull it off convincingly & in that sense pretty much every artist have pulled their weight. Basil continues to shine in whichever movie he features & this was no exception. As I mentioned in one of my earlier reviews, I personally rate as the Grace Antony as the most versatile among the present generation & she was impressive. There were quite a few of the senior artists as well such as Siddique, Baiju & Manoj K Jayan & they were fine, while the rest also did their parts aptly.

Verdict: A pretty clean comedy entertainer that works for most parts due to solid performances!!!

Rating: 2.75/5

Vaazha: "Emotional moments, athane athinte beauty!!!"

When the trailer of "Vaazha" was released, it felt more like an extension of Vipin Das's "Guruvayoor Ambalanadayil" as many of the artists featured in both the flicks. Later on, it became evident that the reason for that was that Vipin had penned the script and had also partially bank rolled this project. The movie belonged to Anand Menen who had earlier made "Gauthamante Ratham" & his latest movie belonged to the comedy genre drama that was enjoyed by many. 

As it was clear in the trailer, it is about five buddies who were together right from their school days & traces their journey until their late 20s. With academics not quite in their agenda, they vile away their time in merriment & invariably found themselves in troubles much to the chagrin of their families especially their fathers. In terms of the story, there isn't much to talk about but rather it is a take on the various experiences they had over the course of their lives. The makers intended to connect the audience in that aspect whereby a significant number will be able to relate with what those characters went through. Personally, the humour didn't have him laughing out loud except for the occasional chuckles. However, the emotional sequences worked well especially the ones that involved the fathers. 

On the technical side, Kannan Mohan's seamless editing was a stand out along with Babu Pillai's production design that captured the time period well. When it comes to performances, though the younger lot were the protagonists, Jagadish, Anees Nedumangad, Kottayam Naseer & Noby Marcose rocked in  the emotional segments. As for the youngsters, Joemon Jyothir (as Moosa), Siju Sunny (as Ajo), Amith Mohan (as Vishnu) etc. did their parts aptly with support from Basil in a cameo along with Hashir. 

Verdict: Unlike the humour, the emotional sequences were the ones which worked for me!!!

Rating: 2.25/5

Footage: "Saiju's effort is commendable but the story isn't!!!"

Found-footage genre is not something that has been explored much in Malayalam & hence when talented editor Saiju Sreedharan announced his directorial debut through this genre, it certainly attracted attention. Apart from calling the shots, he has also donned the cap of a co-producer & in collaboration with Shabna Muhammed has written the story about a vlogger couple & their experience. 

The movie unfolds during the pandemic where a vlogger couple, (Vishak Nair & Gayathri Ashok) documented pretty much every detail of their lives including intimate moments, not to mention such moments of other couples as well. Their main topic was obviously exploring urban legends, though their latest interest was unravelling the mystery of their neighbour (Manju Warrier) who seemed quite secretive & eccentric. 

There is no doubt that Saiju has done a fine job in creating the ambience which was a blend of suspense & tension. As an audience, we are hooked onto the thrills expecting some sort of horror to unfold since we have been conditioned to such kind of subjects in this genre courtesy of "The Blair Witch Project", "Paranormal Activity", to name a few. This is where I felt Saiju & Shabna did a smart move but they weren't able to build on it convincingly. so much so, despite it's short run time, I still felt it was a tad too long as they didnt quite have the content to justify it. The manner in which Sharath George has captured the frames was impressive coupled with Saiju's editing skills & well conceived action choreography sequences makes it a technically sound movie.

Both Vishak & Gayathri had a palpable on-screen chemistry & did their parts reasonably well, though I felt the latter did struggle in the tense sequences while Bhanumathi Payyanur did a fine job as the maid. Manju has an important role though she doesn't have a dialogue as such & gave a decent performance, but I cant help thinking that the role required someone more imposing or intimidating. 

Verdict: It was technically well made but the story lacked in content especially to keep the audience invested in it in the latter half.

Rating: 1.75/5

Paalum Pazhavum: "Neither the humour nor the execution worked!!!"

When I first heard this title, it reminded me of Ganpathi's character rattle this continuously as a song in "Vinodayathra". Incidentally, that movie had Meera Jasmine in the lead where she was at the top of her game. Unfortunately, since she commenced her work after a hiatus, her choices has failed to do justice to her talent & her own performance has been far from convincing. Well the fate of this movie also headed in the same direction. 

Based on Ashish Unnikrishnan's script, one of the protagonist was Sumi (Meera) who was denied the opportunity to have a teaching career & become independent when her mother was left bed-ridden due to a freak accident. The other one was Sunil (Aswin Jose) who was least bothered about a career & was on the lookout to get settled in life courtesy of getting married to a girl with an affluent background. After years of frustration, Sumi eventually finds herself a job in the bank & that's when her colleague introduces her to the world of social media. This is when she got acquainted with Sunil on FB, both of whom had changed their respective ages to make it more appealing to the other. The direction to which this relationship takes them is what this movie is about.

It's been quite a while since we have seen a worthwhile flick from VK Prakash & seems like the wait for that is likely to last much longer. Though VKP & Ashish has looked into the lives of both the protagonists in equal measure, some of the aspects failed to make much sense be it Shanthi Krishan's attitude, Meera's decisions regarding her career, the hasty decisions etc. However, the intention of the makers to point out that the female being much elder to the male in a relationship do not require eye brows to be raised, was commendable. But that didnt quite translate onto the paper & what we are left with are scenes that make us grin at times but more often than not make us shift frustratingly in our seat. On the performance front, both Meera & Ashwin were ok while the rest such as Nisha Sarang, Rachana Narayanankutty etc. were fine. 

Verdict: It fails to engage the audience and tests our patience at times!!!

Rating: 1.5/5

Regards...Ben

 

Meiyazhagan, Lubber Pandhu & Devara: "More of a rewarding experience!!!"

It's been a while since I have penned about movies from other regional languages & it wasn't because I had stopped watching them, but only a few among them managed to get my attention. It has been a mixed bag be it Shankar's pathetic "Indian 2" or Pa Ranjith's "Thangalaan", that I enjoyed though it struggled at the box office. The latest list of movies that I had watched was more of the same, so which were the ones that gave me my time's worth. 

Meiyazhagan: "An endearing blend of nostalgia & self discovery!!!"

There might not be many who wouldn't have watched Prem Kumar's "96" & hence when it was announced that he was back with his latest flick that was bank rolled by Jyothika & Suriya's '2D entertainment', the expectations were quite palpable. As in his directorial debut, Prem has also penned the script for this which is essentially about nostalgia & self discovery in a nut shell.

The movie unfolds in 1996 (quite a coincidence) in Thanjavur where Arul (Saran Shakthi/Aravind Swami) & his family is forced to leave their home due to property partition. It left a deep scar in him to the extent that he never went back to visit his beloved town & relatives. However, on the occasion of his cousin sister's wedding he decides to head back despite the reluctance. At the event, he meets up with an extroverted individual (Karthi) who seemed a relative that knew him really well & absolutely worshipped him, though Arul could not quite recollect him. The interaction between the two on that night was a trip down memory lane & that is essentially what this movie is about.

If one has to talk about the story as such, there isn't much to say to be honest. But Prem's command over what he wants to convey that touches upon the past and the effect that it has on one and the people around him is both organic and soulfully picturized. There are quite a few sub plots & as such it stands as separate events without any connection, to the point that it felt like an unnecessary addition of run time. However, Prem's motive of making Karthi's character mention all of this does have a purpose & it is essentially about celebration of goodness in all walks of life that has a peculiar way of coming back to the people concerned. Another major positive was Govind Vasantha's music & BGM that gelled with the mood with the stand out being the track, 'Yaaro Ivan Yaaro' rendered by Kamal Hassan while Mahendiran Jayaraju's frames were also fine.

The main USP is undoubtedly the unusual casting of Karthi & Aravind Swami, with both getting characters that were diametrically opposite to each other (along the lines of Karthi & Nagarjuna in "Thozha"). Aravind definitely had the tougher role and he was impressive with the way he expressed the various emotions that the character goes through. Karthi's was endearing as the loud bindaas innocent individual, which is something that he excels in. The rest of the cast doesnt have much to do but all the female artists did their parts well be it Sri Divya, Swathi Konde & Devadarshini.

Verdict: Yet another winner from Prem that should do well at the box office, who continues to prove that when it comes to nostalgia, there is not many that could do it as well as him!!!

Rating: 3/5

Lubber Pandhu: "Well crafted layered sports drama!!!"

Cricket is an emotion & a religion in India, and that has inspired quite a few to makes sports dramas based on it. Being a movie buff & a sports aficionado, sports dramas has always been one of my favourite genre (if not, 'the most'). Last week saw the release of Tamizharasan Pachamuthu's "Lubber Pandhu" which belonged to the same genre & that was ample reason for me to check it out. It turned out to be the right decision. 

2011 is a year that none of us who are cricket lovers would forget & incidentally, Tamizharasan also begins his story from the same year. Anbu (Harish Kalyan), a talented all rounder is called to play for the once celebrated local team 'Jolly Friends'. However, despite the support of the captain, Karuppaiya (Kaali Venkat), Anbu was disheartened by the inferior attitude meted out to him by many of the other players primarily due to his caste & their egos due to which he leaves mid way through the innings. The opposition, "Sachin Boys" had their star player, Gethu (Attakathi Dinesh) unleash a blistering knock but the match gets interrupted when Gethu's wife, Yashoda (Swasika) intervenes & warns the villagers from involving him in further matches due to his apparent disregard in family matters because of his love for the game. Both Anbu & Gethu might have left the field on that day, but their paths were destined to cross & the impact that it has on their personal lives is what this movie is about. 

This is Tamizharasan's directorial debut for which he has penned the script as well which is packaged as a sports drama and touches upon various aspects such as caste discrimination, egos, relationship dynamics & inclusivity. Success is at times denied despite the talent at their disposal because of people being consumed by petty issues and it is conveyed in a natural manner. In a way it reminded me of Jayakumar's "Blue Star" which had a more pronounced political tone but over here as well, it has touched upon some critical points with a hint of humour. As such the focus might be on the two male protagonists, but Tamizharasan has written the female characters really well & at times, I felt they were better. The technical aspect was done neatly be it Dinest Purushothaman's frames or Sean Roldan's music, all of which has complimented the story perfectly.

Both Harish & Dinesh have done utmost to their roles, but their female counterparts, Swasika & Sanjana Krishnamoorthy were equal to the task. The last time I watched Harish's performance was in  "Parking" which was also about ego clashes & just in that flick, I was impressed with his performance over here as well. Equally impressive was Dinesh while Swasika & Sanjana did full justice to the meaty roles provided to them. Even the rest of the artists such as Bala Saravanan, Kaali Venkat, Devadarshini etc  have done their parts aptly.

Verdict: It will also go down as one of the most appreciated sports dramas in recent times!!!

Rating: 3.25/5

Devara: "Lacked authenticity despite Jr.NTR's effort!!!"

Among the South Indian movies, if there is one industry that have their noses in front when it comes to grandeur & mass masala entertainment, then it has to be hands down the Telugu industry. One director who has aced that is Koratala Siva & hence his latest flick that saw the entry of Saif Ali Khan & Jahnvi Kapoor with Jr NTR in the lead was more than ample reason to check it out. However, I was aware of what I was getting into & the question was whether he had pushed the envelope too much. 

Incidentally, this movie also unfolds in 1996 where the Govt is in talks with the law & order forces over concerns about the threats to the Cricket World Cup. The people in question where Daya & his brother, Yethi, and the efforts of the police to track down their whereabouts led them to the Red Sea villages in the Ratnagiri mountains. This is where they learn about Devara (Jr NTR), the leader to one of the four villages who was determined to curb the smuggling activities that happened in the region more than a decade back. It invariably meant that he had created numerous enemies in the region which included Bhaira (Saif), who was the chieftain to the adjacent village. So what was the connection of these villages to the main issue?

In terms of the story, the manner in which it is build up felt interesting though there were shades of other movies/series in some of the elements. But by the time, it is into the second half, it gets tiresome with the question in the end that was supposed to have made us sit up with anticipation lacking the punch that the makers would have hoped for. On the technical side, Ratnavelu's frames were top notch & Sabu Cyril's art direction was good but Anirudh's music & BGM lacked the impact that was expected. However, the VFX did not have the authenticity & at times, reminded me of the scenes happening within a swimming pool / warehouse. 

It is a Jr NTR show & he has done a fine job as the protagonist be it in the action or emotional segments. However, the second role was written poorly and the same applies to Saif as well who did have the appearance and performance for it. None of the rest of the cast deserves a mention as they did not have anything significant to do.

Verdict: Apparently, it is going strong at the box office but for me, it falls well short of expectations!!!

Rating: 1.5/5

Regards...Ben