Anchakkallakokkan

Anchakkallakokkan is one of those rare style-over-substance films where the style is very much blended with the rustic rawness of 80s Kerala that is not often seen. The most stylish characters here are the Gillappis who are presented with so much style and at the same time very rustic that if you think about how such characters with these specific qualities shown in the film would have been portrayed in the past, it would be either for comic relief or as pure villains unlike here which itself makes this worth a lot for me. The action set pieces are intricately designed to feel the rawness of it while being stylish. The shaappu fight in the middle was amazing, the only thing I would've wanted there was a little bit more blood because a lot of those would be way more damaging if it was real. I also loved the final showdown even if it felt like dragged just a little bit more than needed. Lukman's character is used for an introduction to the area and then we are moving through a lot of different stories contained in this village. Splicing his backstory a little bit more throughout would have worked a bit more for the viewers to invest in him more as a protagonist at the end because the gap between the focus given to him seems to have worked against having someone to really root for. Overall, there are a few issues with the writing which if they'd have done better, this movie could have been really great. Personally, Lukman's character was very relatable in a lot of ways and loved the ending so much and that end credit song slaps.

Even though it is understandable why they chose the title of the movie, it being a hard-to-pronounce word unless you have heard it before has been a major setback for the film as many have said it's too weird of a title to even try watching the film.

This movie could have been really great with better writing but even now it's a very well-made film that would benefit from a theater watch.

The last 20 minutes of a movie is a treat, it gives you a a Quentin Tarantino fest. With all of the baddies coming to a one major showdown. The writing could have been a little better the way it ended. The build up was such that u expected a little more tighter finish. Because the expectation bar was raised to a great level during then last action sequence, wish they would have shown the lukman character evolving and his self discovery on a better note.

. Chemban vinod acted well. Cinematography is top notch so is the folk music. The Ending leaves u with a feeling of being rushed thru. However The Overall still a descent watch.

My only criticism would be the fight scenes should have been way shorter. They were dragged on which made it boring. Realistically, even professional mma fighters in the ring don't last more than 5 minutes between rounds, so this made the fight scenes all the more lame. Otherwise, there was that suspense element, with different characters and how their personalities unraveled as the movie progresses. Casting was on point. No big names but an entertaining script held it together. Cinematography was amazing, capturing what happened from different angles. Kudos to the team. These days, no one cares if the movie is under 2 hours long. It should leave an impression in people's minds, with something new.

While the screenplay is loose in places (especially in the second half), Anchakkallakokkan benefits from having a fairly strong technical team to back it up. This is a period film (the year is 1986), unraveling in a fictional town on the Kerala-K'taka border. It's also a partial whodunnit, as the film begins with the midnight murder of a prominent landlord in the area. The first act doesn't emphasize this, as it's busy acquainting us with various characters in/around the hillside town's police station. While the film takes the perspective of Vasudevan (Lukman) as a means to introduce the period setting and characters, it gradually becomes clear that deeming him the protagonist is pointless. Each character is a protagonist in their individual stories (or subplots), while we arrive at the key antagonist in a slow-burn, twisty reveal.

The production design and art departments seamlessly recreate a politically wavering era, and the performances hold it all together. The guys who played the Gillappi brothers (one of them is from Angamaly Diaries, and the other reminds you of a young, dancing Vinayakan from Maanthrikam) were entertaining as hell, and whenever the film mildly showed signs of a slow-down, their entry (or re-entry) would fire things up. There's an entire set piece dedicated to them right before the interval, which was both neatly choreographed and captured. The second act is spent in connecting the murder-mystery dots while simultaneously making us understand the relevance of the film's title. Manikandan Ayyappa's score is extremely significant to the proceedings, and a major factor in raising adrenaline levels during the extended fight scenes.

I think where the film failed to hit the bullseye is in its writing. This is clearly the case with Lukman's character transformation, which is quite sudden and unconvincing. The film's title is justified, though the route taken could have been better etched. Also, when the film goes into whodunnit mode, it tries to interweave multiple subplots together, complicating things for a little while before wrapping up nicely. The visual effects are also barely okay, and that's understandable given it's a low-budget flick.

P. S. Ullas Chemban becomes another promising name to watch out for, in the future.

P. P. S. I have a feeling the film will work ONLY in theatres, if at all. OTT reviews aren't likely to be very positive.

Anchakkallakokkan Porattu

A sure shot for movie buffs who would love to watch something different from the normal mainstream cinema filled with multiple action sequences.

Before watching the movie I made a visit to Ullas Chembans short film Pambichi to understand his style of making. After watching the short film I came to the conclusion that the director has great potential for making a commercial entertainer.

Coming to the movie, Anchakkallakokkan name itself sounds interesting and mysterious and was looking forward to see what treat director has offered the audience.

Set in the backdrop of Kerala Karnataka border,we can notice influence of Telugu films and Folklore art Theyyam in the movie which he has portrayed in his short film also.

The movie moves through the perspective of Lukmans character who got his first posting to the Police Station in Border area of Kerala Karnataka.

The story revolves around a murder of a landlord that takes place in the village during the election campaign period followed by the police investigation and how Lukman finds the real truth behind the murder and the hands behind it.

The characters played by Chemban Vinod Jose,a senior policeman in a never before seen facial avatar gained attention with his powerful performance.

Lukman played his character naturally and no shades of his role in Unda was noticed. Merin Mary Philips character in the movie was totally a misfit to the story were she had nothing to do. Sreejith Ravis performance as a cunning womaniser landlord was amazing.

Merin Jose Pottakkal(Angamaly Diaries fame) and his brother as Gillappi Brothers,local country boys steal the show with their language accent,dance moves and terrific action sequences throughout the movie and it will be a break for both the artists who played their characters. Their characters got influenced from Western Cowboy styles.

Manikandan Achari,Senthil,RJ Murugan,Megha Thresiamma Thomas and Jojis(Fahadhs brother in Joji movie) performance also stands out in the movie.

When coming to behind the screen performances,Ullas Chemban has convincingly put his vision into screens along with Vikil Venu who has penned the movie,Music by Manikandan Achari synced well in the emotional areas and BGMs in action sequences was a different experience. Cinematography by Ambro and cuts by Rohit V S made the movie a stand out action treat for the audience.

A watchable movie with a different style of making.

Rating - 3/5.