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Sunday, February 7, 2010

Uthara Swayamvaram

Banner: Pavithram creations

Cast: Jayasuriya, Roma, Balachandra Menon

Direction: Remakanth Sarju

Production: Santhosh Pavithra

Music: M. Jaya Chandran

The movie has Jayasuriya as Prakashan, a lazy guy always dreaming about Uthara (Roma) called as Ponnu, whom he had saved from an abandoned well in his childhood. His father Sreedharakurup, who runs a grocery shop is much worried about his son's attitude. Uthara, the daughter of rich businessman Ponnuveettil Mahdevan (Lalu Alex) has forgotten the ''whole incident long back and is not aware of Prakashan and his dreams. But after some twists, Prakashan finds his dreams getting realised as Uthara decides to marry Prakashan. But the panic alarm rings high for the viewers as their marriage doesn't last even for a day and movie follows to get to the reasons and their future, hazardously.

Bottom Line
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Uthara Swayamvaram - Nothing special in ‘Uthara Swayamvaram’

Very few in the Mollywood industry seems to try to deliver films that may be called 'special'. All others, including Ramakanth Sarju in his debut movie ‘Uthara Swayamavaram’ is going after the tried and tested path, based on outdated stories that try more to tickle our funny bone than to narrate the events with quality.

Seethakalyanam

Cast: Jayaram, Jyothika

Direction: Rajeev kumar

The movie has Jayaram as Srreeni, a staff of an MNC. After much search, his mother (played by Manorama) finds a bride in Abhirami (Geethu Mohandas), the younger daughter of a famous classical musician (Oduvil Unnikrishnan), without knowing that Abhirami is in love with the soft spoken Ambi (Indrajith), the favourite disciple of her father. On the beginning of the ceremonies arrives Sreeni's co workers and friends led by Nimisha (Jyothika). As every one passes through the various interesting ceremonies Nimisha, realises her true love for Sreeni. But it is the high time for anyone to express one's love and Nimisha is perplexed about herself and her future.

Bottom Line
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Seethakalyanam - is just average

There had been films in India based on big fat weddings that span for many days. Like the super hit ‘Hum Aap Ke Hain Kaun’ to My best friend's wedding and Meera Nair's' Monsoon wedding, all the movies were trying to built in and amidst the happenings of the pompous wedding ceremonies. T K Rajeev Kumar's ‘Seetha Kalyanam’, is one such attempt, perhaps the first in Mollywood. Revolving around the seven day wedding of Tamil Brahmins, the movie is built around all the ceremonies involving hoards of relatives, flowers, food and laughter.

Swa Le

Cast: Dileep, Gopika, Innocent, Jagathy Sreekumar, Salimkumar, Nedumudi Venu, K P A C Lalitha, Ashokan, Ganesh Kumar

Direction: P Sukumar

Music: Biji Pal

‘Swa.Le’- the first offering from Cinematographer turned director P.Sukumar has Dileep as Unnimadhavan, a humanist, and committed reporter of Janachintha, chasing for stories in his old bicycle, with an ill mannered part-time photographer Chandramohan (Salim Kumar). He has signed for a seven year bond with the small daily, which is in full throat activity to increase the circulation. With his meagre salary, Unnimadhavan finds the going tough. Moreover, he also struggles to find enough time to devote to his pregnant wife Vimala, who is staying in a rented house away from the city in a quiet village with no proper health facilities and transportation. Since they have married without the consent from their parents, there are none to help them.

Things gets to worse as Unni is fielded to report the affairs of famous writer and Gnanapeed award winner Palazhy Sivashankara Pillai (Nedumudi Venu) who is in his death bed with all his organs down, waiting for the final call. The acclaimed writer had spent some time with Unni when he was a child and was an inspiration for him. But as he is asked to stay at the writer’s house daily till 3 am in the night, until the last edition is out, Unni is bombarded with agitative mindset, but has to keep all for himself due to fear about the impending bonds. The movie follows on to tell how his struggles with time and emotions, finally provide fruitful, making him a big name in the media business.

Bottom Line
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Swa Le - is a good attempt

It's late eighties - an era before the proliferation of twenty-four hour news channels and mobile phones. It was also the same period when the two big dailies of Malayalam started to fight over circulation, with each of their staff reporters trying to do something overboard to support something anew, exclusive for their news papers. The present day generation who are used to the technology jump that happened afterwards, will find it hard to digest the fate of many working with specific deadlines. Same was the case of the news man who had to really travel distances to fetch and create scoops and stories. ‘Swa.Le’ is a look into the life of a local reporter of a modest daily of that times “Janachintha”. With such a promising premise, the movie definitely opened to tons of interest and perhaps kept the proceedings moving in the first 90 minutes. But with no big twists happening and nothing more serious to convey than what was told by then, the movie meanders here and there to end up as an average fare.

Kerala Cafe

Banner: Capitol Theatre

Cast: Mammootty, Suresh Gopi, Sreenivasan, Dileep, Prithviraj, Jayasuriya, Raguman, Manian Pilla Raju,Sreejith Ravi, Sukumari, Kani, Shelly, Geethu Christie, Jyothirmayee

Production: Ranjith

A short story of ten minutes, often can talk much more and present you with more intense feelings than one film that goes on for an uncontrolled 150 minutes. Exactly that was the challenge offered by Renjith to ten different directors of Mollywood, who were used to in making lengthy dramas. And here in ‘Kerala Cafe’, these Mollywood directors are proving without any doubt, why they are celebrated as effective narrators of interesting stories. Based on a single theme of ‘Yathra’ or journey, this is really a world class attempt and experience, a proud offering from the brilliance of Mollywood.

Bottom Line
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Kerala Cafe - It's brilliant, Mollywood

Angel John

Cast: Mohanlal, Santhanu

Direction: Jayasurya

Music: Ouseppachan

The movie has Santhanu Bhagiyaraj debuting into Malayalam as Maradona, a spoilt brat who fools around doing all nonsense for just a fun (''Oru Rasam'', as it is heard repeatedly all through in the film which paradoxically offers not much ''Rasam''). Being a failure in his studies, this commerce student, the only son of Bank manager Joseph (Lalu Alex) and Mary (Ambika) is now after ways to make easy money, to prove himself before his dad. His company of bad friendship and attitudes makes him fail in every endeavors like the internet cafe business and even drugs trading.

Maradona's father who is heavily affected by his son's ways suffers a heart attack, while Maradona is finally thrown out of his house. Much shattered with this, the young boy now decides to commit suicide by jumping into the sea from a light house, but is miraculously held back from the deed by a divine angel who appears from the skies. The angel now enter into an agreement with the prankster and decides to grant him a boon, every day. The film follows to tell how the association with the guardian angel spell wonders in Maradona's life, changing him to some one whom he never was.

Bottom Line
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Angel John - is a passable fare

S L Puram Jayasurya's ‘Angel John’ opens as a racy youthful story with plenty of directorial gimmicks and style in the very first hour. But with the advent of a too unrealistic angel, the movie suddenly appear to be in the genre of kids films, that isn't trying to be anything else. That too with the super star Mohanlal as the angel, the director is left with no choices but to fill in the later half to satisfy the star's fans, with the angel throwing himself into all kinds of star tantrums, fights and slow motions. And for those who feels it likable enough to right this point have that fatal third act, where the movie abruptly and unapologetically turns into the kind of predictable handkerchief-friendly melodrama-sentimental fest. And with that, we are pretty sure that we have a downer in our hands, though made with much noble intentions.

Pazhassi Raja

Banner: Gokulam Films

Cast: Mammootty, Sarath Kumar, Thilakan, Nedumudi Venu, Jagathy Sreekumar, Captain Raju, Lalu Alex, Manoj K Jayan, Biju Menon, Kalabhavan Mani, Suresh Krishna, Subair, Siddique, Roshan, Manikuttan, Kanika, Padmapriya, Urmila Unni, Valsala Menon, Nikhila

Direction: Hariharan

Production: Gokulam Gopalan
Music: Ilayaraja

The movie begins with the Britisher's decision to levy heavy takes from the local people under the rajahs. Pazhassi who belonged to the Kottayam Royal family of Thalassery region oppose this and becomes the first ruler from the state for British, to be branded as a big enemy to fight it out on battles. Pazhassi who is forced to flee from the his palace starts a carefully planned counter action, with the aid of his trusted lieutenant Edachena Kunkan, (Sarath Kumar)and Kaithery Ambu (Suresh Krishna). He gets the full fledged support from the kurichiers and tribals headed by Thalakkal Chandhu and Neeli who fights the Britishers with their sort of Guirella warfare, with tribal weapons. British face heavy setbacks in various confrontations and as many as five hundred from British army are killed in fight with Pazhassi. Though Pazhassi was able to surprise the British with his tactics and bravery, traitors like Pazhayaveedam Chandhu (Suman) helps the British to gain momentum in the later part of the warfare and capture each of Raja's men.

Bottom Line
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Pazhassi Raja - is majestic

For a Mollywood cinephile, there are quite a number of reasons to watch ‘Pazhassi Raja’. Not only that it is made in the biggest budget ever in Mollywood, it is also an offering from the masters of the media, including Mammootty, M T Vasudevan Nair and Hariharan. Moreover, there are a plenty of other great names including Resul Pookutty, Illayaraja, Sarath Kumar and a plenty of others whose credits itself demand interest. Above all, it is the first visual rendering of the most fascinating epoch making fight of the great leader, against tyranny and oppression of the British.