Aaraattu review: "Celebration of Lalism without an ounce of originality!!!"

Hmm...how do we write an opinion about a product that we are not experts at? Good question, but then if the customer paid the money for it, then we have the right to voice our concerns if it doesn't satisfy our expectations. Anyway taking cue from that, the eagerly awaited B Unnikrishnan's "Aaraattu" hit the screens y'day amid much fan fare & hype. The excitement was palpable after all the trailer promised it to be a mass masala entertainer which feasted on the 'Lalettan' brand. The legend was in his elements but seemed like Udayakrishna kind of forgot that one needs to be constantly updated in his profession rather than merely rest on the laurels of the past. 

The location for this fanboy tribute is Muthalakotta where Edathala Mathiachan (Vijayaraghavan), an affluent landlord was trying to convert his substantial piece of agricultural land into a commercial plot. This plan was met with opposition from the RDO Anjali (Shraddha Srinath) & the villagers which included a group of young men known as the 'Muthalakotta Battalion' who spearheaded the development in the locality. Left with no option, Mathiachan sought the help of Neyyantinkara Gopan (Lalettan) known to be an expert in handling such tussles with ease. 

It's been a while since we have witnessed Lalettan in a no holds barred bindaas mass masala & in that sense it's an absolute treat for the fans. At the same time, it should be done in a manner which is unique in its treatment & that's where Unnikrishnan was woeful. But I wont blame him as much as Udayakrishnan who penned the script (did he even scribble anything?), as it didnt have even an iota of creativity. It was just a mish mash of "Aaram Thampuran", "Narasimham", "Lucifer", "Chandralekha" & many others with sequences and iconic dialogues from those presented as spoofs. If such references comes once in a while, then it's worth a smile and a whistle but when it is bombarded at the audience in almost every sentence then it becomes irritating. A couple of twists are brought in the latter half that lacked the desired impact which includes the much spoken about A R Rahman cameo and the picturisation of a heist in the train which was laughable to say the least. At the same time, Vijay Ulanganth's visuals were fine & Rahul Raj's BGM and Rapper Fejo's theme song complimented the mood of the movie.

There might be a whole army of artists in the movie but it was an all out Lalettan show & he deserves kudos for his agility and hard core action sequences. As for the rest of the cast, Siddique does evoke laughs, Shraddha was ok though just like her character I wouldn't be surprised if she felt exasperated with the laziness in the script while the others including the late Nedumudi Venu, Kottayam Pradeep, Vijayaraghavan etc. were either to sing praises or get bashed by the protagonist.

Verdict: Unnikrishnan took an anticipatory bail by terming it as 'unrealistic' but that is no excuse for having such a sloppy script. If Prithvi made a commendable fanboy tribute with "Lucifer" then this would lie on the other end of the spectrum. The audience is sensible enough to understand as to what to expect from a mass entertainer though serving them with a threadbare storyline and expecting them to accept it like the Telugu audience without complaining is a 'chaala dangerousu' mentality. Anyway you can give it a try solely for Lalettan!!!

Rating: 2/5

Regards...Ben

Super Sharanya: "Not quite as super as expected but it still entertains!!!"

At the turn of the New Year, a trailer that had captured attention was Girish A D's "Super Sharanya" & there were a couple of reasons for that. The first reason was obviously because it was Girish's second venture after the popular "Thanneer Mathan Dinangal" & secondly, the trailer captured the vibe of hostel life quite impressively. More often than not, the life in a boy's hostel is what is captured in movies & hence Girish's idea to capture it from a different perspective certainly made it interesting. However, there was an evident lack of content for a movie that lasted for close to 164 mins. 

Sharanya (Anaswara Rajan) had recently joined the Engg college & found it hard to adjust with the challenges that most freshers face such as ragging, hostel food, home sickness etc. To add onto that, there were quite a few such as her lecturer Arun (Vineeth Vishwam) & senior Ajith (Vineeth Vasudevan) who took an attraction towards her. How she deals with all these problems with the support of her friends forms the crux of the movie.

Just like in his debut venture, Girish was able to create an environment that endears to the audience with humorous sequences from hostel & college life. Most of the light moments does score with the audience including the character Ajith who seemed to have been modeled after 'Arjun Reddy'. But it meanders along at a sluggish pace after she meets up with Deepu (Arjun Ashokan) as it seemed like Girish had ran out of ideas as to how to take it forward. Unfortunately, instead of making it crisp it takes its own sweet time to culminate in a predictable love story that doesn't offer anything worthwhile to engage our attention. On the technical side, Sajith Purushan's visuals as well as Justin Varghese's music were fine especially the track 'Ashubha Mangalakaari'.

Each & every artist that was involved in the project have done justice to their roles with Mamitha Baiju being my personal favourite. She was spot on as the crazy & bindaas Sonare while Anaswara was apt as the meek protagonist. Naslen could have been given a bigger role while both the Vineeth's were equally good. As for Arjun Ashokan, kudos to his choice of movies which has slowly yet steadily enhanced his market value as a reliable artist.

Verdict: Though a sequence in the movie did mention as to why Sharanya was called super, it wasnt quite revealed later on. But certainly from an audience point of view, after a breezy first half it does drag quite a bit in the latter sections and hence 'super' is not a term that we would associate it with. However, it is still worth a watch for the humour!!!

Rating: 2.5/5

Regards...Ben

 

Archana 31 Not Out review: "Will struggle to remain not out in the theatres coz of an insipid latter half!!!"

How often have we come across two movies helmed by the same director being released on the same day? Well that particular distinction fell upon Akhil Anilkumar who directed the "Geethu Unchained" segment in the impressive "Freedom Fight" & also called the shots in  "Archana 31 Not Out". Unlike the former, the latter was released in theatres & dealt with the challenges that an educated financially independent female who took care of her family had to face coz of the uncertainty in her marital prospects.

The primary problem that both Geethu (Rajisha) in "Freedom Fight" & Archana (Aishwarya Lekshmi) faced was the indecisiveness in their lives as to when they will be tying the knot. Just like most parents, they were anxious (though not as overbearing as Geethu's) about her future especially since almost 30 proposals had failed to materialise for various reasons. However, the 31st proposal brought joy to her family as both the parties decided to solemnize the marriage. 

Apart from helming the project, Akhil had also penned the script which focused yet again on women & the freedom to lead their lives on their terms. The first half builds up the story in an engaging & humorous manner that throws light on her personal & professional life as well as the people that she comes across on a regular basis. After the wedding is fixed, it tries to emulate the vibe generated in "Thinkalazhcha Nishchayam" & does succeed to a certain extent. However, when an incident exposes the vulnerabilities of the protagonist; that's when it falters big time as it meanders along aimlessly for a significant amount of time. Despite a couple of interesting segments including the climax, there was a substantial lag in between & makes one feel that it was way longer than 105 mins. 

As the protagonist, Aishwarya was impressive while most of the other artists did their parts aptly. At the same time there were quite a few that were wasted such as Indrans (it was a character that certainly had potential), Ramesh Pisharody and Renjit Nair. On the technical side, Joyal Joji's visuals were fine while Maathan & Rajat Prakash created some interesting tracks.

Verdict: There is no doubt that Akhil has the makings of a fine director which he showcased in both his projects. Over here, despite a promising start & a commendable climax; he fails to capture our attention in the latter half. In short, it could have been way better with a smarter screenplay!!!

Rating: 2/5

Regards...Ben

Freedom fight review: "Thought provoking & realistic interspersed with humour!!!'

With the mushrooming of the OTT platforms during the pandemic, we have witnessed a host of different anthologies being created in various languages. Quite a few of them were impressive though some were pretty average. So much so, it has cast apprehensions in the audience whenever a new anthology is announced & the latest one to hit the screens is Jeo Baby's "Freedom Fight" which has five directors at the helm. As I haven't watched the trailer prior to its release on SonyLIV, I didn't have much clue as to what the movie was about though the cast that was on board certainly inspired hope that it would certainly be worthwhile unlike others. 

As the title suggests, the basic theme of the movie is about the various freedom that the protagonists fight for be & it is divided into five segments each one dealing with a unique situation that we are accustomed to or aware of. The segments are as follows:

1. "Geethu Unchained" 

Directed by Akhil Anilkumar, though the title reminded me of Tarantino's "Django Unchained"; it was about Geethu's (Rajisha Vijayan) defiance to lead her life by her own terms. All the pieces in her life seemed to align perfectly when her family agreed to her wish of marrying her lover. But soon after, she decided to call off the wedding & that's when things started to fall apart. So it was upto her whether she wanted to adhere to the societal norms & patriarchy or stand her ground. 

2. "Asanghadithar"

Based on the true story about the struggles of women working in textile shops in Mitaayitharavu where they were forced to stand for long hours & not provided washrooms in their work premises. The plight of these women were captured realistically & Kunjilla Mascilamani has shot it in a documentary style. The focus was on Penkootu which was spearheaded by P Viji (playing herself in the segment) who fought for such women like Srinda & touched upon topics like menstrual hygiene, transgenders etc.

3. "Ration"

This segment directed by Francies Louis is about the diverse economic backgrounds of two neighbours who however shared more than cordial relations. All seemed fine until Kabini, the middle class housewife mistakenly cooks the fish which was handed to her daughter by their neighbour to store in their freezer for a day. The pain & stress that Kabini goes through to ensure that the fish is returned is portrayed brilliantly & with her mask on, she still effectively manages to convey the pain to the audience.

4. "Old Age Home"

Though Jeo Baby appeared as Kabini's husband in "Ration", this is the segment that he called for the shots & he chose two brilliant artists to tell his tale. It is about Joju's character who had started to suffer from dementia & the pressure it puts on his family. Rohini is brought in as the domestic help to take care of him & how she along with his wife handle the situation forms the crux. Ever since "Joseph" released, there has been no stopping Joju & over here as well, he has done utmost justice to the role. Equally impressive was Rohini who I believe is really under utilized in our movies & hopefully more directors will realize her potential after this.  

5. "Pra Thoo Mu"

The final segment is about the plight of a sanitation worker (Unni Lalu) who gets brutally assaulted by the minister (Siddharth Shiva) when questions were raised over the latter's arrogant nature. This is the most graphic & disturbing among the lot but at the same time, it didnt come across as realistic as the rest. 

Verdict: Undoubtedly, one of the finest anthology that has come out in recent time with almost all of them have a unique tale to tell rather than just be there for the numbers. In short, dont miss it!!!

Rating: 3.5/5

Regards...Ben

Mahaan movie: "Not a mahaan flick but certainly an interesting theme!!!"

The last couple of weeks has been pretty low profile with not much movies having hit the screens or OTT platform that really caught my fancy. However, a host of movies were lined up for this weekend among which Karthik Subbaraj's "Mahaan" was released on Amazon Prime on Thursday. Without mincing words, it would be fair to say that it's been quite a while since we got to see Vikram in a movie that made use of his acting credentials. Hence the combination of Karthik & Vikram did provide hopes of a worthwhile entertainer & the trailer certainly seemed to point in the same direction. So will this give the much needed box office relief to the duo???

The film spans a period from 1968 to 2016 and follows the life of Gandhi Mahaan (Vikram) who hailed from a family of freedom fighters & swore allegiance to Gandhian principles. Even his wife, Nachi (Simran) was a staunch Gandhian & this essentially meant Gandhi, who didnt quite endorse the same ideologies led a stifled life until he hit the 40s. However, a coincidental meeting with his childhood buddy Satyavan (Bobby Simha) who ran an alcohol business turned his life upside down or rather gave him the freedom to lead the life that he always wanted. But it came at a cost.

After a lack lustered effort in "Jagame Thanthiram", Karthik would have certainly looked at this as an opportunity to make amends; not to forget that he did a fine segment called 'Peace' in "Navarasa". The central theme of the movie was interesting which is to realize the need for the right balance in any ideology. But in the process to convince the audience, Karthik tries to stuff with too many sequences which actually dragged the movie rather than add more impact. Even the much talked about face off between the father and son did not elevate to the level that was expected. On the technical side, Santhosh Narayanan's music & BGM as well as Shreyaas Krishna's visuals were fine while Vivek Harshan's editing could have been sharper. 

It was a pleasure to see Vikram in a role that gave him ample scope to perform & he absolutely rocked at it. Another person who was equally impressive was Bobby Simha, whose character also went through various age related transformations while Vettai Muthukumar was spot on as Gnanam. As for the rest, Rakesh as Rocky was fine, Dhruv was average and Simran was wasted.

Verdict:  Undoubtedly an interesting theme but whose scope wasn't fully explored. The first half was engaging while the second half felt confused and predictable though it also had some good sequences. In short, you can give it a try!!!

Rating; 2.75/5

Regards...Ben

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Rating: 2.5/5

Regards...Ben  

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

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

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

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

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

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

Rating: 3.5/5

Regards...Ben