Even as "2018" deservedly took all the accolades, there were a couple of other flicks which had also made its way to the screens in this past week. These included Shahad Nilambur's "Anuragam" & Sudhi Maddison's "Neymar". Both of them did not boast of having something novel to tell the audience but the manner in which it was crafted made it an endearing watch at various segments. But the question was who managed to convey their story convincingly without an overload of clichés.
Anuragam: "Rom-com that starts off promisingly but looses track soon after!!!"
This is Shahad's second directorial venture after "Prakashan Parakatte" & he has chosen the script penned by Aswin Jose (you will recollect him from his performance in "Queen" among others) to call the shots. Aswin (his original name itself) was in love with his best friend, Janani (Gouri G Kishan); though it was more along the lines of being one-sided. Janani was reluctant to get into a relationship especially after what had happened to her parents who were on the verge of separation. In the hope to impress Janani, Aswin decides to step in and broker peace between her parents. Whether it turns out to be positive & the impact that it has on their lives is what this movie is about.
In terms of the storyline, it is way too predictable & cliched. Despite that, I still found the first half largely entertaining as the comedy, colourful frames & music gave it the vibe of that typical Tamil rom com flicks that we have seen in the past. However, the story fizzled out even before the second half commenced & the conflicts that brewed between the characters essayed by Gautham & Lena are dealt with at a superficial level while Durga Krishna's role lacked any bite. Among the three relationships that were showcased, the only one which had a credible emotional connect was the track that involved Johny Antony & Devayani, which was primarily due to the former's performance.
On the technical side, Joel Jones music was fine & Suresh Gopi's visuals were good. Coming to performances, Johny Antony & Gouri did their parts well while Lena & Devayani were ok. As for the rest, Ashwin, Sheela & Durga were average, Gautham looked at sea, while Sudhish was wasted.
Verdict: It's not a flick that is going to test our patience (maybe it will in the second half) but at the same time it doesnt offer anything that could be termed as fresh in terms of the storyline or treatment. In short, you may give it a try!!!
Rating: 2.25/5
Neymar: "A blend of humour & emotions!!"
I wouldn't be surprised if atleast some of you would have expected this to be a movie about football coz of its title. Well the only connection that it has with the world's most popular game is that the canine protagonist shared its name with the Brazilian star striker while Mathew & Naslen's characters were members of Brazil's local fan club. In his debut directorial venture, Sudhi had joined hands with Paulson Scaria and Adarsh Sukumar who had worked on the dialogues and screenplay.
Kunjava (Mathew) & Shinto (Naslen) were the best of buddies who stuck through thick and thin. The latest incident in Kunjava's life was that he was in love with a girl in his class & Shinto comes up with the idea to get a puppy to impress her. This brings in Neymar who wrecks havoc in their lives coz of his mischievousness. However, soon enough an emotional bond is formed between them but Kunjava's father Sahadevan (Shammi Thilakan) had enough of Neymar's troubles and had him abandoned. However, Kunjava with the help of Shinto decides to track down Neymar who was said to be abandoned in Pondicherry.
It is a feel good flick with liberal sprinkling of humour in the first half which keeps us engaged. The latter half takes place in Pondicherry & the competition that unfolds there which Neymar is forced to participate. The movie does not spring any surprises yet it does not weary us as it manages to create an emotional connect with the audience without going overboard with it. Both Shaan Rehman & Gopi Sundar has done a commendable job with the music and BGM while Alby's cinematography was impressive especially with the way that he captured Neymar's reactions. At the same time, Noufal Abdullah could have trimmed it further while the VFX should have been done more neatly.
Though Neymar is a trained canine, it still deserves praise along with its trainer for a job well done. Both Mathew & Naslen did their parts aptly with the latter walking away with most of the hilarious lines. The veterans, Vijayaraghavan, Shammi Thilakan & Johny Antony were good with the mass scene being whistle worthy. Yog Jaypee was impressive as well while many of the supporting cast did justice to their roles.
Verdict: It doesn't take the highly emotional route of "Charlie 777" but keeps us engaged with an adequate mix of humour & emotions.
Rating: 2.75/5
Regards...Ben
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