Chathur Mukham review: "Interesting thread that could have been more impactful!!!"

Seems like the season of spirits & horror as we already had quite a few movies based on these topics over the past couple of weeks. Even the Covid situation in our nation is nothing short of horrific as the number of cases per day is hovering around 2.5 lakhs and that is just the recorded numbers. Hmm...so humbly  requesting each & everyone to follow the safety guidelines for the sake of you & your loved ones. Another flick that has announced itself in the horror/thriller genre or as the makers, Ranjeet Shankar & Salil claim 'techno-horror' is "Chathur Mukham". So will this offer anything different???

Thejaswani (Manju Warrier) & Antony (Sunny Wayne) are close buddies who are also business partners. The former is a social media addict who constantly updated the events in her life online until she lost her smartphone. In quick time, she had her hands on a new phone but little did she realise that it would turn her life upside down. Was it just coincidence or were there some negative forces at work???

The interesting aspect of this 'techno-horror' is that the four faces behind the camera are all IT professionals which in a sense made them better equipped to understand the dark side of technology. These include the debutant director duo Ranjeet-Salil & the script writer duo Abhayakumar-Anil Kurien.  First & foremost, kudos for giving a fresh perspective to the horror genre which is quite cliched in our movies & more often than not turns out to be unintentionally comical for the audience. Over here, they have atleast tried to provide a scientific explanation to the eerie events but somewhere down the line especially in the latter half it just didnt seem to have the finesse & felt cluttered. On the technical side, it did justice to the genre that it belonged to.

Manju as expected has done a fine job however the same can't be said about her co-star, as Sunny Wayne was pretty damn mediocre. Alencier was impressive, Navas Vallikunnu tickles the funny bone in the limited screen space while the rest of the cast like Niranjana, Shyamaprasad, Rony etc did their parts aptly.

Verdict: Apart from being the protagonist, Manju has also doubled up as one of the producers in this project that undoubtedly had a relatively different tale to explain. However, it was not as impactful as expected though the makers do deserve praise for their effort. In short, you can still give it a try!!!

Rating: 2.25/5

Regards...Ben

Nizhal review: "Intriguing beginning reduced to a shadow later on!!!

The leadup to Vishu saw a plethora of movies hitting the screens & OTT platform with quite a few of them making us to sit up and take note. One such movie that caught my attention was Appu N Bhattathiri's "Nizhal" which from the looks of it seemed like a classy mystery thriller with an interesting cast. Even the mask that Chackochan's character wore (pretty commonly seen in EPL) as part of a protective gear for the nasal bone fracture added to the intrigue. So did it provide what the trailer promised???

John Baby (Chackochan), a judicial magistrate had met with an accident that left him with experiences that felt eerie. His friend & clinical psychologist, Shalini (Divya Prabha) was of the opinion that it was a case of post traumatic stress & should subside with time. As part of their conversations, she tells him about a consultation that one of the schools had requested her for to assess a small kid, Nithin (Izin Hash). Apparently, he had narrated a murder story in school which seemed to be too true to be fictional. This aroused the investigative streak in John & he decides to probe as to whether there was indeed some truth to Nitin's tales???

Appu is a relatively well known name in the industry as he had worked in numerous movies as a commendable editor which saw him being awarded with the 2017 State Award for his craft in "Ottamuri Vellicham". However, in "Nizhal" apart from the editing responsibilities he decided to step in the director's boots for the first time armed with the script penned by S Sanjeev. There is no doubt that the duo has done an impressive job in keeping the audience engaged right until the very last 20 mins. Like slow cooked pork, it slowly and steadily builds up the flavour; however when it came to the point of the big reveal; it turned out to be bland. On the technical side, Deepak Mohan's visuals was delightful & Sooraj Kurup's BGM was fine.

This is the first time that Nayanthara & Chackochan were paired though they did share screen space in "Twenty20". But I am not going to talk about either of them as the star of the show was Izin Hash, who is a well established star in the Middle East having been part of numerous ads. His on screen presence & confidence were praise worthy and kudos to Appu for choosing apt artists for the different roles. Chackochan as usual has done a fine job along with Nayanthara, though it werent roles that tested their caliber. As for the rest of the cast, they were ok.

Verdict: There is no doubt that the makers has done an impressive job in maintaining the mystery & intrigue pretty much right throughout the movie. Even the technical aspects were on the money to be frank. However, they messed it up in the latter half which will surely be a downer among majority of the audience. In short, you can still give a try with reservations!!!

Rating: 2.25/5

Regards...Ben

 

Nayattu review: "Haunting culmination that will leave a lump in the throat!!!"

Ever since the COVID crisis began, the law & order unit has been working hand in glove with the health department to ensure that the situation doesnt drift beyond control. They surely have been capable of doing it to a certain extent until the election campaign came around which made a mockery of all the restrictions & now the nation is facing the after effects of it. This is just a glimpse as to how the police force is reduced to a puppet that is forced to function to the whims & fancies of the political parties. In effect, the police are more often than not helpless (though there is no denying the fact that there are black sheep among their midst as well) & that is the premises for Martin Prakkat's "Nayattu". It basically shows that the lines of demarcation between the hunter & the hunted isn't as stark as one believes it to be.

Praveen Michael (Kunchacko Boban) had recently joined the police force & worked as the subordinate to senior officer Maniyan (Joju George). One of his colleagues, woman constable Sunitha (Nimisha Sajayan) filed a complaint against one of her relatives who was part of a political outfit with Dalit ties. A series of events that unfold in the police station subsequently found the three of them in the middle of a political storm. To make matters worse, one of the companions of the accused met with an accident & the trio were left no choice but to abscond until they could clear their names of the charge. Will they be able to prove their innocence or will the system that they sincerely served plot their downfall???

After the fantastic "Joseph", this is yet another brilliant script penned by the talented Shahi Kabir. If the previous one was a crime thriller, this one can be classified as a survival thriller where we are exposed to the workings of the political system & the steps that they adopt to secure their vote bank. In the process, many lives gets withered for others to realise their political ambition even if it belongs to the their own hunters who eventually becomes the hunted when the tables changed with time. I have always been a fan of Martin's movies that are colourful & entertaining, but over here he has opted for a raw feel to the situations. He cleverly gives us an insight into the families of the three main characters & the pressures that they are forced to withstand  through the use of well placed dialogues. If at all, there is a flaw then it would be depiction of Dalit laws being misused which though true is miniscule when compared to the oppression that they face ("Karnan" that was discussed yday is an ideal example for that).

On the technical side, when the DoP is Shyju Khalid, do I even need to say more; as it would be excellent as always. Kudos to Mahesh Narayanan's editing for giving that edgy feel to the proceedings & equally impressive was the BGM. As for the cast, each & everyone have done their parts really well. Joju was head & shoulders the best among the lot and it would be hard not to empathize with his character. Nimisha might have limited dialogues but she conveyed oodles with her expressions (dont miss the stare between her & a female police officer that spoke volumes). Chackochan has done his part aptly while Jaffer Idukki has well & truly established himself as a solid supporting artist in recent times. Even others like Yama Gilgamesh (as SP Arundhati), the late Anil Nedumangad did justice to their roles.

Verdict: Undoubtedly one of the finest or more appropriately, haunting culmination that you would have watched in quite a while. It would surely make us look at many events that unfolds in front of us from a different perspective. In short, it's a must watch!!!

Rating: 4.25/5

Regards...Ben

Karnan review: "Selvaraj mesmerizes the audience with his brilliance!!!"

We are into the 74th year of our Independence & though our nation has developed by leaps and bounds, it's still much slower than what we would have expected. The biggest bane is undoubtedly the caste & religious divide that has denied many communities their fundamental rights. Even as the media has more often than not crossed lines of decency & at times, credibility; it is undeniable that it has also brought to light the atrocities that many of the communities face from the so called "higher" caste. In essence, it is as Joji says, the society fucked them. This is the topic that Mari Selvaraj has chosen in his latest venture "Karnan" & from the look of the trailer, it seemed to be yet another hard hitting gripping flick.

Set in Podiyakalam, a group of villagers from the Dalit community suffered from years of systematic  oppression. All their cries for a better livelihood which included the request for a bus stop fell on deaf ears of the authorities. This invariably meant that they were at the mercy of the neighboring village that belonged to the higher caste who never missed an opportunity to physically assault and belittle them. Karnan (Dhanush) was a short tempered individual who was vocal about the injustice meted out to them & urged his people to retaliate rather than be mere spectators lest the future generation had to go through the same discrimination.

After "Pariyerum Perumal", Selvaraj is back with yet another flick that does not sugar coat the difficulties that the minor communities face. He showcases it not just in dialogues but in the form of numerous metaphors such as various animals (donkey, eagle, horse etc), masked deity, fish hook etc. The attention that he has given to the script in terms of how the various scenes are staged, the character arch of many of them etc., all deserves applause as it felt like a slice of real life rather than something created for the celluloid. However, it did seem to a bit too overdramatic and sluggish at times for me. Santhosh Narayanan's music was soulful & impactful with tracks like 'Kandaa Vara Sollunga' while Theni Eswar's cinematography captures the rustic feel impressively.

Dhanush was brilliant as the protagonist and showcases the change in his overall attitude perfectly as the enemy got tougher. Last week, we got to see our Lal in "Sulthan" & over here, he has done utmost justice to a meaty role. To be frank, it's hard to even say if anyone was average as everyone were right on the money be it Yogi Babu (refreshing to see him in a serious role), Lakshmi Priyaa (as Karnan's sister), Rajisha Vijayan, Gouri Kishan etc.

Verdict: Selvaraj produces yet another fantastic movie which throws light on the social divide still very much prevalent in many communities. Each & every artist has performed impressively led by the talented Dhanush  which was complemented by the music. In short, definitely check it out!!!

Rating: 3.5/5

Regards...Ben

Anugraheethan Antony: "A slack script doesnt offer an anugraheethan experience for the audience!!!"

Election season has begun & our state went to the polls about a week back. However, the utter disregard for the COVID restrictions during the election campaign has led to an outburst of positive cases & even deaths which is bound to worsen over the next few weeks. Can anyone fool death? Hmm...certainly not after all it's an inevitable truth of our existence. This essentially means that we need to make the best use of our time on earth after all good deeds are never left unrewarded. So on Fool's day, Prince Joy released his directorial debut "Anugraheethan Antony" that dealt with something similar along these lines.

Antony (Sunny Wayne) was the lazy & aimless son of a retired and reputed teacher,Varghese (Siddique). The irresponsible nature of the former was the reason for constant friction between the father and son. It was around this time, that he met Sanjana (Gouri Kishan) the daughter of a local mill owner & as one would expect, it was love at first sight for Antony. But he lacked the courage to convey it to her & even if he does, will her father approve of it???

Without mincing words, the biggest flaw of the movie is the script penned by Naveen T Manilal, that wanders aimlessly for most parts of the movie. The screenplay does manage to salvage it to a certain extent with the melodramatic scenes (some might feel feel it was overdone) which makes us connect with the situation & at times, welled up the eyes. The dogs played an important part & that was an interesting take, though it should have been explored much more. Another aspect that works in its favour is Arun Muraleedharan's music & BGM while the other technical aspects were average at best.

On the performance side, Sunny Wayne has done decently though he falters big time in the emotional scenes. This is the first major role for Gouri in Malayalam & she has done a fine job along with Muthumani & the ever reliable Siddique. The rest of the cast also did their parts aptly be it Jaffar Idukki, Manikandan, Indrans, Suraj, Baiju etc.

Verdict: The emotional scenes does manage to work its magic on the audience though that doesnt hide the fact that the story lacks the impact. It was refreshing not to see the spirit in a vengeful avatar, however the makers fails to cash on it. In short, you may check it out if you have the time!!!

Rating: 2.25/5

Regards...Ben

The Big Bull review: "Facade of the actual bull!!"

Harshad Mehta, the infamous stock broker who outsmarted the Indian banking system in the early 1990s is an individual that has fascinated film makers and authors. The boom of the OTT platform in the lockdown period saw the release of  Hansal Mehta's critically acclaimed web series "Scam 1992". This naturally meant that it was always going to be an uphill task for Kookie Gulati's "The Big Bull" which was based on the same story albeit with cinematic liberties. In essence it felt like a ODI up against Test & the question was which one managed to satiate the audience. 

Hemant Shah (Abhishek Bachchan) decided to make a plunge into  the stock market when he learned that it could be the staircase to quick wealth if one played his cards smartly. Along with his brother, Viren (Sohum Shah) who was already a small dealer in the stock exchange; he rapidly became a name that was spoken in the corridors of power. Hemant knew the frailty in the banking sector that he used to his advantage & as one would expect, many others also benefitted from his unscrupulous dealings. But it was a matter of time, before law took its course. 

Apart from donning the directorial cape, Kookie had also penned the script along with Arjun Dhawan and that is exactly the weakest aspect of this movie. The characterization of the protagonist was poorly etched & none of the events that unfolded on screen barely gave us a credible essence of how this scam panned out or if the political system was involved. Everything whizzes by in quick time as if they were more keen to show a glimpse of everything rather than focus on the specifics which would have added so much value to this production from Ajay Devgn. Dharmendra Sharma's editing was mediocre, Vishnu Rao's visuals was average while I did enjoy Cari Minati's rendition of the title track.

There isn't much that the artists could do when the script itself is pretty average & though Jr AB received quite a bit of flak for his performance, I felt he did a reasonable job with what he was given. However, it did have streaks of "Guru" & leaned towards a filmy villain rather than a calculative smart individual. As for the rest of the cast, Ileana D'Cruz, Sohum Shah & Nikita Dutta were ok while artists like Supriya Pathak & Saurabh Shukla were wasted.

Verdict: Without a shadow of doubt, Hansal Mehta's web series choke slams "The Big Bull". The so called biopic turned out to be an ordinary flick of a guy who flew so high (I dont know how many times they used that analogy in this movie) & eventually fell flat as he had no parachute. This is more or less the fate of the movie except that it barely took off. In short, don't bother!!!

Rating: 1.75/5

Regards...Ben 

Joji review: "Pothettan claims the hat trick in style!!!"

Just like how the COVID cases has surged over the past week or so (thanks to the election campaign), there has been a plethora of movies that has hit the screens or on the OTT platform. This meant movie aficionados like me are spoilt for choice & hence barely given me the time to pen down my opinion about the flicks that I had checked out. The latest Malayalam release on Amazon is Dileesh Pothan's "Joji" & from the moment the trailer had released, the expectations were pretty high courtesy of his track record.

Joji (Fahadh Fasil) was the youngest son of the wealthy and austere Panachel Kuttapan (V P Sunny) and the laziest among the latter's three sons, who was always on the lookout for a quick buck. His brothers, Jomon (Baburaj) & Jaison (Joji Mundakayam) held their father in high regard though deep down Jaison didnt approve of the iron handed nature of his father in financial matters. It was during this time that their father had a stroke and was paralyzed which Joji saw as a ray of hope to get his hand on his father's inheritance. But destiny had other decisions as his father miraculously returned from the dead. However, Joji was determined to make the destiny that he craved for by hook or by crook. 

This is Dileesh's third directorial venture & his trusted lieutenant, Syam Pushkaran has yet again penned the script which is based on Shakespeare's 'Macbeth'. Frankly speaking, I found it as an extremely vague adaptation as Syam has modelled the character of the artists in a distinct manner and completely in sync with the culture and customs in the region. There is not a single moment in the movie that is boring despite the manner in which it would appear sluggish at times & Dileesh as well as Kiran Das's editing skills deserves a round of applause for that. On the technical side, if the DoP is Shyju Khalid then there is nothing to talk about as that dude is simply awesome while Justin Varghese's score gels with the mood. 

As has been the trend  for quite a while now, Fahad was brilliant as the protagonist as he showcased the variations in his character's psyche with ease. Whenever Fahadh held the baton as the lead, then it is no mean task to match upto him but there were quite a few who managed to do that in this. Baburaj reinvented himself in "Salt N Pepper" and after a decade, he has got this opportunity in the form of Jomon in which he reveled. Similarly, Basil impressively projected a new version of his himself as Fr. Kevin while Shammi Thilakan like wine seems to get better with time. Both Bincy and Jaison were fine while Sunny fitted the bill of Kuttappan perfectly & the scene where he jumps into the water pit seemed like a tip of the hat for his portrayal of Thorappan Bastin in "Spadikam".

Verdict: There is no doubt that this is an engaging drama/thriller that has been exquisitely crafted and ably supported by some brilliant performances. Don't bother to even think twice, as this is Dileesh's march to yet another classic!!!

Rating: 3.75/5

Regards...Ben

Sulthan review: "Typical mass masala that doesn't evoke as many thrills!!!"

It's been quite a while since a masala movie for the galleries had hit the screens & hence when Bakkiyaraj Kannan's "Sulthan" was announced, there was a palpable sense of excitement at the box office. The trailer didn't seem to offer anything different but I was eager to check it out after all movies of this genre are bindass time pass entertainers. This time around it is Karthi who has donned the mantle of the mass hero & it remains to be seen as to what he has brought different to the plate.

Vikram aka Sulthan (Karthi) was the son of Sethupathi (Napoleon), one of the prominent dons in Chennai. As he had lost his mother at birth, Sulthan was raised by his uncle, Lal (Mansoor) and their army of henchmen. Sulthan didnt approve of his father's activities & was based in Mumbai as a robotics engineer. However, the demise of his father left him with the task of taking care of their men after all they were like family to him. With the police force determined to eliminate the gang, it left Sulthan with precious little time & an uphill task of convincing and guiding them to a meaningful life ahead.

The last time that Bakkiyaraj had called the shots, it was for "Remo" which had brought cheers to the producers. Scripted by Bakkiyaraj himself, "Sulthan'' kinda reminded me of "Thalaiva" in the initial part & the one segment of the climax fight sequence was reminiscent of "Endgame". It certainly had a different thread in the sense that the protagonist was trying to lead his men towards a life of peace and dignity. But somehow it didn't quite have the impact that we expected & felt lukewarm in totality.  None of the technical aspects deserves special mention as they were average at best.

Karthi has done a fine job though it didnt require any special effort from him. Rashmaka Mandanna definitely had scope to perform unlike most female artists in masala potboilers and did justice to it. As for the rest of the cast, Nawab Shah featured as the corporate giant who snarled; while Ramachandra Raju was the dreaded gangster in the region. 

Verdict: It doesn't fit the bill of an enthralling potboiler for me though the script did have the scope for it. However, I wouldn't be surprised if the fans find it engrossing and make it rewarding for the makers. So will I suggest it, hmm...maybe you can give it ty if you want to watch some typical gravity defying stunts!!!

Rating: 2.25/5

Regards...Ben

Kala review: "Unbridled raw human emotions!!!"

On the occasion of Christ's resurrection, I wish my family & friends, a happy and peaceful Easter. Over the last couple of weeks, there has been a steady release of movies & with the Covid restrictions with regard to theatre occupancy still in place; how many of them manages to bring a smile to the producers remains to be seen. Last week, Rohit V S's "Kala" had hit the screens which made heads turn as it was given a 'A' certificate. The trailer gave us a glimpse of the reason as it was a no holds barred action extravaganza (Tovino reminded me of some scenes from "The Passion of Christ"), but none of us would have expected the lengths to which both the cast & crew invested into it.

Shaji (Tovino Thomas) was a bold and egoistic individual who looked down upon people that he considered was lower in the social strata. As far as his means of livelihood was considered, he supported his family from the produce of the agarian fields that his father, Raveendran (Lal) possessed. The latter wasn't particularly fond of his son, as he had lost significant amount of money through his various failed business plans. Things move along uneventfully, until some labourers are brought in to do some work in their land. But the demeanor of some of them, didnt go down well with Shaji.

This is the third venture of Rohit & it didnt quite surprise me the manner in which this movie was executed. After all, his earlier two projects were "The Adventures of Omanakuttan" & "Iblis" which were quite quirky and distinct. He has penned the script along with Yadhu Pushpakaran and it is essentially about the clash between an egoistic and arrogant individual and another who wanted revenge for the loss of his dear pet. So in effect like John Wick's fury & to put it frankly, there is nothing else in terms of the story. But the outburst of the raw emotions eventually leading to an extended action sequence (hard to believe that it could last for so long) was just exhilarating. The technical elements deserves praise be it Akhil George's visuals, Chamman Chacko's impressive edits and Dawn Vincent's music.

Hats off to Tovino Thomas for his conviction in choosing the role & brilliance in portrayal different versions of Shaji across the course of the movie. Equally fantastic or maybe even a shade better was Sumesh Moor as the unnamed who was savage & virtually beast like. The rest of the cast such as Lal, Divya Pillai have done their parts aptly as well.

Verdict: As mentioned earlier, there is hardly any story as such & could be slotted as a normal revenge drama. But the manner in which Rohit crafted the characters of Tovino & Sumesh is what makes it an interesting watch. The efforts of both the artists as well as the crew for some elaboratively executed raw action sequence definitely deserve an applause & hence give it a try!!!

Rating: 2.75/5

Regards...Ben