Jaladhara Pumpset Since 1962, Kunjamminis Hospital, 1001 Nunakal: "Surprising twist to the expectations created!!!"

Onam is just round the corner & in the interim period there has been a number of low profile releases. Unfortunately, none of them has managed to attract attention & to be frank, it isn't the fault of the audience but rather the lack of quality in the movie that are being screened. Over the past week, I happened to watch quite a few of them & it was hard to understand as to why talented artists like Urvashi, Indrans, Indrajith etc., wanted to be associated with such mediocre stuff.

Jaladhara Pumpset Since 1962: "The title was the only interesting part!!!"

Lat year saw courtroom dramas such as Ratheesh Balakrishna's "Nna Thaan Case Kodu" & Tharun Moorthy's "Saudi Velakka" gain critical acclaim for the manner it engaged the audience. Hoping to garner a similar response from the audience, Ashish Chinnappa chose the same genre and worked on the script with Prajin MP based on the story by Sanu Chandran. Without mincing words, I have to say that both of them have miserably failed to come up with anything worthwhile with the exception of a couple of sequences.

It is basically about the delay of our judicial system which takes a toll on everyone involved in the case. Over here, Mani (Indrans) had attempted to steal the water pumpset from Mrinalini's house (Urvashi), but was caught during the act. Her husband, Chandran Maash (Vijayaraghavan) decided to pursue the case as both of them being teachers believed that law should take its course. Little did they realize that the case would drag on for seven years during which time Chandran had passed away & his wife, decided to continue the legal battle.

The main factor that makes such dramas interesting are the legal arguments, evidence & the struggles that the petitioner and accused goes through. None of these are credible enough in the movie with the exception of  maybe the last point where they tried to explore the equation of Mrinalini & Mani with their respective daughters. But that was not properly fleshed out due to which it failed to create the impact that was possible. It was evident that they hoped that the sprinkling of humour would make up for the lack of an empathetic story & that also wasn't up to the mark. 

As in most movies, Urvashi has done a fine job as she balanced humour and the emotional segments with elan. Indrans & TG Ravi did their parts well also along with Nisha Sarang while Sanusha & Sagar Rajan (as Unni) were average to mediocre at times.

Verdict: Just like the seven year wait tested Mrinalini, this 139 minute directorial debut of Ashish will test the audience!!!

Rating: 1.5/5

Kunjamminis Hospital: "Hmm...the producer might have to get his vitals checked!!!"

Another director who made his debut over the past week was Sanal V Devan who collaborated with the writer duo,  Abhayakumar & Anil Kurian who came up with the theme of a comic horror flick. Incidentally, both of them had penned the techno horror "Chathur Mukham" which though interesting on paper failed to impress. Over here, it is no different as they barely had no idea what they wanted to convey.

It is essentially about spirits that haunted a mansion which was being renovated into a hospital by the present owner, Riny (Nyla Usha). Apparently, it was a hospital initially before it was converted into a lodge where quite a few had died under mysterious circumstances. The challenges that Riny had to overcome to ensure that her hospital wasn't shut down forms the basis of the story. 

None of the characters failed to create an impact as the characterization was poor & even the comedy that is pushed in to make up for the lack of a credible story, failed to create genuine laughs. Despite the presence of talented artists like Prakash Raj & Indrajith, they barely had anything worthwhile to do. the only person who did have something to work with was Nyla & that didnt quite have the punch to take the story forward. There were quite a few other artists as well, but I don't think it is worth mentioning. 

Verdict: Fail to understand why artists like Prakash Raj & Indrajith want to tarnish their reputation with such mediocre projects!!!

Rating: 1/5

1001 Nunakal: "An interesting take on lies and candour in a relationship!!!"

Frankly speaking, I had no idea what to expect from this flick though there were two factors which attracted me to it. The first was the title as it reminded me of the famous 1001 Arabian Nights & secondly, it was released on Sony LIV which usually has a reputation of choosing movies that has quality. Anywaz it managed to keep me engaged over its relatively short run time of 104 minutes. 

The movie unfolds in Saudi where a residential building had caught fire due to which two families decide to take refuge in their friend's mansion, Vinay & Divya (Vishnu Agasthya & Ninin Kaassim). Incidentally, it was their 10th wedding anniversary & they arrange a party for their close friends. One among them was a lawyer (Sudheesh Scaria) who suggests that they all play a variant of the "Truth or Dare" game whereby each couple will reveal one lie that their partner wasn't aware of.  Though it initially starts off as fun, things starts to get serious as some lies seemed to threaten the very existence of their relationship. 

This is Thamar k V's debut directorial venture & he deserves praise for having done a neat job on a script that he had worked on along with Hashim Sulaiman. It follows the same template as Jeethu Joseph's "12th Man" but I felt this was much better coz of the relatability in the equations of the various couples and the scenarios that each one faces at various stages of their relationship felt realistic. Despite being set within a confined space, all the technical aspects were handled well be it Jithin Stansilaus's visuals, Neha Nair & Yakzan's music score and Yusuf's editing which maintains the right tone. Even all the artists have done their parts well.

Verdict: An neatly made movie that doesn't have much to boast about in terms of the cast & crew. However, the word of mouth should gain it audience!!!

Rating: 3/5

Regards...Ben

Jailer: "Thalaiva & Anirudh provides an upbeat theatrical experience!!!"

Finally Thalaiva is back & that too, with a bang!!! The much awaited "Jailer" has hit the screens & it is a much desired comeback of the legend & Nelson. It's almost four years since Karthik  Subbaraj's "Petta" had released & undoubtedly, the last time that fans like us grooved to the swag of the Superstar in the theatres with gay abandon. So how exactly did Nelson plot his own rise from the ashes & in the process gave us the Thalaiva that we had dearly missed.

ACP Arjun Pandian (Vasanth Ravi) was hot on the trails of Varman (Vinayakan), the kingpin of the idol smuggling racket. But before he could get him behind bars, Arjun goes missing & it is believed that he was murdered by Varman's men, which shatters his family especially his father, Muthuvel (Rajni), a retired jailer who was much respected by the force for his honesty. He sets out to take revenge for his son's death & goes on a rampage against Varman which is essentially the crux of the movie.

After the forgetful "Beast", Nelson is back with a much improved screenplay even though the story that he penned is largely predictable for most parts. Well in a Thalaiva movie, do we even care about logic? Certainly not. It's about ensuring that the screenplay flows & mounting scenes that celebrates the legend's style and swag. In that respect, Nelson has performed impressively as he provide numerous whistle worthy moments and blends it with his quirky humour. 

Personally, I felt the movie is a tad too long and there were segments in the second half that could have been handled far better such as Blast Mohan's portions that culminates in a heist as the story over there was far too frail. But the manner in which Nelson has handled the cameos of Lalettan & Sivanna was brilliant as the impact that both of them created in the theatre was thunderous. On the technical side, Vijay Karthik's cinematography was impressive but the highlight of the movie apart from Thalaiva was undoubtedly Anirudh's BGM. It was just fantastic to say the least as the BGM literally elevates most of the sequences. 

As Neelambari famously said in "Padayappa", 'Vayasanaalum Un Style-Um Azhagum Innum Unnai Vittu Pogala' & that is what Thalaiva is all about. The style, swag & aura that this legend has on screen is mesmerising and he continues to do that even at this age. It was upto Nelson to give him an apt stage, which he managed to  & the Superstar weaved his magic. The level to which the impact of a hero can be enhanced is significantly dependent on the antagonist & in that sense, I felt Vinayakan has done a fine job with the opportunity given to him. But it could have been way better if the writing was better. The much expected combination with Ramya Krishnan unfortunately didn't have much scope in the script though as usual she did her part well. Coming to the much celebrated cameos, both Lalettan & Sivanna were brilliant & being a Malayali, we are reminded of the fact that directors in our state just don't know how to make use of his charisma; while Jackie Shroff & Tamannah did their parts aptly. As for the rest of the cast, Yogi Babu, Sunil (as Blast Mohan), Vasanth Ravi etc were ok. 

Verdict: There is no doubt that there are significant shortcomings from Nelson as a writer, but as a director he has showcased Thalaiva in the avatar that we had hoped for. In short, do watch it in theatres to feel the vibe!!!

Rating: 2.75/5

Regards...Ben

Pappachan Olivilaanu, Corona Dhavan & Article 21: "Wait for an elusive hit continues!!!"

Among the three flicks that I got to watch this week, except for Lenin Balakrishnan's "Article 21", the other two were a test of our patience. I fail to understand as to why would the producers even invest in such movies which barely had a credible story to narrate. Seems like such mysteries are beyond the thinking of mere mortals like us.

Pappachan Olivilaanu: "Sinto need to go to olivil for such a senseless flick!!!"

This is Sinto Sunny's third directorial venture & one in which he has penned the script as well. Well did he actually write anything? Frankly speaking, I dont understand what exactly has he written or was it his incapability to execute whatever he had written. It's a question that only he could answer coz what folded on screen was nothing more than a mishmash of many sequences stitched together.

Pappachan (Saiju Kurup) was a big mouth who constantly tried to cash in on the respect that the people had for his father, Mathachan (Vijayaraghavan); but to no avail. The movie is literally about his efforts to create an image for himself & the mess that he gets into as a result of that. I actually think that I might have made the movie sound interesting isn't it? Well, don't be fooled by what I wrote as the reality is far from it.

Sinto had no clue how to make the sequences flow sensibly from one to the other. It seemed like he was hell bent on making every scene comical & most of them fails to hit the mark. Saiju Kurup's character comes across as the comical version of Jayan from "Upacharapoorvam Gunda Jayan" & his performance was pretty mediocre at times. However, some of the others were fine such as Vijayaraghavan, Alexander Prashanth & Darshana; but all their characters were lazily written which severely impacted their effort. None of the technical aspects were worth mentioning except for maybe Ouseppachan's music. 

Verdict: Hmm...better luck next time Sinto!!!

Rating: 1/5

Corona Dhavan: "Provides laughs occasionally but nothing more than that!!!"

Just like Sinto, another person who attempted to make a comic flick this week was CC Nithin with his "Corona Dhavan". This is his directorial debut and he had joined hands with Sujai Mohanraj who had written a movie based on a batch of alcohol stocked by the protagonist, Vinu (Lukman Avaran) even as the nation went into lockdown. The movie unfolds in Aanathadam where Vinu was making arrangements for his sister's wedding which included alcohol for his friends. However, the wedding got cancelled as his sister eloped with his friend before the party began. Later that night, lockdown was enforced & with everything shut down, Vinu becomes the much sought after person. Seeing that this was a situation to be milked to his benefit, he decides to play his cards carefully.

There is no doubt that the story as such had much scope for comedy, but there was evident lack of ability on the part of Sujai to create a chain of events that blended with each other. More often than not, many sequences were like isolated events whose sole purpose was to make the audience laugh. It certainly managed to do that at quite a few places. At the same time, some sections like Sreenath Bhasi's track, the drone incident (after the initial mishap) etc. were a test of patience. I dont think any of the technical aspects quite stood out. There were a lot of artists in this flick among which I felt Lukman did a decent job while others like Johny Antony, Irshad, Sarath Sabha etc were average though they did evoke laughs at times. 

Verdict: The end result could have been far better if Sujai had given more thought into the screenplay as he did have a credible thread!!!

Rating: 1.25/5

Article 21: "Feel good movie that comes across as a Govt publicity campaign at times!!!"

Another director that made his directorial debut over the past fortnight was Lenin Balakrishnan with "Article 21". The primary reason why I decided to check it out was coz of the different appearance of Lena which seemed to imply that the story was quite unlike the usual ones. For the uninitiated, Article 21 A in the Constitution of India states that the state shall mandatorily impart free and compulsory elementary education to children belonging to the age group of 6 to 14 years. 

The focus over here is a Tamil immigrant family that comprised of Thamara (Lena) & her two sons, Muthu (Nandan Rajesh) and Dalapathy (Leswin). They made a living out of collecting scrap & things take a turn when Dalapathy comes across a school bag that had fallen off an auto. His eyes lit up seeing the books which motivated him to seek education but their financial situation was such that it was beyond their means. At this juncture, he befriends a kind hearted auto driver (Aju Varghese) who helps him to pave a path towards his dream.

In terms of the story, Lenin has kept it quite predictable as everything falls into place without much of a hiccup. The attention to detail with regard to their hardships early on is not seen towards the latter half as it felt like everything was way too easy than it would have been in reality. The sequence that featured Bineesh Kodiyeri felt like a Govt publicity campaign & came across as rather artificial. At the same time, I do appreciate the awareness that Lenin provides with regard to the options that are available for people in the lower socio-economic strata. Coming to the technical aspects, it was handled reasonably well especially Gopi Sundar's music and Ashkar's cinematography. A special word of mention for Rasheed Ahammed for the make up work that he had done. 

Lena has done a convincing job as Thamara both in terms of body language and dialogue delivery. Both the boys were also fine while Aju continues to grow in stature with restraint performances. Even the artist who essayed the role of Victor was ok while Joju as usual was good in a cameo role. 

Verdict: Despite the predictability, it is still worth a worth for the feel good experience!!!

Rating: 2.5/5

Regards...Ben

Padmini, Valatty, Voice of Sathyanathan, Kurukkan, Appatha & Kolla: "Most of them have struggled to bring in audience!!!"

The last couple of weeks has been rather cold at the box office as most of the movies have struggled to draw in the audience to the theatres. The only exception among the lot seems to be Raafi's "Voice of Sathyanathan" which has managed to break even within the first weekend itself. Whether it would be able to sustain it remains to be seen. So was it as good as the numbers showed & why had the others struggled???

Padmini: "Not quite up to the level of Hegde's previous ventures!!!"

The 53rd Kerala State Awards were announced a few days back which saw Chackochan earn a Special Jury mention & Vincy Aloshious, the best actress award. Add to that, the presence of Senna Hegde, Aparna Balamurali & Deepu Pradeep, and it's evident that there is a talented group of people working both in front & behind the camera in this project. Just like many others, even I had high expectations about this movie after all Hegde's previous ventures were both entertaining & quirky in equal measure. 

This time around, the story happens in Palakkad & it opens with the chatter of guests that had gathered for Rameshan's (Chackochan) marriage to Smrithi (Vincy). But even before the night had passed, Smrithi eloped with her lover & Rameshan became the laughing stock of people. As a result of which, he was reluctant to think of a marriage again until he met Padmini (Madonna Sebastian). But that's when they realised that his first marriage was yet to be legally dissolved & to aid him in the task, he sought the help of Adv Sreedevi (Aparna). 

For the uninitiated, Deepu Pradeep was the one who penned the script for "Kunjiramayanam" & when he joined hands with Hegde; it felt like we were in for another rib tickler. Though it began promisingly, it kind of lagged off after a while as the quirky humour which was expected from the duo was largely restricted to Sreedevi's fiance Jayan & his 'raareeram' mattresses. That does not imply that the flick was boring as the humour does work at many parts but the tale as such was largely predictable. As for other aspects, Jakes Bejoy's music & Sreeraj Raveendren's visuals were fine. 

Coming to performances, Chackochan was ok while Aparna finally got a role where she had more scope to perform & she did reasonably well with her expression of helplessness. Madonna did her part aptly while Vincy & Sajin Cherukayil (as Jayan) were the ones who brought in the laughs as those were the ones who fitted the category of quirkiness that we had come to expect from Hegde. As for the rest, Anand Manmadhan, Ganapathi Poduval etc were ok.

Verdict: A story that certainly had the elements for a quirky hilarious flick but falls well short of that. However, it is still worth a try!!!

Rating: 2.25/5

Valatty: "Commendable effort but cliched story proves to be its bane!!!"

Among the various production houses that we have in the Malayalam film industry, I do consider Friday Film House as one of the best for their constant effort to do something different & interesting. At times it might not click ; but their efforts are usually commendable. The latest production from their stable is Devan Jayakumar's "Valatty" which is on anthropomorphic animals, something which is not attempted much in our movies. 

Though Devan's effort to try something different needs to be applauded, the same cant be said about his script which was the typical cliched storyline that we have seen in innumerable movies. The protagonists are Tomy (Roshan Mathews), a golden retriever & Amalu (Raveena Ravi), a cocker spaniel who are neighbours & in love with each other. However, their owners, disapproved of it & they decide to leave their homes. What subsequently happens is the crux of the movie & I am sure you would have easily guessed the rest by now.

The adorable nature of the dogs makes it an endearing and engaging flick for the kids. However, apart from the fact that the dogs replaced the humans (I am not belittling the effort, as it is by no means easy); there is hardly anything in the story that manages to surprise us. Another aspect that required more attention to be paid was the cinematography & I felt Vishnu Panicker's efforts were average at best. At the same time, pretty much everyone who lend their voices here did a fine job be it Roshan, Raveena, Soubin, Sunny Wayne, Indrans etc. 

Verdict: Both Devan & Vijay Babu deserves praise for doing something quite unique. However, if Devan had invested more thought into the script then it would have been a far more fruitful experience!!!

Rating: 2/5

Voice of Sathyanathan: "Much louder voice of Rafi's humour than in recent times!!!" 

When was the last time that a Rafi movie genuinely had you entertained? In my case, the answer to that will be Lalettan's "Hallo" which was released in 2007. Since then none of Rafi's movies have quite matched up to the standards of his vintage comedies. His latest flick to hit the screens last weekend was "Voice of Sathyanathan" & he would be hoping that he could recreate the magic of his yester years. 

The film unfolds with a tiff between Sathyanathan (Dileep) & his neighbour, Varkeychayan (Siddique), over the former's message at Varkey's birthday party. Satyanathan's efforts to resolve the matter gets him into bigger troubles largely because of his carelessness to articulate his train of thoughts properly. Eventually, he comes under the scanner of the law enforcement agencies for his apparent unintentional threat on the President & the situations that he gets himself into coz of that, is what this movie is about.

There is no doubt that the humour that Rafi created in the beginning of the movie largely works, though it is not quite upto the level that we had seen from him in the 90s & early 2000s. The emotional segment is shouldered by Joju & that is where the movie starts to get into a credible shape. But the segments featured in Mumbai lacked the thrills that Rafi was trying to create before it culminates in a predictable manner. None of the technical aspects deserves special mention. On the performance front, Dileep was fine and scores in the humour sequences while Joju was spot on in the emotional segments. Veena was ok while Siddique manages to tickle the funny bone. As for the rest, Jagapathi Babu, Makarand Deshpande, Jaffer Sadiq etc did what their roles demanded while Ramesh Pisharody felt like a misfit. 

Verdict: As an audience, it certainly had its moments but I wouldn't say that I was thoroughly entertained. However, for the industry's welfare it is heartening to see that the movie has worked at the box office.

Rating: 2/5

Kurukkan: "Not even half as wily as the kurukkan!!!"

It's been quite a while since we have seen Sreenivasan feature in a movie coz of his ill-health. Hence there was a lot of good will and expectations in the lead up to Jayalal Divakaran's "Kurukkan", in which the veteran actor was expected to return. The promos & stills indicated that it was a crime investigation flick that was packaged with humour. 

This is Jayalal's directorial debut & he had joined hands with Manoj Ramsingh, who had worked on the script. The movie unfolds with the murder of the social media influencer, Neenu (Mareena Michael) & Inspector Dinesh (Vineeth Sreenivasan) is entrusted with the investigation. After a failed drug bust, the latter was keen on solving this case in the hope of improving his tarnished image. In the absence of a solid lead, he decides to frame the case on Hari (Shine Tom), an IT professional with the help of Krishnan (Sreenivasan), a habitual false witness who gave fake testimonies in favour of the police.  Who comes up trumps at the end of it is what this movie is about.

The basic flaw with the screenplay is the inability to do justice to either of the genres that they are trying to portray. As Vineeth had said in the promotions, the character of Dinesh is made in the same mold as Shikhari Shambhu but the issue here is that except for sparse comical situations, there is hardly much to laugh about. Similarly, in the urge to make it comical; not much thought went into the investigation track as well due to which it barely had anything to make it engaging. At the same time, I felt the climax was ok with the facts laid out & also for Vineeth's performance. 

The manner in which Vineeth's character is etched out is such that it showcases shades of caricature, stupidity and a streak of villainy. He has done a fine job within the scope that was offered to him. Sreenivasan was fine in the initial segments though in the latter half, his character barely had much to do & it didnt come across as convincing. Shine Tom was comparatively better with regard to his recent performances while Malavika Mohan also did her part well. As for the rest, Srikant Murali, Aswath Lal, Sruthy Jayan etc were ok.

Verdict:  It neither managed to do complete justice to the humour part nor to the investigation part.

Rating: 1.5/5

Appatha: "If it wasnt for Urvashi, it would have been a debacle!!!"

Our industry has been graced by numerous brilliant female artists over the years, but if one has to choose who is the finest among the lot, then just like me many would say Urvashi. This talent powerhouse has steadily transitioned to mature roles & consistently given praise worthy performance in different languages. Her latest movie is helmed by Priyadarshan & marks a landmark, as it is her 700th movie.

The movie is about Appatha (Urvashi) who was a much respected lady in her village for her wisdom, empathy & pickle business which was a source of livelihood for many. However, her son who lived in the city didn't think highly of her abilities & shared a strained relationship. Things take a turn when her son invites her over to the city; only for her to realise later that the main purpose was to take care of their dog, Zeus while he went on a family tour. Despite being terrified of dogs, Appatha agrees & how she gels with Zeus and the rest of the people in the apartment complex forms the rest of the story.

Along with Deepthi Govindarajan, Priyadarshan has penned the screenplay which initially starts off an emotional drama but then incorporates humour into the proceedings. On the whole, it is a feel good movie & as a OTT release, worthy enough to be a relaxing watch; though if you are looking for originality and uniqueness, you are likely to be disappointed. Madhu Ambat's frames were impressive as always while the other technical aspects were ok.

The movie is essentially about Urvashi & the veteran legend has given a fine performance as always. Though her brand of comedy in recent times feels artificial occasionally, it was still decently done. As for the rest of the cast, all of them did their parts aptly. 

Verdict: A feel good movie that is sensibly released on OTT

Rating: 2.5/5

Kolla: "Quite underwhelming compared to the potential of the thread!!!"

Being an admirer of Bobby-Sanjay's work, I was more than eager to check out Suraj Varma's "Kolla" as the brothers had penned the story. Apparently, the modus operandi employed in the movie has similarities with the 2007 Chelembra bank robbery (which incidentally was inspired from "Dhoom"). Anywaz the protagonists over here were Annie (Rajisha Vijayan) & Shilpa (Priya Varrier) who had come over to a small town with the plan of opening a beauty parlour. With the help of the localities, they earn good will & proceed with the renovation work in the space that they had acquired. However, on the eve of inauguration of their parlour, the Co-Operative bank above their shop was robbed with the route of entry chosen by the burglars being through their roof. This essentially meant their business plans were stalled until the police had solved the case. 

Frankly speaking, I certainly liked the idea behind the heist as it had a credible cat and mouse feel to the proceedings. The USP was obviously the masterminds behind the robbery & the apt casting choices, which implied Suraj had a winner in his hands. However, I felt Jasim Jalal & Nelson Joseph ought to have put more thought into the screenplay as they left way too many unanswered questions or was it a case of unjudicial editing. In the end, it did have its moments but one cant help feel underwhelmed considering the potential the thread had. The technical aspects were neatly done though as I mentioned earlier, it remains to be seen if Arju Benn needs to be held responsible for the editing.

Both Rajisha & Priya did their parts well and they were properly complimented by Alencier & Vinay Forrt. It was sad to see Kollam Sudhi for one last time, Alexander Prasanth didnt have much scope while Shebin Benson & Shaan Rahman were ok. 

Verdict: It had the scope to be much more impactful & engaging, if it wasn't for the lack-lustered screenplay!!!

Rating: 2.25/5

Regards...Ben

Mission Impossible 7 & Oppenheimer: "Wholesome entertainment!!!"

Even as Hollywood is in a deadlock with the screenwriters of the Writers Guild of America & the actors union on strike to curb the influence of AI & the pay inequality in the industry, the box office was witness to some of the biggest releases of the year. To be frank, it was a rewarding feel to watch quality entertainment & that's what I felt about the two flicks that I have penned my opinion about.

Mission Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part 1: "Continues to thrill as always"

The seventh installment of the hugely popular Mission Impossible series hit the screens last week & the response has been reasonably encouraging as they are expected to break even this weekend. Since it is made at a whopping cost of $300 million, the makers certainly require a sustained footfall at the theatre which unfortunately hasn't been the case for most of the other biggies that released earlier this year. To add to that Christopher Nolan's "Oppenheimer" & Greta Gerwig's "Barbie" have released this week & that should add to the competition even more. 

This project is the first of a two part series and is helmed by Chrisopher McQuarrie, a person with whom Tom Cruise has collaborated for most of his movies in the past decade or so. Incidentally, this is not Christopher's first work in this spy action series as he had called the shots in Mission Impossible-Fallout as well. Over here, he was also involved in the screenplay along with Erik Jendresen where the duo decided to focus on the havoc that AI can cause if it goes rogue. The Russians had launched their latest submarine, Sevastopol whose computer housed a high end AI for its navigation purposes. However, the AI became rogue and sabotaged the submarine before it went on to infiltrate the military and intelligence networks of many nations. As expected, the world powers were trying to figure out means to control it & the answer to that seemed to be a cruciform key to the chamber of the computer that housed the AI or otherwise known as 'the Entity'. Ethan (Tom Cruise) & his team were entrusted with the task of retrieving the key, but they knew the only solution to the problem was to destroy it. But can Ethan out-think the Entity which was a master in deception and can twist the truths such that it ceases to exist. 

It is undoubtedly an engaging story and keeps us hooked to the plot, not to mention the jaw dropping action sequences which has always been the USP of this series. I presume most of you would have seen the behind the scenes of the stunt done at the Alps which was just sensational to say the least. All the technical aspects are top notch be it Fraser Taggart's cinematography, Lorne Balfe's music etc. Coming to performances, Tom Cruise has always been the heart and soul of this franchise and he continues to push the envelope with his charismatic screen presence and awe inspiring stunts. Even the rest of the cast such as Ving Rhames, Simon Pegg, Hayley Atwell, Rebecca Ferguson etc. have also done their parts admirably 

Verdict: For people who might not be fans of the franchise, it will seem like the usual formula of exhilarating action packed in a thriller mode. It is indeed that, but if it has to go strong even after seven installments then obviously the makers are doing something right to appeal to the audience. In short, do check it out!!!

Rating: 3.5/5

Oppenheimer: "BRILLIANT"!!!

For a self confessed fan of Christopher Nolan & as a movie aficionado who also loves historical biographies, "Oppenheimer" is a movie that I have been eagerly waiting like million others ever since it was announced. Based on 'American Prometheus' by Kai Bird & Martin Sherwin, it is about the life of Robert Oppenheimer, the American theoretical physicist who was the director of the Los Alamos laboratory during WWII that led to the development of the nuclear weapons and hence credited as the 'father of the atom bomb'.

Nolan had also worked on the screenplay and he chose to narrate the story alternating between colour and black and white whereby Oppenhiemer's subjective version was chosen for the former. In typical Nolan style, we are introduced to two different timelines with one section focusing on the politically motivated security clearance drama that unfolded in 1954 to crucify Oppenheimer (Cillian Murphy) & the other in 1959 at the Senate meeting convened to confirm the elevation of Admiral Lewis Strauss (Robert Downey Jr), the former US Atomic Energy Commission to the cabinet. Through each section we are introduced to the various events that unfolded in his life beginning with his career at Cambridge, development of the atom bomb, the Trinity blast, aftermath of the devastation unfurled at Hiroshima & Nagasaki & the witch hunt to paint him a traitor in a kangaroo court. Essentially, the price that Oppenheimer had to pay for what he had created.

Unlike what most people would have expected, the focus is not on the visual depiction of the massacre that unfolded in Japan but rather the drama that unfolds & the discussions that happen between the greatest intellectual minds of that time. Einstein appears only in a couple of sequences but boy, the impact that he creates is something that we would have least expected early on. At the heart of all this, it is essentially about the greed for power irrespective at whatever cost it comes which could even mean the end of the world as the probability for that was only 'near' zero (& not zero). The world remembers Hitler for the Jewish genocide that he orchestrated, but the truth is anti-semitism was also prevalent in the US & even Oppenheimer despite his service to his nation couldn't escape from it. Hats off to the brilliance of Nolan in the way he captivates with the way he narrated the story & also for his conscious decision not to showcase the Hiroshima tragedy lest it ends up glorifying the invention unintentionally. He emphatically makes the point clear that in the bid to end the war, the world chose to indulge in an arms race and that is evident when the protagonist chant the words from the Gita 'Now I have become death, the destroyer of worlds'.

Nolan well & truly deserves every accolade that comes his way but it wouldn't have been possible without the brilliant cast and crew that he had at his disposal. The first aspect that blew me off was the music which was magnificent & which I presumed was created by Hans Zimmer, only to realize later on that it was Ludwig Goransson. The Academy Award winner already has an impressive body of work at just 38 years of age & I would definitely be surprised if he doesnt win his second Oscar for this one. When it came to camera work, we expect only the best from Hoyte van Hoytema & he has done just that as with his last three previous collaborations with Nolan. The same goes for Richard King who has been a constant presence in Nolan's ventures as sound designer. Actually aspect of the movie was top notch & hence it is beyond the scope of this review to mention about everyone. 

For anyone who has followed Nolan's filmography, apart from Michael Caine; another artist that has constantly featured in his movies was Cillian Murphy. As 'Oppenheimer', he was exceptional to the extent that we cannot imagine anyone else in that role. It's been a while since Robert Downey Jr had bid adieu to his Iron Man avatar & what a way to comeback. He was magnificent as Admiral Strauss & could very much be in the running for the Oscar along with Cillian. Emily Blunt (as Katherine) was awesome as the firebrand partner while Matt Damon (as General Groves) & Florence Pugh (as Jean Tatlock) was impressive as well. As a matter of fact, each & every artist have done complete justice to their roles.

Verdict: Hats down one of the best movie that I have ever seen and should sweep the Academy awards. Just don't miss it & definitely watch it in theatres so as to have the full feel of the experience!!!

Rating: 4.75/5

Regards...Ben

Zara Hatke Zara Bachke, Adipurush, Satyaprem ki katha, Neeyat & Tarla: "Interesting mix of movies!!!"

It's been quite a while since I have penned my opinion about the Bollywood flicks that I had watched over the past 2 months. To be frank, contrary to popular belief there were quite a few interesting mix of movies & it has also resulted in footfalls to the theatre. Quite a few of them impressed me while there was a colossal debacle as well which I presume you would have guessed even without me mentioning its name. Anywaz without further ado, let me get into the details.

Zara Hatke Zara Bachke: "Neither hatke nor does the audience have to stay bachke!!!"

This is Laxmi Utekar's third directorial venture & he has stuck on the rom-com genre with Vicky Kaushal & Sara Ali Khan in the lead. The movie unfolds in Indore where the duo (Kapil & Saumya) is a happily married couple with diverse familial backgrounds who has been together for two years. Due to lack of space & privacy in Kapil's ancestral home, they decide to move out with the dream of having their own pad. But they soon realize that it was beyond their financial capabilities. This is when they get to know about the Govt's housing scheme for low income families & try to see whether they could put in their names in the list. But it was easier said than done. 

Both Maitrey Bajpai & Ramiz Khan had worked on the script and have come up with an enjoyable screenplay. In terms of the story as such there isn't anything that comes across as unique or make us sit up and take notice. But it certainly had quite a few hilarious sequences such as the court scene that would make us chuckle. On the technical side, most of the tracks created by Sachi-Jagir were good with 'Tere Vaaste' track rendered by Varun Jain, Shadaab Faridi & Altamash Faridi  being one of my favourite track of the year. When it came to performances, both Vicky & Sara did their parts well with the supporting cast though cringe at times were also up to the task.

Verdict: Laxmi certainly knew how to package the movie since it does have the elements to keep the audience entertained. In short, you may give it a try!!!

Rating: 2.25/5

Adipurush: "Mockery of a classic epic!!!"

Unlike Laxmi, Om Raut had a wonderful epic in his hand that had inspired many across the globe to make their versions of it either as live action or animated movies. But I can confidently say without batting my eyelid, that this was undoubtedly the most pathetic celluloid creation of Ramayana. 

First & foremost, Raut came up with a screenplay which was preposterous to say the least. It seems like as if he wanted to combine elements from various flicks like Planet of the Apes, Marvel's Asgard, DC's Flash, Dementors from Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings, Game of Thrones etc. & ended up making a mess of it without an iota of originality. The VFX which was said to be the USP turned out to be its bane as it was absolute crap with complete lack of finesse. I fail to understand as to where exactly had they invested all the money. It also shows Raut's lack of visualization coz there were many sequences where they could have opted for natural locations & that would have made the visual language much more digestible to the audience. None of the other technical elements deserves mention as it barely had any effect in making the movie engaging.

After the highs of 'Baahubali', Prabhas has been going through a rough patch & it's primarily because of his poor movie choices. He was not the right choice for this role & there was hardly any chemistry with Kriti Sanon, who was pretty mediocre while Sunny Singh (as Laxman) was even worser than that. Though comical & bizarre at times, I still felt Saif (as Raavan, despite his character written so horribly) & Devdatta Nage (as Hanuman) did their part reasonably well. 

Verdict: As the Allahabad High Court had stated, it was indeed a test of our tolerance!!!

Rating: 0.5/5

Satyaprem Ki Katha: "A katha that had potential in its core theme only to be messed up in the build up to it!!!"

A couple of weeks back, the Marathi audience had one of their respectable director, Sameer Vidwans make his directorial debut in Bollywood with "Satyaprem Ki Katha". Since I haven't seen any of his Marathi films, it would be hard for me to comment on his craft though his "Anandi Gopal" had earned him the National award for Social issues.. Hence it wasn't surprising that he opted for a romantic drama that was penned by Karan Shrikant Sharma. 

The protagonist as you would have guessed is Satyaprem (Karthik Aryan), an unemployed Gujarati lad who loafed around after having discontinued his law course. At the same time, he was head over heels for Katha (Kiara Advani),who belonged to an affluent family & was in a relationship. But as fate would have it, Satya saves Katha's life at a crucial juncture & that eventually led to their wedding. However, despite Satya's best efforts Katha refused to warm up to him & the reason for that was something that would test his love for her. 

Spoiler alert..the subject that Sameer & Karan talks about is indeed relevant & we did have Shoojit Sircar's "Pink" that also spoke about it but from a different perspective. The issue over here is that Sameer seems to be unsure as to how to balance the Bollywood elements (music, song & dance) and in the process the core subject gets relegated to the sidelines and is not given the screen time it deserved. Another aspect that I felt could have worked upon in a better manner was the way Satya's character was written as it lacked the depth it required which is also the case in the roles given to the supporting cast (especially Satya's parents). On the technical side, the art department ought to have done a better job as the sets were quite artificial, Hitesh-Sonik's music was average while Ayanaka Bose's cinematography was fine.

Coming to performances, Karthik Aryan fits the bill of a goofy guy but when the latter half of the movie touches upon the core subject, it needed someone who had the capability to handle the emotional scenes authentically which he clearly lacked. At the same time, Kiara was impressive & effectively conveys the trauma of her character. As for the rest of the cast, it's quite unfortunate that artists like Gajraj Rao & Supriya Pathak were wasted in poorly etched roles. 

Verdict: In the urge to pack everything into the movie, Sameer failed to do complete justice to the subject that he wanted to convey!!!

Rating: 1.75/5

Neeyat: "The makers should have invested on the script with more neeyat!!!"

When Anu Menon's "Neeyat" was announced with Vidya Balan yet again as the lead, I was certainly eager to check it out after all the duo's "Shakuntala Devi" was reasonably well made. Incidentally, the presence of numerous collaborators such as Girvani Dhyani, Advaita Kala, Priya Venkataraman apart from Anu in the drafting of the script made me wonder as to whether it would be a situation where many cooks spoiled the broth. Well it almost felt like in the first half until it kind of redeemed itself to a certain extent.

AK (Ram Kapoor) is a multi-billionaire who had exiled himself in the UK as he was wanted by the Indian authorities for financial irregularities. After much thought, he decided to surrender himself & planned to convey his decision to his close friends and family at his grand birthday party that he threw in his mansion. However, even before the night had ended he was found dead at a cliff nearby & the question was whether it was a suicide or a murder. Incidentally, he had also invited CBI officer Mira Rao (Vidya Balan) to the party & she decided to unravel the mystery. 

A few minutes into the movie & it becomes evident that the inspiration for it is Vijay Mallya & Rian Johnson's "Knives Out" series. The primary flaw that pulls back Anu Menon's effort is the predictability & the lack of authenticity in terms of the investigation pattern. We are already aware what happens & Kausir Munir's dialogues fails to provide the punch that would keep us engaged. However, the screenplay was better in the latter segment & it does provide some twists in the end. In terms of its making, Andrea Neo's visuals was in sync with what the genre demanded while Mickey McCleary's score was average.

Vidya Balan as a performer needs no introduction though her character in this came across as rather odd which she has still done reasonably ok. Ram Kapoor had the swag & the body language that his role demanded while the rest of the cast were ok. But to fair to them, they would have performed much better after all most of them are talented artists; if they were provided with much better written character arcs. 

Verdict: Falls well short of expectations as the predictability & lack of genuine originality plagues this wannabe "Knives Out"!!!

Rating: 2/5

Tarla: "Didn't quite match upto the flavour of Tarla's dishes!!!

How many of you have watched Surabhi on Doordarshan? Well I used to follow it keenly & if you also have, then you might recollect having watched Tarla Dalal appear as a guest on that show. For the uninitiated, Tarla was the first woman chef to appear on television & became a household name for many through her popular recipe books & cookery shows. It was a life that deserved to have a biopic & that is what Piyush Gupta had attempted with his debut directorial venture.

As a writer, Piyush already have some credible movies in his resume such as "Dangal", "Chhichhore" etc. Over here, along with Gautam Ved; he has captured all the major aspects of Tarla's life and gives us a gist of how she became the icon that we all know. Tarla (Huma Qureshi) always aspired to do something worthwhile with her life & she realized that her calling was in food when she tried her hand in giving vegetarian dishes a non veg twist. However, the path onward wasn't easy but she had the unwavering support of her husband, Nalin (Sharib Hashmi). 

The screenplay as such didnt quite have the flavour that was expected but that doesnt mean that it was a test of our patience. But the credit for that goes to the impressive performances of Huma & Sharib, both of whom have done utmost justice to their roles. Their chemistry & the endearing nature of their characters keeps us entertained. There were not much supporting artists as such but whoever did appear such as Bharati Achrekar, Rajeev Pandey etc did their parts aptly. 

Verdict: It's a feel good movie & worth a watch which is beamed on Zee5!!!

Rating: 2.5/5

Regards...Ben

Madhura Manohara Moham, Nalla Nilavulla Rathri & 18+ Journey of Love: "Humour scores while others fails to impress!!!"

Over the last couple of weeks, though a number of flicks had hit the screens; there were only a few Malayalam movies that really motivated me to check it out. As has been the trend for quite a while, among the three movies that I had watched, two of them were by debutants while the third was one who was into his second directorial venture. So how did these movies fare at the box office even as the monsoon threated to wreck havoc at many places.

Madhura Manohara Moham: "Stephy's moham to give a madhura experience for the audience almost works!!!"

Dr. Girija K.P, the owner of the Girija theatres in Thrissur is a name that is known to many primarily because of the struggles that she had to face being a female entrepreneur. With constant cyber attacks on her establishment for reasons unknown to her, she had to reach out to the authorities & media to help her out of the predicament. As a mark of solidarity, she had received unconditional support from many groups & this included Sharafudeen as his "Madhura Manohara Moham" was the latest release in Girija. 

This movie happens to be the directorial debut of Stephy Zaviour, a well known name in the industry who had build her reputation over the past decade as a talented costume designer. Based on the story by Mahesh Gopal & Jai Vishnu, they adopt a strategy (not sure if it was intentional) whereby they start off building the framework for something & then totally changes path to end with a track quite different. It is essentially a satirical take on the orthodox and the prevalence of the casteism mentality in the society, not to forget breaking the mold of the stereotypical girls from such families. 

The focus over there is Manu (Sharafudeen), the member of the local NSS committee who was in an affair with the NSS President's (Vijayaraghavan) daughter, Salabha (Aarsha Baiju) & his sibling, Meera (Rejisha Vijayan). The latter was the responsible one in the family as their mother, Ushamma (Bindu Panicker) still firmly held to her beliefs of belonging to the upper caste. They were kind of aware about the challenges that Manu might have to face for his wedding due to the financial disparity, but little did they realize the mental trauma they had to face to arrange Meera's wedding.

Frankly speaking, I thoroughly enjoyed the hilarious sequences & kudos for that primarily goes to the performers rather than the screenplay. Though I do applaud the efforts of the makers, I felt they were kind of unsure as to how far they can push the envelope and opted for a rather tame end despite having the potential to try for something more impactful. As for the technical aspects, most of them were done neatly.

Both Rejisha & Sharafudeen has done a fine job with the former taking on a character that was quite unexpected which she aced. It would also be fair to say that Sharafudeen comedy had also improved while Bindu Panicker rocked as usual. The rest of the cast such as Saiju Kurup, Aarsha (definitely a fine talent that has potential), Althaf etc have done their parts well.

Verdict: Quite a hilarious end to a story that started quite unlike what was expected. It does not seek to ask questions & prefers to give the audience an enjoyable time. In short, do give it a try!!!

Rating: 2.75/5

Nalla Nilavulla Rathri: "Predictable survival thriller!!!"

One of the most reputed production houses in the industry is 'Friday Film House' which was launched by Sandra Thomas & Vijay Babu. However, with time their partnership broke up & Sandra walked away from it for personal reasons. She eventually made a return back into the industry with her own production house & announced Murphy Devasy's "Nalla Nilavulla Rathri" as their debut venture. So I was keen to check out the project that she had come out with.

This also happened to be Murphy's directorial debut which he chose to make based on the script that he had penned. It is essentially about a group of friends, who turn on each other when they see the opportunity to make a quick buck. But fate had other plans in store for them. Kurien's (Baburaj) business was in financial crisis & that's when he happens to meet up with his college mates, Dominic (Jinu Joseph) & Joshi (Binu Pappan) who was involved in organic farming in partnership with a couple of other friends. On the pretext of helping his friends, Kurien sees it as an opportunity to help him get of the crisis. However, they also had other plans up their sleeve.

In terms of the story, Murphy takes time to build the characters & deserves appreciation for building up the intrigue and suspense between them. But the moment, the story shifts to the property in Shimoga it is reduced to a normal survival flick & does not offer anything that we haven't seen in the past. It becomes a blood fest as bodies get slashed and disfigured without hardly anything worthwhile taking the story forward. None of the technical aspects deserves mention as it was average at best.

The choice of artists for each of the roles was apt & each one of them have done their parts aptly. But as I said earlier, there is a limit to how much they can perform without a credible screenplay to back it up.

Verdict:  Though it ended with the impression that it would have a second part, I doubt whether Sandra would attempt that especially since there were hardly much takers for this. In short, it will take some heavy lifting to match Friday Films!!!

Rating: 1/5

18+ Journey of Love: "Love between the lead pair didn't seem as convincing, but the humour and the politics was!!!"

This is Arun Jose's second directorial venture after a commercially successful debut in "Jo & Jo". It also featured the combo of Naslen & Mathew Thomas which was the primary reason why I decided to watch it. However, for a change it was Naslen who took centre stage while Mathew had limited screen space though he did feature in a significant role that was quite unlike he had done in the past. As in his debut venture, Arun had joined hands with Raveesh Nath for the script & the screenplay and the duo came up with a story that focused on elopement against the backdrop of caste and politics. 

Akhil (Naslen), a cadre in the Communist party was in love with Athira (Meenakshi Dinesh), the daughter of Raveendren (Manoj K U), a prominent leader of the party unit in that region. Since they knew about the resistance that her family would pose, they decide to elope with the help of their friends. How they manage to elope and the events that unfold as a result of that  forms the crux. 

Though the makers have maintained a light mood right throughout the movie, they do pose relevant questions about caste in a subtle manner. The influence that politics has on the livelihood of the people & the so called progressive speeches which barely holds any significance especially when it comes to matters of their own household is all showcased well. On the technical side, both Christo Xavier's music & Satheesh Kurup's visuals were praise worthy.

Coming to performances, both Naslen & Athira have done a fine job with their individual performances but the chemistry between them wasnt quite upto the level that we would expect. Safwan & Anshad as Naslen's friends provides the comic relief while Mathew did his part aptly. The rest of the cast have also done their parts well such as Manoj, Binu Pappan, Shyam Mohan (as Athira's brother), Rajesh Madhavan, the lady who acted as Naslen's mother etc. Even Nikhila impressed in the cameo though the the primary reason for that was the refreshing take that Arun had on magistrates.

Verdict: Personally, I felt it was better than "Jo & Jo" but whether it would translate into revenue remains to be seen especially with the monsoon lashing. In short, give it a try!!!

Rating: 2.75/5

Regards...Ben