Mummy And Me - Is a passable fare

Banner: Jithin Arts

Cast: Mukesh, Urvashi, Kunchakko Boban, Archana Kavi, Anoop Menon, Sudheesh, Janardhanan, Jeevan, Arun

Direction: Jithu Joseph

Production: Joy Thomas Sakthikulangara

Music: Sejo John

The movie has Urvashy as Clara, the ''mummy'' and Archana Kavi (‘Neelathamara’ fame) as Jewel the daughter, with two opposite characters mostly due to their generation gaps. While Clara is an imposing mother who wants her daughter to listen to and follow her in every ways, Jewel is more a new generation college girl roaming all round in her bicycle, with earphones plugged on. She likes the companions of internet than anyone in her home. Rahul (Kunchacko Boban) is Jewel's senior in college, the son of Thomas and Mary, the family friends of Joseph and Clara. Though Rahul is also a single child, he shows more maturity and doesn’t like to expose his love that he has for Jewel. Often he plays the role of her guardian in college and gets involved in all kind of fisticuffs with other college rowdies.

The scheme of daily fights at home between the mother and daughter concerning Jewels' dress codes to hair setting styles makes Joseph (Mukesh) to play the referee between the ever feuding home mates. To prevent Jewel from spending more time outside home mostly on internet, Joseph presents Jewel with a PC. She immediately finds a chat friend in an anonymous 'Ameer' who starts reforming Jewel like anything into such an extent that she eventually falls in love with him, even without seeing him. The film goes on to tell how the parents with the aid of a psychologist try ways to get over the newer crisis that their daughter has got into.

Bottom Line

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Mummy And Me - Is a passable fare

The USP of the movie is a simple, uncomplicated and identifiable story. But what could've been narrated in a concise format is stretched so much that it starts to test the patience of the viewer. What could have been an interesting cinematic experience, gets into a preachy tone with the arrival of a psychologist (Anoop Menon) who appears in every third sequences in the later half, to dig out his explorations into the case. The screenplay relies on the same old tricks and the same old situations, but the director manages to make you smile at times, without the aid of any comedians in sidetracks, but with the witty, well timed dialogues. Especially towards the second hour, the pacing of the film gets slower, and the big problem with the movie here is that you just don't feel the pains of those whose life has gone upside down. The lack of onscreen camaraderie between the characters played by the lead players is another major pitfall in the presentations.

Sathyan has a winner in ‘Katha Thudarum’

Banner: Trueline Cinema

Cast: Jayaram, Mamtha, K P A C Lalitha, Innocent, Mumukkoya, Lakshmi Priya.

Direction: Sathyan Anthikkad

Production: Thankachan Emmanuel

Music: Illayaraja

A touching narrative about self made decisions that ultimately decides life and its moments ‘Katha Thudarum’ has Mamtha Mohandas as Vidhyalakshmi, a Brahmin girl who dares to start his life with a keyboard player Shanavas Ahamed (Asif Ali), despite the objections from both of their families, apparently due to their caste differences. Life was all that smooth for Vidhya till one rainy night when Shanavas sets off to buy mangoes for their beautiful young daughter Laya (Baby Anikha) and got killed by a misled quotation group.

As the young lady and his cute daughter is left in a busy city, helpless with no one to care, they tryout their ways to catch up with life but with very little success, until she meets an auto driver Preman (Jayaram). This straight forward man takes her to his reticent colony, with a lot of well mannered people living in unpretentious situations. And every Sathyan regulars like Innocent, K P A C Lalitha, Mamukoya, Lakshmi Priya and Chembil Ashokan are their in the colony taking on some satirical caricatures who turnout to become inspirations for Vidhya, who ultimately restarts her studies and turn a new leaf in life.

Bottom Line

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Katha Thudarum - Sathyan has a winner in ‘Katha Thudarum’

Director Sathyan Anthikkad in his fifty's movie ‘Kathu Thudarum’ has come up with an offering that is a bit atop of his regular melodrama formula flicks. He is here, amidst an engaging storyline with a layer of social satire sprinkled through almost every scene, without taking that preachy line of his previous movies like ‘Innathe Chinthavishayam’.

Pokkiri Raja - Is a masala fiesta

Cast: Mammootty, Prithviraj, Shriya Saran, Nedumudi Venu, Suraj Venjaaramoodu, Siddhique

Direction: Vaishakh Abraham

Production: Tomichan Mulakupadam

Music: Jassie Gift

‘Pokkiri Raja’ is the story of two brothers, Raja and Surya, the sons of Madhavan Nair, a teacher with a very good reputation. But family feud, especially between Madhavan Nair’s Kunnathu family and the rival Puthiyara family, leads to some unexpected developments and Raja gets arrested for murder, of course one that he did not commit.

This and subsequent developments lead to the straining of relationships between Madhavan Nair and Raja, who then leaves home (after serving his term at the juvenile home) and reaches Madurai, where he becomes a ‘goonda’. He grows up to become ‘Pokkiri’ Raja, a goonda with his own way. In the meantime Surya also grows up as a tough guy. Madhavan Nair fears that Surya too may follow Raja’s path and become a goonda. Hence he sends Surya to Ernakulam, to stay with Surya’s sister Rugmini and brother-in-law Sugunan, who is a sub-inspector. Surya lands in trouble after he falls in love with Ashwathi, who is the daughter of City Police Commissioner Rajendra Babu. It’s then that Pokkiri Raja turns up and things take a new turn.

Bottom Line

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Pokkiri Raja - Is a masala fiesta

Debutant director Vysakh presents in ‘Pokkiri Raja’ nothing less that ‘double bonanza’ for lovers of mainstream Malayalam Cinema. Bringing together Mammootty and Prithviraj in equally important roles, he strives to successfully appease and satiate die-hard fans of both these actors in a film that’s colourful, entertaining and above all, loud.

Alexander the Great

Banner: Anugraha Cine Arts

Cast: Mohanlal, Siddhique, Jagathy, Innocnet, Saikumar and Ganesh

Direction: Murali Nagavally

Production: V B K Menon

Music: M.G. Sreekumar

Manoj Varma aka Manu, who is the son of Pratapa Varma, has his business in Dubai. But everything is going wrong for him and his business. He is in deep financial crisis. It’s then that his mother advises him to go seek the help of his father. Manu goes to meet his father Pratapa Varma, who has been living away from them, after having parted ways with Manu’s mother. Pratapa Varma lives with his siblings and other relatives. Manu meets him and returns. Soon afterwards Pratapa Varma passes away. His eager relatives await the reading out of his will, which however disappoints them. Pratapa Varma has given the major share of his property to Alexander Varma, who’s his son too, born to a woman in Mumbai. The clauses in the will are such that it’s almost important for everyone else to get rid of Alexander. Manu decides to go to Mumbai and seek out Alexander and then get him to sign on documents giving his share to Manu, of course by resorting to cheating and unfair means. He meets Alexander’s mother, gets her signature and then makes inquiries about Alex. He is told that Alex was first jailed for murder and is now in a mental asylum. Manu, his uncle Krishnan and his lover Bismitha go to meet Alex at the mental asylum. Alexander is very much an interesting character. With the doctor’s consent, Manu takes Alex with him and sets off, determined to get the papers signed by him. But the trip with Alex turns to be revelation for Manu.

Bottom Line

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Alexander The Great - Is good

If Murali Nagavalli’s debut venture ‘Wanted’ had too many loose ends that did more harm than good to the film, his second film ‘Alexander The Great’ stands out as a well-directed, excellently scripted and good film that touches chords in your heart.