Cinema, Culture & More
A primitive allure that had been long lost makes a revisit through ‘Kaattu’, and it’s a peculiar combo of the dismal and the lyrical that Arun Kumar Aravind comes up with in his new film. It’s a complex character drama that is tonally and visually notable; a foreboding and dark tale that makes for austere viewing and told with an uncanny grace.
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Had it been as judicious in the selection of its fundamental plot line as it had been in the choice of its design, ‘Honey Bee 2.5’ could have worked wonders. As such, it remains a film that never fully explores the limits of its own absurdness and instead makes do with a crackpot try-out that leaves an underdone taste in your mouth.
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‘Thrissivaperoor Kliptham’ is a zigzagging account of petty gang warfare at Thrissur, which despite a distinguished ensemble of actors at its helm doesn’t get its act right. There is far too much going on here and yet far too little that actually matters, that makes it a film that often gets muffled by its own ambition.
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There is the final scene that for me is the very best thing about ‘Sunday Holiday’, where the tales cross over to skilfully amalgamate into one. And it is this point that leaves you rueful, and wish that the romance that had preceded it had the bite that could have smartened it up into an evenly exhilarating cinematic experience.
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‘Avarude Raavukal’ falls short of the basic dramatic tension that drives a film forward. Running for two hours and eleven minutes, it fruitlessly tries to draw out a tissue thin thought into a feature film that sloppily lands all over the place.
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Rohith VS in his debut film ‘Adventures of Omanakuttan’ tries his best to shift away from a prosaic narrative, but his earnest efforts are quashed by a script that runs a bit too long, and gets a bit too weary after a while. Flaunting sparks of a promising film maker every once in a while, it’s a movie that places its entire gamble on an innovative plot device, and partially wins.
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Despite its many flaws, ‘Honey Bee’ did manage to drive in super keyed up youngsters to the cinema halls. Something which its sequel might not be able to achieve, given that it comes across as an exhausting and mostly needless retread that shouldn’t have been attempted in the first place!
Lal Jr’s third directorial outing, ‘Honey Bee 2: Celebrations’ is a film that gawks and squints back at you, for having decided to give it a go. I have been no great fan of ‘Honey Bee’ either, which is perhaps why, the sequel struck me as an unfunny film that will probably even have fans of the original film running for cover. Continue reading “Honey Bee 2: Celebrations (2017) Malayalam Movie Review by Veeyen”
The biggest realization that ‘Take Off’ leaves in its wake is the thought that even as I key in this word in the comfy confines of my study room, thousands of horrified humans elsewhere are being subjected to unimaginable terror and torment for no fault of theirs. Which is what makes Mahesh Narayanan’s film an upsetting and thorny experience, but one without which your film year is bound to remain incomplete.
As the border gates between Iraq and Kurdistan are thrown open, the worn-out Indian nurses who had been through hell fire and back hurriedly stagger across the border towards the Indian tricolour fluttering at the other side, and then break into a run, respite and joy writ large on their faces. This stellar climatic scene of Mahesh Narayanan’s ‘Take Off’ is perhaps the best that I have seen in recent years, and one that could only be watched with goose bumps all over. Continue reading “Take Off (2017) Malayalam Movie Review by Veeyen”