Movie Review Jawan of Vellimala Malayalam

The hero is the watchman of the dam at Vellimala, a place in the high ranges of Kerala. The people of Vellimala are proud of their dam and their village. Gopikrishnan was a soldier who had to leave the army on medical grounds; he has only one good eye. Life for Gopikrishna in Vellimala is good and is made merrier in the company of Varghese, a government employee and Koshi Oommen who is in Vellimala for personal work. To add sweetness to the proceedings comes Anitha, project Officer for the Dam who is also a socially committed soul. Debutant Anoop Kannan’s Jawan of Vellimala picks up the threads from the lives of these people and connects them together to create the story with the dam and the blue hills as the backdrop.

'Jawan of Vellimala' is made under the banner of Mammootty’s own Playhouse and Mammootty is making his debut as a producer through the movie.'Venicile Vyapari' was the last film where Mammootty and writer James Albert worked together before.

Mammootty as Gopikrishnan plays his part effortlessly, easing into the role of an ex-soldier with one eye. His humour is natural and the slang is delivered perfectly. Sreenivasan as Varghese, is more restrained but equally effective and plays an equally important part in the film using the slangs with perfect timing. Asif Ali as Koshi Oommen and Mamtha Mohandas as the Project Officer give good support with impressive performance. New face Leona makes a good debut, while the rest of the cast like Babu Raj, Sunil Sukhada, Sadiq and Kottayam Naseer have done their expected job.

One of the highlights of the movie is the stupendous camera work by Satheesh Kurup who mops up the entire beauty of the mountains and splashes it on the screen. Bijibal’s music is melodious and lifts the spirits, sounding more enchanting in the fabulous background. Art by Prasanth Madhav, Edits by Manoj and Sound Design by Renganath Ravee are impressive. Anoop Kannan has announced his arrival with "Jawan of Vellimala" and he is a director to be taken seriously. More things are expected out of him in the future.

The film gathers pace most of the time but slows down at other places; however it does not affect the tempo of the movie. The script, characterization and style are nothing spectacular but on the whole, Jawan of Vellimala is a watchable if you don't dig too deep or go without much expectations . The story is simple, Mammootty’s acting is striking and all things considered, the film is a sincere effort to present a fine stuff to the viewers.

Movie Review Banking Hours 10 to 4

K Madhu's 'Banking Hours' has three young men (Nishanth Sagar, Arun and Kiran Raj) planning to rob a bank and things go awry. Things do look pretty much screwed up for us as well, and within no time the film itself ends up like the badly planned heist job that we get to see on screen.

The film is set in a new generation bank called Lemo Bank, where it seems like just another busy working day, until a murder happens. One of the customers, Ajay Vasudevan (Kailash) is found slain with a blade when the power supply goes off for a few seconds.

It starts off quite shakily, what with the film trying to delve into the lives of some of the bank customers. There is Merrin (Shafna) along with her dad (Shankar) trying to meet up with her lover Rahul (Munna) for one last time, before her father shifts her to Wagamon. Lekshmi (Lekshmipriya), who is in need of some money to help her brother pay his fees, is at the bank to pawn gold, without her husband getting any wind of her decision.

There is a group of techies (Biyon, Vishnupriya and a few others) who have come by to inquire about the proceedings of a car loan, while a priest (Ashokan) is around as well to cash a cheque. Having been informed that a robbery is likely to take place in the bank, there are a few cops (Anoop Menon, Jishnu Raghavan and Tini Tom) undercover in the bank as well.

As the murder happens, the focus shifts from the anticipated burglary to the immediate crime that has been committed. As its obvious that the murder has been committed by a person who is still inside the bank, the cops kick start the investigation in no time.

It's only through very clever scripting that one can make a film like 'Banking Hours' work. Because the identification of the culprit is not as exciting any more as it once used to be during the 'CBI' days. The viewers today have been exposed to all possible permutations and combinations when it comes to murder mysteries, and could very easily point out the man behind the crime, even before the clues have been laid out.

Unfortunately, nothing of the sort ever happens in this film, and the script offers no fresh surprises. On the contrary, it does take a while to get moving, what with the frequent flashback sessions to establish each of the characters that we get to see on screen. And once it does, the dialogues turn out be another huge let down.

There is nothing much to be excited about the performances either. Anoop Menon carries on with his cop act in 'Traffic', but is incapacitated by the tedious dialogues. Meghna Raj, who repeats her cop act in 'August 15' has to deal with the same. The rest of the cast come up with adequate performances, as is expected of them by the meandering script.

'Banking Hours' lacks that vital spark that should keep the spirit up in whodunits. Despite being set in a bank, it's ironic that the film never pays off, as it promises. 

Movie Review Mandhrikan Malayalam 2012

'Manthrikan' is a flick that is all flat and generic that must have appeared not-so-good at the time of its conception. On screen, it looks and sounds even worse. 

There is a blood thirsty spirit (Muktha George) on the loose at the Shenoy Mandir. The poor thing had spent years inside a weird looking pot and out in the open is on the lookout for a drink. The Shenoys run scared for their lives and invites sorcerer Mukundan Unni (Jayaram) over to teach the ghost a lesson or two.

And the lesson is taught of course, not to the ghost, but to the hapless viewers and it goes thus. Never venture out for a film that suspiciously looks like it might be a hazy job. This is a film that disappoints you on multiple levels - as a comedy, thriller or a horror flick, it offers you nothing new.

The suspense as such is minimum, and your only interest lies in why Rukku aka Muktha ended up being the vengeful being that she is today. You do know that she has been terribly wronged; how else would you account for her maniacal laughter that keeps echoing all around?

What surprises me is not that the story itself looks cooked up to the hilt, with not a trace of believability to be found anywhere around. What is indeed astonishing is that it has been stretched to about two and a half hours, which makes it seem like you have been caught in a no-time zone, where time stands still.

There is a sub plot that involves the three Nettikkadan brothers (Jayan, Mahesh and Kottayam Nazeer) and they make it seem for a while that these three men have something real important to do in the film. Turns out to be a misconception though, since they soon vanish into thin air. Magic, perhaps!

There aren't any shocking twists here either that would make you jump up in your seats. Everything is downright obvious and when you have a leading lady who has been struck by amnesia, you realize how sorry the entire picture is. Which is why if you ask me if this would qualify as a watchable flick for people who have just about started watching horror comedy flicks, I would admit that I am not entirely sure.

The technical aspects remain quite comparable with the general downbeat mood of the film, and there aren't any wonders on display. Terribly disappointing is the musical score by the incredibly talented S Balakrishnan, whose songs for the film fail to leave a mark.

What is Jayaram doing here in this terrible muddle of a film? I haven't got a clue. Ramesh Pisharody and Kalabhavan Shajon try to be at their witty best, while Poonam Bajwa gets to wear dhotis. Muktha George grunts and growls, but I need to admit that she does it well. 

For the first time in my life, I fervently wished I had learned some magic. Magic, that could swiftly ship me away from the torturous times that this film was putting me through, late in the night as half the world lay peacefully asleep in their beds. 

Movie Review Puthiya Theerangal 2012

Films have been made in Malayalam of the ocean and people living on the shores. Most of them were outstanding and artistically made and many were hits at box office as well. They touched the chords somewhere deep in our emotions and disturbed our thoughts and feelings. It had been a long time since Sathyan Anthikad made a film with a newcomer, avoiding superstars, and “Puthiya Theerangal’ had come with great hopes.

The film tells the story of a young girl who was stranded on the beach more than twelve years ago and of the many people associated with her. The movie brings back memories long forgotten but fails to take the audience completely with it and in fact hardly tickles the emotions of the viewer. The combination of Benny P Nayarambalam and Sathyan Anthikad had justifiably raised the expectations of the Malayalee film fans because they have both produced so many memorable films previously. Benny had written the story as well as the screenplay for “Chandu Pottu”, a film with sea as the backdrop, and it was received with great enthusiasm by the family audience.

The female lead in “Puthiya Theerangal” was played by Namitha Pramod who has done full justice to the character. However, Nedumudi Venu has failed to reach the heights he himself has set as the benchmark with his earlier performances. Even though the character he portrays plays a vital part in the flow of the story, Venu loses his way probably due to the weakness in the creation of the character. Most of the characters (Chembil Ashokan, Sidharth Siva, Innocent, Vinod Kovoor, Gracy and Mallika) fail to impress in spite of their individuality due to the lack of spontaneity in storytelling and as a consequence, the movie gives a feeling of morbidity at the end to the viewer.

Those who just want to pass their time could very well visit the theater but for those who go to see a Sathyan Anthikad movie, the result will be complete disappointment. Kaithapram’s lyrics are very touching but Ilayaraja’s music is unimaginative and stale and is in no way appropriate to the sea and its ambience. The song sequence shot in Humpy looks concocted and artificial. The saving graces were the cinematography by Venu and art direction by Joseph Nellikkal both of whom have done brilliantly. It must be mentioned that several prominent artists from the stage have made their appearance in the movie including Perunna Madhu who has been on the stage for forty years, Anitha Suresh who is the niece of Thoppil Bhasi and Ammini who impressed in the short film ‘Bridge’ included in “Kerala Café”, and all of them deserve praise for their performance.

Hopefully, we can expect a better film, a film that could be remembered forever, from Benny P Nayarambalam and Sathyan Anthikad next time around.

Movie Review Husbands in Goa Malayalam

Movies are made for laughter and some are made for shutting our brain. “Husbands in Goa” will fall into later category. It’s a story about three friends (an advocate, a charted accountant and an Interior designer) who are married to three beautiful women yet love to get some extra fun. They are looking for a get away from their wives. So Jerry Thomas ( Advocate played by Indrajith), Murali Govind( CA character of Jayasurya) and Arjun ( Asif Ali, the Interior designer) decide to take a trip to Goa leaving their wives (Characters played by Rima Kallingal, Bhama and Ramya Nambeeshan) back home. The pleasure trip turns into string of circumstances leading to quite a number of comic sequences. It becomes a crazy ride eventually.

Ok, so we agree that it’s a crazy ride. The question is what or who get crazy, the charade on the screen or the viewers in the theatre? Honest laughter is seldom found while watching this movie. Too much of anything is bad for health and all this movie does is hammer your intelligence with pathetic try on the comedy genre. End of it we don’t know whom to blame for the tiring hours spent in the theatre.

The performance by all the cast members was quite honest though. All the six leads tried best to perform their character well and most of the time they were successful doing it. Fighting the odds they did as much as they could. Among the three heroes, Jayasurya is the best, followed by Indrajith and Asif Ali in that order. Rima Kallingal, Bhama, Ramya Nambeeshan are fine. We don’t need to mention how good they were when it comes to Innocent and Lal. Suraj Venjarumoodu, Kalabhavan Mani,Praveena and Sarayu also did their part well.

The script written by Krishna Poojapura starts with great flavour and excitement but after a whole mood of the movie gets off. We can say that this movie won’t be remembered by its music either. There was nothing great about it. Good background sound can do wonders to a movie, which was again lacking here. The only peppy song in the movie is the remix song “Pichakapoo Kavukal ...”

So the verdict is – Only a good watch if you are planning to shut your brain and watch it. It’s an entertainer, no doubt about that. But don’t expect logic here. If you are one of those who watch mimicry and comedy shows on TV, this movie will help you relive those moments that you spent in front of TV.

Verdict:Despite some Funny Bits , No Much Fizz in Goa ..

Movie Review Trivandrum Lodge Malayalam

“Trivandrum Lodge” follows the lives of people staying in the lodge and their desires and aspirations. The lodge owner Ravishankar played by Anoop Menon and his wife Malavika played by Bhavana, Abdu a resident with the looks of a sexually frustrated maniac, portrayed by the ever improving Jayasurya and the bold and beautiful Dhwani Nambiar acted by Honey Rose are the principle characters in the movie written by Anoop Menon whose versatility has become an accepted trait. Saiju Kurup as reporter Shibu Vellayini, P.Balachandran as a retired clerk, Janardhanan as a pianist, Sukumari and P.Jayachandran contribute with some fine acting as well. Child artists Master Dhananjay and Baby Nayanthara are remarkable in their roles with blazing performance.

However, the acting highlight has been the performance of Jayasurya who is improving with each picture and shows tremendous maturity and understanding in his portrayal of Abdu. Anoop Menon is very convincing as the lodge owner without any trace of avarice while Bhavana and Honey Rose also give very impressive performance.

The different emotions like love, lust, greed and envy that pass through the minds of people staying together and how they affect the lives of those people are brought out brilliantly by Anoop Menon’ storytelling and Jayasurya’s restrained but expressive acting. The combination of Anoop Menon and Jayasurya has once again proved their ingenuity and remarkable talent after earlier successes with “Cocktail” and “Beautiful”.

“Trivandrum Lodge” is easily one of the quality films released recently and will be liked by the Malayalee audience who enjoy good movies. Anoop Menon’s dialogues are effective and songs by M.Jayachandran are mellifluous. Equally outstanding are the camera work by Pradeep Nair and background music by Bijibal. Mahesh Narayanan has been judicious and the result has been a finely edited film. On the whole, V K Prakash-directed Trivandrum Lodge can be considered a significant milestone in the revival of Malayalam cinema. And the triumphant march of Anoop Menon- Jayasurya combination continues !!!

Verdict: Bold & Beautiful..

Movie Review Chatakari 2012 Malayalam

Julie is an iconic character, in the sense the that the film 'Chattakkari' which was released way back in 1974, is seen by an entire generation of film viewers as the tale of a girl who committed a cardinal sin, of having given in to the desires of her body, as much as she remains beguiled by love.

Almost forty years later, when 'Chattakkari' is remade, an adaptation of the very same story could prove fatal, if alterations that time demands on it aren't made. The 2012 version of 'Chattakkari' does not specify the time in which the story takes place in Connoor, and the viewer should assume that a few decades must have flown by, since the story that unfurls on screen had occurred.

Nothing much has changed since 1974, and Julie (Shamna Kasim) is very much the stunner of an Anglo-Indian girl, who falls prey to the charms of a Hindu boy, Sasi Warrier (Hemanth Menon). On second thoughts, probably a little bit has indeed changed, since Julie this time around makes an entry that is magnifique, accompanied by a resplendent melody in that slicingly enticing voice of Shreya Ghoshal.

All the other characters in the story remain the same, whether it be Morris (Innocent), Julie's drunkard of a dad or Margaret (Suvarna Mathew) her mom, or Richard (Harikrishnan), the neighborhood boy who could only watch as his love is snatched away.

The social issues that 'Chattakkari' deals with, might very much hold relevance even today, but the film makes a mistake in assuming that the audience might still be interested to hear out a story that has been told a million times after 1974, in zillion forms. This is predominantly where the film loses out on, and there is no escape from this oversight either.

On paper, probably remaking 'Chattakkari' seemed like a good idea, but in reality and on screen, one wonders if the all the efforts have really paid off. The sentimental obviousness that rules over the entire film is unlikely to have many takers any more.

To be fair to the actors, I guess there is no significance in comparing Shamna Kasim to Lekshmi or Hemanth Menon to Mohan. Shamna, I should say, has done a neat job of portraying the travails of the young Anglo-Indian girl, and looks remarkably charming. Hemanth is equally good as the youngster who naively wrecks Julie's life, only to rebuild it again. Harikrishnan leaves a mark with his relatively brief appearance as Richard. Malu Raveendranath and Shelly Kishore are two young talents to look out for, given their striking performances in the film.

'Chattakkari' has been shot quite impressively and Vinod Ilampally's frames add a rich appeal to the film. The truly awesome soundtrack by M Jayachandran has to be specially mentioned.

Well, 1974 seems so far away, and unfortunately, so does the remake of the movie that was made that year. And so much has changed, believe me, in the last forty years.

Rating : 2.5/5

Review Bhoopadathil Illaatha Oridam

"Bhoopadatthil Illatha Oridam" has a story that lacks the variability, polish or good humor to pull it off. This flat, sober and unconvincing melodrama almost seems like an endurance test that shows no signs of ending.

They tell us that there is a place called Vattanathra which is simply not there on any map, in a film that should simply not have been made. It is at a local school at Vattanathra that Madhavan Kutty (Sreenivasan) works as a teacher, far away from his home. When a robbery occurs at a jewelry shop near his place, Madhavan Kutty is summoned by the local police inspector (Innocent) and Panchayat President (Nedumudi Venu) to see if he would testify in a court as having seen a crime that he had not witnessed.

This man, believe it or faint, is a school teacher, and he flees the place, due to the fear that he might have to testify. The basic characterization in the film is faulty, in that none of the individual characters are chalked out precisely. So we have the teacher Madhavan Kutty, with barely any shots of the teacher in a school, a sub-inspector with such moronic qualities that best suit an imbecile, and a Panchayat President who overdoes things to such an extent that he almost even pawns his own wife.

As for the story, it makes us believe that there is a mystery hovering around somewhere initially. Even the not-so-naive viewer wouldn't have a clue as to what has struck their heads when post-interval the film concerns itself with a rape. Nothing is mentioned of the initial robbery ever again, and attempts are made to further build up some more suspense regarding the new incident.

Here is a man who stays away from home, and who doesn't seem to have heard of a gadget called the mobile phone. Madhavan Kutty rings up his wife from a local telephone booth, and I pacified myself with the thought that perhaps this was a place where the mobile phone invention was still unheard of. Until I saw the sub-inspector yapping away into his own perky little handset.

The few and far-in-between jokes are quite an insult to the intelligence. There is for instance this supposedly funny incident at the police station, where the constable standing beside the sub-inspector calls the senior officer on the landline and the two start chatting to each other through their respective phones. Hilarity is certainly not the achieved result.

I couldn't make head or tail as to where this entire film is headed, and laughed my guts out on hearing a fellow spectator comment that he shouldn't have left his helmet back home, since the urge to pull out one's hair seems to be getting stronger by the minute. It's unbelievable, that Sreenivasan is a part of this huge mess, and so are actors like Rajasree Nair, Nivin Pauly and Iniya.

You might be just wondering if this review has turned out to be quite hazy when it comes to the story of the film. Watch the film yourself at your own risk, and you would see how vaguer it could all get. 

Bhoopadathile Illaatha Cinema -Don't Waste Time -Rating : 1/5

Review Ithra Maathram Malayalam

The movie ithramaatram have been made out of many novels in Malayalam. Some of them have transformed into beautiful movies while some others were big disappointments. “Thoovana Thumbikal” by Padmarajan and “Daivathinte Vikrithikal” belong to the former category giving absolute joy and satisfaction to the viewer after being made into films.Same could be said about K.Gopinathan’s “Ithra Mathram”, which has done full justice to the original novel of Kalpetta Narayanan.

The central character in the story is Sumithra, played by Shwetha Menon who has not only proved that the award of Best Actress bagged by her was not a flash in the pan but also laid claim to this year’s award. She has given an outstanding performance in the film even outshining her recent brilliant performances. Shwetha seems to be determined not to let go of the Best Actress Award at any cost! The film itself adapts a different approach to the viewer quite unlike what an average Malayalam film viewer is used to.

At the beginning of the film, the dead body of the heroine is shown and then the events unfold through flashbacks as imagined by the different persons who come to pay their respects. These people touch her life at different points and their thoughts are crystalised as flashbacks.

Biju Menon,KPAC Lalitha, Anoop Chandran, Siddique and Prakash Bare have all given brilliant performances as people who come into contact with Sumithra.

Background music by Issac Thomas Kodukapalli and cinematography by KG.Jayan add to the joy and satisfaction.
Malayalam cinema can lay claim to another outstanding director in Gopinathan after this exceptional achievement.
With “Ithramathram”, one more film has come out of Malayalam capable of being considered at international levels. For those who are unfortunate enough to miss the movie, one word of advice; You have lost the chance to see a typical movie which has Malayalee culture written all over it.

The inevitability of death and it’s uncertainty is depicted through the mute heroine who reminds you that life is only just that (Ithramathram)!

Verdict: Marvellous (3.5/5)

Review Molly Aunty Rocks Malayalam

Shankar has always been about bringing out contemporary issues in the society. “Molly Aunty Rocks” is his third movie of the kind where he effortlessly showcases these issues. Versatile Actress Revathy is starring as prototypical middle aged woman. The movie revolves around the contentions concerning woman over forty. The male lead is played by Prithviraj.

This is the story of 'Molly' from a middle class family, who moves her life to USA after marrying Benny. She decided to take a long leave from her work instead of terminating the employment. After a while when she comes back to India to extend her leave, bank refuses it. She has only two options in front of her, stay back or to resign. She takes the tough decision to stay back in India, as she never wanted to leave the job. The bank relocates her to a village branch. The story is all about her US lifestyle in this village and how she copes with the rural lifestyle. She is quite an amusement for the village folks who were not used to her modern ways. Her early morning jog and habit of drinking mineral water had become talk to the town. Molly’s husband and kids decided to stay back in America, where as Molly is stuck here with her mother in law for whom she is not one of the favourite person. The male lead Pranav is a young Man with firm attitude that gets on Molly’s nerves. The movie gets lot of amusing moments thanks to the disliked they have for each other.

All the cast has showcased exemplary performance. Still Revathy steal the show. Molly Aunty can be called as an awesome comeback for Revathy. Prithviraj has done a neat job as Pranav. Mammukoya as Advocate Salim Mechery is the surprise element in the recipe that adds lot of fun flavour to the movie. Other notable performance were given by Lalu Alex ,Krishna Kumar, KPAC Lalitha, Lakshmi Priya, Sarath, Sunil Sukhada.

Ranjith Shankar just proved again that a good entertainment movie with a relevant subject can win viewers hearts. Kudos to script as well. Music by Anand Madhusoodan, edits by Lijo Paul and Sujith Vasudev’s cinematoraghy is also very notable in the movie.

"Molly Aunty Rocks" is a sincere attempt on a crucial issue that is faced by many people. Even with small loops holes the movie is still a good watch. It’s fresh and will keep you on your chair.

Verdict : Simple .

Movie Review Rasaleela Malayalam 2012

Almost three decades have passed ever since 'Rasaleela' released way back in 1975, and Majeed Maranchery's remake of the film in 2012 comes across as an utterly unnecessary one. Back then, 'Rasaleela' probably seemed socially relevant and progressive. Today however, it appears plain dull.

Unnimaya (Prathishtha) finds her husband (Krishna) dead on their nuptial bed, the morning after their wedding. The young widow spends her life alone in a corner of the palatial household, until an astrologer and his help Devan (Darshan) arrive to set a few things straight. Unnimaya and Darshan develop a fondness for each other with disastrous consequences.

Let's face it, 'Rasaleela' has no theme that transcends time, and the story of a young widow forced to live a life of isolation is a thing of the past. What makes the film even more disappointing is that it doesn't hold ground even if you start analyzing it as a period piece.

The film appears as a confused production that doesn't quite justify the intentions behind the remake. Here is a reincarnation that serves little purpose hence and which starts off with typos in the title cards. Moving further on, we realize that the execution of the script is inept, and the script itself is nothing much to be discussed.

There is no way in which you could ignore the blandness of the movie and move on. It draws you right into its midst with its mediocrity and the clumsy and ineffective plot does contribute to its ultimate undoing as well.

I was appalled at the background score of the film that sounded like musical bits and pieces joined together with no sense of wholeness whatsoever. Jarring and sometimes strident musical bits drop on you every now and then making you wonder what has actually gone wrong.

The songs of the film, composed by Sanjay Chowdhary are quite noteworthy though they are not a patch on the delightfully melodious numbers that his father Salil Chowdhary had gifted us with in the original film.

The acting is pretty much run of the mill, and it seems that at times that it gets a bit too much for Prathishtha to deliver what she is expected to. Darshan is infinitely better and makes a pleasant debut.

'Rasaleela' underscores the fact yet again that not every film is fit to be remade. It's an incoherent debacle of a film; a cinematic clone that has been born at a horribly wrong time and place.

Movie Review Ozhimuri Malayalam 2012

This is the story of a family torn by force of circumstances and the times they lived in. It is a story with many protagonists, each person having an own side to the story.

There is Thanu Pillai, who grew up in an aristocratic Travancore Nair family watching his mother dominate his father at a time when women were holding the reins. After his wedding, the hatred he developed towards his mother was transferred to his wife Meenakshi. Thanu Pillai’s son Sharath Chandran on the other side, detested his father after seeing the cruelty imposed by his father on his mother. Then there is the smart lawyer and the fiery feminist both of whom contribute their mite to add spice to the story. Thirty years after their marriage, Meenakshi decides that enough is enough and with the support of her son, files a divorce suit. Despite his dominance and ego, Thanu Pillai is shell shocked and secretly longs to be with Meenakshi. Pillai’s lawyer meets Meenakshi and Sharath for an out of court settlement and learns more about the family and Thanu pillai. The true facts and reality roll out in front of an amazed lawyer. Lal as Thanu Pillai gives an outstanding display of controlled outbursts and restrained emotions.

The character of Thanu Pillai has amazing possibilities and Lal has used them all with telling effect. Kudos to Madhupal for choosing Lal for Thanu Pillai. Meenakshi’s part was handled with aplomb by Mallika who gave an outstanding performance. Asif Ali as Sharath does well except on certain occasions where he tends to be a bit high on histrionics. Shwetha Menon as the feminist looks intimidating and in a combative mood doing full justice to her role. Bhavana as the lawyer carries her role aptly as well. Jagadish have also done justice to his part.

Madhupal’s direction has been superb and he has to be congratulated for his selection of artists for the different roles. Script by Jayamohan, though slightly confusing to begin with, gains momentum and enthralls throughout with brilliant narration, creating a kaleidoscope of the past and the present. The build-up of the characters has been done remarkably well by Madhupal. However the attempt to bring in a romance between Sharath and the lawyer could have been more subtle and less awkward. Madhupal has made the movie very engaging though not to the standard of “Thalappavu”. Make-up man Ranjith Ambadi has done a tremendous job generally though he slips when it comes to Shwetha’s old-age make-up.Azhagappan’s cinematography has been nice and effective.

The film has some really fine moments which make it a worthy experience! Overall, with highly sensitive writing and truly marvelous direction make 'Ozhimuri' a captivating watch.

Verdict: Impressive.

Movie Review Run Baby Run Malayalam 2012 Mohanlal Amala Paul Movie Hit

Director Joshiy and Superstar Mohanlal, who together created the superhit film “Christian Brothers”, are back in action with another scintillating film, this time with another fancy name “Run Babby Run”. Joining the party is Amala Paul, whose first Malayalam film was “Aakashathinte Niram”. Milan Jaleel produces under the banner of Galaxy Films.

What happens when two journalists, at loggerheads with each other, are forced to work together on a matter of utmost secrecy? Mohanlal as Venu and Amala Paul as Renuka have to do exactly that in “Run Baby Run’ and that too with straight faces.

Venu and Renuka work in the media field, Venu as a photographer and Renuka as an executive director. But that doesn’t make them close; on the contrary, they hated the sight of each other. So imagine a situation where they were put together for an assignment!
Venu is a channel photographer while Renuka is the executive director of Bharath Vision. Later, Venu shifts to Delhi as the chief photographer of Reuters and concentrates on exclusive coverage of sensitive and important events. After 5 years in Delhi, he is asked to go to Kerala to do a cover story on a highly confidential affair and to his utter surprise, Renuka is sent as his partner. They kept themselves apart because of their king-size ego and now they find themselves forced to work together on an assignment of highly secretive nature. Would they be able to go ahead? Whats their actual intentions? Or will their egos work against them? What is in a woman’s mind when forced to work with a person she dislikes intimately? All these and more are illustrated in ‘Run Baby Run’.

The script by Sachy is weak and the screenplay could have been better but Joshi has overcome the negatives with his expertise in dealing with time tested formulae and he has managed to bring out a reasonably entertaining film. As is usual in most films, the second half is not as entertaining as the first, but still the scenes are compelling enough to keep the fans riveted. At times, the scenes remind you of Hindi and Tamil movies and the viewer has the choice to decide whether it is a complement or not.

In spite of all the faults, “Run Babby Run” manages to run and reach home mainly because of the overwhelming presence of Mohanlal who comes out with another mesmerizing performance. Amala Paul dazzles all too briefly while Biju Menon, though looking crisp and smart, is striking. Sai Kumar, Vijayaraghavan, Siddique, Midhun Ramesh and Saadiq carry out their roles adequately and usual.

As stated earlier, Sachy’s script goes off the track far too often to be called really good. However, cinematographer R D Rajasekhar had done a tremendous job and so too the art direction team of Joseph Nellikkal and Sabu Pravadas. Costume by Palani is quite eye-catching and editing by Syam has been sufficient. Music by Ratheesh Vega (Aattumanal...) is catchy and suits the mood but the BGM do not linger to the flick.
The ending is quite like the usual thriller with no surprises and could collect a bit of whistling and booing. All in all however, “Run Babby Run’ is entertaining and watchable as long as you keep your expectations low. And of course for the sake of watching Mohanlal who has been fantastic. If only the makers had put in a bit more passion, things could have been much better.

Superhit Don't Miss its a wonderful movie rating : 4/5

Movie Review Thappana Malayalam

Johny Antony's 'Thaappaana' is more of an assemblage of parts and pieces that we have seen in other movies. The film mashes them together and neatly lays out the assortment before us, which appears quite messy.

Samson (Mammootty), out from jail after serving a sentence of four years, is excited to see a beautiful Mallika (Charmi Kaur) emerging out of the women's jail. Possibilities of a romance spurt in Samson's mind, and he accompanies her to her village, where surprises await him.

Sindhuraj's script plays total spoil sport here, and drags quite a while in the initial hour. Samson is besotted by Mallika, and even sings a song out in the streets, gaping at her photograph all the while. And in true Kollywood style, the passers by join in and shake legs with him.


The film is more of a road movie till about half way through, at least until Samson and Mallika reach Karippa. They meet one of Samson's old jail mates (Vijeesh) on the way, and off they go on a detour for a while. The efforts are on to prove that true love emerges a winner.

At Karippa, post-interval Samson assumes heroic proportions and gets ready for a head-to-head meeting with Kannu Kuttan. Things progress in a manner as predictable as they can be, before the dust bows up for a deafening climax. Thugs and goons get thrown this way and that before everything settles down, and the credits are cleared.

The man with massive powers arriving at an alien village and bringing about a change through his fists and fisticuffs is no new story in Malayalam. It has all been said a thousand times already, and there is hardly anything new about the presentation either!

I am totally clueless as to what made Mammootty accept 'Thaappaana'. Its not that he does injustice to the character as such, but it's the facileness of the role that he plays that is absolutely surprising. There are any number of films in which we have seen him essay similar roles, and 'Thaappaana' is sadly no exception.

When I think of those best moments in the film, one figure does tower over the rest, which is Muraly Gopi's. He seems to be getting better with each film, and as the ruthless ruffian in 'Thaappaana', he is dynamite. His steely stare, grimace and scowls make him one of the best villains of the year, no doubt.

The problem isn't that the characters or the story in 'Thaappaana' are way too simple. The real issue lies in the fact that these characters never really become three dimensional that would make you want to reach out to them. There is plenty of stuff going on, no doubt, but none that would make you feel that a royal elephant is on the rampage out there!

Rating : 3/5 - Hit

Movie Review Friday Malayalam 2012

Directorial debut of Lijin Jose, which circle around the happening of just one day in the lives of many people living in Alappuzha. A day that reworked the path of their destiny. The movie released under the banner of Innovate Films Concepts, is produced by Sandra Thomas and Thomas Joseph Pattathanam.

Even if we feel some of the scenes could have been executed better, the movie is done justice to its promising previews. The movie is well narrated with minimal loopholes.

The cast has done an impressive work to portray their characters. Fahad Fazil performance can be complimented as outstanding. He is playing the role of a spry auto rickshaw driver and his Konkani accented language is pretty impressive. He overshadows rest of the cast with his acting skills. His character keep throwing surprises, which keeps audience glued to their seats. Nedumudi Venu as usual gives audience the pleasure of seeing his legendary performance. Manu has done good enough job for audience to keep him in mind. Ann Augustine was able to pull of her character well.

Nimisha Menon, Baiju Ezhuppunna, Krishnan Balakrishnan, Dharmajan Bolgatty, Chembil Ashokan, done justice to their roles. Prakash Bare and Asha Sarath left their mark on the viewers.

The story of Friday is so well knitted that plot and the execution remains Numero Uno, even with the amazing performance of the cast members. Director Lijin has done a good work digging deep into the savage and unsettling feelings that imprisons the human in complex emotions of love, passion, deceit and grief. Najeem Koya is the magician who has knitted such a marvellous script, which can go through ten round of scrutiny but still it will come out solid without loop holes. We should also be admiring the nice visual magic created by cinematographer Jomon Thoman. The music and BGM are admirable again, thanks to Roby Abraham and Rex Vijayan respectively. Editing is by Manoj who has pulled it off decently.

'Friday' is going to write new lines in the books of experimental cinema. It has a good light on the life of “now”. It takes us along for a journey of feelings that we see but tend to ignore.
'Friday' will be a good watch for those who love good cinema with content.

Verdict: Don't Miss It

Movie Review Mister Marumakan 2012

Dileep is back with another bang, or that is what one feels as you watch him in his latest film, 'Mr.Marumakan'.Things could have been really great if its makers had made the latter half on a rather lighter tone and had trimmed the length of the film, but it is nice fun even in its current form.

Ashok Raj (Dileep) is the son of Rajagopalan Thampy (Nedumudi Venu), whose family is based in Ottappalam. Although Ashok Raj is a lawyer, his interest lies in reviving a defunct drama troupe called Bharatha Kalakshetram, which used to be run by his family.

He is directing a drama titled Dasavatharam for the troupe and is also the lead actor in the play. Ashok Raj even changes his name to Ashok Chakravarthy as he thinks it has much more punch as a name for an artiste. His elder brother Babu Raj (Biju Menon), who runs a company, is now in a financial mess.

Balasubrahmanyam (Bhagyaraj) is a bank officer who has come to initiate legal proceedings against Babu Raj to get him to repay the loan that he had taken to start his venture. As it turns out, Balasubrahmanyam is now estranged from his wife the haughty Raja Mallika (Khushboo) and daughter Raja Lakshmi (Sanusha). Raja Mallika hails from a wealthy family and is the daughter of the even haughtier Raja Kokila (Sheela), the boss of Raja's group of companies. The trio believe that a woman can survive easily, without the help of a man. The entry of Ashok Raj into their lives forces them to revise their opinions. On the parallel, we are shown a romance story between Ashok Raj and Raja Lakshmi.

There is nothing spectacular about the storyline by Sibi-Udayan team here and the sequences often happen in a highly predictable and formulaic way. But from the title card onwards the makers are clear that you don't need to use your brains much to enjoy this one! Well, once you are ready with that mindset, it turns out to be an enjoyable experience from Sandhya Mohan and crew.

Dileep is in full form and though certain lines are lewd and the whole film is a bit loud as well, you will find yourself laughing at some of the comic situations for sure.

He repeats his best antics and punchlines to make some genuinely funny moments in the former half.Dileep's combination scenes with Khusboo stood as highlight for the film.Watch out for Kushboo, She performs with a steam and vigour. As a young aristocratic mother-in-law, she is impressive. She brings out her agony, arrogance and anger well.

Sanusha made her malayalam debut as heroine with Dileep and performed well, even though there is not much scope for histrionics in this role. Her contribution is little else besides looking pretty.Bhagyaraj is alright,but his dubbing feels dull. Sheela is over with over make-up, but performance Ok at some parts.

Baburaj, Suraj Venjarumoodu , Harisree Ashokan has also done a fine job in the comedy department. Suresh Krishna and Biju Menon he has nothing much to offer other than what we have seen in most of their old usual roles. Rest of all done their parts without blurred.

The director has come up with a routine storyline and while the presentation was somewhat decent, the narrative was not as per expectations. P.Sukumar's camera is pretty nice and Suresh Petters is in good form with his compositions and the background scores.

"Anganamare aadi vaa.." being the pick of the lot.Mahesh Narayan's editing is peppy apt to the thread. Editing by Ranjan Abraham was adequate. 'Mr.Marumakan' could have been better for sure, but still it provides some really funny moments. Well, the chances are that you may laugh at some of those corny dialogues and feel embarrassed at the thought that you actually enjoyed them, soon after. But don't worry, that's what the film intends do as well!

On the whole, 'Mr.Marumakan'is a crowd-pleaser that knows exactly who its audience is. For fans of Dileep, this old-fashioned entertainer is a treat and delivers enough entertainment for your buck.

Verdict: Time Pass Entertainer.

Review Gajapokiri 2012 Malayalam

Srinivas’s “Gajapokkiri” is the Malayalam version of the Telugu movie “Julai” with Allu Arjun, Illeana D’cruz and Rajendraprasad in the main roles. Allu Arjun as Ravi is the gambling crook at loggerheads with Sonu Sood, who as Bittu, is a notorious thief. The two try to outwit each other and in the process gives rise to a sequence of hilarious situations which finally ends in an appropriate manner.

The movie has an astonishing start which is likely to startle the audience and hold their attention for the rest of the period and the tempo is maintained right through to the end. Allu Arjun as the IPL betting man, is highly entertaining and times his wisecracks to perfection. He dances gracefully, dresses elegantly and fights spectacularly, and his strong screen presence adds fillip to the film. Allu Arjun in short, makes the audience laugh and laugh and laugh. Rajendra Prasad as the shivering cop has another brilliant and outrageously funny role and his histrionics are absolutely fabulous. The combination of Allu Arjun and Rajendra Prasad makes it ten out of ten in humour. Illeana D’cruz as Madhu plays perfect foil Allu Arjun and looks attractive and desirable in the dance and romantic scenes. Also joining the entertaining trio are Brahmanandam and MS Narayana.Sonu Sood as Bittu fits the role and Brahmaji contributes his mite.

Music by Devi Sri Prasad has already proved its quality by being on top of the charts. Dialogues by Thrivikraman are impressive while choreography is quite well done. Srinivasan’s direction is good and he has done a good job with screenplay as well. Editing too has been done crisply and sensibly. Probably, second half could have been edited in a better manner. All in all, Trivikraman has done a fantastic job, tackling a revenge story and making it uproariously funny with his punch lines. He is wonderfully supported by the acting team, none being an exception, but Allu Arjun stands out with his majical performance. Rajendra Prasad as the cowardly cop who turns a new leaf, holds sway over the audience with another superbly comic act.

For fun and entertainment, Gajapokkiri is the answer. - rating : 4/5

Review Julayi Allu Arjun Gajapokkiri

Rating: 3.25/5
Banner: Harika and Hassine Creations
Cast: Allu Arjun, Ileana, Sonu Sood, Rajendra Prasad, Tanikella Bharani, Rao Ramesh, MS Narayana and others
Cinematography: Chota K Naidu and Syam K Naidu
Art: Ravinder
Editing: Pravin Pudi
Action Choreographer: Peter Heins
Music: Devi Sri Prasad
Producer: S.Radha Krishna
Story-Screenplay- Dialogues-Direction: Trivikram Srinivas
CBFC rating: U/A

Julayi is based on Easy money with Trivikram style treatment like comedy and Action. Ravi Trusts on Easy money and starts a Journey to earn big amount on the way he meets a gang headed by Bittu who also trying on Easy money by looting a bank.

Ravi falls for Madhu (Ileana) who works for a passport consultancy. Ravi got to know their planes and in a situation he tells their plan to Police and causes for Bittu gang Arrest. Rest of the story is how Ravi faces the revenge act by Bittu gang and learns the how bad idea is working for easy money.

Right from the starting scene of the movie, Julayi offers adequate entertainment. The introduction block where Sonu Sood robs the bank and the way Allu Arjun predicts the robbery was shot in a terrific way. Ileana’s characterization is very good and it need lot of guts for a director to show a heroine in a DE-glamorized way and Trivikram Srinivas has succeeded in this. Pre climax episode could have been executed much better without unwanted graphics, but Trivikram’s mesmerizing dialogues has almost covered the loop holes.

However, the tempo seems to be lost in the second half and feels like the director has faltered at one point. But the story catches the momentum again with some well etched scenes on Allu Arjun and Rajendra Prasad. Tanikella Bharani’s dialogues to his son Allu Arjun were too good. Director Trivikram Srinivas has managed the entire movie with his excellent dialogues.

Allu Arjun played a lively character as in every movie of his. He is smart, cunning, active and spontaneous in the role of a hero who exactly thinks on the line of criminal. You can clearly see how Trivikram impacts a hero in all his movies and it is evident in this movie too. Dances are good but not up to the range of Bunny.

Ileana looked awkward on screen looking skinny and her face missing glow. Looks like her career is in serious trouble. Sonu Sood even though is a baddie had got an excellent role. He had got excellent screen presence.

Kota Srinivasa Rao, Rajendra Prasad, Rao Ramesh, Brahmaji are good as always. MS Narayana and Dharamavarapu are good in their little roles. Brahmanandham’s comedy scenes are good even though limited. Ali, Vennela Kishore came and went like lightening.

Trivikram’s punch Dialogues

logic Lu evaru nammaru andariki magic le kavali. anduke mana desam lo scientists kanna baba la ne ekkuva nammutaru
Dialogue Nike thalanoppi theppisthannadante aadu ‘Amruthanjan’ amma mogudu aintaadu
Tsunami vachinapudu Rain coat eskelthe ela untadhi ? meeru matladthunte nakanthe etakaramga undi
Mamulga mudurlu plan chesi pani chestharu, nalanti Deshamudurlu pani chesthu plan chestharu

Plus:

Allu Arjun’s dances and performance
Trivikram’s Punch Dialogues
Trivikram’s Screenplay and Direction was extrordinary
Cinematography
Ileana looks great and has a good romantic role
Rajendra Prasad is classy and shows yet again why he is such a highly respected actor
Kota Srinivasa Rao is good
Brahmanandam rocks as thief Brahmam

Minus :

Slow Second Half
Songs can be better
The climax sequence is routine

Verdict :

Julayi is worth waching family entertainer with melted love story in an action entertainer. And good comedy to attract family and other king of audience especially Trivikram’s stamp can be seen all over it and this half makes for some great entertainment.. Julayi has a great scope for a box-office hit. And according to me, the movie is easily a one time watch.

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Movie Review Last Bench Malayalam

'Last Bench' looks like a 'Classmates' meeting up with a 'Manikyakallu'. With plenty of memories thrown in for that extra build up of nostalgia, the film serves you a reminiscence cocktail , that for at least a few of you, might be tough to gulp down your throats.

Rasheed (Biyon), Joshi (Vijeesh), Samkutty (Musthafa) and Reji (Mahesh) occupy the last bench of a tenth grade classroom in a government high school and have no hopes of passing out of school that year. Their teachers have had it up to their necks with their antics, and along comes a new teacher Roselyn (Sukanya) who would transform for their lives forever.

 Here are four men who have moved beyond their school days long back, and when they meet years later, they head back to their old classroom, dead drunk. Some people are born to live in their pasts, they say. The present holds little significance to them, as every event in their lives, every breath is correlated to a dusty context that lies buried in the debris of their minds.

 It's the script that suffers from the most critical of all errors - obviousness. Added to that the sentimentality that hovers around every frame, so much so that it starts making you feel nauseous after a while, affirms that things are not likely to get any better. It doesn't really help that the group of characters that make up this story are quite superficial.

There are two fantastic scenes in the film that stand out from the rest of what you get to see on screen. The first one features the four boys adding a few letters to the cuss word that they had written on the blackboard to abuse the teacher, thereby altering it to one of the most beautiful words in the language. The second one is when years later Samkutty meets his classmate sweetheart Shahana again. Time has brought about changes in her, the foremost one being a face that has been charred beyond recognition. He doesn't hesitate twice before planting a kiss on her cheeks, much to her surprise!

These scenes however, stand in isolation, and the other threads that involve Rasheed, Reji and Joshi fail to evoke emotions of any kind. While Joshi's meeting with the teacher turns out to be overtly dramatic, Rasheed's meeting with his school adversary ends up being a comic affair. Reji and his search for his sweet heart is the frailest part of the narrative, which is neither convincing nor credible.

I found Biyon's performance the most believable of the lot, and I should say that the young actor does give it his very best. The music is pretty much appalling, and so is the choreography. Technically, there are no wonders in display either.

This story of the last benchers in school who have emerged as winners in life with deep-etched, sore and throbbing memories ruling their very existence, does not strike a chord. Believe me, there is very little fun, happening down here at the last bench.

Review Ivan Megaroopan Malayalam

Forgetfulness rules the very being of the poet, the life of whom P Balachandran's 'Ivan Megharoopan' chronicles. We would never know if the memory that keeps evading the man was deliberately kept off the bounds of his consciousness, nor would we know the man that he really was, for he was made of the stuff that clouds were made of, and never left footprints on the sand.

As seen through the eyes of the several women whose lives he walked into and out of in no time, the poet's bohemian life appears as one that had defied all conventions. What is extremely appealing about the film as such are the aforementioned open ends that it leaves around by design that ensures that it ends up being neither prejudiced nor judgmental.

K P Madhavan Nair, the man, poet and teacher, is thus unraveled through his unbridled interactions with the women around him on whom he seems to have been able to have cast a spell of sorts. They end up being no more than winged termites that lose their wings after their mating, and live miserable lives lost in the haunting memories of a man whom they had fallen dismally in love with.

The poet does remind us that creativity isn't an easy thing to be maintained, and perhaps alarmed and overwhelmed by the tremendous potentials that he could foresee in his wife Saraswathi Amma (Jayapriya) as a writer, tries to smother her vision as subtly as he possibly can. Envy does overpower him, but he is a simple man at heart, who very soon realizes his folly and who falls sobbing at his wife's feet to seek forgiveness.

The women who fall prey to Nair's charms have only one thing in common - their unparalleled love for the man. Saraswathi Amma very soon settles down to a life where she hopes to hunt out happiness forfeiting everything else, and drips the very last drop of her fountain pen ink onto the stream. She is willing to give up everything including her very self for a man who would soon walk away from her into the darkness, never to return again.

It's another land and another time altogether where Nair meets Ammini (Padmapriya) for whom he says he has brought black glass bangles. He hands out a few chunks of rock sugar and peanut candies instead to her after fishing around his pockets for a while. Ammini finds his sheepish grin endearing, and off she goes on a ride with him on his bicycle. He doesn't think twice before agreeing to marry her and leaves fixing a date, only to arrive at the place years later.

Nair does marry Thankamony (Anumol) though, the girl who could bring huge freshwater trouts to splash around on her mud walls with her melodious voice. The folk singer has a way with nature, as she has with the poet, and her song sets peacocks dancing in all their splendor, while water lilies peep out from under the still night waters, all eager to bloom. Grabbing her by the arm, Nair leads her out into a world where she believes freedom exists, but upon his desertion finds the idyllic world that she had dreamed of being replaced by one that is beset with bitterness and gloom.

Despite his mother's words ringing in his ears that a marriage could lead a man from riches to rags or the other way round, he gets married to Ammini later, and keeps his promise. And it's here that we get to see him acknowledge a loss of memory for the very first time. Ammini is one who is quick to learn from her folly, and makes a frantic attempt to tie him down with a teacher job at a local school. In one of the finest moments in the film, she admits that she has started hating his poetry, ever since the poet has become her own.

Even as the poet intrudes into the hearts of these women, instinctively dismantling their lives in the process, there are others occupying the outer environs of his existence as well. The fresh graduate Rajalekshmi (Remya Nambeesan) is disgusted by the love letter that the middle aged man pens for her and even threatens to reveal the story of his insatiable libido to the world. In sharp contrast to the young woman are the seductresses Chinnammalu (Sunitha Nedungadi) and Kousalya (Surabhi) who flirt with him unabashedly and Maya Maheshwari (Swetha Menon) who lives up to her name and almost seems like a gorgeous spirit that could assume different forms to entice a man.

Nair seeks moksha from the teaching job that he admits had started boring him to death. The era when his poetry had flowered all over had started slowly ebbing away. The man who would seek blessings from all and sundry who passed him by is startled by a small girl who touches his feet. Her fingers prompt an introspection and he realizes with a shudder that his life is being lived by someone else and that forgetfulness is death itself.

P Balachandran's biopic is warmly sympathetic to its protagonist. The director's portrayal of the renowned poet reveals a man who is seldom in control of his emotions; a man who battles with his life to merely live it the way he wants to. As it moves steadily towards the inevitable tragic finale, the indisputably flawed, but impressive personality emerges from the shadows.

The film belongs to Prakash Bare, and his luminescent performance that puts in the right amounts of mirth, gloom and life itself, helps him capture the poet that he plays with aplomb and move far beyond a mere impersonation. Padmapriya, Swetha Menon and Remya Nambeesan are all remarkably good, and yet it's Anumol who comes up with an exceptionally nuanced feat. Rajeev Ravi has crafted an almost magical world for the poet to live in, while Sharreth's spellbinding musical score considerably adds to the hypnotic quality of the film.

'Ivan Megharoopan' is a biographical tale that carefully keeps the dreariness that one habitually associates with biographies at bay. It is full of life, and the vivaciousness that pervades the narrative lets the dazzling sparkle on this character study remain right on place.