Coming after a hiatus of 3 years following the forgettable dud 1 by 2 and the immensely powerful Left Right Left, Arun Kumar Aravind's Kaattu may not be a conventional entertainer for its lethargic unfurling of sequences - this 80's style laid back drama somehow impresses largely because of the characterizations and its old school writing and narrative. Highly reminiscent of the Bharathan-Padmarajan Style making of 80's (movies like Lorry, Thakara, Chaatta), the writer Ananthapadmanabhan has given more prominence to the emotional side of some characters rather than relying on new age gimmicks . Based on his father's (the late Padmarajan's) short story 'Ranimaarude Kudumbam, the plot is developed in the background of a fire-cracker manufacturing unit and its people someplace in the 80's with some excellent BGM and visuals of the Kerala -Tamilnadu border landscape and the ever present howling wind lending an eerie tranquil to the characters and overall setting. Murali Gopy does exceedingly well as Chellappan, the womanizer with a dark past, but it's Asif Ali who's a revelation as the dim-witted Noohu Kannu, surprisingly restrained and utterly dissimilar from his usual roles - their screen space heavily inspired by the Chellappanasari-Thakara combo from Thakara. Kaattu does have its share of let downs, length being the foremost factor and the negligence shown in making a period film without recreating the minutiae of that exact era. It also comes with its own share of supposed-to-be-misogynic comments, with the sexist/patriarchic camaderie and remarks of a horde of low-lifers - something that could be frowned upon in these times of feminist ammachis and anti-Kasaba style oppositions!
Not everyone's cup of tea; Comes with its own merits here and there. Nostalgic enough if you are a Bharathan or Padmarajan fan or similar 80's flicks!
