Bougainvillea

I normally enjoy watching Amal Neerad's movies, even his Varathan, which despite being a copy of Straw Dogs, was eminently watchable. So I sat down to watch Bougainvillea with great expectations, but it turned out to be a massive letdown!

Amal is famous for his stylised movies, and thats what catches your eye in the beginning... and then as time passes, you realise that this movie is all style and no content!

Despite being a movie with 2.5 hours of run-time, Amal spends a lot of time laying the foundation of a mystery, introducing the characters, so much so that the movie drags on and on before he seems to realise that the time is almost up and he needs to wind up.

Amal and Fahad's ACP don't do any proper investigations, there are no clues to be found, no suspicious characters lurking about, no background check about anyone, no nothing.

Deeply saddened to see Fahad being wasted in an extended cameo playing the role of an ACP investigating the crime. Since Fahad is here, his role could have been built into a full-fledged meaty role - of an ACP who finally cracks the mystery. But Amal fails here too. Fahad's ACP does not detect anything... Amal's story and screenplay fails in this regard too.

Then who solves the actual mystery? Well, nobody! And maybe thats why the villain decides to come out and disclose the mystery himself - he must have got tired waiting for the police to catch him?

Amal too probably realised that the mystery has to be resolved, and we all need to go home, right? And he winds up in an almighty hurry!

Similar was the case with Sharfuddeen, another talent wasted as a taxi driver (!), with practically no dialogues to speak!

My rating is 4 stars out of 10. A movie with great expectations that tanked!