Movie Mazaa

Urumi

2011-04-02T19:29:00.003+05:30

I should admit that 'Urumi' is but anything that I expected it to be. For one, it isn't a historical per se, and this leaves its makers with plenty of space to explore into the possibilities of narrating a fictional tale that could expediently be wedged into a fixed point along the timeline, somewhere around 1500 AD.

Its here that we get to see Chirakkal Kelu Nayanar (Prithviraj) roving the coastal terrains of Kerala, with a golden Urumi to severe off Vasco da Gama's (Robin Pratt) much-prized head. It's been a couple of decades since Kelu and his Urumi have been lying in wait; to be more precise, ever since as a young boy, he had seen his courageous dad Chirakkal Kothuwal (Arya) meeting a valiant death at the hands of the Portuguese Viceroy.

Read the full review at Nowrunning.com!

Living Together

2011-02-24T18:27:00.004+05:30

It's only with an extreme sense of dejection and gloom that one would be able to sit through Fazil's latest cinematic outing 'Living Together'. The director of so many memorable films seems nowhere in sight, and to say that Fazil's own immensely forgettable 'Moss 'n Cat' seems like a classic in comparison to 'Living Together', pretty much sums up the miserable state of affairs.

The lights are off in 'Living Together' and Fazil hovers around in darkness, and drags us along with him. The story that he tells is cluttered and we bump into half baked characters and misplaced non-happenings all the time. With the power supply gone, you hunt around with the director for an emergency lamp, but in vain. There are no flashes of directorial flair, no sparks of promise. Absolutely nothing.

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Payyans

2011-02-24T18:20:00.003+05:30

Leo Thaddeus' 'Payyans' is a film that tells an oft told story of the return of a prodigal son. Narrated on lines quite similar to other films that have had similar themes, 'Payyans' has a steady start, a shaky middle and a sloppy end.

The son who has wandered off along Path Irresponsible is none other than Josie (Jayasurya). Nevertheless his mother Padma (Rohini) loves him more than anything else in the world. Being a single parent has taken its toll on her, and her efforts to make her son see some sense finally show signs of bearing fruit, as Josie joins Red FM as an RJ.

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Race

2011-02-14T22:21:00.002+05:30

The similarities that Kukku Surandran's 'Race' bears to the recently released 'Cocktail' that in its turn was inspired from 'Butterfly on the Wheel' are amazing. It's another matter altogether that 'Race' has none of the liveliness associated with 'Cocktail' that made the latter film interesting, despite being a straight lift.

In 'Race', it's Dr. Eby John (Kunchacko Boban) who is caught in a race against time with his wife Niya (Mamta Mohandas), when their daughter is kidnapped by a stranger by the name of Niranjan (Indrajith) and his accomplice Shwetha (Gouri Munjal). The couple desperately tries to amass the ransom in 24 hours to save their kid, only to find that Niranjan has raised it by another crore.

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Makeup Man

2011-02-14T22:17:00.003+05:30

Shafi's new film Makeup Man picks a much familiar theme and attempts to add some sparkle to it by unleashing Suraj Venjarammoodu and letting him run amuck all over it. Barring the odd couple of moments that induce chuckles, there is not much to go ga-ga over Makeup Man.

The film has an odd couple, Balu (Jayaram) and Soorya (Sheela), who get married and then realize that they have nowhere to go to start a life. As luck would have it, Soorya becomes an actress, and gets christened as Anamika, while Balu pretends to be her makeup man. Fame and money decide to play poker with the two, and not much later, they part ways.

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Khaddama

2011-02-05T14:42:00.002+05:30

Kamal's 'Khaddama' opens with an iris scanner at a Saudi Arabian airport inspecting an eye that fretfully flits this way and that, bewildered at the new world that it finds around it. Aswathy (Kavya Madhavan) holding a Khaddama visa, waits for her sponsor to arrive and take her to an alien land, as has thousands of women before her, and as thousands that would follow.

The house and the people that await her have little regard for the 'Malabari', whom they feel simply cannot be trusted. Besides being emotionally tormented, Aswathy is physically abused as well, and being unable to take it anymore, she flees at night, without a passport, money or security.

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Ithu Nammude Katha

2011-01-31T19:57:00.002+05:30

The tender line that one draws between inspiration and duplication can be a tricky one. Whether the former turns into the latter would depend on how the inspired has been able to infuse their creativity into the source of inspiration. And in some unfortunate cases, this doesn't happen and the result is a blatant copy.

'Ithu Nammude Katha' is a literal adaptation of the Tamil film 'Nadodigal' that had found a sizeable audience in Kerala as well. It's a big question as to why the makers of 'Ithu Nammude Katha' decided to adapt the Tamil runaway hit to the Malayalam screen, since quite a large faction of the viewers must already have seen it either in the theaters or on DVD.

Read the full review at Nowrunning.com!

Arjunan Sakshi

2011-01-30T11:15:00.004+05:30

Arjunan Sakshi' serves as a timely indictment of an entire social structure and stems from the innate fissures that exist deep within it. It is a multi-pointed critique that brings everyone around - the administration, the police force, the state, the media and the general public - under the scanner and unveils a startling story of victims and perpetrators.

'Arjunan Sakshi' starts off with a letter to the editor of the Mathrubhumi daily from a man named Arjunan, who claims that he is witness to the murder of Feroz Mooppan (Mukesh), the former Cochin Collector. Meanwhile Roy Mathew (Prithvi), a young architect who has arrived in the city to take up his new job, gets mistaken for Arjunan and finds his life in jeopardy.

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The Metro

2011-01-30T11:12:00.002+05:30

Bipin Prabhakar's 'The Metro' has a multi narrative structure which merges together three individual tales at a critical point. The ultimate impact that a multiple narrative has on the viewer depends on the potency of the component story strands and of course that very vital spot when they eventually combine into one.

'The Metro' is a film that takes you into the shadowy world that Cochin is today, where gangsters rule, while the government and the law enforcers sit in silent and often supportive watch. It is here that Hari and his four friends get lost after a minor scuffle with the brother of a mafia king pin Paruthikkadan Shaji (Suresh Krishna).

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Kudumbasree Travels

2011-01-24T22:09:00.003+05:30

What happens when an entire village with even the goats in tact, set out for the city to attend a marriage of one of their kinsmen on a bus named Kudumbasree Travels? Kiran's debut film attempts to take us along on this long drive with a shaky script that matches up in its pattern to the pits and dents on our public roads.

Aravindan (Jayaram) is a Chakyar Koothu artist, who after many an attempt has finally found a Nangyar Koothu performer to marry. His bride-to-be Aswathy (Bhavana) stays at Cochin, and it might be just a coincidence that the City Police Commissioner and his daughter (Radhika) have been kidnapped by terrorist who have sinister plans to bomb the city. Unaware of the danger that awaits them, Aravindan with his family and friends embark on a voyage from their tiny village to the big bad city.

Read the full review at Nowrunning.com!

Achan

2011-01-22T12:27:00.005+05:30

Thilakan's latest film 'Achan' that has been directed by Ali Akbar, is too sad a film; sad because the singular reason why it has been made appears more to be to set a few things straight once and for all, and also because your heart goes out for the distressing plight of the lead actor in it.

There have been so many films in which you would remember the part that Thilakan had played forever, and 'Achan' would probably never make it to that list. And this, even after the actor gets to be on screen for the entire film that goes on for two hours and a bit more.

Read the full review at Nowrunning.com!

Note Out

2011-01-22T12:21:00.004+05:30

Kutty Naduvi starts his film 'Note Out' with an anticipatory bail that it is his first film, and that viewers should take kindly to it. Quite a wise move indeed, since there are bound to be quite a few spectators to this chaotic affair who might have ended up banging their heads in dismay.

Pavitran (Nishan) and his four friends lead a shiftless life, much to the annoyance of their parents. Pavi dreams of becoming a film director some day, while the rest of them play truant at whatever jobs they already have. During one of their many escapades, Pavi climbs up a tree and finds Maya (Mithra Kurien) perched on top. As fate would have it, she latches on to his back and refuses to let go.

Read the full review at Nowrunning.com!

Kayam

2011-01-22T12:16:00.004+05:30

Anil's 'Kayam' has the tagline 'Mysteries of the Mind' that should probably refer to the inexplicable ways in which the mind works. What is mysterious about the film itself, are the unexplainable ways in which the story is pulled this way and that until it finally forms a noose around its own neck and chokes on it.

The film centers around Thamara (Shwetha Menon) who is abducted from some faraway shore by Choonda (Manoj K Jayan), who later marries her. Choonda's adversary Raghu (Anil Murali) hopes to get the better of him through the village Kabbaddi match, and brings in a star player Sajikuttan (Bala)as his opponent. But as fate would have it, Sajikuttan turns out to be Choonda's long-lost brother, much to Raghu's dismay.

'Kayam' cashes in on the enticing beauty that Shwetha Menon is, and there are numerous references to what a beguiling woman she is. It is the male gaze that speaks in the film, as man after man go crazy over her magnetism and some even get drowned in a whirlpool of lust.

Read the full review at Nowrunning.com!

Traffic

2011-01-08T10:26:00.004+05:30

Rajesh Pillai's Traffic is a brutally brilliant film in which he lends color to coincidence and unveils before us a cogitation on the dynamics of chance. A strikingly crafted film that is raw and genuine, it crawls right under your skin and stays there.

It all takes place on the 16th of September, when a few men and women, going on with their distinct lives in diverse worlds, find their paths crossing each other at a traffic island. Rehan (Vineeth Sreenivasan) is all excited about joining Indiavision as a journalist and sets out with his best friend Rajeev (Asif Ali). Aditi (Sandhya), getting over a divorce, sees him off and looks forward to something more. Dr. Abel (Kunchacko Boban) has plans to surprise his wife Shwetha (Remya Nambeesan) with a brand new car on their wedding anniversary.

Sudevan (Sreenivasan) is back at work as a police constable, after a brief stint of suspension for having accepted bribes. Superstar Siddharth (Rahman) has a new release on the day, while his wife (Lena) is worried about their young daughter's failing health. Miriam (Roma), Manager at an FM Radio station gets an alarming text message on her mobile. And all this in a matter of twelve hours on the same day.

Bobby and Sanjay's script is one in which there has been a close scrutiny of all possible leak cracks, and in which almost all of them have been filled shut. Hence the several events that take place in the film simultaneously hold together amazingly well, and there is hardly a moment in the film where your focus drops. This is quite a feat, since it involves an adept juggling between emotions aplenty, some outstanding twists, a few mind boggling thrills and some well-kept suspense. The bottom-line is that Traffic could easily boast to have one of the best scripts written in Malayalam in recent times.

Read the full review at Nowrunning.com!

Karayilekku Oru Kadal Dooram

2011-01-02T10:34:00.003+05:30

In Karayailekku Oru Kadal Dooram, Indrajith plays Anoop Chandran, a young writer who is torn between a fast crumbling marriage with Meera (Sarayu) on one side, and a rejuvenating relationship with a celebrated dancer Gaadha (Mamta Mohandas) on the other. Memories of his college sweetheart Bhama (Dhanya Mary) continue to haunt him and along with Gaadha, he sets out to find out where she had vanished.

Anoop strikes us an entirely confused man, and the reasons behind his bewilderment would never be known to us. Perhaps it's intended that way, and there is nothing wrong in it either, since there needn't be a rationale behind every act. There is the doctor played by Jagadeesh who suggests something called Temporal lobe epilepsy (or something of the sort), but none of my limited attempts to dig out something from it bore fruit.

The bottom line is that after a while, Gaadha seems to be more obsessed with her lover's past, and with the woman living in it, than Anoop himself. She almost revels in taking up a shovel and digging up heaps of truths that she hopes are lying buried within him. She even travels to Kerala with him, hoping to meet Bhama in person.

Read the full review at Nowrunning.com!

Marykkundoru Kunjadu

2010-12-28T08:35:00.003+05:30

Dileep plays Solomon in Marykkundoru Kunjadu, a village simpleton who has been nicknamed Kunjadu, since he is adept at getting beaten up by people. In love with Mary (Bhavana) and at loggerheads with her three gigantic brothers, life isn't easy for Solomon. When he befriends a giant of a man who calls himself Vishnu (Biju Menon) and whom he saves from a well, Solomon starts life afresh, and learns to set his spine straight for once.

Shafi's Marykkundoru Kunjadu doesn't let the young lamb graze any new meadows. Rather it trots around on well-known pastures and makes do with easily identifiable story situations. Dileep's Solomon is a redraft of several characters that he himself has done in the past. In fact, Solomon is the kind of character that has over the years, made Dileep the actor and star he is today.

Shafi's story midway through makes an admittance in the form of a mumble that emerges from Solomon. Solomon admits that he would have a field day from now on, with Vishnu beside him, like 'Cochin Haneefa in Kireedom'. Perhaps this was the spur for the film itself since about three fourth of it depends on this connection that is established between Solomon and Vishnu.

Read the full review at Nowrunning.com!

Tournament

2010-12-27T09:39:00.003+05:30

Imagine a world where everyone around lies in wait for you with a bait that you would bite sooner or later? Not much of a pleasant picture when you yourself have got a bait all prepped up and are on the lookout for a prey. Lal's Tournament talks of such a world where most of the men (and women) fight it out tooth and nail with each other on their way to the top.

Tournament tells the story of Balu (John), Viswam (Fahad) and Usman (Pravin) who are all set to leave for a Cricket selection tournament scheduled at Bangalore. Balu has an accident and the other two are disheartened when they find that their flight from Cochin has been cancelled. It's then that their friend Aswathy (Rupamanjari) suggests that they go on a road trip all the way to Bangalore and agrees to join them. There is also Bobby (Manu) who is headed for the tournament whom they meet at the airport and who joins them on their journey.

It's sad that decent performances do not save a film, and this tour unfortunately doesn't lead anywhere. And the ride that it offers quite a bumpy one that doesn't allow us to connect with what it has on offer.

Read the full review at Nowrunning.com!

Chaverpada

2010-12-21T08:05:00.003+05:30

When the titles of 'Chaverpada' unveil on screen, there are quite a few undecipherable words that are displayed, some of which suspiciously look like Armageddon. No idea if the reference was to an epic battle or the science fiction film that goes by the same name, but in reality, 'Chaverpada' has nothing to do with either.

4Tech is the unique name of a group of four youngsters (Arun, Manikuttan, Vivek and Tony) who have created quite an impression as gifted engineers with the different innovations that they come up with. One such attempt jams all the wireless signals in the city, that brings their talents to the notice of some hardcore terrorists. Not much later, they are kidnapped and it's left to the NSG Commando Vishal Sabhapathi (Bala) to rescue them.

There are several asides in the film, the most important one being the minor scuffles that the foursome have at the college. There is a rival gang who live their lives with the sole purpose of getting beaten up by 4Tech. There is also a romantic element in the form of a Professor (Kochupreman) who coochie-cooes with a lady lecturer, and whose love chants are proclaimed through the college public address system, thanks to the smart intervention of 4Tech. There is also Tesni Khan as Cleopatra who arrives from the US as a housemaid, and prizes for guessing that she speaks funny English.

Read the full review at Nowrunning.com!

Kandahar

2010-12-17T13:31:00.002+05:30

There is one question that is bound to haunt every viewer who sits through the two hours and odd minutes that make up Major Ravi's new film 'Kandahar'. Hasn't the commercialization of patriotic sentiments gone way over the top?

The film that has Major Mahadevan (Mohanlal) embarking on his third mission, post Keerhtichakra and Kurukeshetra, starts off in 2006. An Air India flight that takes off from Mumbai is hijacked by a bunch of Afghan terrorists who demand the release of their leader spending his days in an Indian jail. Major Mahadevan is called into action, and along with his sprightly group of commandoes headed by Surya (Ganesh Venkataraman), he gets about his job in no time.

Unfortunately the aforesaid commando operation takes up about thirty minutes post-interval, and what happens during the rest of the film? The entire first half is spent on explaining to us as to how Surya who has had pilot training always dreams of flying a plane. There are not straight ways to get a job these days, he says and hence spends his time getting into street fights to serve justice to the poor. Major Mahadevan who happens to see one of his duels takes him into the army. Off he goes to the Dehradun Training Camp where he is seen frog jumping and doing sit ups and push ups as punishment for disobedience.

Read the full review at Nowrunning.com!

Best Actor

2010-12-12T08:18:00.004+05:30

Best Actor is more than reason for celebration for fans of Mammootty. For the rest of us who would like to have a bit more than star charisma from his films, Martin Prakkatt has plenty to offer as well. In his directorial debut Martin tells a simple story in a surprisingly imposing manner that does make us sit up and take note of his promising entry into films.

Mammootty plays Mohan, a school teacher who dreams of being an actor some day. What makes Mohan different is that he isn't the kind who sits dreaming home; rather he leaves no stone unturned to make his dream come true. Prompted by a bunch of young film makers, Mohan decides to transform himself for a toughie role and joins a group of local thugs (Lal, Nedumudi, Salim Kumar & Vinayakan) under the guise of a Mumbai goon.

Determination and talent together could be the combo that leads you straight to your target. Director Ranjith who appears in a cameo, assures Mohan that if he is determined to become an actor, no force on earth would be able to put a stop on his aspirations. An actor, he will be, no matter what.

Read the full review at Nowrunning.com!

Again Kasargod Kader Bhai

2010-12-06T19:14:00.003+05:30

The best moment in Again Kasargod Kaderbhai arrives as the titles unveil on the screen and you get to see four veteran comedians - Alummoodan, Shankaradi, Philomina and Sainudeen - in action once again. What follows is not even a patch on the fond memories that you associate with these amazing artistes.

The film that is a sequel to Kasargod Kaderbhai has the mimicry artistes of Kaladarshana coming together once again to celebrate Father Tharakkandam's (Innocent) sixtieth birthday. Besides Jimmy (Ashokan), Unni (Jagadeesh) and Manoj (Baiju) who arrive singing a song that looks exceptionally similar to the way four other friends had recently arrived in Harihar Nagar, there are several new entrants to Kaladarshana as well.

What isn't new is the way in which the story progresses after their grand arrival. Kasim Bhai (Babu Antony) who is in jail, gets murdered and the officer in charge of the investigation Faisal Mohammed (Gautham) has reasons to believe that someone at Kaladarshana has done it.

Read the full review at Nowrunning.com!

Sahasram

2010-12-06T19:11:00.003+05:30

Janardhanan's Sahasram has Bala playing Vaishakhan, an art director who loses his actress lover Yamuna (Sarayu) in a mishap. Recovering from the tragedy he takes up another assignment for the film Yakshiyambalam, and at the shooting set that is an old mana, starts seeing a beautiful ghost doing the rounds. When an actor gets murdered during the shoot, Sahasranamam IPS (Suresh Gopi) is brought in to probe into it. The prime suspects - Vaishakhan and budding actress Supriya (Sandhya) - plead innocence.

For the first half an hour of the film, confusion reigns. With the arrival of the wailing spirit, things start looking eerie, and the murder takes place. The investigation that follows however, lacks the momentum that would hold the viewer's interest. And the last fifteen minutes where the final revelation is made, holds a few surprises. But by now, everyone has mastered the trick of picking out the least probable fellow from the group as the murderer.

The director has put in a little bit of everything into this hodgepodge, be it mystery, murder or myths and has vigorously stirred them up. The spirit is still clad in a white sari, and spends most of the time shrieking inside a closed room inside the mansion. She comes out only on very special occasions to prove a point.

Read the full review at Nowrunning.com!

Swantham Bharya Zindabad

2010-11-29T15:14:00.003+05:30

There are some films that take off on a decent note and even show some promise of being a surprise winner initially. And then something atrocious happens that forces it to take a nosedive and all is lost for ever.

This dreadful event in Swantham Bharya Zindabad occurs when Vettur Sivankutty (Guinness Pakru) gets married. The film till then has been having a smooth run, and a quite surprising one at that, narrating the story of a Communist who is barely two and a half feet tall.

Sivankutty has dedicated his whole life to the Communist party and its principles and has no intention of marriage. Not until the Party himself asks him to, since it needs a lady candidate for the upcoming elections. He believes that the girl who arrives in his life, Meenakshi (Sruthilekshmi) is an admirer of Lenin and Marx as well. Little does he realise that his life is all set to go for a toss, the moment his bride arrives.

Read the full review at Nowrunning.com!

Oru Small Family

2010-11-29T15:08:00.003+05:30

Oru Small Family claims that it's a film that would make a stern statement against alcoholism. But given its dismal quality, do not be surprised if a few of its distraught viewers head straight for the nearest beverage counter to quench their distress.

There is no way in which this film could have been directed by Rajasenan, who had given us such pleasant entertainers as Meleparambil Aanveedu and Ayalathe Addeham. One of the director's staunchest admirers who watched the film with me couldn't help hide his disappointment and muttered - 'And I thought Bharya Onnu Makkal Moonnu was the nadir!'

The film concerns itself with Viswanathan (Rajasenan) who works at a government office, who wouldn't even hear of accepting bribes or taking the wrong turn in life. His wife Kausalya (Seetha) is a strange woman in that she derives some sort of a vicarious pleasure from serving the hoardes of men who queue up outside the beverage shop in front of their house. She's therefore often busy beating up omelettes for them or serving the much-in-need pickles.

Read the full review at Nowrunning.com!

College Days

2010-11-26T10:55:00.006+05:30

College Days is yet another thriller set against the backdrop of a medical college where a medical student Athira (Bhama) is thrown off the terrace by a bunch of rich brats. An year later the culprits - Sathish (Ryan), Rakhi (Dhanya), Anu (Sandhya), Jo (Padmasurya) & Anand (Sajithraj) - are let scot-free, and they return to college as if nothing has happened. When Rohit Menon (Indrajith) arrives from Bangalore to be a house surgeon and refuses to bow down before their dictates, he is seen as a potential adversary by the five member gang.

The story of College Days tells nothing new. In fact there have been a few other movies in the recent past that said strikingly similar tales, one of which was even set in a Medical College. The treatment isn't entirely new either, for in unfolding the suspense that lies all wrapped up, the film makers take to a much treaded path, offering no surprises in the making.

The story of revenge that the film tells could be identified quite easily. The lack of surprise elements could be a major downer in a film like this, and College Days stands to suffer on this account. With a bit more careful writing, that accommodated a few gripping elements the film could have worked on several more levels.

Read he full review at Nowrunning.com!