Ullozhukku

Movie 7, Urvashi Chechi Oscar.

Urvashi Chechi as the Meryl Streep of kutanad.

Best performance yet by the GOAT.

Movie is slow, great visuals of kutanad.

Urvashi Chechi Oscar worthy performance, her performance is the only thing to talk about in this movie.

The movie is average Urvashi Chechi kills her part.

Her best lead performance movie yet.

Parvathy Thiruvothu is the other lead performer in the movie.

Flood issues of kutanad presented well as the region is mostly flooded and boat journeys are required.

GOAT of Malayalam Urvashi Chechi is the only reason to watch this movie, her performance adds pain to the movie.

Torrential rains in Kuttanad are used to portray melancholy in the Malayalam film #Ullozhukku. There's plenty in the movie for everyone to be sad. Leelamma is sad because her son just passed away. And, because her daughter-in-law has brought shame to the family. Anju is sad because she was coerced to ditch her boyfriend and marry someone whom she did not love. Rajeev is sad because he wants to start his own venture but is forced to work as a waiter. Why therefore should you view a film that is so filled with "sadness"? Because this movie portrays women as brave enough to make difficult choices and support one another in times of need, while still being vulnerable. Because of the exhilarating performances by Urvashi and Parvathy. Because of the brilliant direction by Christo Tomy. Rating 4/5.

Brevity in story telling by Christo Tomy with excellent cinematography by Shehnad Jalal .. not only resurrects the soul of the Shakespearean drama that unfolds but also highlights the surreal beauty of kuttanad through breathtaking visuals.

Subtle background music by Sushin Shyam in classical western style is captivating and adds to the core feel of the movie.

Besides excellent emote from all - principally an ageing Urvashi and the young Parvathy Thiruvoth .. the film is the combined result of all elements of movie making fused together brilliantly, drawing in the viewer emotionally too.

The movie with the right type of subtitles is sufficient to pull itself off singularly before any discerning international or national audience sans spend on marketing for such is its narrative strength. This point is beyond debate.

The film is a text book case for all budding film makers to watch over and over again to understand the nuances.

Conclusion: Malayalam films are once again on the ascendancy by virtue of the creativity behind each, indicative of a welcome renaissance and shift away from action staples and crime/police stories that held centre stage so far .. we need to travel far more and the changing trend seems encouraging ...

premnath d trivandrum.

Ullozhukku, written and directed by Christo Tomy, offers a raw and sincere take on human vulnerabilities and their long-lasting undercurrents. All it takes is a solid screenplay for the magnificent revival of powerhouse performers like Urvashi and Parvathy Thiruvothu, especially the former. Urvashi, portraying a mother (and mother-in-law) dealing with her son's illness and eventual demise in a frequently flooding backwater town, is in a league of her own. She reminds us what an asset she is to South Indian cinema, with even the minutest changes in facial expression and demeanor wholly accounted for. On the other hand, Parvathy plays a character that's etched in such a way that she's initially difficult to side with, but the layered writing keeps telling us there's more to her than what meets the eye. She also brings a methodical yet gripping take on Anju, a woman who's forced to marry someone against her choice, and then left in a dire situation between her (ex) boyfriend and mother-in-law.

The writing carries the heft of a family drama with secrets unfolding one by one, and it even exhibits shades of a thriller occasionally, because we're led to think something drastic might happen with each little plot development. DoP Shehnad Jalal smartly plays with character focus, switching between Leelamma and Anju in intense scenarios featuring both. The constant flooding in and around their house also comes across as Mother Nature playing its own game and messing things up further, only to resolve them in due course. A delayed burial, a mistimed phone call, a conversation being overheard, an old medical report being found, a moment of familial reconciliation - every event has an emotional payoff. Death and birth begin to take different meanings in the household.

The supporting cast, including names such as Arjun Radhakrishnan, Alencier Ley Lopez, and Jaya Kurup, is also really good. Sushin Shyam's work on the score is a definite plus, and he brings his A-game. Kiran Das keeps the drama pegged at a good 2 hours and he's wise not to stretch a single scene to milk further sentiment. Christo Tomy and his 8-year journey with Ullozhukku ends on a highly satisfying note. I get the feeling he and his crew benefited big time by shooting the film in sync sound.

P. S. Did I expect things to go insanely overboard in the climax? YES. But, was I satisfied with the route Christo took to end the film? ABSOLUTELY!

Ullozhukku (Undercurrent) is a slow-burning tale of a household distraught with flooding and disease. The people in the house are trying to navigate the hardships and getting by but something seems amiss between them. And the issues come out one by one, slowly, attracting the viewer in, getting them invested. I loved how this happens and how the two lead actors take it in their stride to carry the film. It's pure drama for drama lovers and save for the rushed last act, Ullozhukku will give you the chills. A must-watch for the whole family to see how secrets and past can come and break future relations.