Vishudhan review: "Cliched latter half dilutes the effect!!!"

Over the years, many films have courted controversy which can be at best claimed to be trivial most of the times. Invariably, either its the device of the makers to grab some extra eyeballs or at times due to the fickle mindedness of our fellow beings. The first look posters & trailers of Vysakh's "Vishudhan" did raise some eye brows, but thankfully it didn't evolve into anything serious & rightfully so. 

PLOT

Fr. Sunny (Chackochan) is the priest of a rural church where the natives were poor & easily gullible. The church runs a shelter home, Snehalayam with the financial support of Vavachan (Hareesh Peradi), the only rich individual in the locality. Fr. Sunny is actively involved in ensuring the smooth functioning of the establishment & is assisted in the process by Sr. Sophie (Mia George). However, certain suspicious deaths in Snehalayam makes them realise the fact that Vavachan's philanthropy had more to do with business than mere good will. But before they could raise the alarm, Vavachan starts a slanderous campaign against both of them which rips them off their clergy robes. So can Sunny & Sophie ever expose Vavachan after losing the trust of the natives???

DIRECTION, SCRIPT & TECHNICAL ASPECTS

After churning out blockbuster entertainers, Vysakh has decided to take a totally different route as far as the script is concerned. But the end result seems to be satisfactory as taking up a sensitive issue could have blown out of proportions if he had overdone it. The first half was fantastic especially the Bishop House sequence & laid the platform for an impactful second half. Unfortunately, from there the film takes a downward slide as the main thread becomes side tracked & eventually culminates into a cliched revenge saga. However, there are some hard hitting sequences in the latter half as well but it was far & few.  Gopi Sundar's music was average at best with "Oru Mezhuthiriyude" being the pick of the lot as it was stunningly picturised as well by Shenad Jalai. 

PERFORMANCE

Chackochan deserves praise on a job well done while Mia seemed fine though it could have been better. Both Nandu & Shaalin Zoya was fantastic & did utmost justice to their roles. However, Hareesh Peradi hams it big time  & seemed to be trapped in the character he essayed in "Left Right Left". Sasi Kumar is without doubt the most serene looking bishop that I had seen in Malayalam films & kudos to Vysakh for that.

Verdict: It's definitely worth watching especially for the impactful first half. Though the latter portion disappoints, it still does have it's moments. So in short, do check it out in case you havent!!!

Rating: 3/5

Regards...Ben

Punyalan Agarbattis review: "Scent of this humorous satire vitalise our senses!!!"

Just a couple of weeks more & we would have come to the end of an eventful year for the Malayalam industry which witnessed numerous well made films. Jayasurya had a pretty mixed year with some hitting the bull's eye like "Philips & the Monkey Pen", "Mumbai Police" etc. while others like "English" failing to impress. He would be looking to finish the year on a high with Ranjith Sankar's "Punyalan Agarbattis". The signs seems promising but will it hit the jackpot???

PLOT

Joy Thakkolkaran (Jayasurya) is an educated Thrissur businessman who has been trying to make a mark in the world with his innovative ideas. The latest of his masterplans involves making agarbattis from elephant dung. However, his business venture "Punyalan Agarbattis" fails to take off as the Devaswom Board refuses to hand over the raw material to him for the simple reason that he is a Christian. Joy wages a legal battle & finally emerges victorious; only to see that this was just the beginning of his travails. Can his positive spirit see him through or will he succumb to the dirty politics???

DIRECTION & TECHNICAL ASPECTS

Frankly speaking, I have been a huge fan of Ranjith Sankar's films as it always projected problems & helplessness that a commoner feels on the face of adversity be it "Passenger", "Arjunan Sakshi" etc. Here also, he has judged the pulse of the audience & has produced an endearing yet humorous satire on the harthals that's been plaguing our state since years. I didnt feel any sense of lagging as it entertains throughout the whole period coming across as clean humor without ever resorting to double meaning which galore in movies nowadays. Sujith Vasudev has done a decent job with the cinematography while Bijibal's music was hummable & in sync with the mood of the film with "Aashichavan" rendered by Jayasurya being my personal favourite.

PERFORMANCES

The main aspect of Jayasurya which I find really commendable is his commitment to always experiment with his looks and roles, though inevitably most of the times it fails to impart the desired impact. But over here, Jayasurya was fantastic & will rate as one of his best ever performances landing him with an elusive solo hit. Sunil Sukhada was an absolute scream along with Sreejith Ravi but hope that the latter doesnt get typecasted like Baburaj.  Rachana, Aju Varghese & Nyla Usha all deserves a word of praise for their act. The rest of the cast have also all done their roles aptly.

Verdict: Already the reports are coming in that it's doing well in all the release centres.Whatever positive word of mouth that I have heard prior to watching it was totally justified. In short, dont miss it!!!

Rating: 3.75/5

Regards...Ben

Thira review: "Likely to garner a tsunamic response!!!"

The last couple of months has witnessed an ebb in the amount of films being released in Bangalore, for reasons unknown. Anywaz with "Geetanjali" having a same day release here in the previous week, I hope there will be more to follow suit. This Friday witnessed the release of Vineeth Sreenivasan's "Thira" with Shobhana donning the grease paint after a hiatus. I have already come across quite a few who had said good things about the movie. So I was more than eager to check it out & this is how I felt about it.

PLOT: 

Dr. Rohini (Shobhana) is a renowned cardiologist who had recently lost her journalist husband, Pranab to suspicious circumstances. The Police had closed the case stating that he had died of natural causes after being caught in a paedophilic raid. Even the media was spreading allegations that "Arpan", the NGO run by Dr.Rohini was nothing more than a supply source for sex racket. To make matters worse, all the girls from her NGO gets abducted.  At the same time, in another part of the city Naveen (Dhyan Sreenivasan) witnesses his sister being kidnapped in broad daylight in front of his eyes. Seeing the nonchalant attitude of the authorities, Naveen embarks on a wild goose chase to save his sister & that's when he crosses paths with Dr. Rohini. Both of them join forces to rescue the girls when they realise that the people behind the heinous crimes are the same.

DIRECTION & STORY

Vineeth Sreenivasan can be termed as a multi-faceted genius, since not only is he blessed with an excellent voice but his previous directorial ventures had also hit the bull's eye. With "Thira", Vineeth has taken his directorial credentials to a whole new level & it's definitely the best among his films.  Rakesh Mantodi has come up with a riveting script with cliched dialogues at times & though there are quite a few having similar storylines like "Karmayodha", "Trade" (which I havent seen but stated by many from which it has been ripped off)...I found this pretty refreshing. The film kicks off from the word go without spoon feeding the audience with the intros of the characters & they maintain the pace throughout. However, I found the climax quite clumsy & hasty but I absolutely loved the closing sequence.

PERFORMANCES

If at all there was someone who could do justice to Rohini's role, then it would be only Shobhana. Actually I feel Vineeth wasn't able to make full use of her acting capabilities. Dhyan has definitely made his accomplished Dad & Bro proud of what he has done in this film, though he needs to put some serious work in his dubbing as it seemed more like aping his brother. Deepak Parambol was quite menacing as the dealer and suited the part.

TECHNICAL ASPECTS

Shaan's music was fantastic especially Theerathe Neelunne & Thaazhvaram rendered by Vineeth & Hesham respectively. Even though the camera was shaking like crazy in the tense sequences & was kinda too strainful for the eyes, Jomon deserves praise for the visuals & the colour tone maintained. The editing plays a crucial role in thrillers & Ranjan Abraham was spot on, with the BGM providing apt support without being jarring. 

Verdict:  Shobhana is back with a bang & yet again proves as to why she is considered as one of the best ever actresses in the country. The dialogues do appear cliched at times with a hurried climax, but there is no doubt the film has substance & freshness even if some might belittle it stating it's a rip off. In short, it's Vineeth's best film to date...so dont miss it!!!

Rating: 4.25/5

Regards...Ben

Geethanjali review: "Dr.Sunny shouldnt have been bothered!!!"

More than 6 months has passed since Lalettan has graced the screens after the forgetful "Ladies & Gentleman". So naturally when his next release was announced & that too with Priyadarshan, the hype & expectations on the part of the audience was quite justified. With the promos of "Geethanjali" looking quite interesting, I presume Lalettan might have hit the jackpot this time around. 

Anjali (Keerthy Suresh) & Anoop (Nishan) are settled in Mumbai and have been in a relationship for many years. So when Anoop lands with an opportunity to go abroad for a fatter paycheck, their folks decides to solemnize their relationship in holy matrimony. They plan to embark to Anjali's ancestral household, Arackal Tharavadu to seek the blessings of her mother, Annamma (Seema). But destiny had other plans, as her mother suffers serious spinal injury from a fatal fall rendering her speechless & paralysed. If that wasnt enough, allegations of her house being haunted proves to be true as Anjali gets repeatedly terroized by the spirit of her deceased twin sister, Geetha. This entices Anoop to seek the help of Dr.Sunny (Lalettan) on the behest of his boss, Nakulan (Suresh Gopi). So how will Dr.Sunny go about his psychoanalysis this time around???

The king of rip offs, Priyadarshan is back after a two year hiatus & yet again he chooses Abhilash Nair. to pen his latest venture who had scripted his previous Malayalam film  "Arabiyum Ottakavum P. Madhavan Nairum". Though Priyan has done an impressive job with the assistance of Thirru's stunning visuals, Abhilash Nair comes up with an average script which is nothing but a rip off of Priyamani's "Charulatha"  (which I am told is a copy of some foreign film of which I am not aware). The first half is structured well with some pretty good spooky moments; but the latter half turns out to be a damp squid with a tame & predictable climax. Even the music by Vidyasagar was average at best though the BGM seemed fine at certain sequences.

Lalettan has done an impressive job with the limited chances he has got on screen. Actually if it wasn't for him & the supporting cast, the film might have tanked big time. Keerthy have definitely done her parents proud (Menaka & Suresh Kumar) as she proves she isnt just a beautiful face. Nishan still struggles with his expressions while Innocent is in his elements with his comic timing. Seema barely had much to do while Siddique does his part well.

Verdict: The film will have a fantastic initial for obvious reasons. However, the audience is bound to be disappointed with the way the script panned out in the latter half. As far as my opinion goes, watch it without much expectations. In short, Sethuramayyar should have been called for rather than asking Dr.Sunny to come from Maachu Picchu.

Rating: 2.75/5

Regards...Ben

Aarambam review: "Not quite as enthralling as other Thala flicks!!!"

Diwali has just become grander with Ajith starrer "Aarambam" having finally hit the screens amidst much fanfare and hype. With Vishnuvardhan calling the shots, the expectations are nigh high after all the dynamic duo had made the box office go bonkers with "Billa". So can they recreate their magic??? Well I sure hope so, as the promos look just awesome...

The film unfolds in Mumbai which is rocked by bomb blasts in 3 of the posh malls, all of which were owned by the State Home Minister, Rane (Mahesh Manjrekar). The bombs were planted by Ashok (Ajith), a former bomb specialist of the Mumbai ATS; who however made sure that there was no harm to life as he had informed the police officials well in advance. Ashok along with his girl friend Maya (Nayanthara) follows this up by duping Arjun (Arya), a computer hacker to crash Flash network which belonged to Rane as well. Arjun understanding the mess that his college mate, Maya has got him into; make efforts to alert the authorities. So what was the motive behind Ashok's actions & will Arjun escape from his clutches???

Unlike "Billa", the major flaw over here is that the script is trite and doesnt offer anything new at all. The first half of the film breezes through but the latter half huffs & puffs before meandering towards a tame climax. If at all the film works, it's solely due to the style & persona of Ajith; not to forget some of the well choreographed action sequences by Lee Whitaker. Yuvan Shankar Raja's music fails miserably though it has been picturised well thanks to Vinod. As for other aspects, Sreekar's editing was top notch as well.

Ajith "Thala" absolutely rocked & will have the fans asking for more. However, it pales in comparison to his performance in recent flicks like "Mankatha" & "Billa 2". Nayanthara sizzled as Maya & Arya provides the light moments. As for the rest of the cast, Kishore, Mahesh Manjrekar & Rana Daggubati was impressive while Taapsee was over the top.

Verdict: The film will have a bombastic initial & should be marching its way to being a blockbuster. From a personal point of view, the film doesnt offer anything different, but if you are a Ajith fan, check it out!!!

Rating: 2.75/5

Regards...Ben

Krrish 3 review: "Potpourri of various Hollywood flicks!!!"

It's been about a month since I have checked out any films as nothing quite interesting had attracted my attention. But as always, festival season is the one that all movie lovers swoon for after all the much hyped films hit the screens during that time to rack in the moolah just as "Krrish 3" has graced this Diwali. The promos does look interesting though there are unmistakable shades of Hollywood. So is it just the promos or is it a total rip off???

Years have passed since Krrish (Hrithik Roshan) had saved his dad, Prof Rohit from the clutches of Dr. Arya (Naseeruddin Shah) & now both father & son were investing their powers for the betterment of mankind in their own ways. But far away, nestled in some snow clad mountains Kaal laboratories was nurturing evil in the form of mutants & viruses. Seeking to obtain a suitable bone marrow donor, to relive him off his paralytic condition; Kaal (Vivek Oberoi) was virtually twisting the rules of nature with his cross genetic experiments. After unleashing havoc in Namibia with his virus, he decides to do the same in India but Rohit & Krrish saves the day for the nation. This entices Kaal who entrusts his mutant, Kaya (Kangana Ranaut) to find out the secret behind the anti-dote. So will Krrish be able to stop Kaal & if so, at what cost???

After having enthralled the audience with the prequels which translated into blockbusters, Rakesh Roshan is back with the latest installment of Krrish. Now before going into the specifics, I do have to admit it's a rehash of various Hollywood flicks which came out in the last decade especially "X Men", "The Amazing Spiderman" & "Man of Steel" to name a few. Actually if you would take any of these films and add oodles of emotions, dance, and songs...you will get "Krrish 3". But even then there is no denying the fact that it manages to interest the audience at various sequences mainly due to Hrithik. Though the budget of the film is humongous, it is still less than 1% of what Hollywood films invest in..so in that aspect the VFX effects are pretty impressive.

Hrithik is the heart & soul of the film, and he has done a fantastic job as Rohit & Krrish with each being as different as chalk & cheese. Actually if it wasnt for his persona & efforts, the average screenplay would have appeared downright pathetic. Kangana Ranaut has done a praise worthy job along with Vivek Oberoi, while Priyanka barely had anything to do. As for other aspects, Rakesh Roshan's music was abysmal to say the least while Salim Sulaiman's BGM was average at best with some being a rip off. Chandan Arora's editing was fine along with Tirru's visuals.

Verdict: The film will have a fantastic initial beyond a doubt and should have the makers laughing to the bank inspite of the huge investment. So will it break any records??? well, I dont think so as it isnt a mass masala like "Chennai Express". In short, though the script is average & the special effects are definitely inspired; I feel you can give it a try!!!

Rating: 3/5

Regards...Ben

Pattam Pole review: "Predictable like PM's silence!!!"

It's been a couple of weeks since we have come across any interesting releases. With Sachin having announced his retirement yesterday, the mood has been quite sombre & that's when I noticed Dulquer's "Pattam Pole" being released here from today. Though the trailer didn't impress me much, I decided to give it a try after all his films has never been disappointing. So will it be the perfect recipe to kick start the Puja holidays???

Shot in the backwaters of Aleppey, the film begins with Riya (Malavika Mohanan) eloping with her boyfriend, Karthik (Dulquer Salman). Naturally their parents gets worried & the issue seemed all the more complex as both of them belonged to two different communities, with Karthik being a Tamil Brahmin & Riya, a Christian. But the fascination of the lovers were short-lived & they return to their respective abodes as they become strapped for cash and their egos get in the way. Both of them get back to their normal lives but love was bound to rekindle once their armor of ego wore off. But are their parents gonna be so timid a second time around???

To the ever bulging list of debut directors, we have yet another & it is none other than the renowned cinematographer, Alagappan. Call it coincidence or not, but Dulquer's previous film was also by a cinematographer turned director, Samir Thahir. Now coming to the film , we can actually slot it into the category of rom-com & though it feels fresh, the script by Girish Kumar is as predictable as Manmohan Singh's silence. This is the main reason why the second half seems quite dragging though the running time of the film is just 120 mins. Jomon's visuals deserves praise while Jayachandran's music was impressive especially the title track though it felt more like an album.

One of the reasons why the films seems passable are solely due to decent performances with the prominent being Dulquer, who was natural & in sync with the character. Malavika has done a decent job for a debutant & oscillates from being good to average. As for the rest of cast, Archana Kavi & Anoop Menon does bring a smile while Lalu Alex & Jayaprakash has done their roles aptly.

Verdict: It's unlikely to have a great opening as the promos hasn't been catchy though the songs has been topping the charts. With a pretty predictable script, the film will struggle to captivate the audience. In short, you can give it a try as its a passable rom com!!!

Rating: 1.75/5

Regards...Ben