Kalimannu review: "Not quite upto Blessy's standards!!!"

Blessy is always known to make movies which is close to the sensibilities of life & I have always been an ardent fan of his creations right from "Kaazcha" to "Pranayam". Unlike his previous films,  his latest venture "Kalimannu" has been courting trouble from some quarters for his alleged picturisation of Shweta Menon's real delivery for the film. Frankly speaking, I dont find anything wrong in it but the question I have is whether this is just for hype or will it be on par with other Blessy films???

Just like scores of other females in Mumbai, Meera (Shweta Menon), a club dancer also dreams of making it big in the silver screen. But her life gets topsy turved when she gets pregnant & her rich boy friend ditches her leading her into suicide. However, her attempt gets foiled by Shyam (Biju Menon), a cab driver who leads her back to life. Soon they get married & Meera starts realising her dreams of becoming a star. Little was she aware, that fate was going to inflict a deadly blow in the form of Shyam's death on the night of her movie premiere. How she picks up from there forms the crux of the movie.

Blessy had proclaimed during the launch of the movie that this film is basically to highlight the relationship between the mother & her unborn child. From a personal point of view, I dont feel that he has quite achieved what he proclaimed as it seemed more like a preachy second half on woman rights though it does have some pretty impactful emotional scenes as well. As for the first half, it seemed very un-Blessy with items songs packed one after the other without imparting much significance. Jayachandran's music deserves praise for a decent sound track with the lullaby being the pick of the lot.

Shweta Menon has given a decent performance with a couple of touching scenes but it wasnt quite upto the standards that we know she is capable of.  As for the rest, both Biju Menon & Suhasini have done their roles aptly.

Verdict: It's almost close to a month since "Kalimaanu" has released & seems to have acquired a decent collection. As far as my opinion goes, I would rate this as one of Blessy's weakest films to date but still it's worth a watch especially from right before interval until her delivery!!!

Rating: 3/5

Regards...Ben

Artist review: "Eccentric & complex but deserves to be applauded"!!!

If I had to choose among the present crop of directors who has quite an audience in film festivals both within & outside our nation, then I would have to take the name of Shyamaprasad. Though I have to admit, I am not a hard core fan of his films coz I do find it quite dragging at times but there is no denying the fact that the topics that he discusses are quite varied unlike the normal cliches. The latest to hit the screens from his stable is "Artist". Wonder what he has cooked this time around???

The films unfolds with Gayathri (Ann Augustine) requesting her gifted yet eccentric artist & live in partner Michael Agnelo (Fahad Fasil) to attend a meeting regarding his job in an art firm. But this meeting never takes place as Michael fails to honour his appointment & meets with an accident which renders him blind. Gayathri was barely out of her teens & pursing Fine Arts when she falls for her charismatic senior in college, Micheal. Being the free spirit & eccentric nature that he is, Micheal preferred having a no holds barred relation with Gayathri which eventually led to them dropping out of college & living together much to the dismay of her Brahmin parents. However, tough times lay ahead for her as Micheal was self centric & aloof of the hardships that she was going through to ensure that his painting proceeded without fail. So how was she going to cope with his insensitive nature which became all the more difficult after his accident???

Since both Shyamaprasad & Fahad Fasil are returning from disasters like "English" & "Olipporu" respectively, I was kinda circumspect as to how their present venture will pan out. However, after watching this I do have to admit I was pleasantly surprised as it was much pacier than other Shyamaprasad films. Based on Paritosh Uttam's novel "Dreams in Prussian Blue", the script seemed quite engaging albeit a tame climax. The character sketch was the strong point of the film & Shyamaprasad has done an impressive job with that. Bijibal's music was average while Shamdath's visuals seemed fine.

Fahad Fasil was absolutely brilliant as the eccentric & self centred artist, re-iterating that he is indeed one of the best in the industry. Thanks to the strong character of Gayathri, Ann Augustine finally got a chance to exhibit her acting skills & she has done justice to a large extent. There are quite a couple of scenes where she was fantastic while at times, she bordered on being average. In addition, Sreeram Ramchandran as Tony also deserves praise on a job well done.

Verdict: It is unlikely to have a rollicking run at the theatres as it is bound to be unpalatable for quite a few. However, personally speaking I found it much more engaging & pacier than usual Shyamaprasad offerings, not to forget the brilliant performance of Fahad. In short, do give it a try!!!

Rating: 3/5

Regards...Ben

Kunjananthante Kada review: "Wish the script was as impressive as Mammookka"!!!

Call it good fortune or a conscious attempt to cash in, but it has been raining movies in Bangalore inspite of the decision of the Anti Piracy Cell a couple of months back to delay the release here. Anywaz among the deluge of films which released this week, the one which got my attention was Mammooka's "Kunjananthante Kada", after all the legend needs to get his act together after the disappointing "Kadal Kadannu Oru Mathukutty". Mammooka has given himself a good chance considering the credentials of Salim Ahamed who was the toast of the industry for "Adaminte Makan Abu". So can Salim do it again???

Kunjananthan (Mammooka) is the owner of a small stationary shop in the serene bylanes of Vattipuram which was popular among one & all as a transit point for all kind of services. But what made the shop even more conspicuous was the upright nature of Kunjananthan who harboured an innate sense of duty to create awareness among his fellow beings to social issues through his posters, not to forget his guts to speak his mind & finicky nature to cleanliness. But all wasnt well with him, be it the frigid relationship he shared with his wife or the repeated requests by the land owner, Nambiar (Siddique) to vacate his shop, which was more like an embodiment of his father's spirit rather than a structure with bricks & stones. As if this wasnt enough, he was further burdened by the Goverment's decision to widen the roads which would effectively mean the destruction of his shop. So can Kunjananthan save his shop???

After reaping awards by the bucketfuls for "Adaminte Makan Abu", Salim Ahamed is back with his latest venture which he has penned as well just as before. There is no doubt that the film has some worthy moments be it Kunjananthan's attachment to his shop or the relationship with his wife. But apart from this, the script doesnt have much to write home about & culminates in an average climax. As for other aspects, Jayachandran's music & rendition was fantastic, but it was too short. One funny mistake which I noticed was that there is a scene in which the song "Muthu Chippi" from "Thattathin Marayathu" is played but the song being shown on TV was "Kanninnullil Nee Kanmani" from "Trivandrum Lodge".

Even though the script has come short, Mammooka was spot on as the protagonist be it with his Kannur slang or body language, but it didnt pose much of a challenge for the legend. Nyla as Chithra was impressive & stands on an even footing with the legend. As for the rest of the cast, all of them have done justice to their roles be it Siddique, Balachandra Menon or Salim Kumar.

Verdict: Inspite of a plethora of releases, this will have an impressive opening thanks to the after effects of "Adaminte Makan Abu" & Mammooka. Even though, there is nothing to trash the movie about the script could have done much more justice considering the caliber of the cast it had on offer. In short, check it out!!!

Rating: 3.25/5

Regards...Ben

Madras Cafe review: "Impressive concoction of fact & fiction!!!"

As any avid movie buff would have noticed, our film industry has pretty much dabbled with all sort of genres except for political thrillers which has been far & few. I wouldn't fault the makers for this, coz inevitably most of the time it has courted trouble as in the case of "Vishwaroopam", "Black Friday" etc ; thanks to some whimsical minded individuals & groups. The latest to join this bandwagon is Shoojit Sircar's "Madras Cafe", which has been banned in Tamil Nadu. Hmm... so let's see what's this hungama all about???

Until a couple of years back, Sri Lanka was embroiled in a bitter Civil War between the Government & LTTE (named as LTF in the movie). The film unfolds with the signing of the Indo-Sri Lanka Peace Accord to enforce the disarmament of LTF & facilitate the process of regional council. As part of this pact, the Indian Government sent in their Peace Keeping Force but instead of reining in the violence, it gets blown out of proportions. At this juncture, the RAW chief, RD (Siddharth Basu) assigns a covert operation to his trusted military intelligence officer Vikram Singh (John Abraham) which was to weaken the stranglehold of LTF in the region. In the process, Vikram opens a can of worms which eventually culminates in the assassination of our ex-PM. 

After having drawn praise from one & all, for his previous venture "Vicky Donor"; Shoojit Sircar has chosen a totally different topic which belongs to the not so oft used genre of political thrillers. There are no two words about it, as he has come up with one of the best ever political thriller made in Bollywood with the filming being kinda reminiscent of the Hollywood style. The best part of the film is that it doesn't take sides & leaves the judgement to the discretion of the audience. The credit also goes to the compelling script & screenplay by Somnath Dey & Shubendu Bhattacharya aided by the crisp editing & visuals by Chadrashekhar Prajapathi and Kamaljeet Negi respectively which keeps the audience hooked throughout. 

Frankly speaking, I don't think of John Abraham as much of an actor except for his excellent stunts but over here he was spot on as he gets into the skin of the character quite convincingly. In addition, John also have to be applauded for seeking to produce films which are distinct unlike the usual run of the mill. Siddhartha Basu was quite an interesting choice as the RAW Chief & he has done a good job along with Prakash Belawadi (as Bala). As opposed to her previous venture, Nargis Fakhri has improved which was aided to a certain extent that she had to mouth only English dialogues. The rest of the cast such as Ajay Bhaskaran (as Anna), Kannan Arunachalam (as Shri) etc., has done their parts aptly.

Verdict: With "Chennai Express" bull dozing forward, "Madras Cafe" would find the going tough. It's unlikely to cater to the single screens but thanks to the impressive content & execution it should have a decent run in the multiplexes. In short, delve into this without fail!!!

Rating: 3.5/5

Regards...Ben

Olipporu review: "Wonder what was the scripter smoking???"

Ramzan witnessed the release of a slew of films with some hitting the jackpot like "Memories", while "Kadal Kadannu Oru Mathukutty" bit the dust. With a couple of weeks still left for Onam, there are quite a few lined up to hit the screens before the festive season begins & leading the pack is Fahad Fazil's "Olipporu". Though the promos seemed average, the presence of Fahad enticed me to check it out. So was it the right decision???

The film unfolds in Namma Bangalore where a group of avid bloggers plans to stage a grand show. But at this juncture, Ajayan (Fahad Fazil) known as Olipporali to his fellow bloggers & the brain behind the show meets with an accident. Being the reclusive person that he is, none of the rest had any clue as to what happened to him. What subsequently follows is a peek into the life of Ajayan & whether he would eventually walk back into life.

As I had mentioned earlier, the sole reason for watching this film was Fahad Fazil as I have always liked his choices. But sorry to say, this was downright pathetic as the script by Gopikrishnan didn't seem to make even an iota of sense. In effect, A.V Sasidharan's directorial debut was quite an unforgettable ordeal as I was fidgeting in my seat hoping against hope for something interesting which never came. Equally pathetic was the music which had some of the most nonsensical lyrics that I have ever heard. The only thing that took my attention was the familiar places showcased in the film such as K.R Puram, Brigade Road & Majestic.

Fahad Fazil seems to be shooting in break neck speed as he seems to be churning out one movie per month on an average. But among the ones that he has done, this will easily qualify as the worst ever though he has done a decent job along with Kalabhavan Mani. As for the rest, no one deserves even a mention.

Verdict: The only attraction of the film is Fahad Fazil but with such a pathetic script, even his presence wont prevent the film from slipping into oblivion within today itself. In short, unless you want to make an ass out of someone dont suggest it to anyone!!!

Rating: 0.5/5

Regards...Ben

Kadal Kadannu Oru Mathukutty review: "Ranjith's magic on the wane!!!"

Ever since "Kadal Kadannu Oru Mathukutty" has been announced, there has always been some news or the other related to it in the media. The hype is quite understandable considering the various personalities connected to it be it Ranjith-Mammooka's combo, Prithviraj's production & Lalettan's guest appearance. Already I have heard mixed to negative reactions to the film & with the satellite rights being sold to Asianet at an astronomical amount of 5.75 C, the question that everyone has is whether it was justified??? Hmm..well this is how I felt...

There's a popular saying that it's virtually impossible to find a place where Malayalis haven't inhabited, be it even the moon. Well, bearing testimony to this fact is an obscure place in Germany known as Mettmann where the Malayali Association is gearing up for their silver jubilee celebrations. So as part of their grand plans, the Association entrusts Mathukutty (Mammookka) to arrange a star nite led by Lalettan & troupe. Being a hen-pecked husband, Mathukutty was waiting for a chance to go to Kerala & grabs the opportunity with glee. In addition to this assignment, he also plans a trip to his hometown, Plankamon which he hasn't visited for years. Little did he realise that his sojourn was going to be like being from fire to frying pan.

In the last few years, if the audience had to name one director whose films are eagerly awaited..then undoubtedly in majority of the cases the choice would be Ranjith. However, his latest venture has pretty much quashed all such expectations as the script is downright ordinary, with hardly any substance except for some gimmicks in the form of Lalettan & a couple of humorous scenes. Similarly, none of the technical aspects also deserves special mention.

There is a limit to which how much an actor can carry the movie on his shoulders especially when the script is below par. Inspite of that, Mammookka expectedly imparts an impressive performance as the timid hen pecked husband. As for the rest of the cast, apart from Tini Tom & Muthumani no one deserves special mention.

Verdict: Thanks to the hype the film would have garnered an impressive initial but from then on it is bound to be a downhill journey. The film offers neither anything new nor anything different, so you may as well check it on Asianet!!!

Rating: 2.5/5

Regards...Ben

Memories review: "Prithvi on a roll!!!"

One of the greatest challenge for any actor is to live upto expectations & with Prithvi growing in stature with each passing movie, this is quite natural. Among the plethora of releases, one of the prominent ones to grace the screens for this Ramzan was Jeethu Joseph's Prithviraj starrer "Memories". Unfortunately, for movie lovers like me...the film was released in Bangalore just yesterday & by now, I have come across many people lavishing praises on the film. Hmm, naturally it has increased my expectations manifold...so will it satiate my anticipation???

The job of the police force can be quite unforgiving at times as the officer puts the life of even his family on the line & Sam Alex (Prithviraj), one of the best in the force was a living example of such a tragedy. The incident reduced him to a pale image of his former self & alcohol seems to be his only resort for solace. It was at this juncture that duty comes calling in the form of a series of random murders which has baffled everyone. But is Sam upto the challenge & is there more to the murders than what seems to the eye???

Frankly speaking, I wasn't quite impressed with Jeethu Joseph's previous venture "My Boss" though it was a blockbuster. So my initial reaction when I heard about "Memories" was kinda circumspect, but after watching it I do have to admit he has proved me wrong fair & square. The plot & characterization was fantastic for which how much ever applause given is totally justified. At times, there are some fleeting glimpses of Sherlock Holmes & "Grandmaster", but the film has a soul of its own. Even the initial credits were shot impressively & reminded me of Tarantino's style. In a thriller like this, BGM & editing plays significant roles  & both Anil Johnson and John Kutty has to be appreciated on jobs well done. 

After many of his movies biting the dust, Prithviraj is well & truly back in his elements with all his recent films being both critically & commercially acclaimed. Over here as well, Prithviraj was absolutely brilliant as the heart broken alcoholic officer with angst & distress written on his face. Not even once does his body language goes over the top nor does it succumb to stereotypical cliches. As for the rest, they have done their jobs aptly including the villain whose name I'm not revealing as it will be a spoiler.

Verdict: Undoubtedly, one of the best thriller in recent times & Prithvi is in top notch form with Sam Alex being on par or even better than Antony Moses of "Mumbai Police". In short, don't think twice, do yourself a favour & watch it!!!

Rating: 4.75/5

Regards...Ben