anandkumarrs
jul 2020 se unió
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Clasificación de anandkumarrs
Somewhere in the middle of the movie, we see a frame frozen for a few seconds, depicting a typical Kerala house with three brothers sitting quietly and discordantly. This frame epitomises the entire proceedings of the film. Narayaneente Moonnaanmakkal, meaning "Narayanee's Three Sons" in Malayalam, is a film without a real story, a beginning or a typical end. It is just a slice-of-life portrayal that takes us through a few days in the lives of a discordant family. It feels as if Director Sharan Venugopal set up cameras and sound recording devices in and around the house to showcase the candid happenings there as a feature film!
An old mother (Narayanee) is in her final stages of life on a ventilator. Her three sons, along with their families, come together to be with her in her last days, attempting to bury their past hatchets, at least for the outside world. As their wait unexpectedly prolongs, relationships and intentions unravel. This type of narrative is not new to Indian cinema in general or Malayalam cinema in particular. However, Malayalam cinema excels in this genre by keeping it real, devoid of stars, drama, punch dialogues, lewd comedy, or loud music. This film has none of these elements.
As days pass, apart from the relationship dynamics between the three brothers, there are fleeting references to quite a few other issues-interfaith marriage and its aftermath, caste conflicts in society, adolescent love and breakups, the fraught relationship between a mother and daughter, small-town idiosyncrasies, and the rebellious streak of today's youth, among others. Every character, including the ailing mother who doesn't speak a single word in the film, comes in shades of grey and are as real as possible, thanks to some outstanding performances by the entire cast and impressive camera work.
I am certain that outside of Malayalam cinema, actor Alencier Ley Lopez is not very well known. However, as a character actor, he ranks among the best in the country today, in my eyes. In this film, Alencier, as the eldest son, feels as if he has stepped right out of real life. His performance adds to his already impressive filmography in Malayalam, including films like Thondimuthalum Drikshakshiyum, etc. Suraj Vencharamoodu and Joju George, as the other two sons, deliver equally effortless performances with their restrained portrayals. Even with this heavyweight cast, the ones who stood out for me were Garggi Ananthan and Thomas Mathew, who play the roles of the adolescent kids in the family. Garggi's charming face and her permanently moist eyes serve as a perfect foil for her character in this film. Thomas, as a representative of today's youth grappling with their parents, love interests, and life's purpose, is simply fantastic. Without the stellar cast, this film's straightforward and familiar narrative would not have resonated as effectively.
Director Sharan introduces a very uncomfortable sequence that touches on societal taboos, which could be explosive in a society like ours. He quickly shifts the focus to the core theme, which is the nature of relationships between the three brothers. The screenplay, which moves at a slow pace until then, suddenly accelerates towards the end sequence, which cannot be called the climax, as there is none.
The Director leaves the conclusion to the viewers' imagination, but it is not difficult to infer what might have transpired. At another level, the film echoes the essence of another fine Malayalam film-Ullozhukku (Read My Flash Review here). With numerous undercurrents, this film could easily pass as a sequel to that film, featuring a parallel set of characters!
Narayaneente Moonnaanmakkal, streaming on Amazon Prime, is a must-watch if you appreciate realism in movies, as I do.
An old mother (Narayanee) is in her final stages of life on a ventilator. Her three sons, along with their families, come together to be with her in her last days, attempting to bury their past hatchets, at least for the outside world. As their wait unexpectedly prolongs, relationships and intentions unravel. This type of narrative is not new to Indian cinema in general or Malayalam cinema in particular. However, Malayalam cinema excels in this genre by keeping it real, devoid of stars, drama, punch dialogues, lewd comedy, or loud music. This film has none of these elements.
As days pass, apart from the relationship dynamics between the three brothers, there are fleeting references to quite a few other issues-interfaith marriage and its aftermath, caste conflicts in society, adolescent love and breakups, the fraught relationship between a mother and daughter, small-town idiosyncrasies, and the rebellious streak of today's youth, among others. Every character, including the ailing mother who doesn't speak a single word in the film, comes in shades of grey and are as real as possible, thanks to some outstanding performances by the entire cast and impressive camera work.
I am certain that outside of Malayalam cinema, actor Alencier Ley Lopez is not very well known. However, as a character actor, he ranks among the best in the country today, in my eyes. In this film, Alencier, as the eldest son, feels as if he has stepped right out of real life. His performance adds to his already impressive filmography in Malayalam, including films like Thondimuthalum Drikshakshiyum, etc. Suraj Vencharamoodu and Joju George, as the other two sons, deliver equally effortless performances with their restrained portrayals. Even with this heavyweight cast, the ones who stood out for me were Garggi Ananthan and Thomas Mathew, who play the roles of the adolescent kids in the family. Garggi's charming face and her permanently moist eyes serve as a perfect foil for her character in this film. Thomas, as a representative of today's youth grappling with their parents, love interests, and life's purpose, is simply fantastic. Without the stellar cast, this film's straightforward and familiar narrative would not have resonated as effectively.
Director Sharan introduces a very uncomfortable sequence that touches on societal taboos, which could be explosive in a society like ours. He quickly shifts the focus to the core theme, which is the nature of relationships between the three brothers. The screenplay, which moves at a slow pace until then, suddenly accelerates towards the end sequence, which cannot be called the climax, as there is none.
The Director leaves the conclusion to the viewers' imagination, but it is not difficult to infer what might have transpired. At another level, the film echoes the essence of another fine Malayalam film-Ullozhukku (Read My Flash Review here). With numerous undercurrents, this film could easily pass as a sequel to that film, featuring a parallel set of characters!
Narayaneente Moonnaanmakkal, streaming on Amazon Prime, is a must-watch if you appreciate realism in movies, as I do.
It is always a good idea to watch any film without any expectations. You mostly watch it casually, and more often than not, the film ends up being good. That's what happened with this film - Dhoom Dhaam, which is streaming on Netflix.
Boy meets Girl in a typical arranged marriage setting, and the marriage is fixed when the families like each other. The boy and the girl are not given much of an option or time to decide whether they are compatible. Before they could even make up their minds and before we could get a hang of the proceedings, the marriage is over and the couple is in a hotel suite preparing to celebrate their first night.
The marriage that happens very quickly is bereft of much Dhoom Dhaam (fanfare) but what follows in the next 1.5 hours is all fun fare. The girl played by Yami Gautam is a Dhoom Macha de type and the boy or rather the man played by Pratik Gandhi is clearly the opposite. This incompatibility unravels soon and becomes the source for some funny lines and sequences in the rest of the film. In the beginning of that first night, two rank strangers knock at the room door and ask for some "Charlie". The entire film, which is set in that one night, is then a game of mistaken identities, wild chases and some comedy of errors trying to find "Charlie".
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I remember Yami Gautam starting her career in TV serials playing the demure Bharatiya nari kind of roles. Of late, she has expanded her repertoire and in this she very competently plays the role of the girl who is tough, outspoken and fun-loving type while at the same time playacting as a compliant bhola bhala ladki at home. Gandhi, whose talent we saw in the web series Scam 1992, is very good as well. He gives a measured performance as demanded by the role.
The entire premise of the film endears itself to a lot of comedy sequences. The writers Arsh Vora, Aditya Dhar and the Director Rishab Seth himself take only partial advantage of the premise. There are funny moments arising out of funny incidents and funny lines, but these could have been much more in a film that threatens to be a quirky comedy now and then. The screenplay lags here and there, but thankfully picks up soon enough not to spoil the film.
From a direction perspective, the film has continuity issues dealing with different times in a night, for example. After the initial phase of suspense, the proceedings get a bit predictable and that's where better writing could have lifted the film.
Dhoom Dhaam for most parts reminded me of Jab We Met (JWM) set in a different context. Yami Gautam's character is modelled on Geet played by Kareena and Pratik's character is similar to that of Shahid Kapur. In JWM, the girl plays a big role in the guy recovering from a setback and discovering himself, while in the 2nd half, the guy helps the girl in finding her calling. The script of Dhoom Dhaam, if you look at it closely, is set in this template but with added humour. It is what I call as a harmless comedy caper that is fully time pass.
Boy meets Girl in a typical arranged marriage setting, and the marriage is fixed when the families like each other. The boy and the girl are not given much of an option or time to decide whether they are compatible. Before they could even make up their minds and before we could get a hang of the proceedings, the marriage is over and the couple is in a hotel suite preparing to celebrate their first night.
The marriage that happens very quickly is bereft of much Dhoom Dhaam (fanfare) but what follows in the next 1.5 hours is all fun fare. The girl played by Yami Gautam is a Dhoom Macha de type and the boy or rather the man played by Pratik Gandhi is clearly the opposite. This incompatibility unravels soon and becomes the source for some funny lines and sequences in the rest of the film. In the beginning of that first night, two rank strangers knock at the room door and ask for some "Charlie". The entire film, which is set in that one night, is then a game of mistaken identities, wild chases and some comedy of errors trying to find "Charlie".
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I remember Yami Gautam starting her career in TV serials playing the demure Bharatiya nari kind of roles. Of late, she has expanded her repertoire and in this she very competently plays the role of the girl who is tough, outspoken and fun-loving type while at the same time playacting as a compliant bhola bhala ladki at home. Gandhi, whose talent we saw in the web series Scam 1992, is very good as well. He gives a measured performance as demanded by the role.
The entire premise of the film endears itself to a lot of comedy sequences. The writers Arsh Vora, Aditya Dhar and the Director Rishab Seth himself take only partial advantage of the premise. There are funny moments arising out of funny incidents and funny lines, but these could have been much more in a film that threatens to be a quirky comedy now and then. The screenplay lags here and there, but thankfully picks up soon enough not to spoil the film.
From a direction perspective, the film has continuity issues dealing with different times in a night, for example. After the initial phase of suspense, the proceedings get a bit predictable and that's where better writing could have lifted the film.
Dhoom Dhaam for most parts reminded me of Jab We Met (JWM) set in a different context. Yami Gautam's character is modelled on Geet played by Kareena and Pratik's character is similar to that of Shahid Kapur. In JWM, the girl plays a big role in the guy recovering from a setback and discovering himself, while in the 2nd half, the guy helps the girl in finding her calling. The script of Dhoom Dhaam, if you look at it closely, is set in this template but with added humour. It is what I call as a harmless comedy caper that is fully time pass.
Kathodu Kathoram is a 1985 Malayalam film directed by the ace film-maker Bharathan that had Mammootty in the lead. The film I remember was a hit those days. I had not watched the film but remember the songs very well. It had four songs composed by one of Kerala's lead composers - Ouseppechan who made his debut as a composer in this film. All the songs became iconic for their melodies, and in particular, the song Devadoodhar Paadi is so remembered even today that it was re-mixed and featured in the 2022 film Nna than Case Kodu! You must be wondering why I am going on and on about this old film Kathodu Kathoram in this flash review for Rekhachithram.
Well, Rekhachithram is an investigative thriller in which the hero, who is a cop, investigates the disappearance of a missing woman from the sets of the 1985 film Kathodu Kathoram! Now you get the drift! In that sense, this film is a "Meta" trip on Malayalam films of the 80s in the VCR era. Director Jofin Chacko along with his writers Ramu Sunil and John Manthrickal do a wonderful job of the screenplay in which the present and past are interwoven seamlessly. Chacko and his SFX team also need to be commended here for not just the re-construction of the sets of the 80s but also the de-aged looks of the actors including Mammootty. We are taken back to the shoot of the song Devadoodhar Paadi in real time!
After a few minutes of mundane scenes in the start of the film, the visuals alternate between two men who leave their respective homes in their cars. Soon we understand that they both are headed towards the same town - a scenic and a small hill station - Malakkapara. The first one - an old man reaches a desolate forest-like area and kills himself after leaving a self-confession video of a murder he was part of, many years ago. The second one, a young cop who ends up in this town as a punishment posting for getting caught playing online rummy, has to deal with this case the very first day he takes charge.
The confession video spells out a few names who were involved in that past murder, which sets the cop on a trail of places, characters and incidents and towards the end, the antagonists. In many instances, we see convenient coincidences which take the cops to the next lead, though the investigation is taking place 40 years later. At crucial junctures, the cop played by a calm and composed Asif Ali gets tips and leads like magic. This small quibble apart, the screenplay is quite engaging, though it's a slow burn.
Asif is the investigating cop and among the current crop of actors in Malayalam is turning out to be a very bankable performer. The cast includes many yesteryear character actors in cameos and they all are effective. Anaswara Rajan can be called as the female lead and she plays the role of Rekha, an aspiring actress in the 80s portion of the film, around whom the narrative revolves.
The camera work of Appu Prabakar captures the beauty of Kerala's hills and landscape very nicely. The background score in the first half tries to be too eerie and dramatic in vain. As the film progresses, I found it more balanced.
At one instance in the film, Indrans, who plays the character of a Junior Artist co-ordinator tells Rekha, who is reluctant to act in a crowd scene without any scope for dialogues, "When you appear in a film, you become part of history"! This is the single hook on which the whole investigation proceeds. Looking back, Rekhachithram could have been just a normal investigative thriller in the absence of the Kathodu Kathoram part woven organically into the screenplay.
Going back to the Malayalam films of the 80s, Lekaiyude Maranam Oru Flashback is a 1983 film loosely based on the life and death of actress Shoba. Rekhayude Maranam Oru Flashback could have been a more apt title for this film! Rekhachithram is now streaming on Sony Liv and I recommend it as a Good Watch.
Well, Rekhachithram is an investigative thriller in which the hero, who is a cop, investigates the disappearance of a missing woman from the sets of the 1985 film Kathodu Kathoram! Now you get the drift! In that sense, this film is a "Meta" trip on Malayalam films of the 80s in the VCR era. Director Jofin Chacko along with his writers Ramu Sunil and John Manthrickal do a wonderful job of the screenplay in which the present and past are interwoven seamlessly. Chacko and his SFX team also need to be commended here for not just the re-construction of the sets of the 80s but also the de-aged looks of the actors including Mammootty. We are taken back to the shoot of the song Devadoodhar Paadi in real time!
After a few minutes of mundane scenes in the start of the film, the visuals alternate between two men who leave their respective homes in their cars. Soon we understand that they both are headed towards the same town - a scenic and a small hill station - Malakkapara. The first one - an old man reaches a desolate forest-like area and kills himself after leaving a self-confession video of a murder he was part of, many years ago. The second one, a young cop who ends up in this town as a punishment posting for getting caught playing online rummy, has to deal with this case the very first day he takes charge.
The confession video spells out a few names who were involved in that past murder, which sets the cop on a trail of places, characters and incidents and towards the end, the antagonists. In many instances, we see convenient coincidences which take the cops to the next lead, though the investigation is taking place 40 years later. At crucial junctures, the cop played by a calm and composed Asif Ali gets tips and leads like magic. This small quibble apart, the screenplay is quite engaging, though it's a slow burn.
Asif is the investigating cop and among the current crop of actors in Malayalam is turning out to be a very bankable performer. The cast includes many yesteryear character actors in cameos and they all are effective. Anaswara Rajan can be called as the female lead and she plays the role of Rekha, an aspiring actress in the 80s portion of the film, around whom the narrative revolves.
The camera work of Appu Prabakar captures the beauty of Kerala's hills and landscape very nicely. The background score in the first half tries to be too eerie and dramatic in vain. As the film progresses, I found it more balanced.
At one instance in the film, Indrans, who plays the character of a Junior Artist co-ordinator tells Rekha, who is reluctant to act in a crowd scene without any scope for dialogues, "When you appear in a film, you become part of history"! This is the single hook on which the whole investigation proceeds. Looking back, Rekhachithram could have been just a normal investigative thriller in the absence of the Kathodu Kathoram part woven organically into the screenplay.
Going back to the Malayalam films of the 80s, Lekaiyude Maranam Oru Flashback is a 1983 film loosely based on the life and death of actress Shoba. Rekhayude Maranam Oru Flashback could have been a more apt title for this film! Rekhachithram is now streaming on Sony Liv and I recommend it as a Good Watch.