L2 - EMPURAAN (MALYALAM) (2025)

As a sequel to a blockbuster, this is definitely grander - perhaps, twice as larger in scale - spanning several locations across multiple continents much like a Bond or Bourne movie, even as it builds on the basic narrative arc set in the politics of God's own country.

One can decipher multiple influences from home and abroad, as in the action set pieces - inspired from the universe of Prashant Neel or Telugu / Tamil flicks with generous dose of blood as well as Hollywood-esque heavy duty armaments with mighty explosions. All these elements are assembled to serve a reasonably coherent narrative arc with occasional goosebumps moments for the fans.

Mohanlal shines through as the titular dark angel as he looms over the entire film casting an oversized shadow on every frame. The rest of the ensemble cast including Manju Warrier, Tovino and others put in their best despite their limited character arcs.

Prithviraj continues to make his mark as a director as he handles the scale hitherto unseen in Malayalam movies. He delivers a pretty good masala flick which does not bore you despite its three hour long runtime.

Alas, bigger is not synonymous to better and the grander scale does not deliver the emotional beats of the first installment. Nevertheless, this is a commendable sequel that sets the tone for a fitting finale to cap the trilogy.

A SPECTACLE MOVIE (best enjoyed on a BIG screen) !

RATING - 3/5

NARAYANEENTE MOONNAANMAKKAL (MALAYALAM) (2025)

Three estranged brothers reunite with their families after decades in their ancestral home as their mother is drawing her final breaths. Beneath the courteous efforts to forge forgotten connections, unforgotten and unforgiven tensions from the past simmer. Could the siblings succeed in overcoming their differences..? How does the gen-next of the family, in their impressionable years and meeting for the first time connect..?

This is a movie that manages to achieve a difficult balancing act of being subtle and sensitive to the subjects being depicted without being judgmental on any of the characters who are all flawed at some level, as humans tend to be.

Director Sharan Venugopal displays remarkable restraint throughout as he skillfully steers his narrative away from the usual desi pitfalls of getting lewd (exploitative or exposing to titillate) or loud (melodramatic or emotionally manipulative). This is no small achievement in itself and to achieve all this within a crisp running time of less than two hours is a mark of his brilliance.

While the two young leads playing next generation of the family (especially, Garggi Ananthan, playing Athira) are perfectly cast for their respective roles, the seniors - Joju, Suraj & Lopez - are excellent too, carrying all their shades without hitting a wrong note.

The music by Rahul Raj - songs as well as the score - is another highlight.

Overall, it is yet another lovely addition to the ever-growing pantheon of Malayalam cinema that continues to excel in exploring the oft-overlooked dimensions of our collective human coexistence.

A SUBTLE & SENSITIVE MASTERPIECE !

RATING - 4/5

KISHKINDHA KAANDAM (MALAYALAM) (2024)

Ajay (Asif Ali), a forest officer, lives with his father Appu Pillai (Vijayaraghavan), a retired army officer, in their family villa deep in the verdant jungles of Wayanad. The movie begins with hints of a missing pistol belonging to Appu Pillai that is required to be surrendered in the police station due to the forthcoming elections. This is intercut with the scene of Ajay getting married to Aparna (Aparna Balamurali) in a simple court marriage where the couple appear to be going through the motions unemotionally.

As the search for the missing gun intensifies, Aparna and us - the viewers - are hooked to the the gently unpeeling layers of this household including details about Ajay's earlier marriage, his deceased wife who succumbed to cancer, their 10-year old son who has been missing for 3 years, as well as the apparent eccentricities of Appu Pillai. What happens to the missing gun and the missing son ? The narrative adopts a gentle and measured pace that nevertheless, keeps us engaged till its culmination in an emotional and gripping finale. Even the dramatic reveals of the climax are delivered with a measured tone which ironically land like a sucker punch.

Director Dinjith Ayyathan along with the cinematographer Bahul Ramesh who has also written the story, screenplay and dialogues have crafted a narrative that builds gradually to a crescendo without resorting to any gimmickry or loud melodrama. It is like watching a blank canvas coming alive at the hands of a brilliant artist who transforms into a masterpiece - one assured brushstroke after another - all the while keeping us guessing till the very end.

The narrative expertly focusses on the nature of memories which are central to our survival and existence as they are the basic building blocks of our life. Our memories are the filter through which we see and understand the world. We perceive and live our everyday experience of reality through what we have remembered thus far. Yet, our memories remain fallible as they are seldom an accurate record of events and also continue to diminish as we age. Nevertheless, we continue our valiant, albeit vain, efforts to clutch at the straws of this fast-fading scaffolding that is central to our constructs of self as well as our social connections.

The writer-director duo weave their storyline to explore these dimensions without missing out on the mystery that captivates our attention as we continuously search for answers. The central cast comprising of Asif Ali, Aparna Balamurali, and Vijayaraghavan ace their respective parts with just the right dose of pathos, mystery, curiosity, madness and vulnerability. The score by Mujeeb Majeed subtly underlines the unfolding drama without drawing too much attention to itself.

The movie serves a perfect cocktail of an intelligent drama dense with emotions and multi-faceted mystery that lingers with you long after the viewing.

ANOTHER GEM FROM GOD'S OWN COUNTRY !

RATING - 4.5/5

PS - Streaming on Disney+HotStar

RIFLE CLUB (MALAYALAM) (2024)

Two love birds on the run from predatory gangsters seek refuge in a rifle club nestled in the verdant Western ghats. The club traces its lineage to Tipu and colonials with its proud members transcending age or gender stereotypes. When the gangsters in pursuit land at the gates of the club, all hell breaks loose.

Director Ashiq Abu orchestrates a mayhem manufactured in malevolent Malyali gunslinger heaven set to a thumping score from Rex Vijayan.

The stellar cast including Dileesh Pothan, Anurag Kashyap, Varni Vishwanath, Vijaya Raghavan, Surabhi Lakshmi, Dharshana Rajendran and many more hit the bulls-eye delivering their roles with comic panache.

Overall, this is a stylish thriller mounted on a wafer thin premise where the count of bullets matter much more than the body count.

A DOUBLE-BARRELLED DELIGHT !

RATING - 3.5/5

OPERATION JAVA (MALAYALAM) (2021)

Based on few episodes in the Cyber Crime Cell of Kochi, where two jobless youth who are good with cyberspace assist the cops, this is a very well made thriller.

The cases range from combating movie piracy to morphed porn clips and even murders in cold blood, with financial frauds and the usual thrown in.

Director Tharun Moorthy has crafted a film benefits from neat writing which weaves in emotions while including just the right dose of humour and pathos along with crisp editing and a racy score from Jakes Bejoy elevate the movie. 

I liked it a lot.

AN EFFICIENT THRILLER !!

PS - Streaming on ZEE5

KURUTHI (MALAYALAM) (2021)

Two families - one Hindu & one Muslim - that have suffered tragic personal losses in a natural calamity are trying to find common cause reconciling to their current predicament while struggling with painful memories. They choose to remain in their homes amidst idyllic surroundings even as they are left at the fringes and almost forgotten by the larger community that has moved on - literally & figuratively. The serene coexistence of these these two families is shaken to the core when the ripples from the simmering communal discontent from beyond seeps into their backyard. What follows is a first rate thriller that is so much more than just a thriller. This is yet another masterclass from the hallowed pantheons of Malayalam cinema that continues to raise the bar for quality content on almost a weekly basis.

The real hero here is writer Anish Pallyal who deserves rich kudos for crafting this nail-biter with a richly layered narrative that delves into timely themes on faith, doubt, fear, trust, prejudice and most importantly, the all-consuming hatred for the "others". With his limited set of characters, he is successful in providing a stark commentary on how the contemporary society continues to remain fraught with frighteningly fragile fault-lines. The narrative also explores the effects of doubts that continue to fester in minds despite the deep faith nurtured over decades as it constantly confronts the protagonist with difficult existential questions.

The performances from the ensemble cast consisting of Prithviraj, Roshan Mathew, Srindaa, Mammukoya, Murali Gopy, Shine Tom Chacko and others are uniformly top notch. The score from Jakes Bejoy along with cinematography by Abinandhan Ramanujam amplify the tension indoors as well as outdoors. Director Manu Warrier deserves kudos for managing this tight rope walk of communicating the contents without being preachy even while maintaining a tight leash for presenting a taut thriller. A MUST WATCH ! RATING - 4.5/5 PS - Streaming on Amzon Prime

JALLIKATTU (MALAYALAM) (2019)

In a village near Idukki, Kerala, at daybreak,  a buffalo which is about to be slaughtered escapes and runs amok creating sundry destruction.

Thus begins a 90 minute plunge into a seemingly absurd, yet absolutely riveting set of events.

Director Lijo Jose Pelissery, with his unique handling of this simple premise,  concocts a  visual and aural adventure that is a deeply visceral.

What appears, on the surface level, as a preposterous, albeit straightforward narrative of a communal chase behind a gentle bovine, there is a subtext of multiple layers which throw a light on toxic masculinity, strong undercurrent of animal spirit that lurks under the thin veneer of thousands of years of civilization and how it could be unleashed at the slightest of provocations, with vignettes of political and social landscape and a healthy sprinkling of dark humour.

Director Lijo Jose Pelissery has marshalled technically top notch talents in the form of cinematography by Girish Gangadharan,  Prashant Pillai's background score and crisp editing by Deepu Joseph to mount brilliant setpieces suffused with manic energy.

Kudos to the director that he could cook up a tense thriller, that is also an one of a kind immersive experience. 

AN INCREDIBLE  WATCH !! (perhaps not for all)

RATING - 3.5/5

PS - Best enjoyed on the big screen with excellent acoustics.

VIRUS (MALAYALAM) (2019)

Director Ashiq Abu presents a gripping thriller inspired from events surrounding the Nipah virus outbreak in Calicut and Malappuram districts.

Abu has assembled an ensemble star cast and handles then brilliantly to serve the story he set out to narrate.

A narrative that is crafted with great care and balance without overdoing any of the several potential pitfalls that it skims over gracefully to retain a unitary focus on the events surrounding the outbreak and the collaborative efforts to control it.

Nevertheless, Abu maintains the emotional connect intact through several subtle instances that capture the myriad human emotions of loss, helplessness, love, grit and determination without exploiting them or escalating into weepy melodrama.

In all, this is a naattu (desi) companion piece to Soderbergh's Contagion and could rightly be reckoned as an unequivocal masterclass in every aspect of film-making.

A MASTERPIECE !

RATING - 4/5

SUDANI FROM NIGERIA (MALAYALAM) (2018)

The movie is set in a village in Northern Kerala in the milieu of the Sevens football tournament (7 persons per side as against the regular 11) which is quite popular in that region. Majid (Soubin Shahir) is a school dropout and as a result, is unable to seek any permanent employment to secure his livelihood. However, he is passionate about football and is also manager of a local football team - MYC Accode - along with his friends. Their team, which includes three africans as star players, is popular among the fans and is also reasonably successful despite facing financial challenges. When Samuel  - aka Sudu (short for Sudani) - (Samuel Abiola Robinson) - who is one of the star players meets with an accident, he is ruled out from the rest of the tournament. 

The injury puts Samuel in a desperate situation since he is not in a position to earn any more from the games which is the sole support for him as well as his family back home in Nigeria. It also means more financial outgo for a club whose finances are already precariously perched. In order to avoid hospital care expenses during the recovery period, Majid decides to bring Samuel to his home. Majid lives with his aged mother Jameela (Savithri Sreedharan) and estranged stepfather (KTC Abdulla) who works as a security guard. However, he is bitter with both of them due to reasons buried in the past and turns down their repeated warm overtures. Samuel is eager to return home to support his family, but is hobbled by reasons that are far more serious than his injury. What unfolds is an endearing narrative of humanity, hope and warmth that seeks to explore these distances - both physical and emotional.

Debutante director Zakariya Mohammed crafts this simple premise into a gem of a movie that is rich in emotions and drama. While Majid's family and his friends may be of limited means, the movie effortlessly portrays the magnanimity of such simple people with minimal means which reinforces the dictum that you do not have to be wealthy to be generous. 

The common thread that binds the entire narrative is that humanity is all that one needs to connect to a fellow being separated by any barrier. Through multiple interactions between Majid's mother and Samuel, the movie extols that differences in cultures and especially languages need not necessarily be insurmountable impediments in connecting to people.  A gentle smile and moist eyes are part of  universal language of love and humanity and they can communicate much more fluently and deeply than man-made contraptions for communication like our languages. When one can connect so easily beyond the contours of creed, nationality, ethnicity, religion or language, one tends to doubt the need for such markers which seem to be mere tools for division rather than cohesion.The movie is frequently funny as the director mines multiple references to sports, local culture and difference in language for laughs. The performances of both the leads - Soubin Shahir and Samuel with his winning smile - are apt and they are ably supported by the cameos from veterans KTC Abdulla and Savithri Sreedharan.

Malayalam cinema continues to churn out these gems in regular intervals where simple stories are brought to life in an appealing manner without resorting to raucous melodrama or any garish glitz of stars who tend to turn the focus from the story towards themselves. Director Zakariya Mohammed acquits himself as a welcome addition to the league of exemplary torchbearers of this great tradition.

AN EXCELLENT WATCH !!

RATING - 3.5/5

THONDIMUTHALUM DRIKSAKSHIYUM (aka THE EXHIBIT & THE EYEWITNESS) (MALAYALAM) (2017)

Director Dileesh Pothan who made an impressive debut with Maheshinte Prathikaram has returned with another charming slice-of-life drama. When newly-wed couple Sreeja (Nimisha Sajayan) & Prasad (Suraj Venjaramoodu) are travelling by bus, a thief (Fahaad Faasil) steals Sreeja's gold chain. However, Sreeja catches him swallowing the gold chain and hands him over to the nearest police station with the help of co-passengers. The rest of the movie narrates what happens thereafter.

Nimisha Sajayan as the housewife who is distraught and angry at her loss along with Suraj Venjaramoodu as the husband driven to his wits, Alencier Ley Lopez as the ASI Chandran on the brink of retirement bring an effortless authenticity to their roles while Fahaad Faasil nails his part as  he transforms into a slippery smalltime thief shrouded in mystery. 

There is an inherent  beauty to the narrative which flows like a gentle stream with minimal gush, yet capable of captivating the viewer with its steady flow. It draws us in very early and makes us totally invested in the story which keeps us wondering what next. The fact that Dileesh is able to bring out the beauty in the banal routines, seamlessly weave in multiple strands which add texture to even minor characters or happenings without disturbing the flow of the main narrative stand testimony to this helmer's confidence and control. He is emerging as a director with a distinct signature style and somebody to look forward to in the future.

Kudos to the director who has marshalled an excellent cast and a brilliant technical team including ace cinematographer Rajeev Ravi, music director Bijibal and others in presenting a simple, subtle, yet absorbing story with a good dose of humour and garnished with just the apt level of thrill and suspense. 

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED !!

RATING - 4/5