Neelavelicham

We have been putting up with white saree clad ghosts who are always sad, singing and out to get their revenge in soulless movies for decades. Neelavelicham brings back the original white saree clad ghost. There is a back story which explains why she is what she is.

The protagonist's monologues addressing the ghost which he only half believes in is heart warming. Tovino brings to life the essence of Basheer. He is depressed from a recent break up, broke financially and still manages to crack jokes to himself. The master storyteller of Kerala was portrayed with lots of love and care.

Rima's Bhargavi is hated by most of the male characters in the movie. It beautifully paints the picture of a patriarchal society where a rebel young woman walked with her head held high. Her character arch and backstory were beautifully told.

Other actors like Roshan and Shine also did justice to their roles. The roles were portrayed a bit theatrically paying homage to the original. The recreation of songs was also well done. It has subtle differences from the original but the essence of the songs and the emotions are preserved. There are a few jump scares. Tovino's expressions when his character experiences the supernatural is the best thing with this movie. All blood drains from his face though he believes the ghost to be not malevolent is the best portrayal of human kind reacting to the concept of unknown.

In short, beautiful movie worth watching. Subtitles on Amazon Prime are decent, so non Keralites can enjoy it too.

Neelavelicham, the highly anticipated film of 2023, unfortunately fails to deliver on its promises, leaving viewers feeling disappointed and unfulfilled. Despite the anticipation surrounding this release, it quickly becomes evident that the film falls far short of expectations.

One of the biggest issues with Neelavelicham is its muddled and poorly executed storyline. The narrative lacks coherence and fails to engage the audience from the beginning. The plot meanders aimlessly, leaving viewers confused and struggling to connect with the characters and their motivations. The lack of a clear direction or compelling story arc makes it difficult to invest emotionally in the film.

Moreover, the character development in Neelavelicham is severely lacking. The main characters feel shallow and poorly fleshed out, lacking the depth and complexity that would have made them relatable or interesting. Their actions and decisions often seem arbitrary, making it challenging to empathize or care about their journey. The performances, although earnest, are hindered by a weak script that fails to give the actors much to work with.

Another major flaw of Neelavelicham lies in its technical execution. The editing is choppy and disjointed, making the viewing experience jarring and confusing at times. The overall production values appear low, with inconsistent sound design and unremarkable visual effects, detracting further from any potential enjoyment.

In addition to these shortcomings, the pacing of the film is sluggish and uneven. The story drags on, and key moments lack the necessary tension or excitement to hold the audience's interest. The film's length feels unnecessarily stretched, adding to the overall tedium and frustration.

In conclusion, Neelavelicham falls disappointingly short of its potential. With a muddled storyline, underdeveloped characters, technical flaws, uneven pacing, and lackluster thematic execution, this film fails to engage and resonate with its audience. Regrettably, it does not live up to the expectations it generated, ultimately leaving viewers feeling let down and dissatisfied.

I don't think this film is supposed to be enjoyed without watching the original adaptation Bhargavi Nilayam. There are so many choices in the movie that would only make sense to someone who's already a fan of the original classic.

There are enough changes from the original that is expected to be the minimal changes from the original but not changing too much pkus the songs, etc further proves how much of a homage this film is.

The unnamed writer protagonist here is made to much more apparent as a version of Vaikom Muhammad Basheer himself here unlike the original and again that adds to it being such a loving homage. Technically it is amazing and the anamorphic format is always the best in theaters.

Tovino manages well as the protagonist. Roshan looks uncomfortable but somehow managed his character but Rima, even though not outright terrible, was really a miscast here.

Chithra's voice also felt unfit for the songs she sung.

With the dialogues being exactly the same as from 60 yeara ago and a general stiffness in acting that looks kind of a stylistic choice, this very well may feel like a bad movie that is shot beautifully to the majority. But for the fans of the source material this is a breezy watch.

When watching the newer version of the film, I was taken aback by how the editing quality was not nearly as good as the original version. The cuts between scenes felt disjointed and awkward, and the flow of the story was not smooth. Additionally, I felt that the lead actor, Tovino, was not up to the task of handling the main role. His performance lacked the charisma and energy that the previous actor, Madhu, had brought to the character.

Furthermore, I also noticed that the characters in the newer version of the film seemed to be much older than their counterparts in the original version. However, their acting skills did not seem to be up to par with their seniority. They appeared to be struggling with their roles and emotions, especially in comparison to the original performances. Overall, I was disappointed with the newer version of the film as it could not capture the charm, vibrancy, and energy level of the original version.

I admire Aashiq Abu for making this aesthetic treat.

It is a risky step, to remake an old time classic and adapt a known story to the present-day audience.

The music is mesmerizing and the frames are aesthetically supreme.

There are problems with the casting, especially the lead actress, they could have cast an actress with more talent and versatility perhaps.

The dialogues could have been adapted better for the present times, some of Basheer's cheesy lines could have been modified to give it a relatable feeling for the present-day viewers.

But, I cannot take anything away from the tremendous effort of the director in recreating the time-period and experimenting with a movie that looks beyond just commercial success.