Independent films in Malayalam industry are rarely worth any value, and when they are, they are not easily available to watch because they are not released on home video or online. This crime drama here, although with a very poor production setup, can be easily watched on Reelmonk.
Two men are trying to go from A to B in a rundown Jeep in the state of Kerala. As was suggested by a third man - possibly their employer - they avoid the highway and take the rough inside route to get to their destination. However, the vehicle breaks down in the middle of the night and the duo decide to wait up for the sun to look for a possible and easy solution. They manage to fetch a mechanic, but things go out of control when the mechanic decides to have a peek at what exactly the vehicle is carrying other than these two men...
Sudevan's story is precisely about a rule in the Motor Vehicles Act, which goes largely undetected. To convey the message, he uses four chief characters and throws them in a pit where they have to cross each other's paths. They all have diverse characteristics and that leads to few interesting turns in the story. The audience can easily suspect that the two men are into something criminal, but have to wait up for the third character to help them understand what it really is, if at all. The fourth character is collateral damage, and this is what is most appealing about the story, which runs for about 100 minutes.
A viewer feels sad for the fourth character, but is happy to see that there are people like the third one, too. Sequences involving all the four do manage to induce a sense of thrill and tension in the viewer.
Five minutes will be enough for a viewer to realize that this is an experimental film, with less to no focus on the filmmaking parameters. From the cast, who are all first-timers, to their dialogues, from the screenplay to the cinematography - everything is sub-standard, which, for its advantage, gives the film a scratchy, realistic varnish, which, again, suits the story that is being told. Having said that, if the makers had polished it a bit with some improvements in the camera work and cast performance, this would have been a much enjoyable affair.
All in all, CR No: 89 is not a triumph, but an example that independent cinema is getting there. Watch it for the story and the experience; ignore the poor production.
BOTTOM LINE: Sudevan's "CR No: 89" is a drama made with a strong social message involving the law, but the fact that such things happen as we sleep at night is alarming. Watch it on YouTube or Reelmonk.
Can be watched with a typical Indian family? YES
