An in-house Onam celebration with a nice homely meals and then there were three Malayalam movies for entertainment. Started off with a disappointing Maniyarayile Ashokan and then with an average Kilometers and Kilometers and finally ended the day on a high note with C U Soon. Here is my take on all the three films.
C U Soon - A Tangled Drama
An inevitable comparison and uncanny resemblance to Searching and The Gone Game is the first thing which came to my mind after watching this. Both of those deserved a watch for its on screen representation and its unusual narrative structure. C U Soon combines that with additional layer of depth via a super charged emotional connect along with a solid performance from an outstanding cast. Technically its top notch with crisp editing and a terrific sound design. Its difficult to mark this as a pure thriller genre as this oscillates into a fine human drama in the second half. The director pulls off the act of setting a movie entirely within the confines of electronic devices without any attempt of embellishment. It does not offer the twist and turn like Gone Game or Searching but the race against time still felt gripping. The vastness of Social Media and its complexities and side effects can be an eye opener for many people.
From red herring stand point, even though there is no spoon feeding here, some of the investigations were hard to digest and few things were not made very clear (having access to phone, how did she get the laptop, wifi access, Tinder account in a difficult time, police involvement etc). To be honest i didn't mind those illogical elements as i was glued from start to finish. And on top of that you see the magical gaze from Fahad (adhe kangal).
In term of Synopsis, its a simple boy meets gal via a dating app and the gal goes missing under mysterious circumstances, forcing a cyber expert friend of the boy to help solve the mystery. What lies the beneath the surface is presented very well and as a final outcome it’s highly engaging and a satisfying watch. With its limited run time, it manages to maintain attention, intensity and its a demanding show. It made us instantly sympathize with the vital circumstances of the protagonists and that itself is big achievement. The subtext can be quiet distracting for people who dont understand Malayalam.
Verdict - 3.5/5(A Bold Attempt)
Kilometers and Kilometers - A Predictable Road Trip
Sudani From Nigeria set a high benchmark when it comes to showcasing the value of human bonding and what it takes to be good Samaritan. It was fine example of a non demanding love and crossing language barriers.Then last year we had another movie Ambili which also in some shape and form tried to establish a relationship, but this time via a road trip. Kms and Kms is another attempt to retell the value of human relationship and self discovery through a bullet ride. Its somewhat predictable even-though there is bit of emotional warm feel to it. The broken English and it's interpretation offered few laughing moments like we see in Danish Sait movies.
India tour that our protagonist takes with the US citizen named Cathy is very shallow in terms of content. Both the characters love-hate chemistry is bland and as expected they end up being lovers when the film ends. I am tried of these self discovering journeys and its flat outcomes. The film has nothing new to offer and it uses same old fashioned approach to sanitize humans. The life changing perspective concept offers few sweet moments to cherish. The soundtrack is the biggest savior if i may say so. And oh boy its been ages since i watched a full movie on a TV channel. That was one heck of nightmare to watch with all those add breaks in between.
Verdict - 2.5/5(A boring Indo US Bond)
Maniyarayile Ashokan - Oru Vaazhamara Chuvattile Pranayam
The story is about Ashokan and his struggle to find his life partner. His short and dark complex make his find more difficult. The journey is narrated through his supporting parents and his friends who stand by him in all situations. The first half just deals with his hardships, his friendship and his surroundings in a very simple light hearted way. The light take on the village life is complemented well with some visuals and music. The problem with first half is, many witty scenarios did not bring out any laughter as such. It felt really hollow and the entertaining quotient was missing. Its just a feel of gazing into the screen without getting moved.
Then things take an ugly turn when his faulty horoscope and advice by an astrologer is being taken seriously by Ashokan. The second half of the movie sets a very peculiar story which is unheard of. But the makers failed to capitalize on that fully and they mixed too many things to conclude the story in a typical feel good way. Overall i felt monotonous and Ashokan as protagonist was sort of hit and miss. His dialog delivery and facial expressions were totally out of place at many times. It was difficult to feel for the character. In the end, the film missed to bring the charmness and innocence of village life which we are used to see in the 90's.
Verdict - 2/5(vadhuvine avashyamundu)