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.

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

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

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.

Second Show - First Class!

Theatre: Ajantha, Trivandrum
Show: 11.15 AM, 11-Feb-2012
Status: Upper Class - Full, First Class - Around 40%. Everybody except most probably the 2 of us were under 25!

A dream debut to be frank. Dulquer Salman, Sunny Wayne, Gauthami Nair, and Sreenath Rajendran could have never asked for a better start. A film punching above its weight. That pretty much sums up Second Show. Not a classic by any stretch of imagination.

The making is refreshing, though the treatment is inspired by the new gen films in Tamil. Those who scream for freshness in Malayalam cinema will love this film. Story is pretty much straightforward and told a dozen times, but the writer has managed to create an engaging screenplay with good dialogues. Characterization could have been better. Though Kurudi's character was nicely etched, I am inclined to give Sunny the credit given how the other characters were portrayed. Sreenath Rajendran should be the man to look out for if his irons out the little flaws and adds more stuff to his crafting repertoire. His style does remind me of RGV, more specifically Rakhtacharithra though there is little resemblance between the films.

Dulquer has good screen presence and awesome sound. Not to mention the good looks. Looks like a proper hero material given the right scripts and director. He did not look good in sentimental scenes and thankfully there are just a sequence or two. He looks exactly like a very young Mammoos when he sported a thick mustache. I am waiting for Ustad Hotel where I believe Anwar Rasheed who managed eke out great performances from the Ms will be able to bring out the best in Dulquer.

Gauthami Nair looked good and did a tidy work. Baburaj was good while he lasted. The villain looked menacing and fit the bill. The guy who played the gangster-constable was also very good.

Sunny as Kurudi is probably the brightest thing in the film. He has immense potential and could potentially be a legendary performer down the lane. Mark these words. He manages to make a character lovable which would have been overacted to the maximum by all of our young actors, none excluded. Its really nice to see some body so expressive with the face and body among the young actors.

BGM was good and the songs fit the mood quite well. Good camera work and editing. Sound design was good except for a few sections where dialogues seemed to be drowned by the background sounds.

All in all second show is an exciting movie to watch with good performances from the new faces, in front and behind the camera.

TL;DR: Second Show is an exciting movie packaged in the perfect new gen way.

Rating: Good.

Padmasree Bharat Dr. Saroj Kumar - A pain in the backside

X-posting my FK review.

Theatre: Innovative, Bangalore
Show: 10 PM, 14-Jan-2012
Status: House Full (there were a couple of people walking away without getting the tickets, they have no idea how lucky they are!)

The promos looked tacky. Sreenivasan's recent form is pretty bad. I thought even if the movie is boring there would be something to laugh at. The reviews here lowered my expectations further. Even then, I was not prepared for such a crappy film.

It looks like Sreeni wanted to badmouth the stars, especially Mohanlal. I have no qualms at Sreeni doing this if it results in a decent movie and some amount of introspection for the stars and their fans. The problem here is that the movie is pretty much a collection of badly written skits, overacted to perfection by Sreeni. Even Suraj was better in comparison!

The story is about how Saroj Kumar continues to be an ass and how he gets his ass busted by his actions. Unfortunately, the second part happens to the audience. Terrible script by anybody's standard and not just Sreeni. Its Sreeni not the superstars who need to shut shop and go away. They atleast give us a watchable movie or two every year. Direction is sub-par and not a good start to a career. Only time will tell whether its due to the interference of the "super star." Camera, editing etc didn't really make any impact whatsoever. The only portion I liked in the movie was the song Kesu. The songs were pretty good and certainly undeserving of such a stupid film.

Fahad and Vineeth did well, though Vineeth just don't have the kind of look that goes with a young and upcoming star. A big waste of Mamta. Jagathy and Mukesh also didn't have much to do, but some of their dialogues were pretty good.

Looking for positives in this movie is like searching for something in a pile of crap.

TL;DR: Padmasree Bharath Dr. Saroj Kumar is a terrible movie. Stay away unless you have a penchant for masochism.

Rating: Horrifying! (not the good kind!)

Asuravithu - A true, but flawed sequel

Theatre: Kairali, Trivandrum
Show: 11:30 AM, 6-Jan-2012
Status: Around 90% Balcony, More than 60% in FC I guess.

Stop Violence is a pioneering film in Malayalam. It showed the brutal world of quotation gangs. The habitat of soul less men. Probably the most important film in Prithviraj's career after Nandanam. Saathan, the quintessential anti-hero, still endures after nearly a decade. No better vehicle for A K Sajan to make a great comeback and for Asif Ali to showcase another dimension as an actor. While Asif Ali did what he could, Sajan simply disappoints after laying the groundwork for a promising film.

Don Bosco is Saathan' son. He was abandoned by his mother (Lena replaces Chandra Laxman) fearing for his safety from CI Stephen's father Abbaji (Vijayaraghavan), a Jew who controls the Kochi underworld. Baburaj (a priest) takes care of Don Bosco and in his youth, Don decides to become a priest. Marty (Samvrutha) is a boat owner-conductor smitten by Don. One day, Don witnesses the murder of a customs officer (Rekha) and is beaten to pulp for refusing to falsify his testimony. The incident and several altercations with Abbaji's family changes his life forever.

Asif Ali was good in the first half. No where near as fit for the character as he was for Salt n Pepper, still pretty decent. He was able to convey the emotions of a conflicted young man. In the second half, all he had to do was walk around in a suit, wear sunglasses, and dally around in jaguars and porsches. Vijayaraghavan was wasted in his role which had a lot of potential. Other villains (and villathis!) where pretty decent and did enough villainy to gather a lot of hate. Siddique was also wasted in a role which could have been utilized in a much better manner. IM Vijayan has a cameo (thankfully!), could be a takeaway from the movie, Quotation. Lena had to cry for the most part and she did an ok job. Samrutha was the usual bubbly girl and was absent in most of the second half.

AK Sajan did a decent job of connecting the films together. We rarely have proper sequels in Malayalam where the second film actually follows up on the first instead of the protagonists appearing in a different setting. He completely failed in conjuring a proper narrative. The first half was pretty ok, apart from a couple of scenes in the first half which exposes the Don for the first time to the viewer and certain inconsistencies. 2-3 good action sequences are there in the first half which are quite nice to watch. Sajan as a director and a writer fails completely in the second half. Don looks like Don from Malaysia rather than Kochi. There are some silly stuff like Don written across the screen and a "D-Company" seal displayed whenever Don makes a kill. The way things happen around Don is laughable at times. Girls keeping the umbrella over Don. People standing while Don watches a movie. People calling Don as "Bhaiyya". Don wearing a suit all the f**cking time in the heat of Kochi. If Sajan had removed at least these silly stuff, the movie would have been very much reasonable. Better yet, he could have weaved a better story. Heck, even I can think of a generic yet better story right now.

Camera work is pretty good. Technically the movie is slick. Action sequences are also good without being too over the top. No sandstorm or flying thugs here. Still pretty exciting. Asif has done a decent job in the action scenes. The pure quotation sketches are also there which I liked. BGM is loud but effective. Editing is also slick, save a couple of glaring holes towards the end.

Asuravithu is a movie which had a lot of potential. Had AK Sajan though through the movie properly, he could have made it a good one at a much lower cost. For Asif Ali, it could be a setback even after making a good effort and partly succeeding.

TL;DR: Asuravithu is flawed movie, made watchable by an intriguing first half and a couple of great action sequences.

Rating: Average to Below Average

Pranayam - Poetry in Motion

Cross-posting my review in Forumkeralam. Visit FK for reactions and comments.
Theatre: Sreekumar
Show: 31-Aug-2011, 2 PM
Status: Balcony - Full, First Class- Not many (where are the bloody fans who fill out multiple theatres on the first day? Shame on you!)

I am still under the spell of the movie. Personally, the best movie I have seen this year and possibly for an even longer period of time. Hats off to Blessy for terrific writing and direction. Pranayam is not a love story, rather a life story. A movie that has a lot of value for someone who wants to lead a happy life. Blessy has penned some of the best lines I have ever heard in a film. Life is an extension of happiness...Imo, the best film from Blessy (taking nothing away from Kazhcha).

This is one of those performances that every fan crave. To show off your favourite actor with pride. Look! This is the man I am talking about! To say Mohanlal is brilliant would be an understatement. He shows his immense screen presence and brilliant performance with limited scenes and even more limited mobility. I strongly believe nobody could have matched him or even come close to what he has done here. Blessy once again deserves kudos for writing such a masterclass character for him.

Anupam Kher can be proud of his work in Pranayam. As the character that drives the movie he exudes an aura of freshness and performs with perfection. Lip sync was a slight irritant in the beginning, but later on I was mesmerized with his performance that I never even noticed it again. Truly awesome! Blessy deserves another pat on the back for such a brilliant casting idea.

Jayaprada was truly a revelation. Brilliant performance. A strong feminine character without the cliched underpinnings. Felt just like a strong woman in real life who loves to live a happy life. Her character was pivotal to the plot and she did a fantastic job. I wanted Sumalatha in the role when the news about this film came. More for the Thoovanathumpikal nostalgia more than anything. I am glad Blessy didnt think like me!

Anoop Menon deserves kudos for a fabulous performance. I really wish he would get meatier roles in future movies. He showed his class and makes one wish he had started out a bit earlier. Other characters were aptly casted with good performances.

Camera work is brilliant. Satish Kurup has done a magnificent job. The lighting and shots were delectable to say the least. Editing, sound, BGM were top class.

Blessy has shown his class once again. After a forgettable outing in Calcutta News and a fragile script in Bhramaram, this is a remarkable comeback (of sorts!).

This movie is a modern classic. There are no two words about it. I would always cherish this movie close to my heart. Once I was confused about what I should do in life. Nothing really made too many sense. I asked a friend: What do you want to be in life? A prompt reply came: Be happy! A moment of truth for me. I feel Pranayam tells the same thing. Live life and be happy. Life is more beautiful than dreams...if you know how to live.

TL;DR: Pranayam is a wonderful experience. A must "feel" movie.

Ratiing: Exquisite!

Delhi Belly - There is a lot of fire in this belly!

Cross-posting my FK review. For comments and discussions visit FK.

Theatre: Inox, Orbit Mall, Siliguri, West Bengal
Status: 20%
Show: 5 PM, 9th July

Off-topic: I had gone for a trip to Sikkim with my friends. We had to spent over 5 hours in New Jalpaiguri waiting for our train to Kolkata on our return. None of us where to keen to spent time in the sickeningly sultry Bengal climate. Luckily, we saw a mall on our way to NJP. Locked all our bags in the railway station and took a 16 KM Auto ride (with 10 of us!) to Siliguri to watch Delhi Belly and enjoy the AC.

On to the review: A rewarding experience for all the pain! The only disappointing fact was that the movie screened there was the dubbed Hindi version and not the English/Hindi original.

The movie captured my imagination from the first frame. Strikingly similar to our place in Bangalore. The songs and BGM gelled exceptionally well with the movie. Dialogues (the hindi ones) were top notch and evoked a lot of laughter. The plot is decent with strong resemblance to Guy Ritchie movies. Script has been executed pretty well with all characters getting ample space and significance. Direction is pretty good and there is an element of freshness in the frames which adds to the richness of the movie. There are lot of funny gags in the movies in the most unexpected places. Most importantly, it takes a lot of balls to mouth oft-used indecencies and show turd on screen. I really loved the way swearing was done in the movie and I wish we could have something like this in Malayalam.

Actors have all done pretty well. Imran Khan though the hero, does not hog the limelight and guys who played his friends gelled perfectly to the role. The villain takes the cake as the serious yet side-splitting big boss.

Delhi Belly is the Bollywood movie I enjoyed the most after Kaminey. Both movies are inspired from Guy Richtie school of making and has done it pretty successfully. You can claim Delhi Belly to be a rip-off (final shooting scene reminded me a lot about True Romance), but I would welcome more such movies if done right like Delhi Belly.

TL;DR: Delhi Belly is rollicking ride filled with lots of side-splitting gags. Must watch.

Rating: Excellent

City of God - Gritty and Daring

Cross-posting FK review. For further analysis and comments go to the FK.

Theatre: Rex, Bangalore
Show: 9:55 PM, April 30, 2011
Status: 20(+unknown in 1st class)

I liked Lijo's previous movie Nayakan as a fresh attempt. Even though the movie had several "inspirations" and deeply flawed, it showed the glimpses of a promising young director. I had expectations from City of God, and Lijo delivered. City of God is a true Director's movie. Refreshing to see the actors rather than the stars.

The story revolves around 2 separate sets of people at different spectra of the society. The narrative is non-linear, but the non-linearity can throw off the audience at the start of the movie. Have patience, watch on without judgement and you will get into the mood.

The movie could have benefited from a better screenplay. Screenplay is decent to good, but better writing could have elevated a lot of issues like pacing, the need of incisive dialogues, and black humour would have been effective. Lijo as a Director deserves kudos for doing a brilliant job. Continuity is of prime importance in a multi-narrative and I couldn't pick out any issues. Camera movements may look jolted, but it provides the gritty feel this movie requires. Lighting is brilliant and the effort is evident from the numerous night shots. By far, one of the best cinematography in recent times.

All the actors have done a great job. Indrajith was perfect as the Tamil migrant and Prithviraj was apt as the thug. I guess Om Prakash (Muthoot case) was the inspiration for Prithvi's character and he fits really well. Contrary to popular opinion, I though Rima was a good fit. She played a character, who simply goes through the motions and is defeated by fate. Too much emoting would have hampered the character. The guy who played the rich business man was also good.

The biggest letdown for me was the Tamil song. Crass cacophony to the ears! The other two songs were decent and fits the mood.

Its really hard to see such a movie fail. You can feel the amount of effort put into the movie by the writer and the director. The passion that elevates the film altogether. At the end of the day, you have to applaud the sheer audacity to do such a movie when only the nonsense prevails.

If you do not watch City of God, you should be ashamed when you start to bitch about the lack of innovation in Malayalam cinema.

TL;DR: City of God is a gritty take on the often hidden face of a city complemented by brilliant direction and an excellent cast.

Rating: Excellent!

Rakhta Charitra - 1 : A History written in blood

Posting the review I wrote in Forum Keralam.
Theatre: Innovative Multiplex, Bangalore, 24th October, 11:30 AM Show
Status: Balcony - No idea, must be around 80% First Class: 30-40% with 3-4 girls

To be frank, I expected a lot more violence looking at the various reviews. The movie sure has its fair share of it, but nothing revolting. I found it necessary and realistic enough for the topic tackled by the movie. Then again, it depends on the threshold of the viewer. The guy who sat next to often cringed and was hid his face when something gruesome was about to happen.

The film is based on the real life story of Paritala Ravi, a powerful politician in Rayalseema who lived and died by the sword.

Anantpur is place ruled by Narasimha Reddy, a powerful politician. Veer Bhadra is the trusted lieutenant of Reddy, who hails from the lower caste. Naga Reddy, the number two in the party is jealous of Veer Bhadra's relation with Narasimha. Naga Reddy manages to poison Narasimha's mind to turn him against Veer Bhadra which eventually culminates in Veer Bhadra's gruesome murder. This incident triggers of a spate of violence between the two factions led by Veer Bhadra's son Shankar played by Sushant Singh and Naga Reddy's son Bukka Reddy played by Abhimanyu Singh.

Shankar gets murdered and his brother Pratap Ravi played by Vivek Oberoi takes over the helm. The rest of the movie deals with how Pratap Ravi avenges the death of his father and brother, and how he transforms from a guerilla leader to a power politician.

The performances are top notch. You cannot name a single person who has underperformed or hammed in the movie. The best performer by far was Abhimanyu Singh. He plays the brutal Bukka Reddy to perfection. Bukka Reddy enjoys murdering people in the unconventional manner. Bukka kills people for pleasure and kills his own people when he is angry. A rampant womaniser who literally lifts women from the streets and rapes them. Abhimanyu is successful in creating the aura of unpredictability around the character and spite in the minds of the viewers. Vivek Oberoi has performed really well. Probably his best since Company. He is controlled when required and at his smouldering best in certain scenes. The surprise comes in the form of Shatrughan Sinha. Shotgun is left in the cupboard and he acts the smooth Shivaji Rao (probably inspired by NTR) to perfection.

There is a scene which shows how violence is a routine for the people. Bukka Reddy is smashing the pulp out a man's leg with a rifle butt in the front yard of his home. The lady in the house saunters out and asks Bukka whether he wants to come to the temple as if he is sipping tea. Bukka pauses, replies in the negative, and continues his work. The lady without a blink gets into a car and leaves.

The movie is filled with RGV signature shots. The close-up shots, wacky camera work. Fast frames. The director is near top form after a long time. For me, this is one of his better works and the best work in quite some time although the movie is nowhere near Satya or Company. Sound is very loud and felt a bit unnecessary. The BGM is over the top in most places. It felt grating in the beginning, but afterwards it synced with the tempo of the movie. Same holds true for the weird sound of the narrator.

The movie had a satisfactory ending making the viewer crave for more. A short synopsis of what is to be expected in the second part is shown in the end. Surya dominates the section and it sets the tone for the next part. Priyamani is also shown in the montage and probably Sudeep will have a bigger part to play. He was introduced as an intel officer after the first half with no part after that.

TL;DR: Rakhta Charithra is a must watch for the connoisseurs of political-thrillers, provided you can stand the amount of blood and gore.

Rating: 7.5/10

Anwar: Slooow Poison!

Cross-posting from the review I wrote in ForumKeralam.

Theatre: Athulya, Trivandrum, 6 PM show
Status: Full. I was sitting in the box above the balcony.

Amal Neerad has shown once again that he is a one trick pony. Stylish shots with no substance. The problem with Anwar is that the stylish shots does not manage to hold the viewer's attention. Most of the time the movie just meanders along the way in ultra slow motions with nothing much happening. Even if things happen, you just stare at the screen sans emotions. The only time I got excited was the starting of the last sequence were Anwar takes on the bad guys. All the other stunts does not provide much value. Its often left to the viewer's imagination. They should "know" and "feel" the power of Anwar, rather than "see" them on the screen.

Story is threadbare and its difficult to divulge anything without breaking the suspense. The story was something on the lines that I had expected and it was no big surprise at all. Ditto for the 3 who watched the movie with me, one of whom is barely 14 without the burden of having watched countless hollywood flicks. Story is sometimes overrated as Amal once said in an interview. But in those cases, you need a strong script to back you up and great dialogues. Script is absent in Anwar, but dialogues at places are good.

Prithviraj's performance is the only salvageable aspect from the movie apart from the songs. He has matured as an actor with a very controlled performance required from the character. His role did bring back the memory of Stop Violence, where is brooding look worked and not his sound. But in Anwar he has come a full circle where his looks and expressions were great along with perfect sound modulation. Comparison could be because of them the fact that I watched Stop Violence first day in the same place!

Mamtha had nothing much to do. Lal was good as usual. Prakash Raj was good, but didn't have the meaty role the man deserves.

Some people would call the movie technically brilliant. I would disagree and call it rubbish. Using the latest techniques won't make a movie any good. Ultra slo-mos should complement story telling, not take over the entire movie.

Crowd reaction. Cheers for Prithviraj. Majority booing for Mammootty. Lots of boos in some sequences and the loudest boos were reserved after the movie when the outro song ends. Even I booed!
Loudest cheers were for this dialogue.
: Ivinentha kuzhappam? Nalla payyanalle? Pinne kure ahankaram undu.

Prithvi should be careful at this juncture of his career. Couple of bombs could set him back a lot. I am afraid Anwar is one of those.

Rating: 4/10 (I am being very generous here, a brownie point exclusively for Prithvi for improving as an actor.)

Shikkar: The Hunt

Cross posting the review I wrote in Forum Keralam.

Theatre: Innovative Multiplex, Bangalore
Time: 10:00 PM
Status: Balcony Full. First Class must have been full, looking at the online reservation chart in the morning.

After watching Shikkar, I felt both happy and disappointed. Happy that Mohanlal is back to his elements with a good role that suits his age and image. Disappointed that the screenwriter and the director made a mess of what could have been a classic. It looks like Padmakumar wanted to make the first half as mass and second half as class. The movie does not become a train wreck thanks to the awesome last 45 minutes.

Suraj was awful and should have been nowhere near this movie. The writer could have handled Jagathy's character in a much better way to provide the laughs if that was something critical. In spite of this, there were many places where you felt that eerie feeling that something is going to happen which would be displaced the next moment thanks to the stupid antics by Suraj or Jagathy. For me the highlight of the first half was when Mohanlal touches the man who tells him about the death of other officers. You could see the slight shiver in his hands and feel his fear.

Second half meandered along at first with the low point being a Jagathy comedy. Things started kicking into top gear with the flashback sequence. Crafted very well by the Director. Very refreshing stuff. The Telugu song was brilliant, the only song which seemed to be in place. Top class performances from Samudrakani and Lakshmi Gopalaswami. Climax sequences were breathtaking though I had expected a lot more. Hats to Lalettan's dedication to do such stunts when he could easily veto without any issues.

The supporting cast for the movie did a good job. Ananya is good. Hope she gets more meaty roles. Kailesh was ok for this role. I really don't see him going far though.

TL,DR: Shikkar is worth a watch (or 2!) if you are a Malayalam movie fan and a must watch if you are a Mohanlal fan.

Rating: 6/10