Ezra

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Vampire Owl: Malayalam movies have always needed more horror movies.

Vampire Bat: This has come after a long wait too.

Vampire Owl: Do you remember the last time we really loved a Malayalam horror movie?

Vampire Bat: I am not sure about that. We have been loving the Hollywood horror only.

Vampire Owl: I heard that it has a little bit of Jewish culture in Kerala.

Vampire Bat: And that it was also going to be dubbed into more than one other language?

Vampire Owl: I hope one or two vampire languages are added.

Vampire Bat: I am sure that this one will be different. It is evident from the poster and also from what people talk about it.

Vampire Owl: Ghosts need to be shown different, because they are all not the same.

Vampire Bat: Well, maybe this is the answer to the prayers of many such spirits.

[Gets the tickets with masala tea and caramel popcorn].

What is the movie about? :: Ranjan Mathew (Prithviraj Sukumaran) is an orphan and a successful professional working in Mumbai. After falling in love with an interior designer Priya Raghunathan (Priya Anand) who is also based in Mumbai, they get married against the wishes of her parents. One and half years later, he gets a transfer to Cochin, and despite Priya’s reluctance to move from the city which had become a part of her, they relocate to the new place, which is a mansion-like old house rented to them upon the recommendation of Father Samuel (Vijayaraghavan) who is not just a priest, but also Ranjan’s uncle. Ranjan’s company is dealing with disposing the nuclear waste from the nuclear reactors in South India, and he is in charge of the operations. Meanwhile, A.C.P. Shafeer Ahammed (Tovino Thomas) is tired of investigating a strange murder in an antique shop which leaves no clue.

So, what happens next? :: As Priya has a lot of free time, she tries to do some interior work for their new house and buys some interesting items from the shop of Moosa (Alencier Ley Lopez) who had managed to bring a few new things of interest from the house of a Jew who died without a heir in the country, as everyone had left for Israel. After getting a box from the shop and opening it, things begin to change, as Priya sees a creepy figure in the mirror as well as the wardrobe, and Ranjan hears footsteps from the roof – and more spooky things follow. As Father Samuel finds Jewish inscriptions on a strange box, he advises Ranjan to consult Rabbi David Benyamin (Babu Antony) who resides in Mumbai. As Ranjan comes to know that Priya is pregnant, he becomes more desperate, but David’s death follows, and now the only hope seems to be in the form of Rabbi Marcus (Sujith Shanker) who has arrived at Cochin.

The defence of Ezra :: There is variety without doubt in Ezra, and the same can be said about the quality displayed in this movie. The visuals are really well-used here to create the advantage, and the darkness as well as some spooky elements are created well with the use of sound effects, and these work really well in the first half to make us interested in the second. There is also a lot in the story told here, unlike the other horror movies, and the creature that this flick chooses here is not among the usual ones, as the myth used is something not many people around here have known before. The use of a perfect setting and antiques happen to be something that works for this flick more than any other horror movie. There is also one twist that happens by the end, even though it is the only big surprise in the movie, and could have been presented in a better way. The songs are good, especially “Lailakame”.

The claws of flaw :: The movie does get a curse, and it happens in the second half, as many other movies – this evil spirit doesn’t really make that much impact as it should in the latter part, and the final exorcism, brings nothing huge. There were so many possibilities with this movie, and the infinite chances are not used at all – it is kind of strange that the movie doesn’t bring the special ingredient; there were so many opportunities and Ezra hesitates to think out of the box, even with a spirit from inside a box. As we see the characters watching The Conjuring 2 on television, one has no doubt about one movie which has inspired this one. But Ezra has so much of hesitation in unleashing the terror – the viewers find so many situations which could have been scarier, but the movie doesn’t seem to find the need to bring huge scares. Also, at one point, you feel that this is the Odette Annable starrer The Unborn, but then it is not; there is just the dybbuk and the pregnancy in common.

Performers of the soul :: In a movie that has Prithviraj as the protagonist, it is him who leads the way – it is the first half that gets the best of him with a simple and rather natural touch to the proceedings – not that much with the final scenes though. Priya Anand makes a Malayalam debut which the Keralites will remember. Sujith Shanker makes a surprising entry here, and in this role, most of us might not even recognise that he is the same person from Njan Steve Lopez and Maheshinte Prathikaram – it is quite solid work. Tovino Thomas, even though he is there for less amount of time, has his moments. Vijayaraghavan is fine there, but Babu Antony’s stay is cut short; the same is the case of Pratap K. Pothen and Alencier Ley Lopez who leaves the proceedings rather too early. Sudev Nair and Ann Sheetal has a nicely created flashback scene which is done fine.

How it finishes :: There is a little shortage of horror movies in Malayalam movie industry, and there is a lot of shortage in the case of good horror movies – the latter is also applicable to the Bollywood film industry too, which is why, for the Indian cinema as a whole, the requirement is for more good horror. There is no need for more drama and more romance – there is too much of the same already, and there is nothing closer to life than horror, in one way or the other. Therefore, Ezra‘s presence is something which has to be appreciated, and despite not using all the possibilities in the scary side, manages to be a horror movie with a difference as far as the Malayalam movie industry is considered. It is evident that the Malayalam movies are back after that break – and each release this year, including Munthirivallikal Thalirkkumbol, Jomonte Suviseshangal, Fukri and Ezra have stayed different from each other.

Release date: 10th February 2016
Running time: 147 minutes
Directed by: Jay K
Starring: Prithviraj Sukumaran, Priya Anand, Tovino Thomas, Sudev Nair, Vijayaraghavan, Sujith Shanker, Pratap K. Pothen, Babu Antony, Alencier Ley Lopez, Ann Sheetal

ezra

@ Cemetery Watch
✠ The Vampire Bat.

83 thoughts on “Ezra”

  1. Yet to release here since aSINGAM 3 (aSINGAM means Vritthikedu in Tamil) is playing in many screens….
    The movie is receiving rave reviews I heard….
    I read bits and pieces of your post but will read it fully once I watch the movie this friday!

    Liked by 1 person

    • Yes, the reviews have all been positive; its good, but could have been scarier.

      I do wonder why a movie like Singham has sequels. And then I remember that money and fan worship are everything for too many people.

      Liked by 1 person

  3. I agree with you!! Ezra could have been far better……far far better….Nothing really scared me.Barring that Middle of the night thumping in the attic and Priya Anand walking with that bloodied white bag in the night…..I was not that impressed really…..Ezra falls short……Aaaa prethathinnu odukkathey buddhiyanallo bhai….Ranjante ID card vachu athu kandu pidichallo he was working in a nuke waste disposing company ennokkey……
    Naagavalliyeppoley Dummy alla kakshi…….Nalla Nuclear Technology ariyavunna nalla kudumbatthil piranna…Onnantharam Phd ulla.Jootha Pretham…..
    ..It was very silly…..
    Or did Ezra posses him while he was inside the high security set up….if yes then why didnt it set off that disaster then and there???
    Its quiet baffling………

    And why on earth is every body on the same page everytime about SUPERNATURAL…
    Ranjan is a bloody manager…..Tovino is a bloody Police officer….
    They never had a rebellious dialogue…..That I dont believe in these bullshits….and then experiencing the spirit………
    It was only Babu antony and may be Vijayaraghavan….whom I heard saying…..something about supernatural and ningal okkey cheruppakaaralley……
    Not even a contempt filled dialogue for Tovino……..even when they decide to dig the cemetry………god………

    I couldnt help notice the coincidence between Manichitrathazhu…and Ezra……
    Nakulan comes back, Ranjan comes back to their homelands…
    Both their wives are urban and are home sick to an extent….
    Their Wives are fascinated by things old….
    Their curiosity goes overboard
    Ganga opens thekkini…….Priya opens Dibbuk…..
    Signs start appearing…..
    Then she gets threatened….
    Then he gets threatened……
    Then They call a saviour……Dr. Sunny, Gimpson Rabbi
    They take a trip down to discover the missing links….
    They recognize that Nagavalli and Thekkini and Ezra and the Attic are problems
    Katthi kadhara and some maaraka aayudhangal edutthu maattunnu..
    Here mirrors inu spray paint adikkunnu…..
    They are helped by Vijayaraghavan and Thilakan
    Then Aaa Manasika Rogi Sreedevi alla and Aaa possessed woman Priya alla..
    Hence they distract Nagavalli with oru murai vanthu paarthaya and Ranjan is distracted by his mother in laws visit to the temple….
    In the meantime they lay the master plan…
    And when the D day comes they both get exorcised….
    But where Ezra fails Manichithrathazhu succeeds……
    Because Nagavalli wanted revenge against a person……
    But Ezra wanted revenge against a society…………
    And the latter is difficult to show on screen…..

    Liked by 2 people

      • Otthiri Saadhyathakal ulla oru subject aayirunnu! I sincerely thought it could ve been better!! When Daniel Radcliff watches from the gate that woman from a window up in the castle and climbs up to check it out….and finds no one…..and when camera zooms out showing her right behind them…….Athokkey kandu pedichu….moothram ozhikkan polum pokaathirunnittundu……..In many ways watching Ezra makes us realises that….Woman in black 1, and many James wan movies like conjuring are all gems……..The movies main selling point seems to be the twist in climax scene……but……..Not that great………Once your target multiplies and becomes abstract like revenge on a village…….it becomes too difficult to sustain the horror because the focal point is lost……Prithviraj fans are selling it like a relief from our good old white saree clad manthravadam….free and joke free horror movie…….Saree is replaced by wedding gowns, manthravadam became black magic in hebrew……And the biggest joke is the Nuclear Revenge…..

        Liked by 1 person

      • It becomes more of a movie that looks better than the rest – I thought it was going to be The Unborn – but it went full Hollywood style, like part of many other movies. Compared to those lesser known thrillers like 10 Kalpanakal which can’t even copy well enough to make anything work, this one has the edge.

        Liked by 1 person

      • Making original thriller and horror movies are really difficult for the makers here, right? Just like those inspired “Bollywood” movies. People watch too many movies in other languages and goes the easy way.

        Liked by 1 person

      • But there could be some great exceptions once in a while like DRISHYAM or even a MANICHITRATHAZHU or a SHUTTER!! What I am saying is I want Us, Malayalam Industry, to set the trend..All the above movies were made into other languages and they were all hits….So after having watched these pioneering efforts in the previous years….we look forward to movies like EZRA to take this creative trend forward….But unfortunately that did not happen!! Take the scene where Ranjan gets all tied up and the camera turns to Gimpson Rabbi in full and He proclaims “Ezra yude aathmaavu ninnilaanu Ranjan” to a blaring background score..This is called spoon feeding…It could have been more subtle…Ranjan could have shown speaking hebrew suddenly or even better They should have tied up Priya and they realising it later. Instead they went for bodies flying…jumping…and falling…I thought for a moment PAMBU JOY from Pavada is getting exorcised…You know the attires were the same right?? The above mentioned CLASSIC MOVIES are an exception but I want it to be the rule….

        Liked by 1 person

      • Our audience wants to be spoon-fed, don’t they? And the makers go the safe path. I am sure that they won’t be doing that. One movie which I felt was so good and different than everything else was Amen – that kind of a thing didn’t come up again. They all hate to be “the exception” as they are afraid to fail; all are burdened by the availability of easy passages which make money. The others also can also come up with big collections, but “why take the risk?” according to them.

        Liked by 1 person

      • Yeah!! Lijo Jose Pellissery has been experimenting right from the word go! Angamali Diaries inte trailer kandu…Waiting for that….And the way EZRA was promoted online by his fans, the paid reviews and all that..I thought it was all part of the promotion game!! Other minnows too need the space you see!! They are buried under the marketing blitzkrieg!!

        Liked by 1 person

      • We can see the name of the main promoters in the beginning of the movie – that way we can understand which sites are paid reviewers and which ones are not; they remain the same for most of the movies in Malayalam.

        Now, it is The Great Father which is promoted the most before its release.

        Liked by 1 person

      • And I forgot to ask you one thing: Avidey, I mean Keralathiley multiplex ukalil Ticket fare ethreya? Here in Tamil Nadu Ticket rates inu Govt. ceiling undu..Across the board its 120 rupees here. It may change in future…But during huge releases they create artificial scarcity and increase the rate for tickets in black even upto lakhs…..My question is avidey rates uniform for multiplexes aano atho do you have many rates??

        Liked by 1 person

      • The lowest rate on weekends is Rs. 103. The highest is Rs. 323, which I have seen at PVR Lulu, I think. The lowest I have seen on weekdays is Rs. 73 for the first show of the day.

        Liked by 1 person

      • Okay! Here the lowest is Rs 10…and the highest is Rs.120….And thats about it! Add ons like Service Tax and Food increases it a bit but the ticket rate is the same…There is a state govt. ceiling….and the industry is not happy about it…They may raise it..
        Anyways…I was just asking it out of curiosity!!

        Liked by 1 person

      • Ha Ha Ha!!
        May be! The scenario here is this…Early morning 6.00 am, I have seen Bengalis standing in queue to get these 10 rs tickets….Later they or their bosses will sell them in black….The tickets are given out earlier than the shows and they disappear like hot cakes….The same thing will happen in Kerala too.if 10 rs tickets came..Outsourcing to Bengalis and Biharis…..
        But if you go for a Rs. 10 ticket, …The screen is just 5 or 6 feet away from you…The seat, I guess, will not recline…And you will have severe neck pain looking up at the screen and adjusting yourselves in the seat..Then Paan Masala yude pervading smell…And die hard fans shouting and all….
        When I was in college, I use to go with friends….Apocalypto and some other tamil movies I have watched in 10 Rupees…And I was narrating my experience above….
        Its called as the movie theater hierarchy in a multiplex…
        .Any chennai city boy from who has studied in an arts college within the city will go for 10 rs tickets to begin with…..But when you get a job….you change to 120 and do so regularly when you have a girlfriend…..And when family comes along..booking online…along with food combos to make sure everything is comfortable…When you get married choosing seats while booking online .too becomes a collective decision.. …
        The thing is, when you are climbing this ladder up, you shed your tags of the Die hard – First Day First Show-Dancing and Removing Your Shirt – Fan to a Thinking Fan who likes Moives more than the stars….Some transform but some refuse to shun it parading it all around….

        Liked by 1 person

      • Ennittum Piracy kku oru kuravum illa…You know what Tamil Rockers challenged Singam 3 producer on FB that they will screen Singam 3 on the same day of release……They succeeded! The print was a theater print though! But still they did it!! Piracy is a menace here despite the ceiling on ticket pricing!!

        Liked by 1 person

      • Yup! Things are cooking in the background to get rid of Tamil Rockers..here…by Nadigar Sangam…Pakshey nobody knows who operates these sites and from where….Like the giants of hollywood came together to destroy U Torrent…these guys, mainly the producers here want an encore…..

        Liked by 1 person

      • Yeah…Infact I had mentioned it before new year, in December 2016, to you about it…The Tamil Cinema Industry finished the year 2016 on a high with D 16… The director is all of 21 Years old….The movie is 1 hour 45 mins long I guess….No deviations…Nothing…Just pure thrill…The climax has two twists….the second one is Out of this world….Its still playing here…I guess you should watch it….Its available on dailymotion website…Even the director knows that!!
        Please check out the trailer before watching. It doesnt give away anything…Only adds to our curiosity!!

        Liked by 1 person

      • Oh I see!!
        If it is still running go watch it in big screen…else I will mention a link below because the DVDs have not come out yet…..The director tried narrating the story to many producers…no one cared because he was too young….Then He conveyed this to his father. They launched a production company……And the rest as they say is history!!!
        Even if you not like the movie the final twist is beautiful!!
        http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x5aoiax_dhuruvangal-pathinaaru-2016-hd-avc-mp4-esubs-tamil-movie-part-1_shortfilms

        Liked by 1 person

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  10. Right above this comment, there is a fascinating conversation between us!!
    I recommended this review and comments to one of my blogger friend coz I covered many things right above in the comments section and couldnt type it all….!!

    Liked by 1 person

      • You mean the movie right?
        Now how did you find the last half an hour?
        He was literally playing with us, wasnt he?
        You will either be confused or would have decided already who was good and who was bad! Your conclusions most probably wouldve been wrong!!

        Liked by 1 person

      • Hmmm….I dont really cannot comment on all foreign films but I do keep an eye on Korean thriller/horror flicks….And yes they dont disappoint at all! But many Iranian/Japanese films are really good I hear!!

        Liked by 1 person

      • I consider watching the same to be a really good idea; there will be something that will provide us with something different here and there.

        Like

      • Yes! I too had a plan to go attend film festivals but could not due to time crunch…It would be really good if we attend IFFKA or any other film festivals….And keeping an eye on films which stood out in festivals too could help….

        Liked by 1 person

      • There are also some very small film festivals being held all around. They choose from such big listings, and bring it to towns and all – I heard Aluva had one recently.

        Like

      • But I bet you will like it because, I have always felt that you go soft on Prithviraj…..Lol! I could be wrong but the second half of this movie is full of heroism which appeals to fans who go “RAJUVETTAN DA” chants…The movie gets weaker trying to destroy Godmen while going soft on religion itself….Thats what I heard…..Hope you will check it out!

        Liked by 1 person

      • Prithviraj is the one actor who seems to do movies which I wish to watch – the other youngsters rather stay away from the kind of things which I prefer. Fahadh is everywhere, but among the rest, I would trust this man – not being a fan though, for I don’t like people outside the screen; not my concern.

        Watched the movie btw, and the “Rajuvettan slow motion beating up shooting everyone da” shots come as the low point; felt the fist half was too good though, and I liked the philosophy.

        Liked by 1 person

      • I am deleting Tiyaan’s comment section, as the movie seems to be turning controversial at least for some people. It will remain closed as I don’t have time for what might come as in the review pages elsewhere.

        Like

      • Why?
        I would say let it stay!
        Its your blog…..and its you who allow and disallow comments…..So dont be afraid of what may happen if others find it out….Let them come!! And btw our discussions are all meta level…..Nobody will understand!!

        Liked by 1 person

      • Yes, but my blog traffic has been on the increase, and there seems to be too many people belonging to different groups degrading Tiyaan and with the same making no sense – they even copy the same comments. I get tired of the negativity that people find, which I cannot negate myself.

        Like

      • Well if you think some comments are negative you can go ahead and delete them….Its your call….Abusive non sensical comments I mean….Others…..I think they should stay…Okay its your call……You can delete all comments, some or leave it as it is….I am okay with anything you do….You cannot argue with those negative guys…..Guess you should reduce your response to one line sticking to the fact that “come hell or high water I loved TIYAAN and would proudly say it was a great cinematic work”. If they are copying my comments, then let me tell you I have not watched the movie and was guessing it….Its not released here and would love to watch and will support you no matter what the movie is like………good or bad…..taking good things and leaving bad things……

        Liked by 1 person

      • They are copying the same comments they are posting in the social media – along with the same, they add something extra.
        Plus, the e-mail addresses they provide are all fake. I started replying, but then I realized that I am replying for no use because in the absence of an e-mail id, they will never be notified of a reply.
        I have actually wrote some negative things about the movie too, but they surely haven’t read them – they just saw that it was a positive review.
        Most of the comments actually show that they are yet to read most part of the review, because I have already explained what they are trying to explain.

        As Tiyaan touches the religious side, I feel that there could be fire, and so I am not letting people climb on to a comment or its reply, going on and on.

        Like

      • Okay its your call……I will be happy with anything…coz its your blog….Can you please provide the links for the copied comments? I would love to check them out….out of curiosity…..And you can take your call…..I will support whatever you do…..

        Liked by 1 person

      • I have actually trashed them all. There is talk about the religion of the characters in the movie and also about certain incidents in Kashmir, Iraq and Syria – I am surprised how that got to do with this movie, its message or the blog. The comments there were yesterday, and I am not able to find them; hadn’t cared that much about them until got something on my comments.

        Like

      • Online just seems a lot ridiculous. I wonder if it is just a feeling that I have, or is there something bigger going on.
        Most of the people online are under disguise. Others have more than one face. Then there are those who have no clue what they are doing, and there are abusers.
        People should have aadhar cards linked to their social media accounts too.

        Like

      • Truth is out in the open now!!
        An abrupt end to his Ramaleela means he can stage the same in untested terrains where his audience will shout “Welcome To Central Jail”. I tried to check our conversation about Superstars and Celebrities below Tiyaan. But couldnt find them…Epic falls do occur and we are witnessing one! The message is loud and clear : Stay Humble Stay Rooted and Never Fall Prey for Greed and Lust!!

        Liked by 1 person

      • At a time when everyone thought that this was done, and nothing will happen anytime soon. I didn’t think that I would witness this – there is a dialogue in Thondimuthalum Drisksakshiyum – avasana nimisham vare pidichu nilkum, sammathichu kodukkilla…

        As Tiyaan would say… ahantha… athu illaathaakanam 😀

        Liked by 1 person

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