Paradise

This is a must-watch gem, where the director Prasanna Vithanage refrains from spoon-feeding the audience. Each scene communicates much more than the dialogues between the characters. The director uses his artistic liberties to tell a story that can be interpreted in various ways, much like the references to Ramayana and its different versions.

Each character is built up very well, and shows both positive and negative shades, while dealing with the situation at hand. The climax is one of the finest I have experienced in recent times.

The casting is top-notch. Roshan Andrews, Shyam Fernando, Mahendra Perera and a couple of SriLankan actors play their part to perfection. Darshana Rajendran takes up a tough role and nails it! She uses her expressive eyes to speak volumes!

It feels great to experience such an excellent collaboration between India and Sri Lanka to present a Ramayana of our era!

The film "Paradise," regrettably, falls short of the hype and offers an unimpressive viewing experience in general. The story, which revolves around an ostensibly exciting journey, is rife with cliches and predictable turns that rob the film of any thrill or novelty. The plot is fragmented and leaves the audience more perplexed than captivated due to the screenplay's lack of consistency.

Character development is scant, and the conversation is terribly written, offering no insight into the protagonists' motivations or personalities. It is difficult for viewers to emotionally invest in their journeys because of this lack of depth. Despite the best efforts of a gifted cast, the performances lack credibility and feel forced, mostly because to poor scriptwriting and directing. From a cinematographic standpoint, the movie is also unimpressive. The images, which had the potential to be a strong point, are ruined by a lack of imagination in picture composition and dull camerawork. The film feels longer than its running time due to the jerky editing, which further ruins the narrative flow.

Furthermore, the background music might be bothersome at times because it makes an excessive effort to create a dramatic and tense mood but ends up being a distraction. The experience of watching is further diminished by the absence of an engaging music.

In general, "Paradise" is a lethargic addition to Malayalam film; it lacks the inventiveness, nuance, and emotional resonance necessary to leave a lasting impression.

Prasanna Vithanage's "Paradise" is arguably his most potent work yet. It masterfully portrays the crumbling institution of marriage within a contemporary consumerist society, set against the backdrop of Sri Lanka's political and economic turmoil. A seemingly placid vacation for a young Indian couple turns into a chilling exploration of power dynamics and unspoken resentments, culminating in a shocking act of violence. Mr. Vithanage expertly uses the backdrop of Sri Lankan myths and landscapes to highlight the clash between tradition and modernity. "Paradise" is a must-see for its unflinching look at the complexities of human relationships and the hidden rage that can simmer beneath the surface.

I'm a big fan of independent movies which explores different themes and I found Paradise to be a unique indie film that has a good theme and story. Everyone will have a different take on this movie and it's ending. However, I promise that this movie will linger in your mind for a very long time. You will get different perspectives when you rewatch it. I won't like to mention anything about this movie. Please watch it without reading any reviews because most of the reviews I saw prior to watching it had lots of spoilers and that certainly had an effect on my movie experience.

All the lead characters performed well and what a direction! Camera is managed by the veteran cinematographer Rajeev Ravi and you can see his magic in most of the frames.

One of the best films of 2024.

Paradise (2024) : Brief Review -

Indian Cinema's subversive attempt at thematic adaptation of the western classic "The Ox-Bow Incident" (1943) that destroys human conscience in a modern way. Set in Sri Lanka, Paradise has a beautiful name, beautiful locations, beautiful people, and beautiful language, but the impact that film leaves on you is exactly what you call "beautiful." Prasanna Vithanage has written the script and directed the film, with Anushka Senanayake coming in to help with the screenplay, so I'll give most of the credit to Prasanna. I don't know how many of you have seen old Hollywood's Western classic "Ox Bow Incident" (based on the novel of the same name), but for me, it is one of those powerful classics that destroys human conscience in the highest order. Imagining that film, that topic, and that kind of subversive thought in the 1940s, when rom-coms, screwball comedies, biopics, dramas, and world war films were ruling over audiences' hearts, is itself a victory. Hollywood did that when people were not ready. I say, today we are ready, and finally something like Paradise pops up to make us realize that yes, Indian cinema is still alive and can attempt such subjects that many overlooked because they were too intellectual. Paradise sort of extends the Ox Bow Incident from the point it strikes to human conscience and adds an extra layer of another destructive human instinct. I am not sure how many of you will get it, but when in the final scene, Amritha finally asks Mr. Andrew, did he really believe what he said, and he keeps mum. Now, he is the same man who has been selling fake stories to earn money, and that too on Ramayana. It's a next-level elimination of human conscience when you realize that if he can destroy a known epic like the Ramayana with his words, just imagine how much he would destroy one private event to save the woman. This subjective thought has led me to overcome the messy killings in the climax and add an extra half star. Strongly recommended!

RATING - 7.5/10*

By - #samthebestest.