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

Christian Brothers: Intoxicating Stuff

Cross-posting the review I wrote in ForumKeralam

Date: 18th March 2011
Theatre: Trivandrum New (11 AM show started at 11:30, not sure if the earlier show was a fan show)
Status: Houseful (I got the tickets in black. Otherwise, there was no chance of getting in)

I did not have that high of an expectation with this movie. I was hoping it would at least compare to Pokkiri Raja so that fans and the entertainment value would make the movie a success. Oh boy, I was in for a treat.

On the outset, the movie practically offers nothing new. Fight between two families. One righteous, other not. A son misunderstood by the family. Dead/distanced siblings. Mashed together by loads of action. Christian Brothers follows all these still becomes distinct by the brilliant performance by the cast and the plethora of punch dialogues.

Hats off to Sibi-Udayan for writing a script which essentially gives all the main characters ample space to perform. Another hat tip for writing so many punches and comebacks through out the script. Joshi has done a fabulous job of making the movie thrilling without boring the audience even for a minute. Commendable task considering the length of the movie. I didnt glance at my watch a single time throughout the screening. Camera is adequate and editing is good. Sound mixing in songs should have been better.

Mohanlal rules the roost as Christi Varghese. The man carries the role with aplomb. His dialogue delivery is terrific. It was truly heartening to see then man back in action with some good old verbal sparring. Action scenes are very good, but nothing out of the world. The only space where I felt a little awkward was during a couple of scenes with Lakshmi Rai where Lal clearly looked out of place. Wonderful return of form for Mohanlal in mass hero roles.

Dileep was brilliant where ever the role demanded. I was a tad disappointed at the length of his role in the first half. The character had a lot of potential and it would have lightened up the situation.

Suresh Gopi did well. He had a lot of good dialogues and he showed he still had his old spark. Sarathkumar was intelligently used and added a new dimension the movie. All the other actors did fine. Saikumar deserves a special mention. Ladies as usual had a limited role in the movie.

Negatives would be the old school story and lackluster music. Couple of songs sounded decent with pictures, but nothing to write home about. BGM also was adequate and nothing unique.

I am sure that the movie would be lapped up by the fans. I suspect this would also sit well with all the other type of audience. With a summer vacation looming, the marketing trick would do wonders.

TL;DR: Christian Brothers is a fun ride. Hop in and enjoy yourselves with some old school action and fiery dialogues. Recommended for all fans of commercial Malayalam cinema.

Rating: 7/10