Anuragam & Neymar: "Feel good flicks that is unlikely to create much stir at the box office!!!"

Even as "2018" deservedly took all the accolades, there were a couple of other flicks which had also made its way to the screens in this past week. These included Shahad Nilambur's "Anuragam" & Sudhi Maddison's "Neymar". Both of them did not boast of having something novel to tell the audience but the manner in which it was crafted made it an endearing watch at various segments. But the question was who managed to convey their story convincingly without an overload of clichés.

Anuragam: "Rom-com  that starts off promisingly but looses track soon after!!!"

This is Shahad's second directorial venture after "Prakashan Parakatte" & he has chosen the script penned by Aswin Jose (you will recollect him from his performance in "Queen" among others) to call the shots. Aswin (his original name itself) was in love with his best friend, Janani (Gouri G Kishan); though it was more along the lines of being one-sided. Janani was reluctant to get into a relationship especially after what had happened to her parents who were on the verge of separation. In the hope to impress Janani, Aswin decides to step in and broker peace between her parents. Whether it turns out to be positive & the impact that it has on their lives is what this movie is about.

In terms of the storyline, it is way too predictable & cliched. Despite that, I still found the first half largely entertaining as the comedy, colourful frames & music gave it the vibe of that typical Tamil rom com flicks that we have seen in the past. However, the story fizzled out even before the second half commenced & the conflicts that brewed between the characters essayed by Gautham & Lena are dealt with at a superficial level while Durga Krishna's role lacked any bite. Among the three relationships that were showcased, the only one which had a credible emotional connect was the track that involved Johny Antony & Devayani, which was primarily due to the former's performance. 

On the technical side, Joel Jones music was fine & Suresh Gopi's visuals were good. Coming to performances, Johny Antony & Gouri did their parts well while Lena & Devayani were ok. As for the rest, Ashwin, Sheela & Durga were average, Gautham looked at sea, while Sudhish was wasted. 

Verdict: It's not a flick that is going to test our patience (maybe it will in the second half)  but at the same time it doesnt offer anything that could be termed as fresh in terms of the storyline or treatment. In short, you may give it a try!!!

Rating: 2.25/5

Neymar: "A blend of humour & emotions!!"

I wouldn't be surprised if atleast some of you would have expected this to be a movie about football coz of its title. Well the only connection that it has with the world's most popular game is that the canine protagonist shared its name with the Brazilian star striker while Mathew & Naslen's characters were members of Brazil's local fan club. In his debut directorial venture, Sudhi had joined hands with Paulson Scaria and Adarsh Sukumar who had worked on the dialogues and screenplay. 

Kunjava (Mathew) & Shinto (Naslen) were the best of buddies who stuck through thick and thin. The latest incident in Kunjava's life was that he was in love with a girl in his class & Shinto comes up with the idea to get a puppy to impress her. This brings in Neymar who wrecks havoc in their lives coz of his mischievousness. However, soon enough an emotional bond is formed between them but Kunjava's father Sahadevan (Shammi Thilakan) had enough of Neymar's troubles and had him abandoned. However, Kunjava with the help of Shinto decides to track down Neymar who was said to be abandoned in Pondicherry.

It is a feel good flick with liberal sprinkling of humour in the first half which keeps us engaged. The latter half takes place in Pondicherry & the competition that unfolds there which Neymar is forced to participate. The movie does not spring any surprises yet it does not weary us as it manages to create an emotional connect with the audience without going overboard with it. Both Shaan Rehman & Gopi Sundar has done a commendable job with the music and BGM while Alby's cinematography was impressive especially with the way that he captured Neymar's reactions. At the same time, Noufal Abdullah could have trimmed it further while the VFX should have been done more neatly. 

Though Neymar is a trained canine, it still deserves praise along with its trainer for a job well done. Both Mathew & Naslen did their parts aptly with the latter walking away with most of the hilarious lines. The veterans, Vijayaraghavan, Shammi Thilakan & Johny Antony were good with the mass scene being whistle worthy. Yog Jaypee was impressive as well while many of the supporting cast did justice to their roles.

Verdict: It doesn't take the highly emotional route of "Charlie 777" but keeps us engaged with an adequate mix of humour & emotions.

Rating: 2.75/5

Regards...Ben

2018: "The Real Kerala Story where everyone in front & behind the camera are heroes!!!"

One of the most awaited Malayalam movie of the year, Jude Anthany Joseph's "2018" has finally hit the screens. As the name suggests, it is about the 2018 floods that wrecked havoc across the length & breadth of the state. It was a catastrophic event that is still fresh in our minds as all of us were affected by it in one way or the other. It was a time when most of us joined hands to help each other in whichever way possible either by being part of the rescue & rehab missions in person or through the effective use of social media to pass legitimate info to the needy and the concerned authorities. To recreate that calamity onto celluloid in the most authentic manner is no mean feat & Jude deserves all the accolades on a job well done. 

Since it is a relatively recent event, there is ample availability of print & video information and hence the basic template is quite familiar to all of us. So it was upto Jude & Akhil P Dharmajan, to create a screenplay with relatable characters from different walks of life who went through the struggles. For the ease of depiction & to create more of an emotional connect between the characters, they have focused the tragedy that unfolded in a specific area such as Aruvikulam. 

In the first half, the various characters are introduced while the fury of the floods and the rescue mission takes center stage in the much bigger second half. The characters are so relatable to us & the manner in which Jude has etched most of them deserves praise. At the same time. I did feel that he could have given more prominence to the female characters as well to showcase that irrespective of caste, creed, religion & gender, every individual stood shoulder to shoulder in that hour of crisis. Though the rescue mission was primarily carried out with the help of our fishermen community (which Jude has rightfully given importance) & for which any amount of gratitude is insufficient, I felt the efforts of the Govt could have also been touched upon. 

However, on the technical side; this was hands down one of the finest movies to have been crafted in Malayalam. This was a project that initially had Jomon T John on board as the cinematographer, but later on Akhil George stepped in & boy!!! he has done a fantastic job. The sound department handled by Vishnu Govind was brilliant while Nobin Paul's debut musical work in Malayalam was excellent and gelled seamlessly with the mood. Hats off the art department & Jude's vision as it captured the flood and the fear it created so authentically. Last but not the least, Chamman Chacko maintained the tempo of the sequences so well that it kept us engaged and emotional right throughout the latter half. 

During the 2018 floods, one artist from the film fraternity who featured prominently in the frontline of the rescue and rehab efforts was Tovino. Unfortunately, he faced a lot of flak for it from insensitive elements in the society & hence it might be divine intervention that Jude gave his character more prominence as opposed to others. As Anoop, Tovino portrayed him as an endearing individual that is likely to remain with the audience even after they leave the theatre. Lal & Narain as the fishermen were good while Asif Ali, Chackochan, Aju, Vineeth & Kalaiyarasan did their parts aptly. As for the rest, Indrans rocked, Sudheesh impressed while Aparna (not sure why she disappeared completely in the latter half), Tanvi, Sshivada, Gautami Nair etc. did justice to their limited screen space.

Verdict: There are obviously certain aspects from a storyline point of view that could have been better but from a technical perspective, it has been picturized impressively. Jude has weaved the emotional fabric so well into the narration that it will endear to all type of audiences. In short, a must watch in theatre especially for the second half!!!

Rating: 3.75/5

Regards...Ben

Kisi Ka Bhai Kisi Ki Jaan, Agent & Nalla Samayam: "Mediocrity has a new standard!!!"

Over the past month or so, I happened to come across a handful of movies that literally tested my patience. Ironically, a couple of them were from big banners & featured huge stars, however an iota of thought or effort had not gone into the script as it was hare-brained to say the least. These included Farhad Samji's "Kisi Ka Bhai Kisi Ki Jaan", Surender Reddy's "Agent" & Omar Lulu's "Nalla Samayam". At times, the box office returns of such flicks belies our sense of judgement. But then it is imperative to understand that each one of us have our own tastes which may or may not cater to others. However, in the case of these three flicks; I doubt whether anyone will have difference in opinion. 

Kisi Ka Bhai Kisi Ki Jaan: "Rather cringe which masquerades as being entertaining!!!"

I still remember the first stills from this flick which featured Salman in long locks which instantly reminded me of "Sooryavanshi" & "Saawan", pathetic movies by any stretch of imagination. But since this was the remake of Siva's "Veeram", I presumed it would be a full on entertainer. Being a Salman movie, obviously I expected it to be loud and over the top, however it turned out to be cringe rather than the popcorn muncher that was expected.

Well there isn't much to explain in terms of the story (as always!!!), as it is about Bhaijaan (Salman Khan), a doting brother to his three siblings who had remained a bachelor in the presumption it might create disharmony among them. However, his brothers had girl friends & wanted their Bhaijaan also to get settled. This is when Bhagya (Pooja Hegde) moves into their locality & how that brings about a change in their lives is what this movie is about. 

There is hardly anything in the movie that is worth mentioning as none of the aspects quite stood out except for maybe Manikandan's frames which were bright & colourful. As for the rest, Ravi Basrur's music was ordinary, the art direction was pathetic & the editing could have chopped more (but I guess, if Mayuresh Sawant was true to his profession; then nothing will be left worth watching). On the performance front, it is a Salman show right throughout but the screenplay fails to create anything worthwhile due to which after a point of time it becomes exhausting to watch. As for the rest of cast, well there isn't much scope for anyone to perform which includes a veteran like Venkatesh.

Verdict: Rather than mount a movie with a production cost of 150C, they could have as well invested more time on a proper screenplay & then taken the dive. It might break even but certainly not going to bring in the moolah like his other blockbusters. In short, forget it!!!

Rating: 0.5/5

Agent: "Unpredictably amateurish!!!"

As a Malayali, when "Agent" was announced, I was thrilled coz of the presence of Mammookka in it. More often than not, the legend has been part of some fine movies whenever he had featured in other regional languages. In addition, Surender Reddy had a pretty impressive resume as well with hits like "Race Gurram", "Kick" etc. However, it turned out to be rather pathetic to say the least. 

Terrorism has been on the rise & it was predominantly orchestrated by the organization known as 'The Syndicate' which was headed by a rogue former RAW agent, Dharma alias 'The God' (Dino Morea). Despite their best efforts, RAW under the leadership of Colonel Mahadev alias 'The Devil' (Mammookka) had failed to curb their activities. This is when he decided to hinge his bets on Ricky (Akhil Akkineni), a RAW aspirant & an ethical hacker whose childhood dream was to be part of this elite team. Whether this strategy pays off & at what cost is what is explored in this action thriller. 

For some reason, I felt Vakkantham Vamsi might have taken inspiration from the basic theme of "Skyfall" & added his version to it, making it into an absolute mess which was predictable, incoherent and lack lustred. Being an action thriller, there was an expectation that the stunt sequences would be staged in a classy manner. Well it was pretty damn trite & lacked imagination, the VFX was laughable at most instances & the song placements was devoid of any sense. None of the technical aspects deserves mention & it takes a toll on our patience as it runs close to 3 h. Coming to performances, Mammookka did a decent job though his dubbing was rather odd in certain sequences, Dino was ok at times while Akhil certainly needs to take some acting classes. 

Verdict: In a fortnight from now, it will premiere on Sony LIV which is ample proof that it has failed to impress even the Telugu audience. In short, the Malayalis' fear for any movie that has agent in it continues & as for this, don't bother even when it comes on OTT!!!

Rating: 0.5/5

Nalla Samayam: "Audience certainly didnt have a nalla samayam!!!"

The first question that is going to arise is as to why I had bothered to even waste time watching this flick. Well it so happened that both Omar Lulu & Angeline Mariya has featured in this season of Bigg Boss & hence I decided to give it a try. The writing credits are shared between Omar & Chitra (I wonder what they had worked on it) & is about a group of youngsters partying with a middle aged wealthy businessman (Irshad). 

I fail to understand as to why a talented artist like Irshad would agree to be part of such a mediocre movie that has a non existent screenplay. Thankfully, I didnt have to think twice before fast forwarding many sequences as it seemed like the sole purpose of this flick was to showcase the use of drugs among youngsters. 

Verdict: Undoubtedly, one of the worst that I had seen in recent times & hence I don't think it is even worth giving a rating!!!

Regards...Ben

Paachuvum Albhuthavilakum: "Akhil continues his father's legacy!!!"

Apart from"PS2", there were two other major releases that hit the screens last Friday among which this review is about Akhil Sathyan's "Paachuvum Albhuthavilakkum". I presume the surname would have raised a couple of eyebrows, well just as you might have suspected this is indeed Sathyan Anthikad's son. Just like his twin brother, Akhil has also put his hat in the ring to prove his worth as a director after having assisted his father & brother in a couple of projects. So will he able to helm a project that would make his family proud & the movie lovers happy???

In his directorial debut, Akhil has chosen to juggle with a couple of responsibilities which includes editing & penning the story that he wanted to convey. As opposed to his father's usual backdrop of luscious green scenic villages, Akhil chose to stage his tale in Goa, Mumbai & Kerala. Prasanth aka Paachu (Fahadh Faasil) had been running the Kottaikkal Arya Vaidyashala franchisee in Mumbai for quite a while & his efforts had started to bear fruit. In order to continue the association, he headed back home for a short visit & renewed the contract. On the way back, the owner of the complex, Riyas (Vineeth) where he had his shop requested him for a favour whereby he had to accompany Riyas's mother Laila (Viji Venkatesh) back to Mumbai. Paachu agrees to it oblivious of the fact that it was a trip that would change his life. 

Atleast some of you would have wondered as to whether it sounded familiar to the template of Sathyan Anthikad's movies. Well if you did, then even I would agree to it coz it reminded me of "Njan Prakashan" & "Oru Indian Pranayakatha" among others in some context. However, that does not imply that it hampered the viewing experience since it offers the audience a laid back feel with numerous light moments that will give us a smile especially in the first half. The underlying theme is about an important Government campaign & Akhil has crafted the story with the right balance without being preachy or melodramatic. Kudos to the work that Akhil had put into fleshing out most characters & also for the thought that went into the casting. Similarly, Justin Prabhakaran deserves praise for the music & Sharan Velayudhan Nair for the apt frames that gelled with the mood. 

The main highlight of the movie are the performances & literally all of them have done their jobs pretty well. Does one even have to talk about Fahadh? He was excellent as always & handled the situational humour with finesse. Anjana Jayaprakash was a delight to the eyes as she seemed completely at ease as Hamsadhwani. Vineeth was impressive as the arrogant selfish yet passionate son, which is proof that he is an artist who is under utilized in our industry. Among the other main characters, Dhwani (as Nidhi) & Viji Venkatesh (as Ummachi) did their parts aptly. As for the rest, Indrans, Mukesh, Althaf etc were also fine while the presence of Innocent on screen does make us emotional. 

Verdict: The template & the general feel of the movie undoubtedly gives the vibe of his father's movies. However, Akhil does give us characters & sequences that is light and enjoyable. It could have been a bit more crisper but on the whole it does not test our patience. In short, give it a try!!!

Rating: 3/5

Regards...Ben

Ponniyin Selvan 2: "Mani Ratnam stamps his class yet again in this period drama!!!"

The much awaited sequel of Mani Ratnam's magnum opus, "Ponniyin Selvan 2" hit the screens on Friday amid much fanfare & sky high expectations. There is no doubt that it was going to be a herculean task for Mani  especially since he was trying to condense five books into two movies. Along with Elango Kumaravel & B. Jeyamohan, the legendary director worked on the script to make sure that it made sense to the audience especially since majority of the people wouldn't have read Kalki's historical fiction which is a concoction of twists and sub-plots. So will the veteran legend be able to satisfy all sections of audience???

The first part ended on a cliffhanger with Arunmozhi (Jayam Ravi) saved from being drowned by a mysterious old lady who resembled Nandini (Aishwarya Rai). In the sequel, Mani takes us back in time when Nandini & Aditha Karikalan were teenagers & how romance blossomed between them. But destiny had other plans as Nandini was banished from the kingdom while Karikalan (Vikram) was away for conquests. The movie shifts to the present where Arunmozhi despite being saved was far from danger due to physical ailments & enemies on the pursuit. Apart from Vandiyadevan (Karthi), Nambi (Jayaram) & Poonguzhali (Aishwarya Lekshmi), no one else knew the truth & it was upto them to protect the prince as well as make sure that Nandini's (Aishwarya Rai) plans were thwarted in order to avert the civil unrest headed by Madhurantakan (Rahman) and Pandyas assassination plot.

Kudos to Mani Ratnam for a well crafted movie that essentially felt like a Shakespearean tragic drama where the audience is made to feel the depth of love & hatred that Nandini & Karikalan had for each other. Rather than stage largely than life sets, grandiosity & mind boggling war scenes, the legend creates emotional sequences through tightly shot close up angles that literally gets us completely engrossed. This includes the confrontation between Nandini & Karikalan, the romantic rendezvous between Kundavai & Vandiyadevan, reunion of the siblings, emotional confession of Sundara Chola etc. The reason why these sequences were so impactful is because of Mani Ratnam's mastery over his craft, his vision & technical brilliance in pretty much most of the facets. Obviously he has taken cinematic liberties (as it is not practically possible to cover everything unless it is a web series) & gives closure to most of the questions without making us feel a sense of incompleteness. At the same time, I felt the screenplay could have been a bit more elaborate with regard to the climax as well as to provide more clarity on Mandakini (& even Poonguzhali & Amuthan). 

Among the technical crew, the first name I will to take is Ravi Varman whose cinematography was absolutely brilliant with the apt choice of colour grade & lighting. What do one say about AR Rahman? The maestro always produced magic with Mani & this time too, it was no different. I wouldn't even hesitate to say that this is his best work in recent times (not to infer, that others were inferior by normal standards). The same amount of praise also goes to the sound department which was top notch. In a movie like this, it is crucial to ensure that the adequate content is retained & that it gels with the rest of the sequences without making the audience confused and bored, which Sreekar Prasad has done impressively. 

Though the title refers to Jayam Ravi, this movie is essentially about Vikram & Aishwarya and both of them were absolutely brilliant. Vikram's portrayal of the heartbroken & hatred fuelled Karikalan was fantastic while Ash was a perfect blend of beauty, vulnerability & scheming mentality (literally reminded me of a snake at times with the way she looks & moves). Trisha impressed in the limited frames she appeared, Karthi rocked just like the first part while Jayam Ravi was bang on as the righteous prince in the way he carried himself. Jayaram was impressive while the rest of the cast such as Vikram Prabhu, Aishwarya Lekshmi, Shobhita etc did their parts aptly despite the reduced screen time. 

Verdict: Mani Ratnam delivered what he promised as it is a classic periodic drama that keeps us engaged for the content rather than gimmicks. It's not like a situation where Zack Snyder's vision was decimated by the Warner Bros in the theatrical version. It is a slow burner with the emphasis on emotionally charged interaction sequences. Unlike the prequel, the Tamil in this was comprehensible & provides a wholesome theatrical experience. At the same time, if you are expecting a fast paced large scale visual treat like "Baahubali", then this might not work for you. In short, don't miss it!!!

Rating: 3.75/5

Regards...Ben

Neelavelicham, KKA, Ayalvaashi & Sulaikha Manzil: "A mixed bag from the Malayalam film industry for this Eid!!!"

First & foremost, 'Eid Mubarak' to all my friends & well wishers and may this auspicious day bring joy, prosperity & blessings to your life. For movie aficionados like me, a plethora of movies has graced the screens this past fortnight to cash in on the festive mood of Vishu & Eid. The lineup definitely inspires expectations but will it deliver the goods remains to be seen. Even as many of the movies has tanked at the box office, the number of releases has refused to cease & hence let's hope that at least some of them manages to entertain us for the benefit of the investors. 

Neelavelicham: "Befitting tribute but too faithful for its own good!!!"

When Aashiq Abu announced the remake of Vincent's "Bhargavi Nilayam", there was an undeniable sense of expectation & apprehension after all the sensibilities of the audience has vastly changed since 1964. As most of you will be aware, the movie is based on the short story by the same name by the legend Vaikom Muhammad Basheer who had prepared the original screenplay. For the benefit of those who hasn't seen the original or read the story, a noted novelist (Tovino Thomas) moves into a haunted desolate mansion called 'Bhargavi Nilayam'. The experiences that the novelist goes through over the course of his stay which throws more light on Bhargavi's life (Rima Kallingal) is what this movie is about. 

On the positive side, Aashiq has crafted a technically well made movie that does justice to the original in pretty much most of the aspects. His vision was executed impressively with the assistance of his able crew & quite a few of them deserves to be specially mentioned. This includes Girish Gangadharan whose cinematography was fantastic with some well created visual effects. The art team led by Jotish Shankar has done a fine job along with Anandakrishnan's sound unit.  At the same time, the actual enactment of the scenes turned out to be rather disappointing. The primary reason for that is Aashiq's decision to stay true to the original which might sound perplexing but the fact is that the tastes & the way the people communicate has undergone a sea of change. Hence when we actually listen to the dialogues it feels so outdated and cheesy.

Coming to performances, Tovino has done a fine job especially since in most of the sequences he had to do all the heavy lifting as he is the only character on screen. His affection for Bhargavi was evident in the dialogues though his expression at times felt rather contradictory. Rima has done a decent job, Roshan was ok though I felt he was wasted & Shine Tom continues to remain in his eccentric persona which gelled with the on screen character only at times. 

Verdict: Kudos to Aashiq & his team for a well crafted reboot of the first horror movie in Malayalam. For a fun trivia, I guess this movie gives us answer as to why apparitions are made to wear white. In short, it is worth giving a try though I would have to admit that many would feel it rather boring coz of the dialogues & out dated feel!!!

Rating: 2.5/5

Kadina Kadoramee Andakadaham: "Quite unlike what the title makes us assume!!!"

If I am not wrong, just like me the first impression that most would have got on hearing the title and the cast that was assembled would be that of a comedy entertainer. Well it was quite unlike that, as Muhashin's directorial venture was an emotional drama that many unfortunate people had to go through during the pandemic. I certainly had high hopes on the project & that was primarily because the script was penned by Harshad who had given us some exciting movies like "Unda" & "Puzhu".

The movie unfolds in the pandemic period in Kallai in Kozhikode where Bachu (Basil Joseph) was finding it hard to keep his catering business afloat. Despite his best efforts, most of his ventures were failures but his father's toils in the Gulf made sure that their family was able to address the financial challenges. It was at this juncture that Bachu stumbles upon the idea of surgical masks which seemed like a viable venture at first. Little did he realize that destiny had other plans for him.

As the movie changes track in the second half from that of a struggling entrepreneur, it takes us through an emotional journey. Being a health professional, I completely understand the difficulties that they had to go through to ensure that the citizens remained as safe as possible. However, the trauma that many people had to go through because of essential stringent protocols is bound to make many of us feel conflicted. Muhashin & Harshad has managed to do just that without resorting to any convenient shortcuts in the storyline. On the technical side, Govind Vasantha's music elevated the impact of many sequences while the rest of the stuff were fine.

This is undoubtedly one of Basil's best performance to date as he captured the emotional nuances of the character extremely well. This was quite different from what he usually does & it proves that he certainly has it in him to pull off demanding roles as well. It would be fair to say that everyone has done their parts really well be it Sreeja Ravi (as his mom), Swati Das Prabhu (as his friend), Indrans, Jaffer Idukki etc.

Verdict: At first, I couldn't quite understand as to why this movie had such a title after all the rare occasions that I came across it was in a humorous context. Interestingly, this could have been taken from the legend Basheer's books as he tended to imply that this is a bitter world. In that context, it is indeed a right choice. Anyway irrespective of what the title & poster conveyed to you, it is definitely worth a watch!!!

Rating: 3/5

Ayalvaashi: "A potential engaging plot messed up on execution!!!"

Another directorial debutant that featured in the lineup was Irshad Parari who decided to put faith in his own scripting skills. Anyway just like Muhashin, he also had an interesting title & it did have a connection to what he wanted to convey. Thaju (Soubin Shahir) & Benny (Binu Pappan) were neighbours but their friendship made it feel like that they were more like family. On the eve of Thaju's sis-in law's engagement, someone had used Benny's bike which was already sold & made scratches on it. The issue was in the fact that it was kept a secret until it was brought to light by the buyer who created a ruckus. The blame fell on Thaju & he vowed to prove his innocence.

The screenplay was rather weak as it tried to create many sequences which failed to provide the desired impact either from an emotional standpoint or humour element. The narration by Gokulan was rather irritating and the sequences that involved him & Soubin was a test of our patience as it was way too long and didn't provide any credible content. However, I did enjoy the climax and really felt that if Irshad had put in more effort on the screenplay, it would have been a whole different movie.

It's been a while since we have seen Soubin perform in a sensible manner & this was surely one of them. He has done a fine job as the person who carried emotional baggage while Binu Pappan was average at best. Lijomol was fine along with Nikhila Vimal while Naslen was relegated to the sidelines. As for the rest, Jagadish, Jaya Kurup etc did their parts ok.

Verdict: The lack of an engaging screenplay was evident especially since the basic plot sounded promising. In short, unlikely to have much takers!!!

Rating: 1.5/5

Sulaikha Manzil: "Nowhere in the league of Ashraf's previous ventures!!!"

This is Ashraf Hamza's third directorial venture after "Thamasha" & "Bheemante Vazhi", and that itself was motivation enough to check it out. In this, Ashraf explores the pre-marital pressures that the couple faces especially when they barely had a chance to get to know each other. The couple in question are Haala (Anarkali Marikar) & Ameen (Lukman) and the question as to whether they are indeed compatible or was it a step too soon forms the crux of the movie.

Frankly speaking, it was a movie that literally tested my patience as I just couldnt figure out what exactly was happening rather than a random sequence of events. The first 20 minutes must have been created as a spoof but it failed to provide that comical feel to it and came across as cringe. Apart from Vishnu Vijay's music to a certain extent, none of the other aspects deserves special mention. Coming to performances, Chemban Vinod did his part aptly while Lukman & Anarkali were ok. The rest of the cast have more or less did what they were expected to do though it hardly gave anyone much scope to perform.

Verdict: Well there is nothing much to sugarcoat here except that it was pretty damn mediocre!!!

Rating: 1/5

Regards...Ben

Madanolsavam & Adi: "Should bring in the initial for this Vishu!!!"

This Vishu saw a plethora of movies hit the screens among which there were a couple that caught the eye coz of the cast & crew that were associated with those projects. The movies in question are Sudheesh Gopinath's "Madanolsavam" & Prasobh Vijayan's "Adi". Both of them belonged to different genres & certainly has elements that should work with the audience. But the question is whether it managed to live upto the expectations that was generated by the trailer???

Madanolsavam

Based on E Santhosh Kumar's short story, Ratheesh Balakrishnan Poduval has drafted the script as a contemporary political satire. However, unlike his previous ventures, the director's hat is donned by the debutant Sudheesh Gopinath. The terrain continues to be Kasargod except that this time around we get to see the luscious green region of that district unlike the dry arid landscape that we are used to. Coming to the plot, the protagonist is Madanan Mallakara (Suraj Venjaramood) who made a living selling dyed chicks. By an unexpected twist of fate, Alice (Bhama Arun),a widow & her daughter comes into Madanan's life. But even before he could set step into a married life, he gets embroiled in a political tug of war coz of his name. This was just the beginning of his troubles as it seemed like he was stuck in a quagmire from which escape seemed improbable.

The highlight is undoubtedly the clean situational humour which doesn't stoop down to vulgarity as is the case in many of the movies. There are some genuine hilarious sequences especially the track that involved the Namboothiri kidnappers. Ratheesh hints at the traits of the two major parties and the choice of some names was pretty funny like BDF (presumably, beef dry fry), Porali etc. The movie certainly keeps us engaged in the first half but after that there seemed to be an undeniable lack of content in the second half & that does affect the entertainment level. On the technical aside, Christo Xavier's music was average while Shehnad Jalal's cinematography was good. 

The USP of the movie is definitely the performances as pretty much all of them have done their roles really well. It's been quite a while since Suraj has featured in a role that handled humour, as he showcased his skills in the portrayal of vulnerability, naivety & helplessness convincingly (kind of like a different version of the character he portrayed in 'Varnyathil Aashanka'). Rajesh Madhav & Ranji Kankol were an absolute scream & the primary reason why the second half didnt turn out to be a tad too amateurish. P P Kunhikrishnan (as Chindaleppan), Chandrika Madikkayi (as the aunt) did their parts well along with Bhama, who gave glimpses of his abilities along with the kid who was really natural. Babu Antony has performed his part reasonably well after all it isn't quite a role that we usually associate with him though I felt he had very limited screen space though the promotions seemed to indicate otherwise. . As for the rest, Sumesh Chandran impressed in a brief appearance, the porali character & even Ratheesh as a politician all did justice to their roles. 

Verdict: One of the clean humorous entertainers that has released in a while & it has the elements to work with the audience. In short, give it a try!!!

Rating: 3/5

Adi

Helmed by Prasobh Vijayan & scripted by Ratheesh Ravi, the core subject that they talk about is the fragile male ego. The movie unfolds with the wedding arrangements for Sajeev (Shine Tom) & Geethika (Ahaana Krishna) in full swing. Finally the day arrives & on their way to the temple, they meet with an accident as a bike barges into their car. An argument breaks out between Sajeev & the biker, Joby (Dhruvan) which eventually leads to the public humiliation of the former. With his self esteem bruised, the rest of the movie is about Sajeev looking for a chance to have his revenge.

This topic has been explored in movies like "Maheshinte Prathikaram", "Ishq" etc. with reasonable success. Incidentally, Ratheesh had scripted "Ishq" as well but unlike that this one fails to engage the audience since there is an evident lack of content to take the movie forward after the initial engaging 20 minutes. Hardly anything worthwhile happens in terms of the plot & no effort to build on the tension/ thrills that could have interested the audience. Eventually the climax turns out to be extremely lame to the extent that it turned out to be comical & showcased the utter lack of thought in conceiving that section. As a matter of fact, it kind of felt like an inferior version of a movie that was made from the combination of "Ishq" & "Kali". 

At the same time, Govind Vasantha's music & BGM deserves praise while Faiz Siddik's visuals were also fine. Ahaana has done reasonably well (except in the climax where her dialogue delivery lacked the punch) while Shine was fine in the portions where he showcased his insecurities. However, the moment the situation demands a high decibel; he falters while the inverse was true for Dhruvan. 

Verdict: There is no doubt that there was an evident lack of thought gone into the script due to which it fails to engage the audience after the initial segment. To make matters worse, in the hope of making the climax different it turned out to be comical & pretty unrealistic. In short, DQ's Wayfarer movies might  have to depend on the OTT platforms to recover the costs!!!

Rating: 2/5 

Regards...Ben