Christian Brothers - Goes the 'Twenty:20' way

Cast: Mohanlal, Suresh Gopi, Dileep, Sarath Kumar, Lakshmi Rai, Kanika, Lakshmi Gopalswamy, Saikumar, Biju Menon, Vijayaraghavan, Suresh Krishna, Kunchan, Anand, Suraj Venjaramood, Shobha Mohan

Direction: Joshy

Production: A.V. Anoop, Maha Subair

Music: Deepak Dev

The movie as expected presents its four heroes in their stylish avatars, voicing punchlines and engaging in well choreographed action sequences.

'Christian Brothers' has superstar Mohanlal as Christie alias 'Sherson', the elder brother of Jojy (Dileep), Jessy (Lakshmi Gopalaswamy) and Stella (Kaniha) who belongs to the wealthy and eminent Palamattam Tharavadu. Christie and Jojy but failed to be in the mould and interests of their famous father Capt. Varghese Mappilai (Sai Kumar), the former turning into a police informer based in Mumbai, and the later opting out of priest hood after falling in love with Meenakshi (Kavya Madhavan), the daughter of State home minister.

The movie doesn't take time for a safe landing with issues addressed from the minute one, ranging from deals of land mafia, murder of upright village officer Kochuthoma (Jagathy Sreekumar), and the opponents led by Thampy (Vijayaraghavan) and his sons, including the I PS officer (Biju Menon), the kidnapping of Meenakshi and much more.

Bottom Line

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Christian Brothers - Goes the 'Twenty:20' way

'Christian Brothers' is a definite prescription for all lovers of heavy masala fares of Mollywood. At the box-office, 'Christian Brothers' will have a good opening and may end up as 'more than a safer hit' in days to come!

Puthumukhangal - flow down into oblivion

Cast: Suraj Venjaramood, Innocent, Salim Kumar

Producer: Salahudeen

Director: Don Alex, Biju, Majeed

Music Director: Shyam Dharman, Rajesh Krishna

The song and dance routine goes on without any sign of stopping whatsoever. The only difference perhaps is that the film has been set in an Agricultural College campus. There are no stream specific farming activities on display except for a scene where the elder students are asked to prepare for the field for the younger students.

Essentially there are two narratives in the film that progress parallel to each other. They coincide a bit later but the impact is ineffective. Even undiscriminating viewers would find something remotely interesting in all this muddle.

There is a villain who drops down from the middle of nowhere and who creates a ruckus for no purpose whatsoever. The reason why he is there, is because things have to turn from bad to worse at some point. He does manage to do the needful in bringing about this mishap. The girls in the film are there, since what fun could an all male film be?

Bottom Line

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Puthumukhangal - flow down into oblivion

This is the moment of experimentation in Malayalam cinema. The moment when promising ventures get lauded, and those unpromising get drowned in a flood down the drain. Sad then, that Puthumukhangal that wastes opportunity and talent would flow down into oblivion in no time.

Natakame Ulakam - Lacking sense

Cast: Mukesh, Vinu Mohan, Sarayu, Suraj Venjaramoodu, Jagathy Sreekumar

Direction: Viji Thampi

Music: Johnson

The movie has Mukesh as Omanakuttan, a sincere cooperative bank manager, living a happy life with his wife and only daughter. Though an ardent dramatist and theatrical activist he gets very less opportunity to show off his talents. And when ever he catches one, he will take over the show as the director, scripter and even the lead artist. He has only one dream-of being in at least one cinema at some point of his life. He faces tough rebukes from his father in law-'Labham Lambodharan Pillai' (Jagathy Sreekumar) for this care free attitude.

The arrival of Pavanan Parassala (Suraj Venjaramoodu), who presents himself as one of the assistants of Steven Spielberg ,presently planning to debut into Malayalam films becomes a turning point in the life of Omanakuttan. He is now selected as the hero, producer and scriptwriter of the movie. But within days he realises that Pavanan is a fraud incapable of shorting a single scene. Now Omanakuttan is faced with the task of somehow completing the movie that he has already started.

Into these chaos is the side track involving Murali (Vinoo Mohan), Omanakuttan's younger brother who is in love with Nandhana (Saranya) the girl from the same village, now selected as the heroine of the movie produced by Omanakuttan. Murali's attempts to somehow thwart the movie production, to bring back Nandhana to his life creates further problems to Omanakuttan who is already in great financial debt, following his fancies with film.

Bottom Line

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Natakame Ulakam - Lacking Sense

Viji Thampi, who had made at least a dozen of well created comedies will realize that comedy is quite a difficult emotion to create on celluloid, if it is backed by poor script lines. 'Natakame Ulakam' thus ends as a light entertainer with comedy attempts witnessed umpteen times in the past. At the box-office, lack of publicity and ordinary merits is sure to add to its woes.

Living Together - This is bad film making, Fazil

Banner: Pilakkandi Filims

Cast: Hemanth, Sreelekha, Anoop Menon

Direction: Fazil

Production: Mohammed Basheer

Music: M. Jayachandran

This highly forgettable film from the legendary director is narrated as being told by its protagonist Hemachandran (Hemanth Menon), who has just returned from Germany, to his kids (apparently too small to have found interest in hearing such a story).The flashback has him in his start of his adulthood, working as a mechanical engineer, musing in making interesting discoveries.He falls in love with the neighbourhood girl Shyama (Sree Rekha), who had always made it a hobby to make youngsters around to fall in love with her. And within days she will throw them out of her life to make their life dismal. Surprisingly these tactics are all with the support of her family members including her grandfather (Nedumudi Venu) and others played by Innocent, Bindu Panikkar, Anoop Chandran and Lakshmi Priya and also a host of children from her neighbourhood.

But this time with Hemachandran, the story is a bit different. Shyama also feels for him and his qualities and when Heman's mother (Menaka) approaches Shyama's family for a relationship, the big secrets about her astrological problems and mysteries of mind are unveiled. Adding to this is a drug addict and manic Sathyamoorthy who had taken a bail from Bangalore jail, with the intention to rape and kill Shyama, for she had made him suffer behind bars for another rape attempt of her friend. Adding to this is a horror story planted in a haunted house where a spirit is running loose to attain salvation.

Bottom Line

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Living Together - This is bad film making, Fazil

On the whole, 'Living Together' just don't have a thing, except good songs and graceful costumes, that may impress anyone.

Payyan - Good Storyline but in an old narrative style

Director: Leo Thaddeus

Music: Alphonse

Cast: Jayasurya, Anjali, Lal, Rohini

Josy (Jayasurya) lives in a huge bungalow, with his mother Padma (Rohini). He is yet to complete his engineering and likes to go around in style, doing nothing worthwhile. His mother tries to make him disciplined, but she loves him a bit too much to impose any rules to make him realize all that.

There are no real clues about his dad, John Varghese (Lal), a marine engineer who never returned home after a trip to Sri Lanka. Josy becomes a radio-jockey pretty easily and falls in love with Seema (Anjali), a sound engineer at the radio station. Things take some dramatic turns, after some time.

Bottom Line

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Payyan - Good Storyline but in an old narrative style

Payyans is all about the coming of age of a reckless youth. There is an inherent honesty about the storyline for sure, but even then it barely affects you with a shaky script and the narrative style is a tad too old. Now if you think all these fit your concept of entertainment, well, give this one a try.

Makeup Man - a story happening behind the camera

Director: Shafi

Music: Vidyasagar

Cast: Jayaram, Sheela,Suraj Venjarammoodu

Balu (Jayaram) is in dire straits after his event management company run into heavy losses. He has nowhere to go and just then Soorya (Sheela), who is madly in love with him, flees from home before her marriage. The lovebirds tie the knot with the help of a film production manager Kichu Manjaly (Suraj Venjarammoodu).

After some dramatic twists and turns, Soorya is chosen as the heroine in the film in which Kichu is working. The director changes her name to 'Anamika' and Balu remains with her, as her personal makeup man.

Bottom Line

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Makeup Man - a story happening behind the camera

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Makeup Man has nothing great to offer for the viewers. If your idea of entertainment is limited to those lines, well, it could turn out to be a watchable fare at best.

Race - tries to be a thriller

Cast: Kunjackko Boban, Mamta Mohandas, Indrajith, Gowri Munjal, Jagathi Sreekumar, Sreejith Ravi, Geetha Vijayan, Baby Ankitha

Producer: Jose K George, Shaji Mecheri

Director: Kukku Surendran

Music Director: Vishwajith

In 'Race', it's Dr. Eby John (Kunchacko Boban) who is caught in a race against time with his wife Niya (Mamta Mohandas), when their daughter is kidnapped by a stranger by the name of Niranjan (Indrajith) and his accomplice Shwetha (Gouri Munjal). The couple desperately tries to amass the ransom in 24 hours to save their kid, only to find that Niranjan has raised it by another crore.

Bottom Line

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Race - tries to be a thriller

'Race' is no 'Butterfly on the Wheel', and given its lame script, it cannot even aspire to be a 'Cocktail'. It's a wannabe cat and mouse thriller that tries to keep you on the edge of your seats. But with the thin thrills and clunky dialogues, that would indeed be a bit too much to expect from 'Race'.