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Thursday, April 22, 2010

T D Dasan Standard VI B

Banner: Priest deluxe Movie Dome

Cast: Biju Menon, Jagadheesh, Sreehari, Suresh Krissna, Vatsala Menon, Gayathri, Mala, Indrans, Baby Alex Paul, Baby Tina Rose

Direction: Mohan Raghavan

Production: Paul Vadakkumcherry and Paul Valikodath

Music: Rafeeq Ahamed, Sreevatsan J Menon

The movie has debutant Alexander as T D Dasan, who lives with his mother Chandrika (Shwetha Menon) in a sleepy village near Chittur in Palakkad. Chandrika who is deserted by her husband Diwakaran long back, works in a local matchstick factory and is struggling to get both ends meet. One day, while searching for something in his mother's trunk box, Dasan gets an address of his dad who walked out of their house when he was a year old. Dasan immediately writes one letter to this address explaining all his woes and pains for not being with his father. The letter reaches Keystone Villa to where it was addressed and where Dasan's father Diwakaran was working as a driver.

But as of now, the house is inhabited by an ad filmmaker named Nandan (Biju Menon), who lives there with his only daughter Ammu (Teena Rose), a little prodigy and a short story writer. She gets affected by the innocence of Dasan's lines and starts writing replies to Dasan, as if they were written by his dad. The reply to Dasan comes to him as every sort of blessing, an only chance of reconnecting to his father .But very soon the myths, surrounding the village and coincidences were to take his story to a different turn.

Bottom Line
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T D Dasan Standard VI B - Is a real treat

The soft social commentary that runs all along, addressing the anti-coal war to the social forestry promotions that never take a preachy tone, is the highlight of the movie. The marvellous direction coupled with sensitive writing makes Mohan Raghavan, the most impressive debut in recent times. The director gloriously continues his experiments with narratives allowing the ad maker Nandhan to think wild around the frame of the letter addressed to a long gone father.

Monday, April 19, 2010

Pulliman

Banner: Ruben Media International

Cast: Mukesh, Kalabhavan Mani, Meera Nandhan, Innocent, Ravikumar, Jaffer, Ponvannan, Prathap Pothen, Suraj, Sarnay and Bindu Panikkar

Direction: Anil K Nair

Production: Antony Paimbbilli

Debutant director Anil K Nair doesn't show any attempt to put together any semblance of a plot. His script lines cast Kalabhavan Mani as a village singer Kunjunni (Kalabhavan Mani), whose past is a mystery. But villagers love him to such an extent that they never sleep or awakes without his song. The villagers hate to the same extent, one rogue named Kaalan Vasu (Ponvannan), a womaniser who is feared by all in the picturesque hamlet.

With the arrival of a gypsy group into that village of Perumannur, Kunjunni develops an interest for the gypsy girl Radha (Meera Nandan) .In the meantime, Vasu hears about that the new beauties in the village and asks Kunjunni to get her for him. But after repeated pleading from Kunjunni, Vasu turns a good leaf and leaves her for Kunjunni. The villagers try to get Kunjunni married with Radha but her father Raghavan refuses to give his daughter to an orphan. Again Kaalan Vasu makes a grand entry, this time as a saviour to Kunjunni, pressuring everyone to marry Radha with Kunjunni.

Bottom Line
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Pullimaan - Is a disaster

A bunch of well made shots, not even a single praiseworthy sequence, heavily over the top and colorful costumes that were least needed, a pathetic plot with narratives that meander without any purpose-these all can define 'Pullimaan', the new movie from Kalabhavan Mani which is more than a torture for any viewer.

Pappy Appacha

Cast: Dileep, Kavya Madhavan, Innocent, KPAC Lalitha, Asokan, Rajeev, Kochupreman, Majeed Edavanakad, Manikandan, Chembil Asokan, Thesni Khan, Manju Raghavan

Direction: Mams Chandran

Production: Anoop

Music: Vidyasagar

Virtually ruling the silent village of Ithirikkandam, the idiotic father and son have wealthy business deals including school, market, financiers and so on, from their very modest beginnings. The duo is said to have worked hardly during their rough times to built the empire they are presently on.

Pappy is in love with his childhood schoolmate Annie, who is currently working as a teacher in a school managed by Nirappel family. Though Pappy doesn't have the courage to reveal his feeling towards her, he takes pain to have her as his first look everyday, though Annie dislikes the pompous ways of the father-son duo who place money in front of every deal. The movie goes on to tell how the duo separates from each other following the works of certain crooks, including Sashankan Muthallai (Ashokan) and Maanikunju (Suresh Krissna). A panchayath election and some unthinkable happenings as its aftermath and a surprise villain are in store for the climax.

Bottom Line
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Pappy Appacha - Is a passable fare

With a predictable story about a father and son living like buddies that had been done to perfection in many Mollywood movies before, 'Pappy Appacha' from the debutant director Mammas is solely based on the intentions to tickle your funny bone, now and then. The movie displays some big promises with genuinely funny title cards and 2D illustrations for flashbacks but a beaten to death plot lines destroy much of the charisma of the flick, ending up as a passable fare.

Tuesday, April 13, 2010

Janakan

Cast: Mohanlal, Suresh Gopi, Jyothirmayee, Kaveri, Biju Menon

Direction: N R Sanjeev

The movie opens with Viswanathan (Suresh Gopi), and his friends Monayi (Biju Menon) and Palani (Harisree Asokan), who have committed three murders, laboring to flee from the cops, who are trying to grab them at several check points. They, with the help of the son of the home minister and daughter of city police commissioner are trying to reach ace lawyer Soorya Narayanan (Mohanlal), their only saving angel. And when they reach his home on an eventful night, a bunch of goons and the police try to dissuade the lawyer from hearing the tragic story about Viswanathan's teenage daughter who was gang raped and brutally murdered by a group consisting of an influential businessman, a dirty ACP and a young DJ. Dr.Rani who treated the girl at the hospital to get her out of the coma, also comes up with certain crucial revelations which makes Soorya Narayanan decide to stay firm in the side of righteousness.

Bottom Line
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Janakan - Is above average stuff

Yes, the much discussed theme of sexual abuse and day to day stories that catch the lead in the headlines definitely offer different perspectives and backdrops for such a theme. But here debutant director N R Sanjeev and veteran scriptwriter S N Swamy have gone for lesser experiments, that finally result in another rehash of the thread of the recent movie ‘Vairam’, with less dissimilarity, the primary one being the presence of Superstar Mohanlal. Indeed it is a definite highlight, like the differences that may happen in a Bombay IPL team 'with' and 'without' Tendulkar.

Wednesday, April 7, 2010

April Fool

Banner: Damor cinema

Cast: Siddique,Jagadeesh, Biju Menon , Jagathy Sreekumar. K P A C Lalitha, Manoj K Jayan, Maniyanpillai Raju, Indrans, Kaveri, Nayana

Direction: Viji Tampy

Production: Santosh Damodar

The story which is best suited for a theater play is pretty similar with the original (Bollywood movie Bhejafry), without any more additions-Rakesh Menon (Siddhique) is an entrepreneur and owner of the delight musical company and a member of the upper class club, which consists of a few egoistic people who take pleasure in ridiculing an invited ‘idiot’ to their party, making them playing their ‘gifted’ talents.

On a day when he is to present his prized catch, Krishanunni, an aspiring boastful singer and musician, Rakesh hurts his back and also has a tiff with his playback singer wife Seema (Nayana) over this idiot show. Seema ultimately decides to leave his selfish and inconsiderate husband, who doesn't care about the emotions of others.

Krishannanunni, a second grade income tax officer, who comes over to entertain the party amuses Rakesh with his tomfoolery acts. But within some hours, Rakesh understands that he is in the face of the utter chaos let loose by this 'idiot', who likes to mess up everything that comes his way. Starting from inviting his nymphomaniac girl friend Mohini to the turmoil and also engaging his most strict income tax chief to help Rakeshmenon, Krishnanunni, though with his satirical gags creates mini disasters one after another, ultimately making Rakesh's comfortable life into ruins.

Bottom Line
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April Fool - Is watchable

A movie that spends seventy percent of its screen time on the interiors of a single apartment, mostly depending on the banter between two characters and occasional walk-ins of a couple of supporting artists.

Before tagging this to be an abstract, experimental movie, let us make it clear that the movie is not a novice, but a full revamp of the immensely hit Bollywood movie ‘Bhejafry’.

Friday, April 2, 2010

Pramani

Banner: Surya Cinema

Cast: Mammootty, Sneha, Siddhique, Saikumar, Suresh Krishna, Sreelatha, Salimkumar, P. Sreekumar, Lakshmi Priya

Direction: B Unnikrishann

Production: B C Joshy

Music: M Jayachandran

Mammootty is Viswanatha Panikkar in the movie, the president of Thazekeezhpadam panchayath. He is an autocrat who has amassed big wealth and land documents by hook or crook, in the names of his cousin brother Somasekhara Panikkar and sister Thankamani, whose family has reared him in his forgettable meek days of childhood. Panikkar is said to have become corrupt and ruthless due to his orphaned shady childhood, which has propagated ideas in him about becoming a front runner with immense wealth. Panikkar is also called by the nickname 'America' due to his ways of playing a big brother to petty land issues which ultimately lead him in becoming the owner of the property.

Panikkar has been making all his monetary dealings through his cousin brother, Soman (Siddique). But in one peculiar sort of a day, they get involved in selling out 100 acres of land for a cyber park, to an infamous Multinational company, for a bribe of 12.5 crores, Panikkar is forced for a second thought as this will end the lush green paddy lands and agriculture of the beautiful village. He decides to go back from the agreement, paying back the amount that he has already received.

Somasekharan now changes his stands and declares that Panikkar has got nothing as his own if he defers from the agreement reached with the company. Realizing that what he believed to be his own for years was never his own, Panikkar now determines to change for good.

The subplots involving idealist panchayath secretary Janaki (Sneha), social researcher Bobby, and Rosy teacher who moulded his life in adulthood , and that of Castro Vareeth and issues of the neighboring panchayath, also boost Panikkar's causes to go for a rework on his ways.

Bottom Line
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Pramaani - Is mediocre

Writer-director B Unnikrishnan has mish-mashed every technique that he has learnt while constructing his last hit ‘Madambi’ and applied the same for the next movie with the other superstar Mammootty. And the result is ‘Pramaani’, in an age old storyline about a corrupt village leader, who turns a fresh leaf in life following his verbal fights and clashes with his own feudal family members.

In Ghost House

Cast: Mukesh, Jagadeesh, Siddique, Ashokan, Nedumudi Venu, Kochu Preman, Harisree Ashokan, Mohini, Lena, Radhika, Reena Basheer and Kakka Ravi

Direction: Lal

Music: Alex Paul

In the third part of the series, the three friends Mahadevan, Appukuttan and Govindankutty are invited to the ''Dorothy Bunglow'' by Thomaskutty, their most mischievous friend who has bought it with the heavy sum that the latter got at the end of the first sequel. Thomaskutty is planning to convert the bungalow into a Hotel resort, and for that it is inevitable to prove to the public that no spirits or mysteries are still attached to the bunglow where some murders are said to have happened decades ago.

It is for that he is inviting his friends to stay at the Bunglow with their family. Though a bit frightened, all the friends and their wives take it as a challenge to help Thomaskutty. What follows is a new combination of horror comedy.

Bottom Line
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In Ghost House Inn - Is not very funny

The most lovable four characters and their heavy camaraderie had been the most saleable USP, when anyone thinks of another sequel to the famous ‘Harihar Nagar’.

Yes, the characters are very much there, but what is missing is that inspiring twists that could have avoided the predictability that follows everywhere in this third part of ‘Harihar Nagar'-'In Ghost House Inn’.

Nayakan

Banner: Eluminato

Cast: Indrajith, Dhanya, Siddhique, Thilkan, Jagathy, Lalu Alex, Sreejith Ravi,Vijay Menon, Rekha Pillai, Sumi

Direction: Lijo Jose Pellisserry

Production: Anoop Johnson Karedan

Music: Prashant Pillai

The narrative style of the movie is a novice to Malayalam cinema, with some fine performances coming from the entire cast. Indrajith as Varadanunni is undoubtedly his best in his short career .The actor has taken pains to tone up his body to suit the maneuvers of a Kathakali artist who turn into a gang man. Thilakan once again proves why he can’t be sidelined in such a demanding industry and is unmatchable as Vincent Karanavar. Siddique as J S with his cateyes and abnormal mannerisms is a treat to watch. The heroine, Dhanya Mary, plays to the demands of the role and appear graceful throughout.

Bottom Line
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Nayakan - Breathes fresh air to Mollywood

In an decade of flashy filmmaking, with fast cuts and tagline driven plots, it’s refreshing to see a film with deliberate pacing, a character driven plot, taking a bow to master filmmakers of past times. Though in a story revolving around feverish revenge and gang wars, the young director is really at the helm making a near perfect thriller with an intense sincerity that show of in every frames.

Thanthonny

Cast: Prithviraj, Sheela, Kalabhavan Mani, Jagathy Sreekumar, Saikumar, Suraj Venjaramoodu, Captain Raju, Vijayaraghavan

Direction: George Varghese

Production: Shahul Hameed Marikar

Music: Tej Mervin

The movie has Prithviraj as a rebel hero, even in his own big joint patriarchal family named Valiyaveettil which boasts of a current generation of IAS officers, IPS officer and even a state minister. Prithvi is 'Kochukunju', who is the spoilt grandson of Kochousepph and only son of Kathrina, whose three big brothers are in control of the family affairs.

He has a mysterious past when he was thrown out of his home to roam around in the north, and to return home only after a decade. Within an hour into the proceedings we are let known that Kochukunju is not a spoilt brat but a dogooder who holds a big secret, which makes him behave like that in the open.

Bottom Line
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Thanthonny - Is not up to the hype

Imitation and recreation had been definitely one of the ways to emerge into better creative results. Believing in this notion, the creators of the mass masala movie ‘Thanthonny’ have did their very best to indulge in copy pasting many sequences of the hit movies of the past to create a potpourri, reminding us of many bigger hits like Basha, Usthad to Devasuram. Even with this shortcomings that boost predictability factors, the movie has its moments, which may qualify it into an above average run at the Box Office.