Munnariyippu

Apart from succeeding as a drama film that manages to keep your attention throughout its 114-minute song-less spectacle, the movie also succeeds as a a stellar example of how a good screenplay can really carry an entire movie. This movie follows the journey of a young freelance journalist, struggling to make her "big break" work with the biography of a double homicide accused prisoner, whom she takes a fascination to after a few meetings. The story follows her attempts to get him to write about his past and elucidate the details leading to how he was imprisoned - for a crime he vehemently denies committing. Newbie Aparna Gopinath shines in her role as the troubled and desperate journalist trying to get through to the jaded and soft-spoken Mammooty, who delivers an A-class performance reminiscent of his heyday. Cinematographer-turned-director Venu yet again proves that the director chair is something he can handle with equal élan as he does the camera - he will be one director to look out for in this new wave of Malayalam cinema.

Overall, the movie is a must-watch for those who appreciate a good story told adeptly, without much brouhaha or over-the-top-ness and miss the days when Malayalam cinema exemplified that one quality for which it was always prized - simplicity.

Munnariyippu will be treated as a movie for those who have high evaluation skills.Or it can be said as a perfect movie for movie lovers.Veteran director Venu has proved his exceptional directional skills again.The script by Unni.R. is engaging throughout.Mammootty and Aparna Gopinath are seen throughout the movie with their combination scenes and they compete with each other in emoting their characters.

The suspense element is unpredictable, but definitely it will disappoint some viewers who expect a little more explanation.But there comes the importance of the movie name Munnariyippu' meaning "Warning", so 'Expect the Unexpected'.

The movie is a cult one and a perfect treat for all who love to see a good cinema.

Munnariyippu tells the story of Anjali Arakkal, the freelance journalist who makes her living being a ghost writer. During one of her assignments to write an autobiography for jail superintendent, she meets an inmate-C.K Raghavan, grows interest in his story and character and decides to write a feature on him. C.K Raghavan had been sentenced to life for homicide of two ladies. But even after completing his term of 14 years, he prefers to continue in jail. The story then revolves around how he comes out of jail , how Anjali pursues him to write what really happened in his life and if the audience really get to learn all those.

Aparna Gopinath is a revelation. I was impressed with her debut in ABCD but from there onwards,it had been a downhill for the actress whether its the movies she had been part of or the characters she portrayed. Here in Munnariyippu though she stuns one and all matching up to the veteran Mammootty in many scenes. Its her earnest portrayal of a journalist who is determined to succeed and scale greater heights in life that brings an urgency to the otherwise sedate proceedings. Nedumudi Venu is a treat as always and brings few chuckles on our face. I wish Malayalam Cinema utilizes this actor more often. It has started to irritate to see Joy Mathew in every other movie these days but in this one, he did a fine job. Renji Panicker continues to be a natural in front of screen. Prithvira's cameo has nothing much to do but provides an important turn in the story with an advice he gives Aparna. 2012's National award winning child artist, Minon once again leaves a mark as the kid who befriends Raghavan and around only whom Raghavan is cheerful during the days he is out of jail

Cinematographer Venu makes a stellar return to direction after a long break and its his novel theme and intriguing story that is the winner in Munnariyippu all the way. Unni.R's screenplay provides the right impetus needed to this story. The technique these makers have used to tell the story in a lethargic pace to the point that the viewers finally start to get bored and then suddenly hit them with an ending like a ton of bricks has reaped in huge rewards. Bijibal's haunting background music helps the movie a great deal too. But above all, what Venu primarily needed was an actor who would not reveal anything at all about what C.K Raghavan is about and maintain the mystery surrounding him till the very end. Mammootty does that job with great aplomb , once again you only see the character the actor plays and not the actor himself.

It is very rare in a terrific movie where Mammootty has played the lead role ,that you walk away from the cinema halls not taking with you the brilliant acting moments by the actor. But Munnariyippu is one such movie and Mammootty has actually nothing to do with it . Its because C.K Raghavan does not reveal much on his face. He doesn't emote at all. He behaves differently from others. Even his ideologies and philosophies are different. Mammootty's ability to become the character he plays coupled with an astounding work of Venu and Unni.R in molding Raghavan delicately and perfectly might have given us a new entry to the list of Malayalam Cinema's finest movie characters ever. In Munnariyippu, its not the acting nuances that haunt you when you leave the halls, its the whole character.

Copy Paste from - Fahir

For everyone who pooh-poohed his scornful outings over the last couple of years while projecting the star in him instead of manifesting the brilliant actor in him, here is Mammootty's strong answer to all his naysayers who wrote him off, vociferating that class is permanent with a shockingly brilliant, gutsy crusade from the ace cinematographer Venu and the excellent writer Unni R, who together produces a gem of an astutely connotative screenplay laced with prodigious, profound and philosophical reflections on freedom, exploitation, opportunism, mercilessness of the world run by the ruthlessly pragmatic corporates and also poses a warning that writing isn't something which comes instantaneously, all through the optics of a ghost writer and an intriguing man who spend 20 long years in a clink. For serious movie lovers who can enjoy such offbeat, cerebral narratives, have no second thoughts and reach out to your nearest screen playing Munnariyippu, which surely will turn out to be a thought provoking and haunting experience with remarkable performances all round. CK Raghavan definitely, is the Mammootty, we, the connoisseurs of cinema were dying to watch after Pranchiyettan, which was half a decade back.

Those who are not interested in any kind of spoilers, please stay away from reading any further. The mind game sets in from where Anjali Arackal (Aparna Gopinath), a ghost writer who is allotted to compose an autobiography for a jail superintendent, encounters an intriguing prisoner CK Raghavan (Mammootty) who sticks around in jail enjoying his solitude even after his stipulated tenure of the judgment of conviction for a double homicide. Interested in Raghavan's literary rantings written inside the jail, Anjali decides to do an exclusive story based on the literary works of Raghavan which becomes a runaway success, prompting a leading publishing company to offer her an opportunity to take credit for a book actually written by Raghavan based on his personal experiences. As Raghavan becomes a celebrity among the reading society, he is driven to exit the jail to the external universe, where he is practically locked up by Anjali at a confined space, in a regulated manner for him to write peacefully, so that she can take his accounts to a leading publishing giant within the strict deadline of one month. Days pass by, Raghavan can't write even a single word, and as this goes on, she is at the verging peril of facing legal suits from the publishing company for not meeting the deadline passed to her. Will Raghavan be able to complete writing, which will unveil what he was, or not forms the crux.

The main contemplation that Munnariyippu tries to delineate through Raghavan to the audience is that, the interpretation of freedom or exemption is absolutely subjective in accordance to the individual in question. It also presents a strong disapproval at the ruthless pragmatism of the new age through Anjali, which puts pressure, even when it comes to the field of creative cosmos, where thoughtfulness might not develop instantaneously within the given peak of time. The hotshot cinematographer Venu, who made a notable directorial debut with 'Daya' with the likes of MT Vasudevan Nair and Manju Warrier, proves his genius again and showcases his pioneering experience in the field, after returning to take the helm after 16 years of sabbatical. The way he portrays the idiosyncrasies of Raghavan, the selfishness of Anjali, the build-up to the shocking culmination are sheer strokes of brilliance. Unni R, who is popularly known as a brilliant short story writer has written his best work till date for celluloid, winning over us completely with such staggering character sketches which keeps you hooked on the screen to watch out for what's in store for the protagonists at its denouement. On its technical side, Venu himself has handled its cinematography and shows his class in that department once again without going above the narrative. Beena Paul's editing was pitch-perfect in creating the right mood and pace which its narrative demanded. Bijipal at re- recording does an excellent job in providing the air of mystery throughout its running time so effectively.

Talking of the performances, Mammootty truly underplays his emotions so effectively in a multi-dimensional manner like many of his brilliant portrayals in the past, by skinning his teeth into Raghavan, a character study which is altogether safe in his workforce. Aparna Gopinath, does a surprisingly great job as Anjali, bringing out all the anguishes, desperation and selfishness of the character with conviction. Among the supporting cast Renji Panickar, Joy Mathew etc delivers honest performances. Prithviraj in a juicy cameo reminded his own Kunjukunju in 'Swapnakoodu' with fine refinements.

All in all, Munnariyippu, is easily a profound masterpiece in my books, which turns out to be a hauntingly shocking delight for the lovers of cinema, and its true worth will only be valued by more people only after the passing of its home video, when it surely will be attaining a cult status, which it deserved, just like Utharam, Sadayam, Mumbai Police all which had a terrific culmination which weren't taken at first by the common audience. Must watch!

Verdict - Sheer f**king brilliance! Courtesy :Robert Langdon

"This movie isn't for everyone!" a line that I have used time and again and while it may sound like an easy bail for a movie that I'd enjoyed yet can't recommend others, I can't emphasize the line enough here for one of the best Malayalam movies this year. Munnariyippu starring Mammootty and Aparna Gopinath, isn't going to turn a lot of heads or be discussed among the casual movie-goers. But it was able to etch its impressions in my head and invoke a multitude of emotions, from sheer helplessness to supreme fear, and ending in being haunted even after the credits had rolled in. If you find yourself as immersed as myself in this movie, you are warned and assured you will go through similar range of ires as well.

Veteran cinematographer turned director Venu's second offering (since 1998's Daya) Munnariyippu tells the story and life of C K Raghavan portrayed by Mammootty and how a meeting with him changes the life of an aspirational freelance journalist Anjali Arakkal played by Aparna Gopinath. Its extremely slow paced and yet I found myself intrigued with the titular characters. My first impression was that it was gonna go the usual artsy movie route and the ending would be something ironic yet hard to comprehend. As the movie progresses, every turn, even if they are less in number and minute in magnitude, will keep you guessing and try to make you foresee the ending. But its safe to say that predictability takes a backseat here and nothing would prepare you for the ending, not that the ending is what made the movie.

You'll be able to say if this movie is for you or not from the titles itself. There was this line about Kafka that Prathap Pothens character utters in the movie. It was sheer coincidence that a movie had something about Kafka just a day after I'd finished reading one of his books. If you are familiar with the works of Kafka you'll see the essence almost instantly here.

Bijibal's haunting score is another gem in the crown. It was almost reminiscent of Mica Levi's score from Under The Skin, and by reminiscence I meant the haunting goodness of it. Much like the movie even the score had equal tones of liberating calm and disturbing melancholy.

While others near me shrugged in their seats, muttering to themselves "When'll this be over?" and "Why did I even come for this", I was completely invested in this movie, thanks to the awe inspiring performances from Mammootty and Aparna. Mammootty was inexplicably terrific as C K Raghavan, having minimal lines and acting mostly through body language. This will be hailed as one of his most challenging and complex roles ever. Aparna Gopinath effortlessly slides into the shoes of Anjali and brings out the bold that we've usually seen her portray but at the same time we also get to see her charming and vulnerable sides as well.

Sharing what I'd exactly thought about the movie in itself would act as a super-spoiler and I wouldn't want in the world to spoil this for you. I could easily tag this movie with a certain genre but then again that tag would be yet another spoiler. Sitting through till the end ain't easy, but when you are sucked into the simple narrative complemented by tight direction, an enthralling script and sincere performances from both the leads, nothing else matters.