September being a pretty hectic month did not spare me to watch the anticipated releases of Onam '24. It felt great to catch them finally and to type out my thoughts about all.
Ajayante Randam Moshanam (A.R.M)
Verdict - Above Average
Metered Review - I'm not really a fan of the mystical fantasy genre and that may reflect in my verdict of the movie. Though the movie's title may itself be misleading, the movie does justice to the happenings. It is a good watch for everyone looking for a historical fantasy movie.
Out of the 3 characters helmed by Tovino Thomas, Maniyan was surely a vibe and in a league of his own. Grizzled facial features and a tendency to step out of the moral boundaries due to being a thief, this character had an aura around itself. The clip below is a snippet into the chaotic character's life. A clutch role, played to perfection.
Surabhi Lakshmi's transition from the young lady to the old grandmother is a testament to the legacy that Maniyan had in the village of Chyothi Vilakku. Tales of bravado and a chagrin for mischief is what embodies this character. Her on-screen chemistry across the two time periods were on point.
Rohini continues to be a staple in movies of this genre, including Bahubali and it's nice to see her perform gracefully.
Clutch Points:-
Set Design - The set Design was cool, lending the artistic touch that suggested the transition of time periods depicted within the movie. Caves, Kingdoms and a Village which have importance within the movie were designed well.
Word of Mouth crowdfall personified - For a movie still running strong after 5 weeks in the theater, it dispels myths of a movie performing poorly due to lack of hype, star power and box office pull. Malayalis, then and now will flock to the theater to witness a good product. Hopefully this does'nt revive the done and dusted issue of review-bombing in Mollywood.
Night shots - One name. Jomon T John ISC. 'Nuff said.
Soundtrack and Background Score - This one is a mixed bag from Dhibu, with ‘Angu Vanna Konnilu’ and ‘Kooritillu’ being nice to listen to, and adding pace to the story’s progression whereas the love track ‘Kiliye’ felt mediocre.
Letdowns:-
Basil Joseph - Basil character inclusion and mannerisms felt forced in the movie and looked pretty unpleasant to be the spotlight for comedic situations. There was hardly any room for comedy in the movie and it felt kinda bitter to laugh in between the proceedings.
Dialogues - The dialogues could have definitely been better. The one-liners after Ajayan teaches a lesson to the king's descendant in the climax was kind of average. Overall the dialogues could have been much better, to remain iconic in the minds of moviegoers
Trivia:-
- Jithin had approached Tovino with the project during Godha's shooting i.e in 2017 and did not commit to any other project during the last 7 years. It's so heartwarming to see such dedication and more so to see the fruits of their labour and hardwork in the form of the ever-mounting BO Figure, which eclipsed the magical figure of 100 Crores.
- Jithin's surname was changed as an ode to Mohanlal and is not his real name. Club FM Interview
- The movie was shot in 2D and later mastered into 3D
- Jithin worked as an AD on Godha, directed by Basil Joseph. What a turnaround to have your master gracing your film's frames!
- Unsure if this fits here, but A10 played a cameo role in Tovino's freshman flick as a leading hero, in Srinath Rajendran's Koothara. It's a blessing to have the thespian grace your 50'th film, albeit as a narrator.
Kishkindha Kandhan
Verdict - Awesome
Metered Review - Again not a fan of the thriller genre, but man this was something else
Asif Ali's path towards a career resurgence was lent another gemstone with this flick. It feels satisfying to see the confidence and happiness on his face following the success of this movie.
As someone who has lived life with Alzhimier patients, it's was pretty depressing to see the spiral in which patients fall through, helplessly. Rock solid on the outside, a layer of vulnerability that's pretty evident in such cases, was so subtly portrayed by Vijayaraghavan. The story revolves around 3 characters and a time loop in which we fall through, to be subject to bizarre episodes .
Clutch Points:-
Performance - Vijayaraghavan and Asif Ali....just wow!
Asif Ali embodied the traits of a helpless son who has to surrender to his father's ego and the entire sense of helplessness was portrayed to point. The climax reveal did come out of the blue and that did leave me pondering for a while. Vijayaraghavan will definitely look back at his career and can safely consider this role as one his best, out of many.
Set Design and Surroundings - Nestled within the leafy green covers of Ottapalam, the forest where the monkeys inhabit did succeed in providing a sense of eerie throughout the movie. Undertones of Naxalism, Egoism and the intrigue surrounding the protagonist's house added fuel to the story's proceedings.
Letdown:-
Plotholes - Issues surrounding the child's disappearance and the police's lack of involvement in it, why the particular firespot was being used repeatedly and Appu Pillai's nonchalance after disposing the body. There might be more, but for now, these are the ones that I recall.
Trivia:-
- This is Dinjith Ayyathan's sophomore project, also starring Asif Ali, after 2019's Kakshi:Amminipilla.
- Olappamana Mana, the lair of Bharamayugam's Kodumon Potti was redesigned to depict the family home in Kishkindha Kandham.
- Bahul Ramesh takes credits for the cinematography and screenplay in KK, after cranking the camera in AA.
- Asif Ali's first entry into the 50 Crore club. More power to Asif, with upcoming projects like Tiki Taka.
Bougainvillea
Verdict - Great
Metered Review - A name and a characteristic led me to book my ticket for the movie - Amal Neerad and an Amal Neerad film. You are sure to be in for a treat with the story unfolding on screen. Based on Lajo Jose's novel 'Ruthinte Lokam', the film did justice to the novel. Of course, with some artistic liberties added to the final cut. The hype for an Amal Neerad film, backed by excellent crew is enough to draw crowds to the theater. This was my first Amal film in theaters.
Clutch Points:-
Performance
Jyothirmayi - Making a comeback after 11 years, this role was played to perfection and the twang in her Kottayam (thekkan) accent was pretty welcoming. At this time when dubbing for characters are the norm, it felt satisfying to feel the innocence in her voice and the personalised layer that the accent lent to the character.
Kunchacko Boban - Bob just hit it out of the park, with a mature performance. Keep picking up good scripts KuBo!
Set Design - The hill tops of Idukki surround the characters' house, which had that aesthetic of a lived-in home radiating from it. It's sort of the stuff of a dreamy house that everyone dreams of, once in their lives. Away from the hustle and bustle of the town and the envelope of silence.
Intrigue - The overall pacing of the film and with every unfortunate incident, made me draw parallels with Kishkindha Kandham. It was an enjoyable spectacle to witness on screen, but did not leave me hanging to the edge of my seat, like KK.
Letdown:-
Fahad's portrayal of an incompetent cop - For someone who dwells a lot on self awareness and retrospection, self admitting that the course of investigation was lacklustre felt welcoming. For a person whose stock is at an all time high, the character could have been given more involvement to provide a twist to the story, or should have been rewritten altogether. A forgettable cameo role for Fahad.
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