Amen - Imprrressive Stuff!

Theatre: Gopalan Grand Mall, Bangalore
Show: 23-Mar-2013, 6:45 PM
Status: Around 90%

Does your head explode when someone mentions flatulence? Are you the elusive fairy who does not poop? If your answer to either or both the questions is yes, then its probably good for you to stay away from Amen. Sick of seeing an awesome movie get stick for a few harmless jokes. May be one joke too far, but if that sticks out in your head after 2:30 hours of sheer art, then I guess you should not be watching it in the first place.

Lijo has sculpted a beauty and he has raised his game several notches up from City of God, one of the best films in 2011. Though the film is thoroughly rooted in fantasy, you just feel that a such a village exist somewhere in the backwaters of Kerala. Characters never feel wooden with their own little quirks and agendas. Lijo has simply transformed the written script into a living and breathing entity. Pure magic. He has had ample support from the cameraman and art director. All three on top of their game and perfectly complimenting each other. I have never felt such a sync between the three since Thenmavin Kombathu.

Abinandhan Ramanujam has stormed his way into the top echelons of camera men with just one film. In a crowded space filled with superlative talent, he has made his indelible mark. Jaw dropping would be the word to use. To be honest, Amen would be the best work to showcase the beauty of Kuttanadu to the outside world. He has been adept not just in capturing the landscape, but the people as well.

Art director Bava deserves an applause for a terrific job. Props look perfect for the mood of the film and the setting feels authentic. I believe that the church is a set and hats off to him for giving a mystic feel to the church. The downside might be the relatively new drums, but since I am a stranger to drum technology, cannot comment more on that.

Screenplay and dialogues by P.S.Rafique is upto the mark most of the time. However, a tighter screenplay would have bolstered the film a little bit more. The story is something we have heard over the years in several avatars, but the treatment is fresh and unique. Amen reiterates the fact that a film is not dependent on the story, but the screenplay, treatment, and direction.

Fahad is impressive as Solomon. Yet another Solomon who would be remembered by Malayalam movie lovers. Indrajith did well as Vincent Vattoli, but I felt the character had a little more space for development. Swathy as Shoshanna was good barring minor lipsync issues. Aside from the main characters, the life of Amen resides with the supporting cast. Awesome work from Joy Mathew, Sunil Sukhada, Nandu, Makarand Deshpande, Rachana, Lijo regulars et all. The list is practically endless.

Music and BGM felt apt for the subject. Another good work Prashant Pillai. The romance track and the finale competition song stands out.

Amen is a one of a kind occurrence. Relish the film for such magic is seldom seen and never created.

TL;DR: Amen is an awesome experience. Go and watch unless you yearn for the regular, recycled schtick in Malayalam cinema.

Rating: Excellent

Red Wine - For the connoisseur

Theatre - Gopalan Grand Mall, Bangalore
Show - 9:45 PM, 23-March
Status - 90-95%

I guess Salam Bappu named the film as Red Wine because of the fact that the movie like Wine requires an acquired taste and like Wine it doesn't give you an immediate high.

The film is more of a drama centred around the lives of two people than an investigative thriller. The film centers around the psychology of a murder rather than the whodunnit aspect of it. Red Wine belongs to a thin pack of realistic police stories headed by Yavanika. Its fun to watch how the investigation unfurls and thankfully stays away from political cliche though there is enough scope for it in the story. On the topic of politics, its hard to find political identity even in political thrillers these days. Red Wine stays true to an ideology and its evident from the red signature throughout the film. Though not a fan of the left, respect for the director to stay true to his beliefs without antagonizing others.

Direction is good. The director has a good idea was to what his film must be. Some shots are really good. Script is decent to good. But a little more tighter screenplay would have done wonders to the film. Camera, editing etc are upto the mark. Camera work deserves a special mention in capturing the beauty of Wayanad. The tribal colony scenes are pretty colourful. BGM is good at places, but expected better from Bijibal.

Fahad easily steals the show as Comrade Anoop. Love the way he eases into yet another different role. Arguably, the best actor around on form. Asif Ali was good. He brought a level of believable vulnerability to the character. One of his better performances. Mohanlal had an almost extended cameo. Performance is par for the course. Nothing much to do for the actor, but the star certainly lifted the quality of the film and role. Good to see him in such a role in such a film. I hope Red Wine garners enough support from the audience so that he becomes more open into  doing more such roles. The girls did well in their limited roles. The romantic pairs had great chemistry. Meghna's character was an eyesore to be honest. Lots of potential, but seriously underwritten and thus feels unwanted. Saiju and Sudheer Karamana had good roles and they played the parts to perfection.

At the end of the day Red Wine leaves you with lingering thoughts about how rampant commercialization affects the lives of people and is devoid of human touch. At least it did for me.

TL;DR: Red Wine is a decent film that focuses on the psychology behind a murder rather than give you cheap thrills.

Rating: Good (3.25/5)

Netholi Oru Cheriya Meenalla - A Delicious Dish

Theatre - Innovative Multiplex, Bangalore
Show - 10-Feb-2012, 4:45 PM
Status - HF or nearly so

Its not everyday that you encounter movies like Natholi. Self-indulgent with a bold narrative. Rarely these kind of experiments work and when they do, its a treat. Natholi worked big time for me. Essentially a comedy-drama which would have been utterly forgettable had it been written and directed in a conventional fashion. Just another film. Perhaps a tad more successful financially.


Shankar Ramakrishnan has essentially written one of the more unconventional films to come out of our industry in a long time. He writes strong dialogues that could be mistaken for some thing that Ranjith, his mentor, wrote. He keeps a level ground even while dealing with fiction inside fiction. Sadly, there would be a large section of audience who needs to be spoon fed as to what is real and what is not. Preman is a well setup character and drives the movie on. Narendran is also the same. Prabha could have been a little more fleshed out. There are quite a few interesting characters popping all through out the film. Even the cameo by V.K.Sriraman stands out. He has etched out the underlying theme of class difference pretty well without being overt or preachy. Kudos to him for the final parts where he establishes that a person is responsible for his destiny and should not live a life harbouring hatred for those who are better off. Its really satisfying as a writer to see how the characters that you write take on a life of their own and you start to get feelings towards them.


V.K.P is on the mark with his frames as usual. I doubt there is a better director with the visual sense that he has. Not many eye popping moments ala Beautiful or Trivandrum Lodge, but still the entire movie is aesthetically pleasing. The pacing is excellent for a drama. The movie does not drag out anywhere and parts towards the climax is pretty well laid out. Only qualm is so how the epilogue panned out. Though amusing with a dig towards himself, it does not satisfy.


BGM is terrific and apt to the mood. Couple of songs provide the needed break from the drama and are very well shot. Camera work is upto mark and with excellent editing adding value to the product. Art direction is great as well. Captured the feel of how most of the supervisors live in a posh apartment complex.


Fahad Fazil does a terrific job as Preman/Narendran. After Annayum Rasoolum he establishes the fact that he is the best young actor around in any type of role. Preman is a delight to watch and is kind of a lead that we haven't seen in a very long time. Narendran is equally good with Fahad being in a familiar territory. Kamalini Mukherjee is pretty good. Lip syncs decently enough and a good fit as the older, single woman. Mukundan is a revelation in a short role. Hoping for more roles for him. Rima was good in a very short role. Pretty effective in spite of being an almost complete fictional character. Other actors did well. P. Balachandran has a short cameo that left you wanting more.


Netholi Our Cheriya Meenalla may not be your cup of tea if you are used to a film that is to the point and follows the typical commercial pattern. Try it if you want to see something that’s truly different.


TL;DR: Netholi is one of the more imaginative flicks to come out of Malayalam in a long time. Entertaining and unique.


Rating: Very Good.

The Hobbit - A delightful return to the middle-earth

Theatre - Gopalan Grand Mall
Show - 17-Dec-2012, 4PM
Status - 60-65%

Warning: A lot longer than I thought! Had started writing this review two weeks back. Constant laptop crashes confined this to notepad. Noticed it just a while back and decided to complete the review.

My love affair with the middle earth lore started with the Lord of the Rings. A dusty, old book I found in a regular forage in the Trivandrum British Library. It was a time before the films and I had never heard about Tolkein before. The book was extremely slow to begin with after giving it a fair chance, it simply blew my mind.

Middle earth became an obsession and read everything I could get my hands on. Even The History of Middle Earth, a twelve-part series that analyzes the development of LOTR. (Trivia - Aragorn aka Strider was originally a Hobbit, the long lost cousin of Frodo!) In comparison to the epic LOTR, I found Hobbit a bit too plain. It was written as a children's book and before he developed the middle earth lore. The one ring is simply a ring of invisibility.

Fast forward to the films. I found the LOTR films to be fantastic and probably the best film series ever made. I was amazed at the characterization because everybody was just like I imagined when I read the books. Best part were the hobbits. I found the previous depictions to be appalling, specifically in the old LOTR games for DOS.

That said, I was sort of appalled when they announced the making of Hobbit. I was even more puzzled when they talked about making it a 2 part flick. Another cash grab was my thought. Peter Jackson cut out Tom Bombadil from LOTR for a good reason and entire Hobbit was sort of Bombadilish to be frank. It didn't sit very well with rest of the middle earth lore as well. Seeing Guilermo Del Toro attached to the project was a relief, but his departure and entry of Peter Jackson left me a little cold towards the entire project.

On to the film review.

I decided to watch the flick after looking at a few positive reviews and the trailer. One of the better decisions I made as far as watching movies go! Outstanding is the only word for how Peter Jackson has weaved the story. The screenplay has taken the best parts from Hobbit, removed everything that stood in the way of a good movie, and added significant content from the LOTR appendices. Splendid effort that would make Tolkein proud. The plot became a lot more exciting with stone giants, wargs, and Azog the white orc.

Performances are top notch. Martin Freeman eases into the role of Bilbo. Dwarves were aptly cast and kudos to Peter Jackson to make them look distinct from human dwarves. Ian Mckellen is in his elements as Gandalf.

Technically, the film is superb. Lavish middle-earth locales where the line between reality and CGI is blurred beyong recognition. The pacing of the film is Peter Jacksonesque. He takes him time to set things up and if you are expecting a quick fix of 2 hours, the film may feel dragged at places.

Ultimately, the Hobbit makes you never want to leave middle-earth. Hope that the Tolkein estate gives permission for rest of the work as well.

TL;DR: The Hobbit is a gorgeous comeback to the land of middle-earth. A must watch for folks who have even a passing interest in fantasy.

Rating: Excellent.

Karmayodha - An impeccable yodha in a flawed battlefield

Theatre - Gopalan Grand Mall
Show - 22-Dec-2012, 9:45 PM
Status - Around 30%

Opportune time. Hero in prime form. More than a decent story line. Major Ravi still manages to screw things up as everyone had expected. But, the first three factors along with a straight forward take from the Major ensures a watchable flick. In an ideal world, this flick should have been directed by a better director. Joshi is the first name that comes to mind. May be Priyadarshan on a welcome return to non-comedy or one of the new folks like Rajesh Pillai. Had that happened, the film would have been an excellent one. Thankfully, Major has avoided his Kandahar antics and the direction slightly better than Kurukshethra as well. That said, he should stick on as a consultant/producer in films. Decent ideas, bad execution has been his motto.

At its heart, Karmayodha is taken from Taken. A vigilante cop against flesh traders. Script was nearly decent upto a point. Then Thenkashi Selvam comes into picture and the things that happen afterwards does not have a rhyme or reason. Director lacks the skill to cover up the deficiency and instead relies on his trademark sentimentalism. Major trademark family sentiments is alive and well throughout the film. Still, it starts bugging you only in the second half.

Relevance to the current scenario in our country as well as how young girls are tricked into the flesh trade is shown quite well. Major gets major props for that.

Apart from direction and the script, the problem is with the casting. When the experienced hands are in the picture, you never feel a problem. When others get in the frame, the quality of the film goes way down under. Binesh Kodiyeri is surprisingly tolerable, but he still is not an actor worthy of so much screen space. Same case with his friends, good enough for a fight or two, not any good otherwise. The old hands are good and goes a long way not making the film a chore to watch. Saikumar and Mukesh does well in their limited roles. Sukumari is tolerable, but Janardanan not so much. The girls are passable. Villain is too over the top and cartoonish.

Mohanlal carries the film throughout. He has brought in a brutal and out of control feel as Mad Maddy along with all the baggages that the character carries. He covers up for some terrible dialogues and stays true to the character. He is there throughout the film and that goes a long way in making the film watchable. Given the state of the character, punch dialogues would not have suited. Still better, fiery ones would have been a treat.

Camera is not that great. Editing at times slick, but passable. BGM is okayish, but the Karmayodha BGM is quite good.

If you decide to watch Karmayodha, you won't feel robbed or bored. You cannot help but wonder how good the film would have been under a different management.

TL;DR: Karmayodha takes up a relevant issue and ends up as a watchable, average fare. Watch it for Mohanlal and the theme.

Rating: Average and below.

Ayaalum Njanum Thammil - Delightful Frames

Theatre - Innovative Multiplex
Show - 2:15 PM, 20-10-2012
Status - Almost a full house

Both Jawan of Vellimala and Ayaalum Njanum Thammil deals with the core theme of redemption. While JOV wilts, ANT soars high as a quality product thanks to all round brilliance in every field.

Direction is absolutely top notch. Probably the best effort from Lal Jose. That includes Meesha Madhavan and Chandu Pottu. He is in ultimate control over the film. Glad to see him in full form this year with DN and ANT after a series of forgettable flicks. The deft touches, beautiful shots, great narration etc propels LJ back to being the best director that we currently have. I hope LJ reaps the awards for the best director next year instead of the regular Ranjith buttering that we see these days.

Jomon.T.John has done a splendid job. Amazing visuals. The lighting is impeccable throughout. I loved the way he lit up Dr.Samuel's den and captured the misty hills of Munnar.

Bobby-Sanjay has done a very good job with the script. Non-linear narration does not cause any hindrance to the viewer. The movie feels like reading a novel chunked into chapters. They could have expanded the story a little bit or taken some chance to tweak it further to create a masterpiece. As it stands, some characters are not fleshed out enough to create an impact, Remya Nambeeshan's character is an obvious one as well Dr.Samuel's son. That said, they have created a very good script, if not a tad predictable.

Prithviraj roars back into the space he had left a few years back. A worthy successor to the Big Ms. He has done an outstanding job as Dr.Ravi Tharagan. His best performance and probably a performance worth its salt after Vasthavam. There are several scenes in the film accentuated by Prithviraj's brilliant acting. The scene where he comes out of the surgery for the first time, his confrontations with Mani, angst before the Azhalinte Aazhangalil song. Its a complete Prithviraj show. He will do well if he follows ANT with good movies.

Prathap Pothen as Dr.Samuel is excellent. He carries the role in such a way that we cannot imagine any other actor stepping into his shoes. I hope we get more from him. Naren has a short role, pretty good though. Rima, Samvrutha, and Remya fit into their characters. Remya's character should have been improved further though. Salim Kumar has a short role which provides some much needed comic relief. Mani is outstanding in a pivotal scene. I hope the our film makers exploit him a lot more.

On the technical side, the film is top notch. Great BGM, slick editing, good sound. Fabulous songs add an extra mileage to the film. Good job by Sarath Vayalar and Ouseppachan.

Ensure that you reach the theatre in time to watch the film from the beginning. You may feel disconnected if you don't do that. Non-linear narration may spoil your fun.

TL;DR: Ayaalum Njanum Thammil is must watch for any film lover. You are in for a treat in all respects.

Rating: Very Good

Jawan of Vellimala - Excellent Premise, Bad Execution

Theatre: Innovative Multiplex, Bangalore
Show - 11:45 A.M, 20-10-2012
Status - Around 20 people in FC, Balcony must be similar

What should have been an excellent film ends up as an average-tad above average fare. Direction is sad to say below par. A director should have a notion of what the end product must be. JOV lacks homework big time. There are a lot of shots and scenes which are disjointed. Placement of songs are quite bad. Some songs should never have been shot at all. The horror song is completely against the idea behind the film. Anoop Kannan manages to narrate decently without much lag. The film moves quite swiftly. A big factor in making it watchable. The outdoor shots are gorgeous. The horror feel is really good. The director should try his hand at a proper horror flick. The cameraman deserves kudos for some good visuals along with the director.

James Albert managed to bring in a unique setting. But he fails in delivering a good script. Bad characterization and lack of good moments are quite striking. The way the story is structured is also flawed. The film should have dealt with how Jawan is redeemed in front of his village as well as the audience which would have made a lasting impact. Another bad outing after Venicile Vyapari though not a dumb as VV.

Camera is good in outdoors and exceptional in night shots. Car and bike shots are too shaky though. BGM was decent, I loved Jawan theme though. Superb! Editing is absolutely shoddy at places. Sound was good, if not a bit too loud.

Mammootty should have had a brilliant outing had the characterization been done correctly. He manages to lend credibility to Jawan. The end portions are pretty striking and his last dialogue was touching. Asif Ali was good, better than SnP infact. Mamta, Sreeni etc were wasted to be honest. Baburaj is tolerable, but his comic act is going south.

An opportunity to make an excellent film has been wasted by the makers. They should be kicking themselves regardless of the BO result of the film.

TL;DR: JOV ends up as a watchable flick what should have been a great film.

Rating: Average and slightly above

Run Baby Run - When the master strikes!

Theatre - Innovative Multiplex, Bangalore
Show - 11:15 A.M, 1-Sep-2012
Status - FC - 25-30% Balcony - No idea, must be more than FC looking at the crowd.

I was optimistic about the film when the initial announcement came. The expectation reduced considerably after the romantic stills came out. The favourable reviews piqued my interest in the film once again.

The major positive in RBR is Joshiy. His best outing since Naran. He had a similar style of direction in Robinhood, but he has improved a lot from there and delivered in RBR. He was able to make an entertaining film without the typical masala stuff.

Sachy had a good first outing as a writer. The writing was fairly well paced, if not predictable. He had a chance to shine with something spectacular and the plot had the opportunity. Still managed to give a decent output. A good part in the screenplay was the exposure that the different characters had. Almost everyone sans the villains had decent enough screentime to establish their characters. I would still term this as a lost opportunity since he had a director and actors in terrific form.

Mohanlal continues his good run with another fine performance. Nothing challenging, but he was charming and funny as Venu. Looks young enough for the role. Very good chemistry with both Amala Paul and Biju Menon.

Amala Paul did a decent job. Its been quite a while since we saw a female character with this much screenspace in a superstar film. Biju Menon continues his dream run. Another excellent performance by the gifted actor. Aparna Nair and Shammi Thilakan were good in their respective roles.

Saikumar and Siddique had the run of the mill villain roles that they have done a million times. Saikumar had some moments of exceptional acting with quick change in expressions. Siddique was sadly sidelined.

Ratheesh Vega was disappointing when it came to the BGM. Some parts were good, some were mediocre. The song was decent and got a lot of traction thanks to Mohanlal's voice. R.D.Rajashekhar deserves an applause for his splendid camera work. Editing was great in some places, but could have been better at others.

TL;DR: RBR is a perfect vacation film in a unique setting that would entertain with a few thrills and laughs.

Rating: Good

Bachelor Party - All about boys and their toys

Theatre - Anjali, Trivandrum
Show - 6:00 PM, 16-Jun-2012
Status - Houseful


Booze. Babes. Buddies. And a lot of Guns. Probably the only toy missing is a bike.

Lot of negative reviews for the film. After reading a few of those, I got a hint regarding the climax. As I had expected, I didn't feel too bad about it at all. Bachelor Party is my favourite Amal movie since Big B, possibly eclipsing Big B as well.

Movie starts of in a typical 5 boys growing up into 5 good friends routine with a childhood visual thrown in for good measure. An enjoyable title card later (the song visuals I had hated before became really good after adding the cards), we are thrust into the midst of a crisis. The rest of the film follows up on how they tackle the crisis.

Amal Neerad has improved as a director. No more gimmicky shots which halt the follow of the film like Anwar. Really good use of slomo and fast motion in drinking scenes. Film is technically far ahead of other films. The typical Amal Neerad look and feel is intact in Bachelor Party. Bachelor Party gives a comic book vibe(not your Balarama, more like Sin City) which is rather unseen in our industry. Camera is excellent and superb editing adds to the film. Gunplay is as usual top notch. Moments I loved the most: The five of them drinking with Vinayakan's paambu dance, Prithviraj's stunt scene in pre-climax, Gunplay in climax. No matter what the criticism is, Amal has done a good job.

For those who saying the film lacks a story and a script should look closely at other films as well. When Ranjith does a film, people come up and say that story is very simple. I found more story in BP than in Spirit to be honest. Spirit had a lot more scope in development and could make the viewer think due to the genre. Bachelor Party for its genre has enough story and a decent screenplay. The writing really shines in dialogues. Some excellent one-liners. Good job by Unni.R and Santhosh Echikaanam. They could have produced a better screenplay which would have been universally liked with a likeable climax. Currently, the climax is over the top and does not appeal to the majority.

Indran and Rahman stole the show in my opinion. Fantastic chemistry between the two. Rahman looked absolutely stunning in the climax with a cigarette in his mouth and gun in hand. Asif Ali was good. He had an ease in his acting which I never felt before. Still cannot carry a film though. Mani and Vinayakan were good, but Vinayakan had very little space. Both villains were good. Ramya Nambeesan and Padmapriya were reduced to item dances, both of which I found to be feasts to the eyes. Prithviraj had a decent cameo with a brilliant fight scene. Nithya had little to do and was decent in her role.

Music was good. I liked all the songs when I heard in the theatre. Very good visualisation by Amal. Editing is top notch and BGM is excellent. Art is usual Amal Neerad stuff which still looks fresh.

TL;DR: Bachelor Party is a fun ride till it reaches a controversial climax.

Rating: Good.

The Intoxicating Spirit!

Theatre: Sreekumar, Trivandrum
Show: Matinee, 14-06-2012
Status: A full house

I had high expectations on Spirit. Mohanlal-Ranjith combo after the latter moved on to meaningful cinema. After the film, I was extremely happy with what I had seen; but I was also left with a lot of lingering thoughts on how it could have been better. Like Pranchiyettan, Spirit places all the eggs in a single basket. A film entirely reliant on the lead actor to make it special.

What I would call post-Kayyoppu second half syndrome strikes again. Underwhelming and lazy writing in the second half. Slightly evident in Paleri(quite contentious though), Pranchiyettan, and now in Spirit. I thought Indian Rupee was relatively free from this. Take this with a bucket of salt though. These films are still miles ahead of other contemporary films. Its just that, Ranjith can do a lot better. Its a bit more damning when you see the kind of threads lying around in the script which could make for even more compelling cinema. Relationship between Raghunandan and his son, I felt could have been used in way more effective manner. Nandu's story felt very undercooked and rushed to be honest. Ranjith could have woven in a middle-class character which honestly would have been an accurate reflection of an everyday Malayalee.

Heartening to see Ranjith use more visuals to converse with the viewer along with his trademark dialogues. A couple of them were overdone though. Lal enjoying the sights and sounds of daily life without the effect of spirit was simply superb.

Mohanlal carries the film throughout with a remarkable performance. His best in a long time and he underlines his greatness yet again. The performance simply proves why he is head and shoulders above his contemporaries. Not just his trademark drunk scenes, the subtle change of emotions when Shankar breaks the bad news to him, his high power monologues in the talk show etc are a treat for the viewers. I have been drawing parallels between Raghunandan and Dr. House (from the eponymous TV series) ever since I watched the film. I always wanted to see Lal in such a role and I guess this is the closest we would get. What would have made the film even more gripping would have been Lal's battle against Spirit similar to how Dr. House battles his vicodin addiction. This battle got only a few scenes, though they were quite good. Ranjith could have written in a combination between Lal and Thilakan here.

Shankar Ramakrishnan was apt for the role. He did a good job of what was on offer. Kaniha was also good. Sidharth Bharathan had a good outing, which should have been an expanded role. Nandu had a good role after a long time. Heartening to see someone fresh. Thilakan was criminally underused. Whatever little we saw was terrific. Combination scenes with Lal would have been an absolute treat. Tini Tom get a good role yet again and delivers it to perfection.

Camera work was adequate, with some good use of lighting to convey mood. Editing was at par with the demand of the film. BGM was also good. Songs had great lyrics. But I didn't find the songs to be hummable in spite of having good music. Artwork is excellent with a wonderful little Koshy's bar, a well designed Casa Rosa resort, and Raghunandan's house strewn with a wide variety of poison.

TL;DR: Spirit remains an excellent watch despite of its shortcomings in the script. Must watch for an amazing performance from Mohanlal and yet another good effort from the master, Ranjith.

Rating: Very Good

Postscript: What I ultimately wanted after watching Spirit was to see Mohanlal play Kuttiyappan in Leela penned by Ranjith. It was amazing to see the result of the work by the two of them and I believe that Ranjith+Mohanlal in Leela would be totally awesome.

Grandmaster - The Master of the Game

Theatre: Innovative Multiplex, Bangalore
Show: 5-May-2012, 10 PM
Status: Houseful

Good film with a great performance. I would sum up Grandmaster with this quote. To be honest, the main apprehension for me regarding Grandmaster was how good the direction would be. B. Unni impressed more as a writer than a director. He managed to blow the apprehensions away. Hats off for the making. Well-crafted and avoids most the investigative thriller cliches that we are used to. GM whilst a calm film, manages to keep your attention on the screen and generates a sense of curiosity towards the proceedings. No unnecessary jump cuts and screen tears. Great improvement and hope he maintains this level throughout.

Script was good. Though linear, I would not club this under typical Malayalam thriller films. Characterization is much more detailed. Dialogues are crisp and smart. No holes in the plot as far as I can see. You can make an argument for logic in the proceedings, then again the film manages justify everything in my opinion. Though inspired from ABC murders by Agatha Christie, I felt that the film has a soul to stand on its own. Writing towards the climax could have been better which would have elevated the movie to another level. Then again, I guess sacrifices have to be made to make the film commercially viable. At its current state, the film appeals to almost all the classes of audience thanks to the way the end game is constructed.

Camera is superb. Good to see another promising cinematographer. Editing was slick apart from a scene or two. BGM was really good and added to flavour. Deepak Dev's music was bit of a let down.

The major aspect that makes Grandmaster a treat is Mohanlal. Superlative performance from the man. My favourite Lal performance in a commercial film since Chotta Mumbai. The ability to flesh out a character that does not challenge him is remarkable. Dialogue delivery, expressions, and body language adds upon a well-characterized role. Priyamani was ok. Siddique was good in a short role. Babu Antony and Riyaz Khan were intelligently used and where good in their respective roles. Anoop Menon was also good. Hard to look beyond the resemblance to Lal when they are on screen together!

TL;DR: Grandmaster is a very good experience. A nice investigative thriller which we haven't seen in a very long time. Highly recommended for all the viewers.

Rating: Very Good

22 Female Kottayam - Bold and Beautiful!

Show: 11:30 PM, 13-April-2012 (FDFS)
Status: Balcony nearly full (4-5 seats vacant), FC - Not too many
Theatre: Kairali, Trivandrum

Ashique has been hyping at 22 Female Kottayam since its inception. To be frank it was off-putting to see so much of his face in the promotions. I had serious doubts on whether this movie would fall flat on its face and turn out to be an embarrassment. Even with such negativity in my head, I was blown away by the film.

To be honest, this film is not everybody's cup of tea. Its like watching an enthralling test match. A nice buildup, culminating in an excellent finale. Not necessarily, a pulse racing affair. But a lot more satisfying in the end. I seriously doubt its success in this T20 era. This film tries to stay away from the new-gen cliches as much as possible. An urban setting with sexually liberated folks would be something that we can call a new-gen element. Whatever element it is, I have seen lives like this in Bangalore. They may be outliers, but they are there.

Ashique has done a good job as the director. His best work so far. I thought SnP was a tad overrated from a direction point of view though it was thoroughly enjoyable. The narration and treatment was really good. Kudos to him for striking a balance between going downright arty and typical commercial cinema. Some may find this as a negative, but I felt that this approach made the film very enjoyable. The best part of the treatment is that the theme would have strayed into the titillating territory in a lesser directors hand.

Script could have been better. Crispier script would have avoided some amount of drag in the film, especially in the second half. Though the dialogues were adequate, the film deserved better, memorable lines. Cinematography from Shyju Khalid is top class. Bijibal and Rex has done a brilliant job with the BGM. Music gelled well with the film. Editing was also spot on for most part. Art direction was good, but being a bachelor in Bangalore, I wonder if nurses can afford such a lavish apartment.

Rima is in top form in this film. I think she has dubbed for herself and for the first time she has done a brilliant job in a full length role. Kudos to her for a controlled performance. There were lot of places where she could have gone overboard and destroyed the scene. She managed to punch above her weight and gave a scintillating performance. If Kavya can sweep awards for her bulging eyes in Gaddama, I will be royally pissed if Rima doesn't sweep the awards next year.

I loved Fahad in the movie. He was very good throughout and upstaged Rima in the climax sequences. Till now, I was thinking he would do good only as the urban yuppie. Though this role is typical Fahad, I really want him to see in other roles after watching this performance. Loved the drunk scenes and the scene where he corrects Rimas "pha". Rima-Fahad chemistry is electrifying to say the least. You feel that they are connected even while they are not even in a touching distance.

Sathar was good as the stylish Casanova. Prathap Pothan was also good as the eccentric Hegde. Refreshing to see familiar yet not too familiar faces in prominent roles. TG Ravi had a decent role which he did well as usual.

22FK cannot be clubbed as a typical new-gen film. It doesnt employ a difficult narrative. Its not very light-hearted or have sudden twists and turns. At its soul, its a Malayalam film with a strong story and well-etched characters. Th film has a slow build-up like many of the foreign drama films, which people do not appreciate when seen in Malayalam.

TL;DR: 22FK is a brilliant film with a strong story and excellent performances. Watch it if you are a connoisseur of good films. Stay away if you want some brain-dead entertainment.

Rating: Excellent

The King and the Commissioner - Not the best of returns

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Theatre: Innovative, Bangalore
Show: 24-Mar-2012, 1:30 PM
Status: FC - Around 60%, Balcony - Must have been more than 90%

I had very little hope in the movie, despite the glowing reviews. Lowered expectations probably got the movie to an average level for me. The story revolves around the exploits of Joseph Alex in New Delhi, ably assisted by Bharath Chandran. The core issue of the length and lack of character development of antagonists probably stems from this fact. This movie would have better suited to either of the characters, not both. A lot of time had to be spent giving time to Joseph Alex, Bharath Chandran, and their bonding.

Nothing to write home about the screenplay and story. Renji Panikker totally fall flat here. The one department he shines is the dialogues. Eventhough a lot of the dialogues are rehashed, there are quite a few dialogues that make your blood boil. Pass marks to him for that. Shaji's direction is something we have seen over and over. Some of the multi-frame cuts look silly and would have been fit in a Telugu movie. He does manage to hook you onto the seat for most of the time. Quite an accomplishment considering the length of the film. You can't help wonder, when you would get to see a Shaji without these stupid gimmicks ala Commissioner.

Mammooty was good as Joseph Alex. Not fiery like in The King. He managed to control the dialogue modulation to suit his current stature and manages to deliver big. An intelligent performance. Suresh Gopi was also pretty good, manages not to go overboard unlike his recent outings. The man can still swear like a pottymouth and make it look cool! Aside from the leads, only Biju Pappan made some impression. Good performance from him. In an ideal world, this movie should have had King or Commissioner with Biju Pappan as the side kick. The biggest disappointment by far is Sai Kumar. I am big fan of the man. But this has to be one of his worst performances. Totally unconvincing. The other villain characters were simply caricatures. Poor job by the writer in character development. Mohan Thomas and Jayakrishnan would be rolling in their graves if they knew about such insipid villains.

BGM was on and off. Some parts good, most of the time pretty loud and lame. Editing also felt a bit shoddy.

Except for the perfomances and dialogues, nothing much goes for this film. Some sequences could have trimmed or cut away altogether. The film just plods along at times testing your patience. Probably the biggest disappointment was the climax. Same old warehouse, dishum-dishum, bharathamatha kee jai. A combination of king and commissioner climaxes.

This is a film I would recommend to Mam fans (and SG fans), who would lap it up following a disastrous period. For the others, it would be decent enough only if you like Renji Panikker dialogs.

TL;DR: King and Commissioner is an average fare with some great dialogues and good lead performances.

Rating: Strictly Average

Ee Adutha Kaalathu - Excellent stuff!

Theatre: Innovative, Bangalore
Show: 19-03-2012, 4:45 PM
Status: Houseful


A great script enhanced by good direction spiked with good performances. This is EAK in simple terms. The only issue I saw was in the first half. The pacing is off and once in a while you reach for your watch. A better beginning could have cranked up the viewers interest by a few notches and made for a more complete experience.

Murali Gopi deserves the meat of all appreciation. A good script which gets more and more interesting with the passage of time and ends on a note that the viewer hopes and prays for. Rubik's cube features in the film from start to end. According to his interview, the screenplay is paced in a way someone solves the Rubik's cube. Slow at start and frenetic towards the end. Looks good on paper, but the execution on screen was a teeny bit short.

Glad to see that the lesser known parts of Trivandrum are on view in the film. The small agrahaarams, housing colonies filled with lonely elders. More so happy to see a new gen film away from Kochi.

Arun Kumar Aravind drew a lot of flak for his straight lift Cocktail. He can proudly display EAK to whoever calls him out for Cocktail. EAK is original as far as I know. Though EAK gives a little feel of Lock, Stock and Burn After Reading, there is nothing lifted in here. As a director, I would say he has done a neat job. The pacing should have been better in the first half, but the second half was excellent. His editing skills complemented very well towards the climax and provided the much needed frenzy on the screen. A job well done indeed.

BGM was exceptional, but sadly lifted as we all now. Cinematography was good, but a better visual sense or colour tone could have taken the movie to a whole different level altogether.

Indrajith steals the show as Vettu Vishnu. Excellent performance. Trivandrum slang portrayed at its best. Tanusree Ghosh was very good. Even with the dubbing issues, her performance stands out. Murali Gopi was convincing in a role that could have been a goner had it been someone else. Even with all the antics, the character manages to feel real. Mythili was alright, but could have been better. Nishaan was good and apt for the role. Probably the first time I guess! Anoop Menon was good but very short. I would have preferred to see more of his gaffes in the first half instead of trudging through a lot of meaningless stuff. Lena had a somewhat lengthy role and she played the part very well. Jagathy had a short but effective role as well. The casting has been perfect with all the leads and supporting characters who suit the characters to the sock.

This is a film which carries forward the torch that Traffic (and Passenger to an extent) lighted last year. Anybody should be able to enjoy the film, provided you are averse to a few swear words (muted and beeped for posterity!) or a masala/goodie-goodie free experience.

TL;DR: EAK is an entertaining new-gen film with a fresh screenplay, taut direction and very good performances.

Rating: Very good

Nidra - with the magical touch

Theatre: Sangeeth, Bangalore
Show: 2:45 PM, 10-Mar-2012
Status: Around 50-60 people

Sangeeth is a theatre I completely avoid unless there is no other option. Nidra got released here in two other multiplexes which were too far off from my place. Sound was terrible the last time I went to Sangeeth, this time the sound was good, but the picture was way too dark.

Nidra 2012 is a faithful remake of the old Nidra. I watched the old one a few months back and thought it was a very average film at best. Sidharth has done a very good job by remaking such a film and leaving his father's best work untouched. The new Nidra makes you feel way more than the old one. Direction is good and the pacing is okay for such a movie. Good debut from Sidharth as a director. Bharathan touch is evident in this film which was missing from the old one! He has put in a lot of effort on the technical side. Sound, music, visuals, and everything that qualifies him as an exciting new talent.

Cinematography is awesome. Sameer Thahir has woven magic on screen with some excellent shots. BGM by Prasant Pillai deserves a special mention. Well crafted and immerses you in the movie even when there is not much going on in the screen. The songs are also good and Jassie Gift has delivered big here.

Sidharth as Raju was adequate. He certainly looked better than Vijay Menon in the original. While you could see Sidharth's Raju as a quirky person slipping into insanity over a period of time, Vijay Menon's Raju looked bat-shit insane right from the start. Rima Kallingal has performed very well. Most likely her best performance till date. Good call on not making her dub. Her original sound wouldn't really suit the character. Jishnu has made a good comeback to the screen and should get more chances. Business as usual for Thalaivasal Vijay and Lalitha with good performances in the kitty.

I feel that the new Nidra is able to convince the audience about the theme better than the old one. How an eccentric can drift into insanity just because he thinks in different fashion and how our penchant for money can destroy a beautiful place. The old one never connected to the audience in such ways.

TL;DR: Nidra is a movie worth a watch for the technical brilliance and the bittersweet feel of a tragic romance.

Rating: Very good.