In the safe hands of God

Daivathinte Swantham Cleetus (Malayalam)

Director: Marthandan

Cast: Mammootty, Siddique, P. Balachandran, Honey Rose

Playing character after character cloaked in yards of goodness did not help a career graph that seemed to be spiralling downwards. So taking a chance and playing a baddie who eventually gets reformed, with a little help from God, seems wise.

And with the festive season on in God’s own country, director Marthandan’s Daivathinte Swantham Cleetus could provide that first tiny swing upward for actor Mammootty’s career graph.

Cleetus (Mammootty) is a small time goon who is roped in to play Jesus Christ in a Biblical light-and-sound show by a priest (Siddique). His serene look and quiet demeanour convince the priest and members of the troupe that he is the perfect person for the role. Only till Cleetus’ antecedents and unscrupulous character is revealed.

Set against the backdrop of theatre, the script by Benny P. Nayarambalam provides enough scope for some good laughs, though you’d end up wishing this were a complete laugh riot. The scriptwriter has also neatly cobbled up Biblical references with the storyline and there aren’t too many untidy patches showing.

Marthandan, who has been an associate director in the industry for more than a decade, makes a safe debut.Mammootty’s portrayal of Cleetus is refreshing and fun in turns. Siddique, Suraj Venjaramood, P. Balachandran, Aju Varghese, Honey Rose and Sanam Shetty do justice to their roles, but in the end, are only meant to be satellites revolving around the superstar.

Tracing Cleetus’ transformation from evil to good, the film is a watchable fare. Does it mean resurrection for the superstar? Only, almost.

The review was first published in The Hindu.

High expectations belied

Film: Kunjananthante Kada (Malayalam)

Director: Salim Ahamed

Cast: Mammootty, Nyla Usha, Balachandra Menon, Siddique

A debut film that swept the National and State Film Awards. Screenings across the globe at prominent film festivals.

India’s Oscar entry in 2011. Rave reviews and much critical acclaim.

That’s a whole lot of baggage to handle. It is difficult to sweep those expectations under the carpet and view a director’s second film without drawing parallels to a brilliant first. It has almost been two years since Salim Ahamed’s Abu effortlessly walked into our hearts.

When Kunjananthan opened shop this weekend, the comparisons were inevitable.

In the imposing shadow of a frail Abu, Kunjananthan appears dwarf-like. But, nevertheless, the makers of Kunjananthante Kada deserve an objective review.

The idea of the neighbourhood provision store which becomes a point of reference in conversations, a meeting place, and even a landmark over time strikes an immediate chord with the viewer. So does the image of the shopkeeper behind jars of mouth-watering goodies.

His deep bond with the shop he inherits, carrying memories of filial affection and his refusal to part with it would have gone on to be a great story. One that would have cemented Salim Ahamed’s place in Malayalam cinema. But, only if he had remembered that the script is at the soul of a film.

Kunjananthan (Mammootty) manages a provision store in a small village in Kannur. Resigned to an unhappy marriage, it is this shop that is at the centre of his existence.

The owner of the building pleads with him to vacate the shop so he may settle his debts, but Kunjananthan does not relent.

Eviction, however, seems unavoidable when the government tries to acquire land for a road development project. Kunjanthan’s travails to retain the shop form the second-half of the film.

The film has everything else going for it.

A good story that offers a delightful peek into small town life, one that has been pushed to the fringes by filmmakers today.

The throbbing life in villages and the distinctive Kannur slang are refreshing. So are performances by a stellar cast – Mammootty as the eponymous hero, debutant Nyla Usha as his wife, Balachandra Menon as a self-taught lawyer and Siddique as the building’s owner.

Excellent background score by Issac Thomas Kottukappilly, music by M. Jayachandran and sound editing by Resul Pookkutty.

Stunning visuals by veteran cinematographer Madhu Ambat. Some good observations on development and growth, and comments on a Facebook-crazy, smartphone-addicted population. The ingredients are all just right, but without the chef’s master touch, the film ends up being a half-baked cake.

There are no easy answers to the development-displacement debate, and the filmmaker loses direction once he has swerved to take that giddy route.

With a storyline that fizzles out in the second half, the film leaves you unmoved.

Forget Adaminte Makan Abu, its many laurels, the director who held out a lot of promise and watch this one without strings attached. And you may be a little less disappointed.

The review was first published in The Hindu on September 1, 2013.

A forgettable trip

Film Review: Kadal Kadannu Oru Mathukutty

Director: Ranjith

Cast: Mammootty, Siddique, Nedumudi Venu, P. Balachandran, Muthumani, Alisha Mohammed

The non-resident Keralite’s celebrated nostalgia and his search for redemption in his homeland, garnished with ladles of camaraderie and pinches of bitter experiences is just the perfect recipe for a festival release. Add to that a superstar as the central character, an ensemble cast, a director whose name carries reverberations of box-office hits and it is almost a winning formula. Well, almost. There could, always, be exceptions. Ranjith’s Kadal Kadannu Oru Mathukutty is one such exception.

George Mathew aka Mathukutty (Mammootty) is a man on a mission. He has been entrusted by the Malayali association of Mettmann in Germany to rope in actor Mohanlal for their silver jubilee celebrations. Bullied by his wife (Muthumani), ignored by his children and eager to go home, Mathukutty grabs the opportunity and heads to Pathanamthitta, his hometown.

After rounds of the very predictable catching up with old friends and long-winding walks down memory lane later, events go out of control (as does the already tottering script) till the NRK’s rose-tinted view of God’s own country is smothered by ground realities. Strangely, it is only the viewers who feel that sense of déjà vu with a stale plot.

If you are wondering what’s new here, there is the setting in Germany (emphasised enough times to turn you off) and the fact that it is not just the protagonist’s expectations that come crashing down.

What director-scriptwriter Ranjith serves up for the much-awaited festival season is an insipid fare of leftovers, devoid of the ‘spirit’ of his previous outings. A patchwork of a script from a master scenarist with failed attempts at humour, satire and the absurd and a poor choice of actors (most of them versatile, but unsuited for their respective roles) leave the viewer disappointed. Dangling before the viewers, a glittering array of popular stars in cameos (Mohanlal, Dileep, Jayaram, et al.) is little compensation.

There is some talk of Gandhism accompanied by blaring background music (whatever happened to subtleties?), some on how money makes the world go round (think Pranchiyettan and the Saint andIndian Rupee), some on the vices of drinking (Spirit) and very little that is original or new.

Casting actors who have scripted recent successes or carved niches for themselves cannot salvage a movie that does not quite appeal to the sensibility or intelligence of the “average film-goer”. The director’s voiceover that booms at the end of the film almost seems like his excuse for letting his fans down.

Two strong points in the script are left unexplored: One: the character of Vidyadharan (Tini Tom) as the one-man media outfit that rakes up controversies. And two: the concept of NRIs switching on a mental calculator that is perpetually converting dollars/euros into rupee. Tiny strokes of brilliance lost in a confused plot.

Mammootty’s performance as the unassuming, submissive Mathukutty is that of a master at work. Let down by a weak script and not finding enough support in competent co-actors who are similarly tied down, the actor’s efforts are almost wasted. Mathukutty crossed the seas and arrived with a lot of expectations. He came, he saw, but did not conquer. And his trip remains largely forgettable.

The review was first published in The Hindu, August 11, 2013