NORTH 24 KAATHAM

NORTH 24 KAATHAM

Theatre : TVM Dhanya
Showtime & Date : 6.15pm,16-09-2013
Status : Balcony Almost FULL, FC 21 persons
A small movie with Fahad Fazil in lead released this Onam season - NORTH 24 KAATHAM by debutant Anil Radhakrishnan Menon. Does the movie offers anything interesting?? Lets see.

Story
Hari(Fahad Fazil), an IT professional at Ernakulam is an introvert and a person who has a disciplined life and more concerned about cleanliness. He was forced to attend a meeting at Trivandrum on a Harthal Day. On the way, situations made him to be with Saghav(Nedumudi Venu) and Narayani aka Nani(Swathi) on their way to Kozhikode. How they reach Kozhikode from Paravur near Kollam on a harthal day, the persons they meet and how everything changes Hari's life forms the story.

Performances
Fahad Fazil as Hari delivered a brilliant performance with less dialogues and more expressions. Nedumudi Venu delivered another terrific performance especially towards climax. His dialogues about his wife while travelling in an auto was awesome. Swathi did a notable performance as social worker Nani. Premji Amaran in his cameo made his mark. His trademark dialogue recieved terrific applause. Sreenath Bhasi, Geetha, Thalaivasal Vijay did a neat job so as rest of the cast.


Songs & BGM
Govind Menon handled both sections. He did a great job. Especially the last song and climax episode BGM was top noth with nice lyrics.

Technical
Everything was perfect - be it Jayesh Nair's Cinematography or Dilip Dennies's Editing or Sameera Saneesh's costumes.

Script & Direction
Both departments are handled by Anil Radhakrishnan Menon. A simple story presented in a beautiful manner. Though climax was predictable, the packaging was too good and the lead actors' performances took the movie to another level. Dialogues were natural. The best one being Nedumudi's dialogues about his wife.

Nothing more to say, the best movie of this Onam season is undoubtedly this one
Verdict : Go for it
BO Verdict : Multiplexes and Balcony hit, Audience out there, please support this one.

NEELAKASHAM PACHAKKADAL CHUVANNA BHOOMI

NEELAKASHAM PACHAKKADAL CHUVANNA BHOOMI

Theatre : Aluva Madhurya
Showtime & Date : 6.15pm, 11-08-2013
Status : Housefull

Samir Thahir, after Chappa Kurishu is back with his second flick with Second Show team - Dulquer Salman & Sunny Wayne in major roles in a road movie with an interesting title. Does the movie makes an impact?? Lets see

Story
Qasi(Dulquer Salman) is going for a road journey in his motorcycle without a proper destination. Suni(Sunny Wayne), his college mate and friend joins him. The destination somehow ends at Nagaland for Qasi to meet his love - Asi. Its all about the people they are meeting in between.

Performances
Dulquer Salman as Qasi was good. Sunny Wayne repeats his Second Show as Asi in Kannur slang with well written set of oneliners and sequences for him. Joy Mathew was apt. Rest of the casts did their part. Heroine did what the script demanded and freshness was there in her characterisation as a Nagaland native. Needs special mention for actors on other state episodes.

Songs & BGM
Both disappoints big time. Not a single song was hummable. BGM, which had a lot to do in a movie like this was a total disappointment.

Technical
Cinematography by Girish Gangadharan was fine. Though these many locations from Kerala to Nagaland was involved, cinematography lacked the charm at many places. May be ebcause the script focused more on characters and a travelling mood than visual beauty. The travelling mode work by cinematographer needs special mention. Sreekar Prasad did a neat job in editing, especially the flashback episodes and traces in present mode was just superb.

Script & Direction
A clear oneline was there. Hero with his friend going from Kerala to Nagaland to find his love and the incidents he meets in between and the impact on him. But screenplay by Hashir Mohammed was a clear failure I should say at majority portions. First half was a blank paper except the flashback scenes. It was just a travelogue with no dialogues most of the time. The Puri episode was boring and lengthy whereas the village episode was another Swades rehash. But second half was better with well written scenes till the climax portions though dragging was there at times. The mechanic episode was superb. Ganja episode at Railway station was an avoidable one. Climax was a big letdown. Dialogues were good and subtitles were class.

Direction by Samir Thahir was not upto the mark I should say. It is commendable that he produced and directed this road movie, the first of its kind in Malayalam Cinema. But the direction(with script) fails big time in creating an emotional attachment for characters with audience leading to a dull reaction for a happy ending episode.

Overall a commendable effort with a dull first half and a better second half.

Verdict : Its New, but halfbaked
BO Verdict : Expecting a HIT

AMEN

AMEN

Theatre : Aluva Madhurya
Showtime & Date : 11.30am, 07-04-2013
Status : 45%
AMEN, the third movie by LIJO JOSE PALLISSERY who created NAYAKAN & CITY OF GOD before, is turning out to be a serious threat to malayalam movie makers. Lets see HOW

Story
Its as old as a hill storyline : Poor hero, Rich heroine, Heroine's relatives & others as villains. How they unite. Difference is the story is happening in  60s/70s. Solomon(Fahad Fazil) is in love with Sosanna(Swathy) though her father and brother are against this. Solomon wants to be part of band team run by the chruch. But he couldn't. Then comes Fr.Vincent Vattoly(Indrajith) as priest to the church. Watch the rest on screen.

Performances
Fahad Fazil as Solomon was good with his trademark innocent smile which we saw in Annayum Rasoolum this year. Indrajith as Vincent Vattoly was effective. Swathy steals the scenes in which she appear. Anil Murali as in every Lijo Jose movie was superb. Nandulal though good, reminds us Jagathy Sreekumar. Sudheer Karamana was typical. Sunil Sugatha was apt, Rachana was fine. Kalabhavan Mani reminds us Thilakan in his role. He did it well.

It is the rest of the supporting cast which makes the show entertaining with their fresh faces and performances.

Songs & BGM
Songs fitted perfectly to the treatment of the movie. BGM was top class. Prashanth Pillai did a good job.

Technical
Cinematographer Abhinandan Ramanujam makes the movie an experience with his work. Kuttanad was picturied in a mesmerising way. Top angle camera works were awesome in lake shots. Editing was good though final band competition & second half at parts lags. Art Direction, though good lacked perfection especially flexes and other things towards climax parts.

Script & Direction
Story by Lijo was a cliched one. Its the screenplay by P S Rafeeq makes it different. Dialogues by Lijo & Rafeeq could have been a bit more better atleast in certain scenes as it does not fit well to the mood and scene. Second half was a bit lagging and predictable one with lengthy proceedings. Could have been better.

It is direction by Lijo Jose Pallissery that takes the movie from pass mark level to A grade. In his first movie NAYAKAN itself he proved his approach in making cliched scenes a different one. In this one, it was evident in each frame amply supported by cinematographer. EXCELLENT FIRST HALF and a GOOD SECOND HALF DIRECTION


Overall an entertaining movie that can be watched for the director's craft

Verdict : Director's movie
BO Verdict : HIT

Coming to the opening line, how Lijo becomes a threat to Malayalam movie makers. 90% of Malayalam movie makers including debutants tries to make movies for audience and tries to make it a hit with the formula created by predecessors enjoyed by audience before. Lijo takes it other way. He makes movie from his point of view and make it liked by all. So movie makers and future movie makers out there, remember, this director is setting standards on how to approach a scene eventhough a cliched one and make it appealing to all. You people have to work hard more to satisfy audience from now on.

ANNAYUM RASOOLUM

ANNAYUM RASOOLUM

Theatre : Aluva Matha
Showtime & Date : 2.45pm, 12-01-2013
Status : Balcony Good status, FC 35%

Rajeev Ravi, cinematographer turned director's debut film ANNAYUM RASOOLUM is a simple love story presented with atmost sincerity in a realistic way.

Story
Its just the love story of Anna(Andrea Jeremiah) and Rasool(Fahad Fazil). A set of characters comes in between. The whole movie is presented through the voice over of Ashli(Sunny Wayne), who comes to his home for a vacation.

Performances
Realistic performances by all be it debutants too. Fahad Fazil as Rasool was impressive with his looks, dubbing and body language. An actor delivering emotions on screen through his eyes is here. Andrea Jeremiah as Anna - the silent simpleton realistic girl was good with Rima Kallingal's cool dubbing. It is Sunny Wayne as Ashli who steals the show eventhough his screenspace is limited. Smart performance & dialogue rendering & cool narrative style. Ranjith was good in his role with appearance, hand movements & slang. Aashiq Abu was fine. Rest of the roles were realistic and good. The actress(the one who played Rima's friend in 22 female Kottayam) is one cool actress to look forward to - realistic performance.

Songs & BGM
Both were just fine only. The movie deserved a more emotional than a viral one

Technical
Cinematography was top class. Editing was good in first half, but second half lacks the punch.

Script & Direction
Script by Santhosh Echikkanam was simple and realistic one. The first half had enough moments to engage. But the second half went to cliches. It is direction by Rajeev Ravi & cinematography & performances which takes movie to another level. First half was more of a visuals telling a story. But second half lacked that magic though tried best at parts especially Sunny Wayne's love track and all. On the whole a commendable debut.

Overall, a good first half and an above average second half though the movie is not everyone's cup of tea

Verdict : Good
BO Verdict : Above Average to Hit