Sankar Kv

My review: Darbar Murugadoss teams up with superstar Rajni for the first time to tell us the story of a supercop Adithya Arunachalam. The movie opens with gangsters getting killed and newspapers asking whether the Commissioner of police Adithya arunachalam has gone mad and why is he on a killing spree. The reason behind it and what happens after forms the story of Darbar. The movie is the same old story of revenge and has every cliche of a mass masala Rajni movie. Nayanthara plays the love interest of Rajni..now before you raise your eyebrow on that let me tell you that its not the old actor playing young man wooing a heroine the age of his grand daughter. The character Rajni plays is the father of a girl outstandingly portrayed by Nivetha Thomas. The movies best performance comes from her and she wants her dad to get married and there are lots of places where the age difference between the hero and heroine is stated by various characters and that makes the romance in it believable. Nayanthara even though has not much to do in the movie she does her job well and she wasnt made eye candy rather was given a decent role. Nivetha Thomas as mentioned earlier gave a really touching performance(yes i cried at certain places). The editing of the movie was a let down at places and the placing of the song Thani Vazhi lacked impact because it was placed at very normal scenes. The direction was good and Murugadoss has utilized Rajni's swag to the max. Cinematography by Santhosh Sivan was not as great as expected but it was brilliant at some crucial places. The comedy track started of a bit off tune but picked up pace thanks to Yogi Babu Nivetha and Rajni and their good chemistry. I really loved the dad daughter angle in the movie and it really impacted me at certain points(remember where i said i cried). Sunil shetty was underused as a villain, the dreaded don was not dreadful enough. Anyways the one who steals the show is Rajni with his swag style and intensity. At the age of 69 he has given a powerpacked performance and shined really well in both dance and fight scenes where he enforces the statement age is just a number, and thats another thing i liked he is an old person in the movie with the mind and energy of a youngster. The fight sequences were awesome(yes people fly and the hero hits multiple enemies with swag and walks in slo mo....but its Rajnikanth and he can do all that...he is licensed to defy laws of physics...and he will ) and was well choreographed and shot beautifully. Darbar is a pretty straight movie for fans and lovers of mass masala movies and in that category it has delivered. So throw logic and realism away and go watch Darbar for Superstar.

My review : Anjaam paathira Midhun manuel thomas is a director who have proven himself in the genre of comedy through Aadu duology. In his latest directorial venture he has proven his real mettle in the thriller genre. Anjaam pathira starts kunjakko boban as anwar the psychiatrist who also serves as a criminologist part time for the police. The movie gains momentum from the abduction and death of a policeman and that momentum never fades rather gets cranked up keeping us guessing along with the investigation team. Thats where the movie really scores it is an immersive experience. Sushin shyam as the music director gives an epic score aptly placed at places that will jolt us, and gives us goosebumps, it was EPIC. Shyju khalid acts as our eye in the movie and his frames and lighting is impeccable and fresh at the same time very realistic. The color tone at various parts of the movie subtly affects our mood and gives a sense of dread. A movie were every character performs well and has significance is a rarity and anjaam pathira has that. The dialogues are spot on with humor sprinkled to ease us as the movie altogether is very dark and tense. My favourite performances were of Unni maya as DCP Catherine, Jinu joseph as ACP Anil, Sreenath bhasi and the main antagonist(i wont say who it is). Another hero of the movie is the crisp fast and engaging script and direction. It has all the right ingredients of the thriller genre, like i said its immersive mainly because it makes us empathise with characters in the movie, thats not an easy task and Midhun Manuel Thomas has achieved it. Hats off to the team. Anjaam pathira is a must watch and its the best thriller movie of 2020 so far.

Mamankam: My review The plot revolves around the epic arena of vengeance against samoothiri by the chavers of valluvanad. Mammootty plays chandroth panicker a fallen hero and the reason of his fall from grace is presented at the start. Unnimukundan and his nephew are the next generation of chavers who embarks on a journey to join the next mamankam. Their journey and a murder case investigated by siddique forms the rest of the plot. The movie is an awesome concept and had ample room for great action and bloodshed and in depth character analysis but unfortunately the makers focused more on the production than on the performances and screenplay. The dialogues are dramatic in the literal sense where siddique was given the most over the top metaphorical dialogues but his performance was great. Eventhough there is an investigation going on its really predictable and loses flare post interval. The movie began promisingly but started losing its grip in the middle. The editing acts as the villain especially in fight scenes where the flow of a good action sequence is interrupted by forcefully inserted scenes which overused ropes and was really cheesy. That was the main issue with movie. Everytime the action picks up tempo the makers decided to mess it up with poorly executed editing and imbalanced graceless jumping sequences. The movie is almost 2.5 hrs long of which 30 minutes of footage could have edited out because there are so many unnecessary scenes that tests patience. If they had done that and if the action was executed more gracefully this movie would have created more impact. Now for the performances unni mukundan and the boy who played his nephew were really good and the kid's action performance was really good. Mammootty has done justice to his role. Saw many saying his feminine role was awkward but for me apart from the dance part he did it decently. His role is more of a mentor and a protector and he has given his best in action sequences considering his age, but there also poor editing and bad action choreography acts as the spoiler. As an actor Mammootty was underused in the movie and i as an admirer of his acting knows that he could do more than what he did in this movie. The direction is flawed and screenplay was bland. The movie is average due to lack of passion or vision from the makers. The cast did their job well. The bgm and cinematography and the production is the key strength of the movie.Mamankam is a one time watchable movie.

Moothon My Review What happens when a kid from Lakshadweep goes to Mumbai in search of a long lost brother is the central theme of Moothon. Moothon gives you an unadulterated gritty view of a city's dark underbelly and its cold dead inside characters who has gone through every kind of hell one could possibly imagine. @geetu_mohandas doesnt hold back in inducing chills down our spine at the same time enthrall us with beautiful poignant frames through the lens of the incomparable Rajeev ravi. The frames of the island are fantastical where as when it comes to the slums of Kamathipura the frames reek of desperation survival and cold reality of many unfortunate lives. The bgm is immersive and gels well with the movie. Roshan mathew is a precious finding and he is going to go a long way with his subtle natural acting. For the kid who played mulla many accolades await. Now to the main man Nivin pauly. His performance is something way out of his comfort zone and he nailed it in every possible way. His fans might feel really uncomfortable because their achayan just shifted gears from his normal funny chocolate roles to this gangster who is filled up with drugs alcohol hate and desperation. This one movie will redefine his career as an actor. Not going to dwelve deep in to the movie because i am afraid i might wander off in to spoilers. A movie that needs attention more than any Nivin pauly movies so far. Ps :1. Dont expect a commercial mass movie and go in for 2 hrs of relaxation. The movie is intense as hell 2. No aju varghese in this one so there goes your expectations of comedy. Moothon : A must watch. If you thought The Joker was dark...think again.

Lucifer : my review When Prithviraj announced along with Mohanlal that he was going to direct a movie with Murali gopi's script titled Lucifer we were thrilled and curious. Will he be able to pull off such a herculean task of satisfying main stream audience that too with a superstar with a huge fan following. Well to say Prithviraj succeeded will be an understatement. He created a movie we Lalettan fans craved for just like Karthik Subburaj did with Rajnikanth in Petta. Lucifer is pure awesomeness. A pretty straight predictable story with no twists or turns but with well fleshed out characters and impeccably sharp dialogues. Manju warrier as Priyadarshini ramdas reminds us why we used to love her and why we missed her during her long years of sabbatical and why her return to silver screen though flawed at times is a boon to malayalam film industry. Sania ayyapan's best performance till date as Jhanvi. Baiju with his attitude will make us clap everytime he shows up. Fazil did a great job as the Father in his extemded cameo. Tovino as Jathin ramdas is proof that he is an actor who can gel in to any role with ease and finesse. Vivek oberoi as Bobby is one of the best villains I have seen and kudos to his effort in lip synching perfectly in Malayalam and his dubbing by Vineet adds strength to his character. He is evil scheming and perverted and doesnt lose his cool. The good looking suit wearing maniac. Prithviraj also did an excellent job in his extended cameo. Indrajith as govardhan also was a treat. Direction is one of the major strenghts of this movie. Prithviraj just proved he knows what he is doing and what a launch for a debutant director. He knows the pulse of fans and has served a really good feast without losing grip of the story or intention of the scriptwriter Murali gopi. The BGM by deepak dev is different because there are no loud or deafening sounds instead he has given a slow pulsating resonating score that sends chills up our spine. Cinematography by sujith vasudev is good but i personally felt it could have been better in some scenes but majority of the scenes were captured beautifully. The screenplay by Murali gopi is tight and logical.The dialogues penned by him are spot on .Lucifer may not be his best but it is what we needed from him for celebrating Lalettan. Now to The Legend. Mohanlal as Stephen Nedumbally will give you goosebumps every time he comes on screen, interestingly he is not given too much screentime but is given enough...enough to make us die out of exposure to pure awesomeness(yes its the fan boy in me writing). His command over dialogue delivery(in this movie its calm yet scary and badass), the way he looks at people especially in one scene with a police officer, his flexibility(again the policeman scene) and his stuntsman skill is nothing short of legendary. Lucifer is a prime example that why this man is loved and why there was a picture of a family sitting on the steps of theatre to watch Lucifer. God of swag indeed. Watch Lucifer if you would love to celebrate The legend Lalettan and also to watch a movie with layered characters with a message and leave the theatre on a high.

My review :Kumbalangi nights A tale of 4 brothers, their love, their women and their realizations..thats what kumbalangi nights is about. A house with no doors, and its dwellers whose life is complicated , their love hate relationships is portrayed very realistically with beautifully dreamlike visuals that takes the viewer through various emotions . We get attached to the brothers especially Shaji played by Soubin sahir..that guy deserves an award for this role. The performances of Shane nigam, sreenath bhasi, anna ben and the actress who plays her sister were all really good...infact they werent acting ..they were living their roles. Then we have THE FAHADH FAZIL...mentioning his performance without spoilers is impossible...so all i am saying is he is gonna evoke laughter but at the same time everytime he appears on screen there is a feel of dread....he is scary... A great story with so much heart and moments that are unforgettable..kumbalangi nights is a great example of passionately made cinema.... LOVED IT DO NOT MISS IT.

My Review Peranbu(compassion): A movie which is like nature. Profound, brutal yet compassionate. A movie that gifted us with the Mammootty that we missed for a seriously long time. His subtle emotions and his innocence love and his pain will affect us and we will shed a tear for him. His portrayal of Amudhavan , a complicated Father who has to deal with his autistic daughter portrayed with uncanny perfection by Sadhana is one of his finest performances The movie grips us slowly but towards the second half it devours you by the sheer brutality of reality. There are no attempts to forcefully inject melodrama nor there are any twists and turns. All we get to see is life and the course it takes. At the end we will leave peacefully with the gratitude of having a good life. I am not going to extend the review because some experiences cant be converted to words. All I can say is DO NOT MISS THIS MOVIE. Thank you director Ram for this poetic classic and thanks a lot for giving back to us the Mammooka we yearned to see.

Petta : my review...or my fanboy excited writing. 24 years ago baasha was released and i didnt have the luck to go and watch it in a theatre. But the swag and punch line resonated in my life through people and once i saw it on tv i became a rajni devotee.Then came padayappa another rajni movie that awed crowd. After that a proper rajni movie that showcased his acting or superstardom didnt grace the silverscreen apart from sivaji..but still something was missing.Whatever we craved as Rajni fans is served to us in full throttle in PETTA.His looks his swag his dialogue delivery his comic timing and above all his electrifying persona is cranked up to the max in this movie.His acting prowess(especially at one post interval scene) is also put to good use by the genius called Karthik Subburaj.The movie is shot beautifully. Every frame oozes with an artist's touch thanks to the cinematographer Tirru and the bgm by Anirudh boosts Rajni's screen presence to God mode.Vijay sethupathy is kinda underwritten but he has his moments.The villain Singaram played by Navazzudin siddiqi is nothing short of creepy. There is one scene in the movie where we forget we are watching a Rajni movie and just cant help applaud to this ace actor's performance as he shows that he is the best there is in portraying evil in a gruelling scary way(reminded me of ganesh gaithonde and raman raghav 2.0).The script is also tight and well executed (it has its cliche elements but executed so well we love those cliches) and boy oh boy we are in for a surprise like all karthik subburaj movies. His signature is very well seen. PS: Rajnikanth never ages nor does his swag lose flare. He is the GOD of entertainment and style. I am lost at words now ..i am on a high I am typing all this with a huge grin on my face and tears in my eyes. WATCH PETTA...GET #RAJNIFIED ..what a movie..!!!!!!!

Njan prakashan my review: What happens when two legendary storytellers of malayalam cinema join hands after a decade and they choose one of the finest actors of this generation in title role.... Cinematic brilliance. A very simple tale of a cunning selfish young man and his plans to have a luxurious life through shortcuts is presented on screen without an ounce of boredom. Sreenivasan proves again and again that his genius has not faded a bit and he brings freshness through witty dead pan humor. His observations and sarcasm is conveted both explicitly and subtly. If we observe and listen closely there are hints hidden in dialogues that gives us puns sarcasm and slapstick humor. Sathyan anthikkad is always the winner when it comes to presenting a movie with heart and knows how to connect with viewers and make them empathise with characters onscreen. He really knows how to make a movie simple and entertaining without taking the realistic approach away. Now about our main man one and only Fahad fazil. To say he is an awesome actor would be an understatement. He disappears in to the character Prakashan. If we take his career in to account this man can portray any role with conviction and ease. His mannerisms are so natural....its not like watching a movie but somebody hid a camera and we are seeing a guy named prakshan and his way of doing things, his reactions and the complexity of his character. He is THE BEST actor among the current generation of actors. The female leads are also given good space and all characters are likeable and beautiful.😘 The movie is packed with humor and the dramatic parts are very well conveyed that the end note will fill us with so much happiness. Njan prakashan is a really beautifully crafted entertainer with a big heart and a good message. LOVED IT.

Odiyan my review One of the most anticipated malayalam movie got released today overcoming hartal and hit 400 theatres in kerala and almost 3000 across the world. The movie showcases the life of the last odiyan of the village Thenkurissy...Odiyan Manikyan. An expert in odi vidya manikyan is feared by villagers due to his talent in scaring the life out of people and also he is an excellent fighter. One day manikyan has to leave the village to varanasi. The movie begins with his return to thenkurissy after 15 years of exile. So the plot is all about why did manikyan leave and what prompted his return and what happens when the old man who used darkness as an ally comes to the new era of light . The movie finds its strength in the electrifying performances of Mohanlal Manju warrier and Prakash raj. Manju warrier looks stunningly beautiful and this is her best performance since her return to the big screen. She stands equal to manikyan and ravunni(prakash raj). Prakash raj as ravunni nair is poison in human form. He despises manikyan and is openly fowl mouthed and says mean things with conviction that the viewer feels really disgusted about the character which is a success as a villain. Mohanlal plays odiyan manikyan with ease. He has been utilised as an actor very well and is a treat to watch. The songs are well placed and are really shot brilliantly. On the technical side the bgm and cinematography is brilliant and every frame is beautiful. The bgm by Sam C S is electrifying. Vfx is just mediocre but there are places it worked fine...especially at the climax. The story is easily predictable and the script is good Action choreography by peter hein is good but the climax fight felt too rushed and difficult to follow. The movie would have been much better if the fight scenes were done better. So is odiyan a good movie ...its a definte yes. It is a class movie with just enough mass elements. But does the movie live up to its hype...its a no. The director went over the top with his rantings trying to encash the superstardom of mohanlal. The direction is just ok. If at all the director kept quiet about his movie and let audience decide the movie could have been seen in a different perspective. Personally i liked the movie especially the performances cinematography and bgm. Its definitely worth a watch. Moral of the story : make a movie shut up and it might fare better.