Sunday, June 9, 2019

Virus (2019)

Director: Aashiq Abu
Writers: Muhsin Parari, Sharfu, Suhas
DOP: Rajeev Ravi, Shyju Khalid
Cast: Revathy, Tovino Thomas, Parvathy, Indrajith, Soubin Shahir

Film recounts the details of the deadly 2018 Nipah Virus outbreak in Kerala which claimed lives of around two dozen people. The Nipah virus is very contagious with a very high death rate and it was happening in Kerala for the first time. There was every chance that it could turn into an epidemic considering Kerala's high population density but the medical community here along with the administrators were successful in containing it. The film basically recounts that story and is not focused on any particular protagonist. That is quite apt for the huge ensemble cast that was assembled for the film.

I am a huge fan of Steven Soderbergh's Contagion which also dealt with a virus outbreak like Nipah but on a global scale. I had seen some similarities to it in Ashiq Abu's previous film Maayanadhi (Kodaikanal scenes) in terms of shot visualisation and background music and was wondering whether he would use a similar approach here as well. That is not the case here because it wouldn't be realistic to take that approach when the central location for much of the film is Calicut Medical College. Contagion dealt with largely a what if scenario of such a global epidemic happening and how the society's functioning will get affected. We got a mini version of it in Kerala as Calicut city became a ghost town. Social exclusion of families affected happened and there was considerable fear in the two affected districts, Kozhikode and Malappuram.


Virus begins showing the everyday life of a medical college casualty in a riveting fashion and the busy nature sets the tone for the film. First half of the film depicts how it was diagnosed, it was an incredible feat that it was identified as Nipah from the second patient itself, and steps taken to monitor around 3000 people who came into contact with the initial patients. The bodies of those who died were not given back to the relatives and the challenges that the administration faced for cremation of it is also shown. Second half of the film deals with identifying how each of the patients were linked to establish how the virus got transmitted. Film takes a largely political tone in second half as you have the centre suggesting the possibility of a bio attack due to the religion of the index patient. I can see this aspect generating controversies in the coming days from the right wing dickheads for targeting them as well as from others for the logic of dedicating so much time for what then seemed like an internet phenomenon. It will be interesting to see if such a push did came from the centre and won't be too surprising. Anyway the makers have the licence to take creative liberties.

The original cut of the film was three hours long and they shaved 30 minutes off it for the theatrical release. You do see where it got the cuts as the Asif Ali storyline seemed quite half-baked. Overall the film works very well as a procedural without going into a semi documentary format. There are enough traits given for many of the characters from medical community to make it interesting and the administration characters are played largely in a matter of fact manner. A Nipah case was identified in Ernakulam last week but people seems to be dealing with it in a confident manner.

Rating: 4.25/5

Sunday, April 28, 2019

ഉയരെ (Uyare) (2019)

Director: Manu Ashokan
Writers: Bobby-Sanjay
DOP: Mukesh Muraleedharan
Cast: Parvathy, Asif Ali, Tovino Thomas, Siddique
Language: Malayalam

Uyare follows the story of a girl who wanted to be a pilot but ends up as an acid attack survivor when relationship with her boyfriend goes south. Asif Ali plays the role of overly possessive asshole boyfriend and Tovino is the bubbly CEO of an airline company in conflict with his businessman father.

It is ultimately a feel good film done very well. I am not really a big fan of films or roles that Parvathy does as they are generally about very unique situations and  unique characters that require 'hard-work' acting. This role or film is no different but the trailer was sufficiently interesting and reviews very favorable for me to check it out on the smallest screen in my town (100 seater). She is not that convincing in the college graduate phase of the story but for the rest of it she carries it easily. The makeups are really convincing and changes through time post the acid attack and subsequent years are also dealt with. The plane scenes and the outside atmosphere have been captured in sufficiently convincing manner without us feeling the cheapness that a normal Malayalam film budget would afford.

It also has the usual problems associated with Bobby-Sanjay films like middle class righteousness. Friend-father of female protagonists have become a cliche in these films with Siddique playing it here. Despite its minor flaws and convenient plot situations it is a pretty great watch overall. It generates enough teary eyed moments which is a sign that it worked.

Rating: 4/5

Saturday, March 30, 2019

Lucifer (2019)

Director: Prithviraj Sukumaran
Writer: Murali Gopi
DOP: Sujith Vasudev
Cast: Mohanlal, Vivek Oberoi, Manju Warrier, Tovino Thomas, Sai Kumar
Language: Malayalam

Film follows the events after the death of a chief minister and the succession drama that is precipitated by it.

Trailer of the film pretty much reveals what it is about. It is a mashup of several films from the past like Irupatham Noottandu and Ustad, but in a good way. It is not really about the plot but the quality of making on a technical level, narrative sureity and the performances from the huge ensemble cast whom all have got memorable roles and have been carefully cast. Expositions are cleverly done using the Facebook live from the Indrajith character. Prithviraj is usually one who talks the talk when it comes to his passion for making risky films but that is generally only seen in films he produces. He has been quite upfront about the nature of his feature film debut, stressing the fact that he is a Mohanl fanboy and the film will have things that will please his fans and that is pretty much what we get.


It is a mass commercial film that will please his fans and is a neatly made watchable film for the rest. Prithviraj is said to have ghost directed some of the films he has starred in the past and their shortcomings are also present here- primarily the length of it and a general lack of humour. It is only Baiju and Sai Kumar who provides some humour in it and that is just not enough for a movie of this genre with a running time close to three hours. Ustad, Aaram Thamburan and Big B, only ones that I like among films of these nature from recent times, had ample elements of humour to them. The first two action set pieces are done very well but the final one is bit of a letdown. BGMs work very well in some places and disappointing in the rest. Camerawork is uniformly excellent and specially loved the scale of the crowd scenes and that zoom out scene from that Mumbai slum, Danny Boyle like. It is a pretty good watch and has more nuances than the impression I got from the initial watch. The Russian scene, spectacularly done, adds a lot for the film.

PS: Kids will get the Irupatham Noottandu reference. Adults will get the Pulp Fiction reference. Legends will get the Wire reference.

Rating: 3/5

Monday, March 18, 2019

Triple Frontier (2019)

Director: J.C. Chandor
Writers: J.C. Chandor, Mark Boal
DOP: Roman Vasyanov
Cast: Oscar Isaac, Ben Affleck, Charlie Hunnam, Garrett Hedlund, Pedro Pascal

Five former special forces operatives reunite to plan a heist in a sparsely populated multi-border zone of South America.

The film was originally supposed to be directed by Kathryn Bigelow with the likes of Johnny Depp attached. Then it got dropped and various actors like Mahershala Ali, Will Smith got attached with Paramount supposed to produce it. It again got shelved and finally Netflix acquired it with J.C. Chandor directing it. I am a fan of the director with films like Margin Call and A Most Violent Year working extremely well for me. Oscar Isaac is the main protagonist of the film and not Ben Affleck. It is basically a project with A-List actors working on B Grade sensibility material. That is not to disparage it as it is quite self aware about what they are aiming for and it is a lot of fun to watch. The action set pieces works extremely well and the pace changes are handled nicely.

The locations it is shot at are quite gorgeous and it could have been a nice theatre experience. I guess we should be glad that it got made at least. Moral dilemmas that some of the characters go through seems quite tacked on surface level bullshit but that is alright if you are watching it as a fun action film. People tend to rate non-arty biggish budget Netflix films with prejudice as if they were not good enough to get a big theatrical release anyway.  I do think they got a hit on their hands with this.

Rating: 3.5/5

Sunday, March 10, 2019

Un beau soleil intérieur (Let the Sunshine in) (2017)

Director: Claire Denis
Writers: Claire Denis, Christine Agnot
DOP: Agnès Godard
Cast: Juliette Binoche, Xavier Beauvois, Philippe Katerine
Language: French

Isabelle, a Parisian artist, divorced mother, is looking for love, true love at last.

It is the least Claire Denis film that I have watched of hers. She has never worked with Juliette Binoche before and you get the feeling that she is having fun with what you can call Binoche kind of films with this. It is an adaptation of Roland Barthes' 1977 text 'A lover's discourse: Fragments'. The takes are super long and camera dances between characters who are conversing, especially in that first one at the bar. Isabelle is middle aged and quite desperate to find the true love after divorcing the father of her daughter. She also come off as quite naive. Gerard Depardieu makes a cameo at the end as a heartbroken psychic who Isabelle consults instead of a therapist. It is probably Claire Denis making a point that there is no point at all.

It is a pretty good watch without being all that great. Claire Denis' next release is an English language science fiction film set in space. Can't wait!

Rating: 3.5/5

Tuesday, March 5, 2019

Green Book (2018)

Director: Peter Farrelly
Writers: Nick Vallelonga, Bryan Hayes Currie, Peter Farrelly
DOP: Sean Porter
Cast: Viggo Mortensen, Mahershala Ali, Linda Cardellini

A working-class Italian-American bouncer becomes the driver of an African-American classical pianist on a tour of venues through the 1960s American South. It is based on the real life relationship between Tony 'Lip' Vallelonga and Dr. Don Shirley and is part written by Tony's son Nick. The Green Book in the title refers to a hand book for blacks listing down the motels and hotels where they can stay while traveling down the South.

It is basically a feel good story done right without showing the Italian as a full blown bigot near the beginning of the film. His behaviour is realistic for the era it is set in. The performances from both the lead characters are excellent with Viggo Mortensen having more to chew on. Mahershala Ali is so eloquent and polished in real life that he is kind of playing a version of himself in the role. Film attracted considerable controversy in the run up to the academy awards which I guess is part of the mud slinging that goes on during that time of the year. I am glad it won the best picture award ahead of Roma, which was literally dog-shit. I really don't get the white saviour criticism that is levelled at it since both characters in it undergo some transformation. Film worked for me because the musician is not portrayed as a binary character without flaws.

I guess some of the hate it attracts is because the director is known for films like Dumb and Dumber. This is kind of his first 'serious' movie but it also has considerable humour mainly because of the chemistry between its leads. It is filmed quite traditionally and is elevated by good old acting performances. Mahershala Ali won his second academy award, for best actor in supporting role, the same night as True Detective season three aired its finale episode. He is surely gonna win an Emmy for that more challenging role as well.

Rating: 4/5


Sunday, March 3, 2019

The Favourite (2018)

Director: Yorgos Lanthimos
Writers: Deborah Davis, Tony McNamara
DOP: Robbie Ryan
Cast: Olivia Coleman, Rachel Weisz, Emma Stone

In early 18th century England, a frail Queen Anne (Olivia Coleman) occupies the throne and her close friend, Lady Sarah (Rachel Weiz), governing the country in her stead. When a new servant, Abigail (Emma Stone), arrives, her charm endears her to Sarah initially and then the Queen. This eventually makes Sarah and Abigail rivals competing to be the favourite of the Queen.

The film works like a love triangle where the love in it is questionable. You broadly know where it is going after the initial set up itself and that in no way comes in the way of your enjoyment of it. The three main characters are based on historical figures. Even though it is set in period, the dialogues and accents used are quite contemporary, like in The Death of Stalin, and the camera is used in a very peculiar manner with fishbowl lenses. It is very funny but the central character in it is quite a tragic figure. The decisions made on matters of state are quite arbitrary very much depending on the mood of person. The European monarchies became genetically so weak due to the incestuous nature of marriages between them and you can see that when you look at their representatives from the contemporary times.


All the recent Lanthimos films did have an animal species name as part of their title while this film ends with a scene which dissolves into a bunch of rabbits. It is the most straight forward of the films that I have watched of his. That tend to happen usually for the directors you are a big fan of, their least interesting work becomes the one they are most famous for as they are much more accessible for a general audience. Olivia Coleman deservingly won the academy award for her role in this and gave the best acceptance speech from this year's ceremony. So glad to see the Peep Show girl winning an Oscar.

Rating: 4.25/5

Sunday, February 24, 2019

Hereditary (2018)

Director: Ari Aster
Writer: Ari Aster
DOP: Pawel Pogorzelski
Cast: Toni Collette, Alex Wolffe, Milly Shapiro, Gabriel Byrne

After the family matriarch passes away, a grieving family is haunted by tragic and disturbing occurrences, and begin to unravel dark secrets.

Hereditary manages to creep you out by defying your expectations consistently. It combines the best elements of Exorcist, Rosemary's Baby and Babadook. Some critics like Mark Kermode have objected to it not sticking with one thing but I didn't have any problem with that. Giving everything a psychological explanation can be quite boring as would if everything was made supernatural as well. Hereditary has both of these in the right amounts to make it a very enjoyable watch. Underneath all that, it is ultimately a comedy as I laughed out loud in many places. You know the horror is very effective if you have the remote always in your hand while watching the film.


It works effectively by the actors not giving the expected reactions and staying in the scenes longer. There are some extra details in corners of many of the frames in it and so watch carefully. Paimon is even shown in the beginning during that funeral scene. The characters in it are all flawed and I was kind of glad when that pivotal scene in the car happened because the kid was totally creeping me out. It is the kind of film which big fans of horror might not be really into because it is not pure to the genre and those who like to look for subtext and stuff might also pan it because of the inconsistency. Sometimes it is just nice to see a film which is all about craft and the tease.

Rating: 5/5

അകത്തോ പുറത്തോ (In or Out) (2018)


Director: P.P. Sudevan
Language: Malayalam

Akatho Puratho is the follow-up from director Sudevan to his state award winning feature film debut- Crime No 89. The latter was produced on a meagre budget of 7 lacs while his newest film cost a still meagre 15 lacs. His films are what you call as proper award films in Malayalam and is generally targeted for festival audience only. Some of them can really test your patience but in this film Sudevan pretty much hooks your from the beginning.

It is a two hour long film comprising of four short films with the last two considerably longer. Common theme running through them is death. First short is titled fish and is basically a depiction of food chain in our society through the lifecycle of a fish captured beautifully. The next one is titled the doll and does a similar feat over the lifecycle of a doll. The last two titled 'Old Man' and 'Her' respectively are human condition stories which can test your patience. The length, on reflection, is quite warranted for the first one as it is about the painfully slow process of death of a bedridden old man who is never shown on screen. It can really make you think about your own mortality and reaffirms the cause for assisted suicide, which I fully endorse. The last segment of the film is its weakest which involves a crime of passion and the protagonist role is played by a theatre artist. All others in the film are non-professionals.

Crime No: 89 was more cinematic in the traditional sense since it involved a plot. Akatho Puratho is more of an art movie and is available on Amazon Prime Video Service. Such streaming services can really provide a platform for these kind of niche films which can never get a theatrical release here in Kerala. The likes of Munroe Island and Ozhivudivasathe Kali, both of which got a very limited theatrical release here, are available on Netflix and comes highly recommended.

Rating: 3.5/5

Thursday, February 21, 2019

万引き家族 (Shoplifters) (2018)

Director: Hirokazu Kore-eda
Writer: Hirokazu Kore-eda
DOP: Kondo Ryutu
Cast: Lily Franky, Sakura Ando, Mayu Matsuoka
Language: Japanese

A family of small time crooks take in a child they find outside in the cold. While they intend to return her home next day, the evidence of abuses on her body changes their mind.

It is the most un-Japanese Japanese films I have seen from recent times. Ozu made movies with ordinary characters and normal storylines but in general Japanese films that I tend to watch are normally out there. Over the course of the film we learn the nature of actual relationships between the members of this family and it is done in such a non-judgemental manner that we are left in a moral quandary. Which family we are born into is not something that we can choose and the film works on that theme. This film is begging to be remade in Malayalam because worries about child snatching is very real on Malayalee WhatsApp universe and it has even led to instances of harassments on suspicion. The film would be a subversion of that since characters from this social strata are often portrayed in such a binary fashion in films here.

It won Palme d'Or at Cannes last year and collected around $72 million worldwide, much of it from Japan itself and China. I haven't seen other films from the director and am intending to catch up on those. The two child actors in it are excellent. We are often given a portrait of Japan with all its kinkiness without going much into how those people actually feel and this film is an exception.

Rating: 4.25/5

Tuesday, February 19, 2019

Bad Times at the El Royale (2018)

Director: Drew Goddard
Writer: Drew Goddard
DOP: Seamus McGarvey
Cast: Jeff Bridges, Cynthia Erivo, Jon Hamm, Dakota Johnson, Chris Hemsworth

Circa 1969, several strangers, most with a secret to bury, meet by chance at Lake Tahoe's El Royale, a rundown hotel with a dark past. Over the course of one night, everyone will show their true colours- before everything goes to hell.

The film is very Tarantinosque and, as can be seen from the synopsis, an obvious comparison can be made with Hateful Eight. The time it is set in and the historic touchpoints is also interesting in the sense that Tarantino's next is titled 'Once Upon a Time in Hollywood' and is supposed to have a peripheral reference to Manson. Tarantino has been quite disappointing in his last two outings and I enjoyed El Royale much more than Hateful Eight, both of which have a pretty generous running time. El Royale. Film follows the chapter format each of which gets a flash back and same events in the film are seen from different perspectives. This or the writing are not as snappy as Tarantino's work from the 90s but is much better than his recent fare.

The film plays with audience expectations and is very twisty with violent escalations. It is the hotel which provides you with surprises initially and then it becomes about the characters. How it holds up on rewatch remains to be seen. Chris Hemsworth's Mansonesque character makes an entry only in the final act of the film. Characters played by Jeff Bridges and Cynthia Erivo mostly carries the film but performances from all are quite good. I didn't have any problem with its length and actually quite enjoyed it taking its time. It does have a poor man's Tarantino vibe to it but the man himself has been quite poor lately.

Rating: 3.5/5


Monday, February 18, 2019

Ich seh, Ich seh (Goodnight Mommy) (2014)

Directors: Veronika Franz, Severin Fiala
Writers: Veronika Franz, Severin Fiala
DOP: Martin Gschlacht
Cast: Susanne Wuest, Elias Schwarz, Lukas Schwarz
Language: German

Twin boys move into a new home with their mother after she has a face changing cosmetic surgery, but under her bandages is someone whom they don't recognise.

The German title of the film translates as 'I see, I see' but they went with Goodnight Mommy for its overseas release. An obvious comparison to be made is with Michael Haneke's 'Funny Games', with it being an Austrian film and the nature of its genre. The trailer of the film, which I didn't watch prior and was proclaimed as quite scary, would leave you with an impression as to who is going to be the dangerous character in it but the film subverts that expectation by the midway point. There is something that could come across as a twist if you don't pay much attention to it but the filmmakers thankfully does not make any effort to hide it and it was obvious from the get go for me. It doesn't even qualify as a twist because you have to be pretty dim if you miss it.

It ends up as a quite straight forward film about grief and related struggles. Another subtext that could be read is regarding celebrity cosmetic surgeries and the reaction to it from the fandom if it doesn't quite work out. We had a recent experience of it in Kerala when Mohanlal decided to go plastic. The film really worked for me even though some had problems with the sudden turn it took around the hour mark. I really had to hide my eyes during some of the scenes.

PS: The director duo has an interesting backstory on how they met and eventually ended up working together. Severin used to babysit Veronika's kid as a 14 year old while she was working as a film journalist. Their English language film, The Lodge, will get released this year.

Rating: 4.5/5

Sunday, February 10, 2019

버닝 (Burning) (2018)

Director: Lee Chang-dong
Writers: Oh Jung-mi, Lee Chang-dong
DOP: Hong Kyung-pyo
Cast: Yoo Ah-in, Steven Yeun, Jeon Jong-seo 
Language: Korean 

Jong-su bumps into a girl who used to live in the same neighborhood as him in his village, who ask him to look after her Schrodinger's cat while on a trip to Africa. Both of them are still quite poor and he has fallen in love with her even though she is quite a tease. When back from Africa, she introduces a mysterious Gangnam guy Jen whom she met there, who eventually confesses a secret hobby to him which involves burning of greenhouses. 

The film is an adaptation of Haruki Murakami's short story titled 'Barn Burning'. The 'Gangnam style' song is actually quite helpful in understanding the film because most people who had followed the viral video and discussion surrounding it would know the meaning of Gangnam in Korea. It is actually a posh/bourgeoisie district in Seoul and the mysterious worldly guy is played quite aptly by Steven Yeun who hasn't spend his adult life in his home country. He had to improve his Korean for the role. Jong, an aspiring writer with a difficult childhood, comes across as quite naive in the film as the audience is ahead of him throughout the film in deciphering what Jen is implying. Not that we for certain can conclude those things actually happened in the story. 

It is comfortably the best film from last year that I have watched so far and don't think any will actually beat it. It can be seen as a metaphor for inequality and how it is playing out in global politics, or as a metaphor for global warming or just as a straight up mysterious film without a clear cut resolution.  It has been nominated for Academy awards in the foreign film category, a first for Korean cinema, and it will be a fucking joke if Roma ends up beating it.

Rating: 5/5

കുമ്പളങ്ങി നൈറ്റ്സ് (Kumbalangi Nights) (2019)

Director: Madhu C. Narayanan
Writer: Syam Pushkaran
DOP: Shyju Khalid
Cast: Soubin Shahir, Fahadh Faasil, Shane Nigam, Anna Ben
Language: Malayalam

Kumbalangi Nights is centred on the lives of four Christian brothers who are parent-less and lives in a dysfunctional household, which is apparently the worst in the panchayat as per the youngest of the lot. Relationships between the brothers are also strained and the reasons for it are gradually revealed over the course of the film. They need to get their house in order as the third one falls in love with a Hindu girl whose brother-in-law (Fahadh Faasil) doesn't approve the relationship for quite obvious reasons.

Eldest of the brother is played by Soubin Shahir and he is the no-good out of the lot who is leaching on a Tamil guy. Second one is a mute played by Sreenath Bhasi and he is a dancer and visits the house only occassionally. Shane Nigam plays the third youngest as a jobless 'freakan', and the role  is against his usual type. Youngest out of the lot has sort of escaped from the house with a sports scholarship but is back home on his vacation. Fahadh Faasil stars as Shammy who is newly married into a women only household where he is passive aggressively establishing himself as the Patriarchal head. He is a barber in the city and runs a saloon in partnership with his equally creepy brother. All of these are revealed very slowly as the film meanders it way through with plenty of comedic moments as well as scenes which will tug your heartstrings.

Ultimately it is a feel good film which becomes conclusive as such only by the end. In another universe the Shammy character would have been played more subtyly and would have been equally as effective. Girl's father role in Thondimuthal for example. Portrayal of Shammy as a semi-psycho helps in keeping the audience on its toes. His role can be seen as a  representation of the angry Hindu in Modi's India with the aggression basically stemming out of inferiority complex/small-dick syndrome. He is primed to lash out at all and sundry.

The film is a great watch overall even though I was irked by some of its forced political correctness. Performances are top notch with Shane Nigam being the stand out IMO, even though it is Soubin who is getting all the accolades. Shyju Khalid once again brings out the beauty of Kumbalangi, which is a tourism village. I do wish these people also tell stories set in normal Kerala towns where everywhere you look is not picture perfect.

Rating: 4.25/5

Saturday, February 9, 2019

9 (2019)

Director: Jenuse Mohamed
Writer: Jenuse Mohamed
DOP: Abhinandan Ramanujam
Cast: Prithviraj, Wamiqa Gabbi, Master Alok
Language: Malayalam

A comet is going to pass very close to the Earth, an event which is going to affect life on Earth for 9 days. Electricity, combustion engine vehicles with spark plugs, battery run things etc will all be out for 9 days. Albert (Prithviraj) is an astrophysicist of great repute and is assigned a task by his mentor which involves going to Himalayas to document the event and how it affects the tribes over there, whom have predicted this happening much earlier than the scientific community. He also takes his motherless son, Adam, with whom he have a difficult relationship. There they meet an outsider, Eva (Wamiqa Gabbi), which sets in motion certain chain of events for the film to jump from one genre to the next.

Genre jumping within a film can be quite risky because you can lose your audience with each jump. Prithviraj in his promotion interviews had been stressing on sci-fi aspects of the film while director Jenuse was more or less pitching it as a fantasy film with some cosmic sci-fi background. They have been keen to manage audience expectations to make sure that the right ones turn up during the initial days of the release. Trailer was also pretty detailed and stunning. Prithviraj himself produced the film with Sony Pictures International also partnering, a first for Malayalam cinema, and they haven't made any compromises. Film is top notch on a technical level and you're doing well when the audience is immersed enough to not notice the VFX while watching the film.

The first half an hour of the film is its weakest with lengthy expositions some of which could have been trimmed or made in a little more cleverer manner. You cannot fault them too much for it because there is quite a lot of information that they have to pass to the audience. The one flashback song in it also looked totally unnecessary but the reaction of Albert to the pregnancy news is also kind of key. Film gets going once they reach the Himalayas as they get the pacing spot on from there. It is difficult to talk much about the film from then on because everything becomes spoiler territory. Steer clear of them and pay close attention while watching. The ending is deliberately ambiguous and you have a science Vs supernatural explanations competingat the end. Such ambiguous endings are not familiar for Malayalam cinema and a section of audience will certainly fail to appreciate it. There is an explicit explanation sequence at the end for such people but many will find problem with the similarity to another Prithviraj film from recent times. Many have missed the alternate possibility suggested by the final line of the film and the brief closing credits scene.

Performance wise, Prithviraj is his usual self and it is Wamiqa Gabbi who steals the show. The kid actor in it is also very good as is the creepy caretaker. I'll be certainly watching it once again and very glad that I picked the best screen possible during my first outing. This is a film that has to be seen at the cinemas and I really hope it does well. Ambiguous films are hard to pull off and they've managed it.

Rating: 4.25/5