Bro Daddy review: "Decent entertainer that could have been much better!!!"

Even as "Hridayam" is running to packed houses, we had another big banner release in the form of Prithvi's "Bro Daddy" last night. On the occasion of  our 73rd Republic Day, Aashirvad Cinemas decided to take the OTT route and streamed Prithvi's second directorial venture on Disney Hotstar. With an enviable cast on board headlined by Lalettan & Prithvi, the expectations were sky high especially since the trailer kind of gave the vibe of the flair with which Lalettan handled comedy in the past. The last time the duo had joined hands for "Lucifer", it created box office history & even though the genre is totally different this time around, the makers will be hoping it will cater to the taste of the audience. So did they manage to???

The opening credits along with the title track 'Vannu Pokum' rendered by Lalettan & Prithvi gives us a fleeting glimpse of how John (Lalettan) & Anna (Meena) became young parents to Eesho (Prithvi). Soon enough the time comes along when they decide to find a suitable alliance for their son & approach John's best buddy Kurian (Lalu Alex) for his daughter Anna (Kalyani Priyadarshan). However, with both the parties not showing much interest, the talk doesn't proceed further. But unknown to both the parents, John & Anna were already in a live in relationship. 

This light hearted entertainer was penned by Bibin Maliekal & N Sreejith and starts off in a jovial manner with humour generated through situational comedy rather than wise cracks. (SPOILER ALERT) The first time I heard about the title it reminded me of Chettachan (due to the literal translation) from "Pavithram". Though not quite the same, this storyline does have some similarity in the thread with "Pavithram" & "Badhaai Ho" (ALERT ENDS).  But the momentum fails to sustain in the latter half and the proceedings feel rather sluggish & boring. Even the comedy that is tried to infuse through Soubin was cringy & Antony's intro failed to bring a smile as opposed to his teaser. Eventually everything is resolved in a rather convenient manner without resorting to heavy melodrama.  

As a director, Prithvi has definitely done reasonably well with the material that was provided to him. It does proves that he does have the ability to handle other genres as well especially since comedy is not an easy task to direct. The overall mood, frames and textures were vibrant for which Abinandan Ramanujam deserves praise and ona lighter note, uber lifestyle of the protagonists resembled what we observe in Telugu movies (especially Mahesh Babu's..;)). As for other technical aspects, both the art and styling department deserves a pat on their back while Akhilesh Mohan could have done a better job with the editing in the post interval session.

Among the accomplished stars that had lined up for this project, the one that impresses the most is undoubtedly Lalu Alex & that is primarily because of the well rounded character arc to which he has done utmost justice. Lalettan was fine and at ease essaying his role and shared good chemistry with Prithvi, who also showed that he can also handle humour adequately. Kalyani was impressive while Meena and Kanika did their parts aptly. Another person who impressed was Mallika Sukumaran in a brief role while Soubin had a poorly etched role, Jagadish was ok while Unni Mukundan was wasted.

Verdict: The USP of the movie was a light hearted vibrant entertainer which it more or less achieves. However, the latter half was pretty mediocre and certainly tempts one to fast forward quite a few of the sequences. In short, the performances were fine but the movie as such could have been way better!!!

Rating: 2.5/5

Regards...Ben  

Hridayam review: "Vineeth's talent elevates a familiar plot & makes it endearing to the heart!!!"

2022 is here & the first major release of the year have hit the screens yday. The much awaited project happens to be none other Vineeth Sreenivasan's "Hridayam" which is bankrolled by Visakh Subramaniam of the iconic Merryland Cinemas which is making a return into production after almost four decades. Even as Kerala decided to enforce lockdown for a fortnight on Sundays, the duo decided to go ahead with the release. Luckily for many of us in Bangalore, the timing of the release couldn't have been better as the Karnataka Govt decided to withdraw the weekend curfew from today. With almost 15 tracks, Hesham Abdul Wahab's music headlined by 'Darshana' have already been a chartbuster & that expectedly added fuel to the hype. There is no denying that the music endeared to the heart but did the movie do the same???

The movie chronicles the journey of Arun Neelakandan (Pranav Mohanlal) from his college days to fatherhood and the events that molded him into the person that he eventually became. The first half touches upon romance, breakup, reckless attitude, realization etc., while the latter part is about finding his passion and married life. In terms of the storyline, Vineeth does not offer anything new as you would have seen glimpses of it in "Silunu Oru Kathal", "June" or "Vaaranam Aayiram" to name a few but the manner in which he has drafted the screenplay is what that made it so appealing. 

There are numerus sequences that many would be able to relate to & this nostalgic feel is what the maverick Vineeth has tapped into with success. The primary reason why this thought process worked out so well is because of Hesham's music and that too of various genres that gels well with the proceedings and elevates the viewing experience. Surely a career that is destined to go places if he churns out similar tracks in the future. The multi talented Vineeth's ability to extract the desired emotions and performances from his cast showcases command over his craft. Kudos also goes to the DoP Vishwajith Odukkathil as there were many exquisite frames as well as Ranjan Abraham, as it is not so often that majority of the people sit through a 3 h movie without their patience being tested. 

On the performance front, all have done justice to their roles but the pick among the lot was undoubtedly Darshana who was brilliant in showcasing the various emotions that her character goes through. Pranav finally got a role or rather a director who knew how to make optimum use of his talent and he was spot on in the first half while subsequently, though ok he wasn't able to convincingly  convey the maturity of his character. Kalyani had a comparatively limited screen space and did a decent job though it reminded of her role in "Varane Avashyamunde" at times. Another person that deserves to be mentioned in the same breath is Ashwath Lal who was impressive while the rest of the cast such as  Kalesh (as Selva, his track will certainly moving), Aju Varghese, Johny Antony, Vijay Raghavan, Arun Kurien etc have done their parts aptly. 

Verdict: Is it Vineeth's best work to date? the answer to that might vary from person to person as it is "Thira" for me. But this has to be arguably his most endearing work as it manages to elevate a familiar plot and made it engaging and entertaining. Though marketed as Pranav's movie for obvious reasons, it is as much about Darshana as him and the cast and crew were able to live upto the hype according to me. In short, dont miss it!!!

Rating: 3.5/5

Regards...Ben

Meow review: "Left the theatres as silently as the cat"

One of the most eagerly awaited Xmas release was Lal Jose's "Meow" & though the promotions were rather timid, I had decided to check it out primarily because the project was a collaboration of Lal Jose & Iqbal Kuttipuram. Whenever the duo have joined hands, it has resulted in good projects like "Arabikatha", "Diamond Necklace" & "Vikramadithyan"; so naturally the expectations were pretty high. Unfortunately, it failed to recreate the magic of the earlier projects & cut a sorry figure at the box office.

Based in UAE, Dasthakeer (Soubin Shahir) owned a small supermarket which barely managed to stay afloat; the effects of which created discord in his marital life. It eventually led to his wife, Sulu (Mamta Mohandas) returning to her parents while their children stayed on with their father. Dasthakeer had a bindaas nature in his early days when he was a passionate student leader and a party animal. However, an accident changed his whole outlook towards life & under the influence of the religious leader, Ustad (Salim Kumar) he embraced a much more conservative and devout lifestyle. Around this time, an Azerbaijani maid joined the family and eased the struggles that he faced at home. However, in the process he became much more rigid in resolving the issue with his wife. 

Lal Jose's credentials as a film makers needs no introduction as he is undoubtedly one of the finest director in the industry. However, success has been difficult in coming by with his last major box office hit being "Vikramadithyan" in 2014. Well it is likely to remain in the same manner as the script was pretty ordinary & didn't offer anything as such that would make us sit up and take note. Even as the protagonist realizes the flaws of being a fundamentalist, the script fails to give strength to the characterisation of Sulu who though initially shown as a lady wishing to be independent is eventually reduced to someone who is content with a life that had clipped her aspirations. In effect, it continues at the same pace right throughout without much of an impact. On the technical side, Ajmal Sabu's visuals & Justin Varghese's music were fine while Ranjan Abraham's editing could have been a bit more crisper. 

Despite the lack luster script, the cast has given decent performances such as Soubin who did justice to his part as the older self. However, the younger version kinda felt pretty artificial while Mamta Mohandas did a decent job in the limited opportunity that was offered to her. However the chemistry between them wasn't quite there apart from maybe in the first scene where they meet. Yasmina Alidodova as the maid was ok along with the kids while it was heartening to see Harisree Yousuf given a credible role to which he has done utmost justice.

Verdict: It failed to recreate the magic that we would expect from a Lal Jose-Kuttipuram combination. the script was pretty average & doesn't offer any scenarios that we are not accustomed to. The presence of the cat or what it was meant to convey didn't make much sense. In short, apart from decent performances, nothing much worthwhile!!!

Rating: 1.75/5

Regards...Ben

Ajagajantharam review: "Chaos & masculinity take centre stage!!!"

When was the last time you had gone for a temple festival? It's been quite a while for me especially after Covid made its presence felt. What makes such festivals so special is the ambience, vibrant colours and sounds and hence when the trailer of Tinu Pappachan's "Ajagajantharam" was beamed, it certainly brought back memories of those days. The influence of LJP's mentorship was evident in the way Tinu had created the chaos & the unbridled masculine aggression. Though Tinu was successful to create a wholesome theatrical experience technically through his celluloid creation, the script as such was virtually non existent. Did it actually have one???

Basically it is the clash between Lali (Antony Varghese) & the wastrel gang in the locality headed by Kannan (Arjun Ashokan). Both the parties had egos that was bigger than the size of the elephant & it was just a matter of time before hell broke loose. There are a couple of subplots in the form of Kachambar Das (Sabumon), a wanted gangster, a drama troupe that is notorious for arriving late everywhere & pair of lovers who decide to elope on the night of the festival.

This is Tinu's second directorial venture after the interesting "Swanthanthryam Ardharathriyil". however, if that had a decent plot to narrate; Kichu Tellus & Vineeth Viswam barely had anything worthwhile except for situations that set the stage for a no holds barred 'naadan thallu'. Technically it was impressive be it the action choreography which was raw, Jinto George's excellent camera work, Justin Varghese and Mohammed Sanooj's music and thumping BGM and Shameer Mohammed's seamless editing. 

First & foremost, kudos to all the artists for the efforts that they had put into the action sequences as it was a testament to their mettle and stamina. In term of performance, Arjun certainly stood out with the intensity he brought to the character, Antony, Kichu, Sudhi Koppa etc were ok while Sabumon & Jaffer Idukki tickled the funny bone.

Verdict: Certainly a movie that needs to be watched in theatres as it gives us a feel of the festival ambience. There is no doubt that technically it was impressive but the script as such was way too shallow for my liking. It seemed as if the only intention was to stage action sequences. In short, chaos & masculinity rules!!!

Rating: 2.25/5

Regards...Ben

Kunjeldho review: "A kunj story that comes across as rather uneventful & trite!!!"

A couple of weeks into the New Year & the next wave of COVID has kind of disrupted our normal lives to a certain extent yet again. With many of the new releases being postponed, I decided to take the time to pen about some of the movies that I had watched during the time I was back home. One of them happened to be Mathukutty's "Kunjeldho" that released on Xmas eve. From the trailer itself, we get an idea as to what was Mathukutty trying to convey through his maiden venture. However, it wasn't as entertaining as his job as an anchor or RJ. 

Well the story is basically about Kunjeldho (Asif Ali) who embraces the vibrant college life that he always yearned for. As expected, a campus romance blossoms between him & Niveditha (Gopika Udayan) and what subsequently happens in their relationship forms the crux of the movie. Incidentally, Mathukutty had written the script & wanted Vineeth Srinivasan to helm the project, but the latter motivated Mathukutty to take the reins and offered his services as a creative director. The script fails to create much of an impact as it presented scenes and scenarios that we are accustomed to from movies like "Meenathil Thaalikettu" which though not the same handled the subject in a bit more emotional and engaging manner. Coming to the technical aspects, Mathukutty's directorial effort, Shaan Rahman' music or Swaroop Philip's visuals were decent.

Though the protagonist is a teenager, Asif Ali still managed to imbibe the traits and characteristics of Kunjeldho and do justice to it. Gopika Udayan was ok in the screen space allotted to her while Siddique yet again was fine in a very predictable role (it's time he reconsiders the roles that he takes up). As for the rest of the cast, since Ahammed Khabeer was the co-director quite a few of the cast from his "June" also featured here.

Verdict: Well it doesn't give the audience anything fresh be it in terms of the subject or the manner in which it was treated. It's not the kind of movie that neither will be slammed but wont be embraced as well. In short, better luck next time Mathukutty!!!

Rating: 2/5

Regards...Ben

Oru Thathvika Avalokanam review: "A shallow political satire that borders on cringey & rarely thought provoking!!!"

Whenever the topic of political satire movies comes up, the first name that most of us are likely to utter is Sathyan Anthikad's evergreen "Sandhesam". It is one of those classics that we never get tired of despite having watched it innumerable times & many of its dialogues are iconic. Prominent among them is undoubtedly Sankaradi's 'Oru Thathvika Avalokam' & hence when Akhil Marar adopted the same phrase for his debut venture, it certainly captured attention especially since this also belonged to the same genre. So was he able to do justice to the expectations???

In the wee hours of the night, Shankar (Joju George), a disgrunted PWD contractor breaks down the flag post of a prominent political party that had wrecked his life. With no witness to the act, the blame falls on the opposition party & tempers starts to fly between them. In the meantime, Nandakumar (Niranj Maniyanpilla Raju), a police aspirant gets caught in the political tussle due to certain unforeseen circumstances. With elections round the corner, this incident sets into motion various scenarios that has a huge bearing on the public's perspective. 

Apart from the director's cape, Akhil has also doubled up as the script writer & decided to talk about the political climate that is prevalent in our state. On the positive side, he hasn't taken sides & slammed all the three prominent parties in equal measure. In addition, there were a couple of dialogues which was right on the money regarding the sorry state of affairs that the public is subjected to irrespective of whoever was in power. But apart from this, there is hardly anything worthwhile in the movie that runs for about 2 h. The humour elements barely evoked laughs & many of the antics that the characters did on screen bordered on being cringey. On the technical side, it was average at best & some of the makeup props were mediocre. 

With a rather feeble script, there is hardly much that the artists could do but even then Joju (kinda reminded me of "Joseph" in certain sequences) has done a decent job along with Shammi Thilakan & Niranj. As for the rest of the cast such as Aju, Major Ravi etc have done their parts aptly. 

Verdict: Fails to cash in on the hype created by the title & turned out to be a rather shallow political satire. In short, even after three decades there is still hardly any other similar movie in that genre that could hold a candle to "Sandhesam"!!!

Rating: 2/5

Regards...Ben

Keshu Ee Veedinte Nadhan review: "Apart from a couple of chuckles, it fails to impress!!!"

After a fruitful time at home, I'm finally back in Bangalore to resume my professional commitments. As the last week of the year is traditionally a festive week, a plethora of movies had hit the screens & due to the paucity of time, I couldn't pen down as to whether those movies were able to satiate the audience in me. The last  movie of 2021 was Nadirshah's "Keshu Ee Veedinte Nadhan" which was released on Disney+Hotstar & I was certainly keen to check it out coz of his combo with Dilieep (numerology effect???). Add to that, Urvashi was teaming up with Dilieep as a pair for the first time & from the looks of the trailer, it seemed like a laugh riot. But was it really???

Keshu (Dilieep) runs a driving school & is a miser to the core which is well known within his family. Since he was the custodian of the ancestral property, his siblings & their husbands were keen on having the partition done though he wasn't game for it & had a knack of wriggling out of such sticky discussions. It is at this juncture that all of them decide to make a trip to Rameshwaram to immerse the ashes of his father. However, it turned out to be a trip that changes the fortunes of Keshu in ways that he didnt fathom. 

After tasting success with his previous two projects, Nadirshah seemed poised to have a winner in his hands with the cast & crew that he had assembled. But it certainly wasn't to be & without mincing words, this is his weakest movie to date. Interestingly, the script was penned by Sajeev Pazhoor of "Thondimuthalum Dhriksakshiyum" fame & it certainly had no glimpses of that quality in this. The initial interest that builds up gradually wanes with time & there is hardly anything which would pique our attention. Despite the presence of some talented artists, most of the jokes falls flat & has a rather predictable storyline. On the technical side, none of them deserves special mention as it was average at best. 

There is no doubt that Dilieep has given an earnest performance & has done justice to his role. By the way, I dont know if it is just me ; but at times his expressions reminded me of "Kunjikoonan". Personally I consider Urvashi as the most versatile actress that the industry, but it is unfortunate she was given a poorly etched role with hardly much to perform with & to be frank, she felt over the top at times. As for the rest of the cast, none of them actually stood out with their act.

Verdict: Undoubtedly a huge disappointment & the blame for that lies completely on the director & a pedestrian script. They ought to have released it in the 90s & even then it would have struggled to interest the audience. In short, apart from a few laughs there is nothing much to harp about!!!

Rating: 2/5

Regards...Ben