OMG...it's finally here!!! the much awaited "Lucifer" has hit the screens & it's mayhem as people are scurrying to get hold of their tickets. Ever since the project was officially announced a couple of years back at a much publicized press meet, the audience has been waiting impatiently for the final product. Apart from the fact that it was Lalettan's movie, the directorial debut of Prithvi with Murali Gopi's script kinda elevated the expectations to insane levels. Those expectations were justified with an outstanding trailer courtesy of Don Maxx which meant we were in for an absolute treat. I have always been sceptical about movies with a lot of hype with "Odiyan" being a perfect example. So did the Lalettan-Prithvi-Murali combo work its magic on me as much as it did for others???
PLOT
The CM & doyen of Kerala politics, P K Ramdas (Sachin Khedekar) had bid adieu to his mortal form. As expected, there is turmoil within the IUF party that boasts of a history of 150 years as to who would succeed the much respected & loved leader. Since neither his daughter Priyadarshini (Manju Warrier) or son, Jatin Ramdas (Tovino Thomas) seemed interested to make a plunge into politics, the proverbial succession question remained. But even before swords could be drawn out of their scabbards, Bimal Nair aka Bobby (Vivek Oberoi), the son in law of PK took over the party & announced his decision as to who should be the next CM. His aim was to ensure that his shady drug cartel deals went through smoothly. It was a decision that none of the senior members could resist lest they fall out of his allegiance after all he pumped funds into the party & their bank accounts. However, it was easier said than done as PK's foster son Stephen Nedumpally (Lalettan) who was the darling of the masses could see through their devious plans.
The CM & doyen of Kerala politics, P K Ramdas (Sachin Khedekar) had bid adieu to his mortal form. As expected, there is turmoil within the IUF party that boasts of a history of 150 years as to who would succeed the much respected & loved leader. Since neither his daughter Priyadarshini (Manju Warrier) or son, Jatin Ramdas (Tovino Thomas) seemed interested to make a plunge into politics, the proverbial succession question remained. But even before swords could be drawn out of their scabbards, Bimal Nair aka Bobby (Vivek Oberoi), the son in law of PK took over the party & announced his decision as to who should be the next CM. His aim was to ensure that his shady drug cartel deals went through smoothly. It was a decision that none of the senior members could resist lest they fall out of his allegiance after all he pumped funds into the party & their bank accounts. However, it was easier said than done as PK's foster son Stephen Nedumpally (Lalettan) who was the darling of the masses could see through their devious plans.
DIRECTION
Prithviraj's credentials as an actor is well documented with almost close to two decades of experience. However, it would be fair to admit that whenever we watched his interviews he always came across as someone who seemed to have immense knowledge about the technical aspects of film making. This was finally put to the test when he decided to make his directorial debut with "Lucifer" armed with the script of Murali Gopi & I have to admit that he has passed it with flying colours. He has done a brilliant job as the making was top notch with the effort that has gone into each frame being very evident be it the visuals, choice of locales & the gargantuan number of junior artists. It's not so often that we get to see perfect casting & this is just that as everyone looked apt in their respective roles.
Prithviraj's credentials as an actor is well documented with almost close to two decades of experience. However, it would be fair to admit that whenever we watched his interviews he always came across as someone who seemed to have immense knowledge about the technical aspects of film making. This was finally put to the test when he decided to make his directorial debut with "Lucifer" armed with the script of Murali Gopi & I have to admit that he has passed it with flying colours. He has done a brilliant job as the making was top notch with the effort that has gone into each frame being very evident be it the visuals, choice of locales & the gargantuan number of junior artists. It's not so often that we get to see perfect casting & this is just that as everyone looked apt in their respective roles.
SCRIPT & TECHNICAL ASPECTS
From a script of view, the first half was bang on with an engaging story-line packed with mass scenes. However, I dont quite share the same opinion in the second half (which has been Murali's bane in recent times) as the political suspense got diluted way too much for my liking after Tovino's part (which I felt should have been explored more) & it reduces to a typical cliched revenge saga in the last 20 mins with an absolute nonsensical item song. However, the last scene in the movie was a treat to the eyes & makes you yearn for more. On the technical side, everything was brilliant hands down. Sujit Vaassudev's mesmerising visuals just adds to the feel of the movie who was equally supported by Deepak Dev's brilliant BGM. Kudos to Samjith Mohammed's razor shaping editing though I felt he could have done a better job in the climax.
PERFORMANCES
What do I say about Lalettan??? The legend just sweeps us off our feet with a mind blowing performance be it with his flexibility, subtle facial expressions & punch dialogues, showing us as to why he is still on top of his game even after four decades. Ever since I saw Tovino for the first time in "ABCD", I have always felt that this guy would go places if he improved on his articulation & in recent times, he has gone from strength to strength. As Jatin Ramdas, he was outstanding & my personal favourite in the movie after Lalettan. When Vivek Oberoi was chosen as the antagonist, I was a bit skeptical as to how well he would gel in coz of the language barrier, but he did an excellent job & the credit for that equally belongs to Vineeth who did an exceptional dubbing for him. Kudos to Indrajith, who continues to prove that he is under utilised by most makers while Baiju deserves applause for his natural act. Among the females, Manju Warrier impresses with a strong performance along with Saniya who was outstanding as well. All the others have done a fine job as well though I felt Prithvi's role was poorly etched & wasnt required.
What do I say about Lalettan??? The legend just sweeps us off our feet with a mind blowing performance be it with his flexibility, subtle facial expressions & punch dialogues, showing us as to why he is still on top of his game even after four decades. Ever since I saw Tovino for the first time in "ABCD", I have always felt that this guy would go places if he improved on his articulation & in recent times, he has gone from strength to strength. As Jatin Ramdas, he was outstanding & my personal favourite in the movie after Lalettan. When Vivek Oberoi was chosen as the antagonist, I was a bit skeptical as to how well he would gel in coz of the language barrier, but he did an excellent job & the credit for that equally belongs to Vineeth who did an exceptional dubbing for him. Kudos to Indrajith, who continues to prove that he is under utilised by most makers while Baiju deserves applause for his natural act. Among the females, Manju Warrier impresses with a strong performance along with Saniya who was outstanding as well. All the others have done a fine job as well though I felt Prithvi's role was poorly etched & wasnt required.
Verdict: This is the ultimate tribute that a fanboy can do for his idol & Prithvi has done just that pretty much along the lines what Karthik Subbaraj did for Rajinikanth in "Petta". Apart from the brilliant performances & technical quality, he has shown how to make effective usage of Lalettan's acting skills & merge it with his stardom. Though I felt the latter part of the second half was a letdown, it's undoubtedly a paisa vasool entertainer. Whether it will break "Pulimurugan"'s record remains to be seen (though this is much better), but I certainly believe that it will cross 100 C. In short, dont miss it!!!
Rating: 3.25/5
Regards...Ben
Regards...Ben
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