Category Archives: Action

ARM

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Vampire Owl: What do you know about the Vampire Arm?

Vampire Bat: This is not really about the Arm of the Vampire.

Vampire Owl: I do know about the secret nuclear weapon known as the Vampire Arm.

Vampire Bat: We are certainly not talking about that magical weapon right now.

Vampire Owl: It was invented by Doctor Frankenstein, right?

Vampire Bat: It is a thing of magic, not science.

Vampire Owl: Mr. Frankenstein missed that opportunity, I see.

Vampire Bat: There is nothing special that a pseudo-doctor can do.

Vampire Owl: You should not disrespect the greatest scientist of our world.

Vampire Bat: Well, he is not even a vampire.

Vampire Owl: We are a free society with a policy of inclusion for all.

Vampire Bat: We are unlike humans who are divided by caste, race, religion and more.

Vampire Owl: I heard that this movie also has similar elements.

Vampire Bat: Well, the division has been with humans all the time.

Vampire Owl: They never had hesitation to even kill their own people.

Vampire Bat: I cannot wait to see the hate displayed in this particular film.

Vampire Owl: There is the certainty of hate when humans are around.

Vampire Bat: And here we watch our first theatre movie outside Kerala.

Vampire Owl: So, you mean to say that Birla Planetarium will not count?

Vampire Bat: That never counted as a real movie.

Vampire Owl: What about that show in Science City?

Vampire Bat: That was never a regular film.

Vampire Owl: We should have watched that Bengali film in Kolkata.

Vampire Bat: Well, we did have just enough time, but not the support of fate.

[Gets a box with caramel popcorn and three ice creams and moves into theatre].

Vampire Owl: The strength of fantasy is displayed so well.

Vampire Bat: The three main characters belonging to three different time periods are portrayed well.

Vampire Owl: Yet, there could have been more focus on the first one, which ends too quickly.

Vampire Bat: Fantasy was to take root and spread during that time, but was not to be seen.

Vampire Owl: Fantasy has not limits, I would say, as we have seen where it has led Hollywood and gained followers from all ages.

Vampire Bat: We are the fans of the genres in other languages, and now we have one of ours executed well.

Vampire Owl: And that too without too much of heroism attributed to the main character.

Vampire Bat: The last character does remind us of someone we might usually see with the helplessness and troubles following him.

Vampire Owl: Well, they have made a fine mix, it seems.

Vampire Bat: It also seems to have borrowed elements from some folk-tales.

Vampire Owl: I have also seen the power of myths and legends on display here.

Vampire Bat: The magic has its own way of dealing with things. Sorcery is often the common part of these worlds.

Vampire Owl: The action is too good, especially with the visuals in support.

Vampire Bat: I am doubtful whether someone other than Tovino could have managed this so well.

Vampire Owl: The three roles and middle one stands out above the rest.

Vampire Bat: And among the leading actress, Surabhi Lakshmi comes out on top.

Vampire Owl: All of a sudden, this became the right fantasy movie.

Vampire Bat: Something to rise above the combinations of myth and history that we have already seen.

Vampire Owl: This is what Odiyan could have been.

Vampire Bat: Even Kayamkulam Kochunni and Mamangam could have been like this.

Vampire Owl: Well, they did not have Tovino for sure.

Vampire Bat: Tovino has been continuously evolving as an actor; we know Minnal Murali well.

Vampire Owl: The romantic side goes through a weaker journey though.

Vampire Bat: That makes the fairy-tale element go out of the equation.

Vampire Owl: Still, this is a “once upon a time” story.

Vampire Bat: Yes, with focus less on the story and more on the rest. There were times when we wondered that this would be a reverse fairy-tale.

Vampire Owl: There are many things that this movie reminds me about, and those reminders are not limited to movies.

Vampire Bat: The computer games are some of them. As long as we remember Prince of Persia and Tomb Raider series which are also movies now. There were more advanced in traps in science fiction movies too.

Vampire Owl: These kinds of traps are rarely seen in Malayalam movies. It seems to show the further evolution of Tovino into something more than the usual action hero of our times.

Vampire Bat: This is an evolution in the right path.

Vampire Owl: We were limited to watching such traps in Hollywood movies only, and now there is the change.

Vampire Bat: Still, one is left with the feeling that there could have been even more.

Vampire Owl: Yet, it works so well as a risky attempt with effectiveness. We do not see that much courage these days among our film-makers.

[Disappears into the darkness of the day with clouds bringing the cover, as drops of rain slowly started pouring down].

This is the YouTube video with the fourth film review there. The video reviews have had the focus by attracting more viewers, and tries to make interesting comments about the selected movies. The writing will also go on through its path, but the visual side also has its say more than ever, as the YouTube channel “Scholar Nomads” intends to explore more areas of interest. For both blog and vlog, there will be film reviews and even more to be seen with new styles.

Release date: 12th September 2024 (Theatre – Onam Release)
Running time: 142 minutes
Directed by: Jithin Laal
Starring: Tovino Thomas, Krithi Shetty, Aishwarya Rajesh Surabhi Lakshmi, Basil Joseph, Aju Varghese, Jagadish, Sanju Sivram, Pramod Shetty, Kabir Duhan Singh, Madhupal, Santhosh Keezhattoor, Rohini, Harish Uthaman, Nisthar Sait, Biju Kuttan, Sudheesh, Parvathi T

<<< Click here to go to the previous review.

@ Cemetery Watch
✠ The Vampire Bat.

Thalavan

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Vampire Owl: So, you are going to do a video film review this time. How did we come to that from all the series of long writings which never seemed get even close to finishing?

Vampire Bat: Well, the YouTube channel has started. More videos are to be done. Otherwise, we will be left far behind.

Vampire Owl: So, something related to cinema has to be done?

Vampire Bat: Yes, we have travelled through other areas of interest already. There should be no area where we cannot touch.

Vampire Owl: So, the channel, Scholar Nomads has gone through multiple worlds? The different realms where strange creatures thrive?

Vampire Bat: It is interdimensional. It talks not just about cinema. The YouTube channel is like a creature of multiple worlds seeking energy and sustaining in all of them.

Vampire Owl: I am assuming that there is a lot of travel involved. You have been the best-known vampire traveler in our history.

Vampire Bat: Well, travel has always been a top priority among video makers. There is just no time travel in this particular channel though.

Vampire Owl: I am also confident that it will have literature. What is a Vampire Bat without language and literature in any form?

Vampire Bat: Yes, literature, as well as food journeys and cooking are part of it. I am still extending my world as we know it.

Vampire Owl: Well, I agree to the fact that you deserve more support. You have worked hard in the online human world for so long.

Vampire Bat: I am not going to get that because there are too many celebrities out there. Whatever they do, they get the support, and even if they do nothing, they gather the same.

Vampire Owl: I know a few computerized vampires through Uncle Dracula. We will try to get some subscribers and regular viewers.

Vampire Bat: There have not been enough vampires in the cyber world to be of support to an undead cause – not even Dark Elves could gather that.

Vampire Owl: You have been a faithless vampire for rather too long. You should understand that this goes against our ideology of faith, belief and hope.

Vampire Bat: I am just having some travel fatigue just like last week. I was almost dead last week and had to use two and half coffins for rest.

Vampire Owl: You traveled from one castle to the other within one forest which makes less than twenty-five kilometres.

[Gets a vegetable samosa and three cups of masala tea and moves into theatre].

Vampire Owl: This is undoubtedly a fine movie. It deserves more audience than it has managed to have in these theatres.

Vampire Bat: I am sure that this is better than the other bigger grossing films which have come during this leap year.

Vampire Owl: Those movies run due to superstars or fake word-of-mouth. Some people manage to turn the fake side to something more.

Vampire Bat: It is a shame that 2018 is no longer the highest grossing Malayalam movie. It had always deserved to stay at the top as one movie that is close to human hearts, inspiring them to survive against all possible odds.

Vampire Owl: And it is further shame when we understand what kind of movies overtake it in a disappointing manner – a terrible beauty indeed.

Vampire Bat: Then we have those mindless action, comedy and romance doing well. This seems to be the pattern this year.

Vampire Owl: Well, human taste has gone down the drains these days.

Vampire Bat: But at least we can support movies like this, and Anveshippin Kandethum and Abraham Ozler – two thrillers which will stay in memory for long. Then there are those even older thrillers which have made a mark, a group led by Memories and Drishyam.

Vampire Owl: Yes, this is a movie powered by performances. The thrillers have seen the best performances in the last few years.

Vampire Bat: Biju Menon and Asif Ali have done some really good job as the protagonists. They play two police officers who are not perfect, but are indeed straightforward. They have their egos and cannot stand each other, but need to come together in the end to solve a case, or it will cause the worst for the department itself.

Vampire Owl: Then they are not superhero-like officers who randomly beat up everyone because the dumb fans will like to see that.

Vampire Bat: And the supporting cast is a nice one, and unlike those big grossers, women also get something to do around here. Those big grossers had denied the existence of actresses. Then there are those superstars who seem to deny the existence of everyone else.

Vampire Owl: Then the twists are so well-managed, for we would not guess them that easily. And the final twist works even better. The villain is not someone whom we had expected, as so many other suspects were there to be taken.

Vampire Bat: Well, we are given those red herrings, and the divergence that comes in between works like a dream.

Vampire Owl: Thrillers in Malayalam have always deserved better due to their grand quality and memorable serial killers; more accolades would do.

Vampire Bat: Well, humans relate to strange things which are less real than we are. They do not realize the evil within them and the inherent terror.

Vampire Owl: They are strangely addicted to romance, drugs and alcohol, considering them to be forever to guide their lives.

Vampire Bat: Can you blame them when so many films show these terrible things to be feared as things of greatness?

Vampire Owl: They will need a cautionary warning to be displayed every time. These humans are too young a species to know. In a few centuries, if they continue to exist, they will know more about all of these in detail.

[Disappears into the darkness of the night because both are more nocturnal than ever].

This is the YouTube video with the first film review there.

Release date: 24th May 2024 (Theatre)
Running time: 131 minutes
Directed by: Jis Joy
Starring: Biju Menon, Asif Ali, Miya George, Anusree, Joji John, Dileesh Pothan, Jaffar Idukki, Shankar Ramakrishnan, Ranjith, Kottayam Nazeer, Bilas Chandrahasan

<<< Click here to go to the previous film review.

<<< Click here to go to the film review before that.

@ Cemetery Watch
✠ The Vampire Bat.

Abraham Ozler

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What is the movie about? :: ACP Abraham Ozler (Jayaram) spends most of his time hallucinating and has sleepless nights after his wife Maneesha Ozler (Anju Kurian) along with their daughter are kidnapped and brutally murdered by a drug addict named Vineeth Ram (Arjun Ashokan), whom he had earlier apprehended in a narcotics case. Vineeth does not hesitate to reiterate the fact that he was under the influence of drugs and killed both of them. Yet, he does not reveal where he buried the bodies and keeps saying that he is not able to remember as he had a heavy dose of drugs. Ozler still continues to be in the police force even though he is not of the same strength and sanity that he used to be. Counsellor Varghese Uthup (Sai Kumar) asks him to get himself busy or the hallucination and insomnia will only get worse. It is then that a young man working in the IT field, Naveen Sivakumar (Harikrishnan) is brutally murdered in the hospital after being hit by a pick-up truck. Maya Naveen (Darshana S Nair), his wife, finds him dead in the hospital room with a note saying Happy Birthday and a note.

So, what happens with the events here as we just keep looking? :: Ozler, supported by SI Divya Sreedharan (Aryam Salim) and SI Sijo Venu (Senthil Krishna) takes over the case. They understand that this hospital was the only place where the victim would have ended up after the accident, and it was really the day on which he was born. As they start with the investigation, another man is murdered in a similar pattern in another hospital, but this time it is a thug who usually gets into fights. He is also left with a similar note where he was murdered. The third murder also takes place without delay, and this time, it is someone who runs a successful restaurant business – the hospital chosen here is different, but the pattern remains the same. The media calls the murderer by the name birthday killer, as Ozler and his team continue to search for possible answers. Whenever they seem to come very close to finding the answer, they realize that it is a dead end.

And what more is there to be seen here with a killer on the loose? :: They understand that the quotes which are given by the killer are from a Latin phrase related to medicine which could be seen in only one area in Kerala, and they reach the Kozhikode Medical College. There is also the understanding that the murders were committed by someone who had medical skills, but not someone who has been practicing regularly as asserted by Dr. Satheesh Madhavan (Anoop Menon). Everything seems to point to the medical college and a number of students there, among which Suja Jayadev (Anaswara Rajan) had committed suicide. From all of these, they find Dr. Sevi Punnoose (Jagadish) as the next potential victim, and he seems to be least bothered about it. A man who underwent surgery at the same hospital, Krishna Das (Saiju Kurup) seems to be missing, and they feel that he might have a role in the murders. But he is not a man who is capable of doing all of these, and the police officers know that death awaits more people and they have no time to waste. Can they finish the investigation in time and bring and end to this sensitive case with no more lives lost?

The defence of Abraham Ozler :: Our world of thrillers is strong, as proven by Drishyam and its powerful sequel, and Abraham Ozler gets a chance to be part of that list. This movie’s ability to keep the audience so interested and engaged from the beginning to end needs to be appreciated – it never asks for the unrealistic from its main characters either. The dark shades are used to its advantage, and the power going off becomes the foreshadowing with ease. Even with many things tried by the same director in Anjaam Pathiraa, this movie is a clear improvement from that one which had a struggling flashback and weaker ending in comparison to Abraham Ozler. The visuals are very good with a dark and gory feeling provided all the time – there are almost no moments of positivity in this one. This movie is also an improvement on the struggle for heroism that the earlier thriller Garudan seemed to possess. The background music further powers our movie here so well – it keeps us immersed in the overall mood of the film, and we are left excited all the time. The emotional side has the power to keep the interesting going too.

Positives and negatives :: The movie could have released during the Christmas holidays, and if that happened, it could have given Neru a challenge which would have helped the audience to be in a full celebration mood, but surprisingly this one backed out despite having everything to make that challenge which would mean healthy competition. This feels like the right holiday movie with all the thrills that it provides. The characters of Anju Kurian and Darshana S Nair gets too less presence in the movie, and we hope that the former can come back for more in a possible sequel. The same can be said about the big names, Sai Kumar and Anoop Menon. The extended cameo becomes the big thing in the movie, even though one would not have wanted the secret to be out too soon. A little bit of predictability comes in with the flashback, and it should not have been this long or detailed, as we have an idea about it from the present situation itself. The serial killer motive remains similar this time too.

The performers of the soul :: This movie means that Jayaram’s run without making impression in new releases have come to an end, for his last best movies were Lonappante Mamodeesa and Panchavarnathatha, both of them not having the quality to live up to the actor who made our childhood awesome. If I have to go back to a movie with him as the solo hero which I really liked, that would be a long way back in the form of Nadan which released in 2013, even though Makal did make some impact in old style. This time, he is just brilliant in this role, as we see the character of the trouble police officer safe with him, and we know that there is more to come in a possible sequel. Mammootty’s extended cameo makes the movie feel even bigger, even though the big revelation should have come only in the later stages. Anaswara Rajan shines in the flashback scenes, and there seems to be no going back for her. Arya Salim whom we remember the most from Minnal Murali, plays her police character incredibly well, and we have the best lady police officer in some time. Senthil Krishna does the same in another way, while Arjun Ashokan seems to promise to bring an even more interesting character in a possible sequel. Jagadish’s serious character once again has our attention here. Saiju Kurup scores well in between.

How it finishes :: Abraham Ozler is surely a better movie than Anjaam Pathiraa and somewhat ahead of the other thrillers like Forensic and John Luther. The last one might still have more similarities with this one than the rest, as in both cases, we have a troubled police officer tracing the murders back to medical students. Memories had the police officer who lost his wife and daughter, and could seek out the serial killer looking for vengeance, and the similarities end there, with this movie coming up with a twist in the end and setting up things for a sequel. Most people would feel that the sequel would do even better, as the film seems to end to point to its beginning, and has everyone thinking deeper. Abraham Ozler never hestitates to bring that mood of investigation with a serial killer lurking in the shadows – the feeling of danger is always there, and even when looking for revenge, there is always the indirect way of going through the same, leaving the red herrings further away. As the predictability only comes late, and with new twists to come, the movie remains engaging from the beginning to end, and we do not feel it to be long.

Release date: 11 January 2024
Running time: 144 minutes
Directed by: Midhun Manuel Thomas
Starring: Jayaram, Mammootty, Anoop Menon, Anaswara Rajan, Arjun Ashokan, Jagadish, Senthil Krishna, Arya Salim, Dileesh Pothan, Sai Kumar, Harikrishnan, Assim Jamal, Arjun Nandhakumar, Aneesh Gopal, Sreeram Ramachandran, Boban Alummoodan, Benyamin (cameo)

<<< Click here to go to the previous review.

@ Cemetery Watch
✠ The Vampire Bat.

Kannur Squad

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Vampire Owl: We have taken a little too much of time to watch this one.

Vampire Bat: Well, as people say, better late than never.

Vampire Owl: I have heard that this is among the best of the year.

Vampire Bat: We have all heard a lot about this movie in a positive manner.

Vampire Owl: I hope it is not from some fan boys.

Vampire Bat: We do not talk to the human fan boys anymore.

Vampire Owl: It could be a vampire fan boy, like the Vampire Penguin.

Vampire Bat: None of the vampires are fans of any human.

Vampire Owl: I am sure that there are exceptions.

Vampire Bat: This movie itself is an exceptional one.

[Gets a Kadai chicken pizza and three cups of cardamom tea].

What is the movie about? :: ASI George Martin (Mammootty) and his team of CPO Jayakumar P. Vasu a.k.a. Jayan (Rony David Raj), CPO Jose Skaria (Azees Nedumangad) and CPO Muhammed Shafi T A (Shabareesh Varma), popularly known as Kannur Squad go on a search for some political goons in the forests of border area between Kerala and Karnataka, only to find a partially decayed body hanging from a tree. Even though the first idea is to leave it as a suicide, George is not ready to leave it behind. His idea is that this not a random suicide. They are able to find the culprit with ease, but is struck by the allegation against Jayan for working with sand mafia, seemingly ending the Kannur Squad with a certain amount of unexpected dishonour. But when an NRI businessman from Kasaragod named Abdul Wahab (Manoj K U) is murdered with no clue to be found, the police officers are forced to bring them back, as the other team of Kannur Squad is on a mission in North India.

So, what happens with the events here as we just keep looking? :: Krishnalal T K IPS (Vijayaraghavan) finally agrees to have them investigate the case in ten days as SP Manu Needhi Cholan IPS (Kishore) also supports them after reading about them. By tracing the calls, they get to Riyas (Deepak Parambol) who had supplied the sim cards on his name. They understand his role in the robbery and murder, while also figuring out that there is involvement from people outside Kerala. But the other people involved could not be found out as they seem to have reached safe havens in the north of India. Farha (Afsana Lakshmi), Wahab’s daughter who was brutally beaten up and sexually assaulted, provides them with better details of what happens during the night and one of the assailants in revealed to be Ameer Shah (Arjun Radhakrishnan) who gave his name before strangling her father in front of her. Kannur Squad also gets an image of Ameer from social media and the search leads them to Mumbai. But it is still to be found if the investigation can be finished in ten days.

The defence of Kannur Squad :: The movie goes through an interesting set of proceedings from the beginning itself, and some fine music supports the same at all times. There is no moment in the movie which is not interesting, and we become part of the whole thing as the journey proceeds from one place to the other, from one end of the nation to the other. All of the performers seem to be perfectly chosen for their respective roles, including those who do not speak Malayalam – the choice of cast is one of the best things about this particular movie. There are moments that we remember, and some of them are there to stay for a longer period of time. As the fans of the mass masala avoids this movie, we can watch this one in peace, and hope for more of similar films to come. The emotional side do appeal to us, even though there is no overdose of emotions to make melodrama come forward. The movie focuses on the essential, and not the exaggerated, and it is the beauty of the world that has been created here – you feel that the police universe here is real, and not the unreal chaos that we see in Bollywood. Among the best of realistic police works, Kannur Squad is here to stay.

Positives and negatives :: The movie could have surely had more interesting moments in between in relation to the villains and their journey, but we have the police officers’ journeys nicely documented through some fine visuals. The determination of the righteous police officers and the difficulties that they come across on the way can be seen in a realistic manner rather than in the exaggerated ways which are often preferred by industries like Bollywood. A little bit of mass moments is added only in the end, but that would also be limited to suit the realistic nature of the film. The ending nicely finishes all things well. Maybe, they could have added some moments from back home by the end, but they have done well without it. The idea of the squad itself is inspired by a real-life police team of the same name, which makes the investigation even more interesting. The real-life police officers who investigated similar cases were also contacted. The shooting locations also stay close to the incidents and the journey feels very much real.

The performers of the soul :: Mammootty leads another fine team of police officers, and he does the job with ease, as he has always done, whether it was about brutal power as shown in Christopher or something classic in nature. His character would remain an iconic one here to be remembered for long, along with the squad itself. Rony David Raj plays another fine police officer here, as he continues the good form in similar roles. It is also nice to see Azees Nedumangad in a serious role, and he does his police role incredibly well – coming out of the usual in Star Magic, he has been doing so well in films these days. The team from that show of Flowers will have our attention at all times. Shabareesh Varma makes the next police officer really well, and blends into the team nicely. Kishore’s police role is also notable, while Vijayaraghavan plays the veteran police officer job with ease. Sunny Wayne and Shine Tom Chacko has small cameos to add to it. The women do not have much to do in this film, but the notable performance here is from Afsana Lakshmi who surely has a bright future in front of her. The villains led by Arjun Radhakrishnan and Dhruvan leave a mark with their remorseless and brutal presence with villainy.

How it finishes :: When talking about police investigations which keep close to a realistic mode, Operation Java is the only other film that seems to bring some comparison as relevant. Related to Mammootty and his team of policemen, that would be Unda that would call for the comparison. The visuals keep us going as much as the controlled emotional side and procedure of investigation. The movie’s journey to one of the highest grossers in Malayalam movie industry is very much justified, and as 2018 and RDX: Robert Dony Xavier have already done so well, the year has been a fine one. As we welcome the new year, we look forward with hope for an even better 2024. As of now, I wish you a very happy new year, and hopefully, this will be the one grand year to look out for. Maybe we are hoping for no reason, but that is what we do for every new year. Then we also wish to watch more movies which will stay with us for long.

Release date: 17th November 2023 (Hotstar); 28th September 2023 (Theatre)
Running time: 161 minutes
Directed by: Roby Varghese Raj
Starring: Mammootty, Rony David Raj, Azees Nedumangad, Shabareesh Varma, Kishore, Vijayaraghavan, Sunny Wayne, Arjun Radhakrishnan, Dhruvan, Sarath Sabha, Afsana Lakshmi, Manoj K U, Resh Lamba, Nalneesh Neel, Ankith Madhav, Sivadas Kannur, Mullai Arasi, Sajin Cherukayil, Shebin Benson, S P Sreekumar, Manohar Pandey, Susmita Sur, Saraswat Pandey, Gibin Gopinath, Benzi Mathews, Seju K Eapan, Anoop Trivedi, Avinash Pandey, Catherine Maria

<<< Click here to go to the previous review.

<<< Click here to go to the previous thriller review.

<<< Click here to go to the previous realistic thriller review.

@ Cemetery Watch
✠ The Vampire Bat.

Vela

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Vampire Owl: Are we going for another investigative thriller?

Vampire Bat: I am sure that this will not be the usual murder investigation.

Vampire Owl: There have been some interesting investigations in a short period of time.

Vampire Bat: Yet, this movie came out with less hype.

Vampire Owl: The trailer was pretty much interesting.

Vampire Bat: We would not have a serial killer here though.

Vampire Owl: I miss those serial killers a lot.

Vampire Bat: Humans can have millions of serial killers among them.

Vampire Owl: I would expect that with the evilest species ever created.

Vampire Bat: The devil has too many similarities with them.

[Gets an oreo shake and three cups of Bagdogra tea].

What is the movie about? :: Ullas Augustin (Shane Nigam) is a newly appointed civil police officer appointed at the control room, and he is someone who is determined to do his job very well, as his father was also a police officer who died only a few months before the end of his service. One day, he receives a call about a minor and his friends consuming drugs in his room – the information is passed on to the nearest police unit doing patrol. It is the boy’s father who made the call, and Ullas understands that this case might ruin the minor’s life – he asks them to escape, but the police officer in pursuit, Mallikarjun Mannar (Sunny Wayne) has already reached the place and started chasing the boy. Mallikarjun abuses Ullas through the transmitter and from the very next day, it is heard that they boy has gone missing. Ullas finds himself on the receiving end of a suspension order. But that does not stop Ullas from searching for the boy, whom he feels that Mallikarjun kidnapped or murdered to help his partners in crime who deals with the drugs.

So, what happens with the events here as we just keep looking? :: The only police officer who seems to care about him is SI Ashok Kumar (Sidharth Bharathan), and he asks him to get back to the control room, as he is the only person who is serious about the work. He decides to get back to work, but ends up with strained relations with Smitha Varadarajan (Namritha MV), who hopes that they can get married soon. Ullas is only concerned with providing justice to the missing boy, and finally decides to get back to the control room with all the evidences that he managed. But he would not be able to get an audience with higher ranking officers. At the same time, Manapullikavu Vela is the annual festival of the area is all set to take place. The festivities have the whole area of police officers distracted, and Mallikarjun, despite being part of the Vela, decides to teach Ullas a lesson with the help of his goons and police officers who are under his control. Can Ullas go beyond all these problems and help the boy’s father receive justice at some point of time?

The defence of Vela :: Here, we can see an attempt to move beyond the usual plot, and the narrative is really effective. The movie is not the usual police action masala and neither is it the police procedural stuff. The unpredictability is maintained at all times, and the stylish side is kept to an optimum level, never overdoing the same. There is never the overdose of elements to exaggerate the presence of the protagonist and the antagonist. The initial scenes have us interested in the film, and the interval is shown at the right point. The aesthetic side guides us well, as we see the beauty of the place with night making it even better with the shades of darkness with some fine colours added. The emotional side of the movie remains effective, and the helplessness against the system is shown with full strength. It shows how the common man, even with a police uniform is not able to make an impact to bring the truth to light. There is also a certain amount of casteist and racist angle being shown around here, as the antagonist attempts to thrive on his roots from many years ago. The dialogues are as much effective as the other elements.

The claws of flaw :: The movie is too long, stretching beyond the two and half hour border when we add those advertisements to the time we spent at the theatre. The length negatively affects the film in totality more than expected. There is some struggle to reach that end, and we feel that some parts should not have been extended too much. Some parts of the movie just seem to have been added to be present there as an extra addition, yet does nothing much. There could have also been more exciting moments here. There could have more control room calls and solutions to be shown here, and some cases where the unexpected happens, with better touch of humour or elements of possible terror that could only be stopped with that particular call. The romantic side remains very less explored too. The ending should not have been this quick either, as something more should have been told about what happens after that finish. The possibility of continuity that is seen in the end could have got a better touch. The music remains somewhat effective.

The performers of the soul :: Shane Nigam who had the biggest hit of Kerala’s grand festival in the form of RDX: Robert Dony Xavier, makes his mark again, and seems to be perfectly suited in the role of the youngster hopelessly trying to bring out the truth. His helplessness and angst while facing the supreme political and other faces of extreme power can be clearly seen here. His shades of excellence are often repeated through interesting moments. Sunny Wayne is a very admirable antagonist here, as he is one villain who has many shades of villainy. His dialogues remain very memorable, and he is clearly seen as the menace that we do not want to face. Sidharth Bharathan plays the third most important character in the film, and he has a much different avatar than we had seen him in, and he will also remain with us in the form of this character. Namritha MV, the new face leaves a lovely mark, and we expect to see her in more roles in future. We would have wanted to see her as part of the romantic side further, but the film remains focused on two main characters for most of its time. Aditi Balan’s small role will also be remembered for the timing itself.

How it finishes :: Vela seems to get less response at the theatres, but it is rather a strange thing because this is a classic story of unauthorized investigation with twists and turns having suspense maintained well at all times. The female characters in the movie could have had more screentime, at least the main heroine, and it could have been shorter with a smarter ending, but we know that this is one classic and mostly realistic tale about two sides of law and justice that never ceases to make us wonder what is going to happen next. The movie came without much hype, but has gained enough positive reviews to keep it going and gain the pace. After all, we have had our love for investigations before corona virus through Anjaam Paathira and Forensic, and the same effect has continued during these days too, as we have hoped for the police to do the right thing every time.

Release date: 10th November 2023
Running time: 148 minutes
Directed by: Syam Sasi
Starring: Shane Nigam, Sunny Wayne, Sidharth Bharathan, Aditi Balan, Namritha MV, Bipin Perumbilli, M Sajas

<<< Click here to go to the previous review.

<<< Click here to go to the previous non-Malayalam film review.

@ Cemetery Watch
✠ The Vampire Bat.

Garudan

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Vampire Owl: How many investigation thrillers have we watched in such a short period of time?

Vampire Bat: I feel that this movie could be more than just a usual thriller.

Vampire Owl: The reviews have surely been good.

Vampire Bat: I think that some vampires read the title as guardian.

Vampire Owl: Well, both names sound pretty good.

Vampire Bat: There have been so many serial killers.

Vampire Owl: I know that most humans are serial killers.

Vampire Bat: They are killers of environment.

Vampire Owl: And killers by nature.

Vampire Bat: Destroyers of nature as we know it.

[Gets a Paneer Tikka Pizza and three cups of Darjeeling tea].

What is the movie about? :: Theresa Philip (Chaithanya Prakash), a student of a reputed arts and science college in the city returns home late after the rehearsal for a theatre programme. As she walked through the streets on a rainy day, she is sexually assaulted by an unknown person. But a local worker called Salam Kaiperi (Jagadish) who reaches the local building site where the incident takes place, and the assaulter makes a quick escape. A police officer with a clean track record, SP Harish Madhav IPS (Suresh Gopi) is assigned to the case. Even after checking the area for evidence and questioning everyone who might have some information, there are no clues though. Theresa’s father and retired army man Colonel Philip George (Thalaivasal Vijay) is desperate for answers. As so much of time passes without any clue, the case is about to be passed to the crime branch, and Harish goes for the DNA sample test, and comes out with possibilities, and the same is narrowed down to one person in the city. Salam also identifies the man as the one who was responsible for the sexual assault. This makes Harish confident to proceed with the arrest.

So, what happens with the events here as we just keep looking? :: The newly discovered culprit is Dr. Nishanth Kumar (Biju Menon), Assistant Professor in the Department of Commerce at the same college, one of the best teachers around with a PhD in Finance and Taxation. He has been known as a figure with no match for his speaking and teaching skills, but his world involving his wife Haritha (Divya Pillai) and child gets twisted with that grand revelation. He is convicted by the court and sent to prison, and the scene shifts to many years later to that week when Harish is on the verge of retirement. Nishanth is outside, and begins to make an attempt to prove that he innocent. He had kept a low profile in the prison, but it turns out that he has done a lot of work, and is ready to present his case. This has Harish and his best friend Advocate Thomas Iype (Siddique) who pleaded the case in surprise. Are they ready for the return of Harish, or will the returning convict get the best of them?

The defence of Garudan :: The beginning of Garudan is exactly as one would expect from this kind of a movie, with a strong attachment to the roots. There is the crime and the investigation that follows while the case goes on to become more and more sensational. There are some twists which are of high quality, and they make appearance out of nowhere. The emotional side is also strong, and it keeps the drama going, especially with the father’s angle getting strong on feelings. There is strength in the way in which the world keeps turning one way or the other, heroes and villains are further asserted by the incredible power of the visual media. The visuals are really good, and the presence of darkness with the settings remains interesting as well as setting up the mood. The foreshadowing which is used in the movie is really good, and we see that from the beginning theatrical scene on the stage itself. The presence of Suresh Gopi itself is a kind of eternal reminder of a foreshadowing if you ask me. Red herrings somewhat holds on. It is clear that Midhun Manuel Thomas can get a thriller moving with his writing at any moment, and can bring the suspense out of thin air.

The claws of flaw :: The ending of the movie could have surely been better, and sitting in front of a table and explaining everything about the crime is not really the thing to do. Listing out an entire history of crime would pale in comparison to things coming to light, or being revealed in parts through dialogues. The final scenes are surely overdone, and asking about John Wick is misplaced just like tying up someone else with a plastic cover over the head for the police to prove a point. The movie could have maintained a certain amount of strength with the ways of investigation, and bring out a real surprise instead of finally ending up with the usual. Even with the initial scenes, there is not much of an investigation being shown, and one gets to march towards the culprit too soon. The personal stories also get a little bit too stretched, and we could have been left with those elements which had direct connection to the major event. The power of the interval punch is not that much carried over to the second half, as we await more than what meets the eye.

The performers of the soul :: Suresh Gopi leads the movie as expected, and there are moments which are custom made for his kind of roles. Some of them could have undergone some change, but he surely suits the role as usual. There are not many things that can substitute Suresh Gopi as a police officer leading an investigation. Biju Menon on the other side, often steals the show from the rest of the cast. He controls the movie with his multiple layers of emotions, and one can continue to trust him with all kinds of roles. Thalaivasal Vijay is the one actor here who makes us feel the emotions, as the other side of the film also comes into the picture. Siddique continues to provide the support as he has always done, and Jagadish’s very serious role is something that catches our attention. The two female leads Abhirami and Divya Pillai have very less to do. It is good to see in Chaithanya Prakash of Star Magic fame in big films. Nishanth Sagar once again proves that he deserves more from each role. Usual supporters like Dileesh Pothan and Major Ravi remains strong in the small roles.

How it finishes :: The movie becomes more suitable for family audiences as it does not have any violence despite having serial killer mode activated from the beginning itself. From Forensic, Anjaam Paathira, Antakshari, Heaven, Cold Case, Paappan, Twenty One Grams, John Luther and the others, we have had a great dose of thrillers that came one after the other. This movie is another interesting addition to that list of investigative thrillers. In a world where there is too much presence of evil, and with humanity embracing the inherent evil, there will always be the presence of darkness, and serial killers to be caught by investigators through multiple movies. This is the kind of genre that suits our age, and I am sure that more of similar movies will follow. But one needs to remember that these are the kind of movies which can also go out of hand completely. Yet, we would choose to trust Malayalam films not to overdo its serial killers and bring them to the level of being jokers under the superstars.

Release date: 3rd November 2023
Running time: 138 minutes
Directed by: Arun Varma
Starring: Suresh Gopi, Biju Menon, Siddique, Jagadish, Thalaivasal Vijay, Abhirami, Divya Pillai, Dileesh Pothan, Nishanth Sagar, Chaithanya Prakash, Josekutty Jacob, Dinesh Prabhakar, Arjun Nandhakumar, Sadiq, Saranya Anand, Prem Prakash, Kichu Tellus, Jayan Cherthala, Major Ravi, Pradeep Chandran, Shyna Chandran

<<< Click here to go to the previous review.

@ Cemetery Watch
✠ The Vampire Bat.

RDX

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Vampire Owl: Are humans talking about explosives again?

Vampire Bat: Humans have always been interested in destruction using explosives.

Vampire Owl: So, can we expect some complete devastation?

Vampire Bat: This is more about fighting rather than using explosion.

Vampire Owl: You mean to say that there is an explosion of fighting.

Vampire Bat: You can say that. We are no strangers to that.

Vampire Owl: Vampires do not fight within.

Vampire Bat: Not when there is are cold vampires involved.

Vampire Owl: The cold vampires are just a myth.

Vampire Bat: The cold vampires are gods among the elders and a matter of faith. Let us not play with matters of faith, belief and hope.

[Gets a paneer masala dosa and three cups of Darjeeling tea].

What is the movie about? :: Robert Philip (Shane Nigam), his brother Dony Philip (Antony Varghese) and their best friend Xavier Antony (Neeraj Madhav) have been training in martial arts and picking up fights in the city and the outskirts. Antony Aashaan (Babu Antony) who is their karate and boxing master still reminds them that martial arts is not for fighting with others, but only for self-defense. Despite the promises which they make to the master, there is always one fight or the other which they are part of, much to the dismay of their father Philip (Lal) and mother Kunjumol (Maala Parvathi). Circle Inspector of Police, Roy (Baiju Santhosh), Philip’s brother-in-law is the only one who seems to be able to take care of solving their problems from the side of the law. Robert finds a girlfriend in the form of Mini (Mahima Nambiar) who is from a different social, economic and religious side after helping her to deal with a repetitious problem. But their relationship is being noted by people from her colony. At the same time, Dony is in love with Simi (Aima Rosmy Sebastian), a school teacher in the nearby school, which seems to be a more acceptable relationship.

So, what happens with the events here as we just keep looking? :: To make sure that their wedding happens very soon, Robert makes Simi reveal her relationship with Dony, and gets the marriage alliance fixed with no delay. He feels that now he can go forward with a marriage alliance to Mini as he has a nice plan in getting respectable a job in the city. But soon, they find themselves in the centre of Cochin Carnival where Mini has a dance performance. But it turns out that the whole carnival is full of people from Mini’s colony, and most of them are not happy with Robert having a relationship with her. There is another score to settle for Anas (Harisankar Rajendran), who had a fight with Robert, Dony and Xavier during an earlier cricket match was never completed. This would lead to a fight with not only Anas, but also with the leader figure of the colony, Jaison (Sujith Shanker), his younger brother Paulson (Vishnu Agasthya), as well as their sidekicks Davis (Nishanth Sagar), Seban (Sandeep Raj) and Faisal (Midhun Venugopal) among others. This would lead to a long sequence of events which would leads to families and relationships breaking up without chances for mending, and soon there might be no way home.

The defence of RDX: Robert Dony Xavier :: This is one movie which rises above the rest of the action films so effectively with a cast that feels so perfectly suited for the roles. The action is of top quality, and it has also managed to keep a realistic side to the genre with ease. The characters here makes the feelings stronger, The emotional connection is also too good, and the fights with family bond that comes with it never gets old. Unlike Thallumaala which dealt with too much of action and remained not serious, this takes the much serious and dark tone right into it. The dialogues also work out really well, and the setting as well as the situations can be directly connected to the common audience. The one memorable song in the movie keeps us going forward with the musical elements too. We will keep remembering the song as the second best of the year after the 2018 song unless some other comes up. The fight at the carnival and final exchange at the ground are very much memorable. The movie has the ability to have everyone in a family immersed in its proceedings, and its beauty is more than what is felt in the beginning stages.

The claws of flaw :: The movie does not bring anything new, as we look at it. We can see that it follows the same policy as one would expect a film of this genre to follow. There could have been some fine additional elements which would make things better. This also happens to be another movie which has a superhit romantic song, but there is no romantic success to keep it in memory as part of romantic success. The flashback could have also been less predictable, as we just go through the usual thing with fights going on all the time with a terrible turn of events that makes the whole thing even worse. Where it lags behind Thallumaala is the lack of experimentation with the usual stuff. Despite the initial feeling and small burst in the end, the women in the film have much less to do, even with the romantic side going strong beyond the fight. The final fighting sequences just become the reason to finish things, and not more. Despite the grand success, the question will remain if this movie could have become this grand if its competition was better.

The performers of the soul :: Shane Nigam clearly leads the movie, and is in an avatar with which we do not usually associated him. He has nicely blended into the proceedings here, and proves well that action genre also suits him well. The romantic side of the youth has always been safe in his hands. Antony Varghese has already proven that action is his fortress, and this kind of action might still feel new to him, but he manages the same well too. Among the three, it is Neeraj Madhav who scores the most with action. His use of the traditional chainsticks will remain as a highlight here. Mahima Nambiar who plays the female lead after a number of smaller, notable roles, does a fine job – one still wishes that she could have been there for longer. The last scenes have one special moment for her. Babu Antony’s screen presence is magnificent here, even though he only has less action moments than wanted. Aima Rosmy Sebastian returning after five years adds well to proceedings. Lal is once again very good in a role that suits him. Vishnu Agasthya’s villain feels like a fine prospect for future. Sujith Shanker and Nishanth Sagar could have been there for longer, as they do create some fine impact with their moments.

How it finishes :: RDX maintains its similarities with Thallumaala as much as the differences. While former maintains the emotional side well with addition of the family side, latter was never an emotional adventure, with the absence of categorization into good and evil. The Tovino Thomas starrer was never about defeating the antagonist who becomes a challenge to a life with family, but about finishing something which was left unfinished. RDX has nicely eclipsed the releases of the same time such as Dulquer Salmaan’s King of Kotha and Nivin Pauly’s Ramachandra Boss and Co which were supposed to be the bigger releases of the festival. The movie has also overtaken Thallumaala to get to the hundred crore mark with ease. The non-linear narration of Thallumaala is done away with, and the movie here deals with more connectable kind of people, which led to the bigger success of RDX. To add to it, Thallumaala did not have that much of a story. Basically, both movies are for different kind of people, and in finding the type of people for which it would appeal, RDX has won the battle with ease, and that too without that big superstar set for action.

Release date: 24th September 2023 (Netflix); 25th August 2023 (Theatre)
Running time: 146 minutes
Directed by: Nahas Hidayath
Starring: Shane Nigam, Antony Varghese, Neeraj Madhav, Babu Antony, Aima Rosmy Sebasian, Lal, Mahima Nambiar, Baiju Santhosh, Maala Parvathi, Vishnu Agasthya, Siraj, Harisankar Rajendran, Midhun Venugopal, Dineesh Aleppey, Rigil Mundakkal, Aravind Thampan, Sandeep Raj, Nishanth Sagar, Sujith Shanker as Jaison, Arya Salim, Nahas Hidayath

<<< Click here to go to the previous review.

<<< Click here to go to the previous family movie review.

<<< Click here to go to the previous action-filled film review.

@ Cemetery Watch
✠ The Vampire Bat.

Nalla Nilavulla Rathri

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Vampire Owl: So, do we finally get a slasher in Malayalam?

Vampire Bat: I don’t see a reason why we should not.

Vampire Owl: This is the season when slasher horror has been struggling.

Vampire Bat: That is in Hollywood which has gone weaker in content.

Vampire Owl: We have always required the best of all genres.

Vampire Bat: After all, slasher horror is closer to reality than any other genre.

Vampire Owl: Especially the categories like romance which is far away from truth.

Vampire Bat: And we also have the realization that there is no true feel-good.

Vampire Owl: I can suggest a few feel-bad movies.

Vampire Bat: We just have to live among humans to get the feel-bad.

[Gets some paneer momos and three cups of Darjeeling tea].

What is the movie about? :: Rajeev (Nithin George) and Peter (Rony David) are partners in an organic farming business in the hilly terrain of Idukki. The two have been good friends and collegemates, and two more old friends Dominic (Jinu Joseph) and Joshi (Binu Pappu) join, only two begin a rift between them with a certain ideology conflicting with the need to make profit. The four friends remain a group of two within the team. Kurien (Baburaj) is their old friend who used to be a senior at college, and is into real estate business which has left him in need for a lot of money. The moneylender is all prepared to make a move on his property. The old friends meet on an unexpected day, and decides to work together, along with Kurien’s relative, Paul (Sajin Cherukayil), as if to expand the business, for which Kurien will provide the land. Kurien intends to sell them the land in Shivamogga, which he had brought with a small amount, and through the process, he intends to make them believe that he is doing them a favour. He assures them that this land will help them better.

So, what happens with the events here as we just keep looking? :: As the location is deep into Karnataka, and some help with the language and locals is required, they call another old friend Irumban (Chemban Vinod Jose) who is now living in Mysore and has a certain influence in the area. Both Peter and Rajeev are not happy with this deal, as new plot would mean them losing control over the land which was originally under their names. Dominic understands that there is something about Kurien, and this deal will profit him more than anyone else. As Peter’s daughter needs a surgery soon, he is also reluctant to leave his home. But as the tension builds between them, the four partners decide to go with Kurien and Paul and see the area and make a decision. They also call Aneesh (Ganapathi S Poduval) as their driver, and are soon joined by Irumban at the mansion which is located at the centre of the 200 plus acres of land in the middle of nowhere. But soon they understand that they are not alone, and that someone is stalking them, with Rajeev being murdered. Who could be after them? What would anyone have to do in an area where nobody lives?

The defence of Nalla Nilavulla Rathri :: It is always good to see slasher horror getting something to do in the Malayalam film industry. There are some moments of brilliance in relation to genre, and this has worked differently from the Hollywood slashers. The movie still in the Hollywood style, with the possibility of a sequel kept alive with the open ending. The camera angles and the visuals add nicely to the quality of the film. The chosen setting for the adventure is really good in the middle of nowhere, and the darkness nicely adds to the suspense as safety is never guaranteed for the characters here. The evil human nature to get hold of what is desired is shown here from the beginning itself, and the final moments are also reflections of the same. The inherent evil in man comes out during different moments of the film, as for most people, success and money at the cost of others is the key. Most of the characters never really seem to deserve any sympathy, as they are not straight-forward or righteous in any manner.

The claws of flaw :: As a slasher, the movie could have achieved more, and a better backdrop for the sequence of violent events was also possible. The transformation into a slasher in the form of home invasion thriller often feels complicated as the struggle gets more intense. With this case, the script often makes way for too much of swearing words which could have been avoided – it seems to be a fashion to use these during our times. A bigger and better ending could have also been nice, and some of the action sequences have a little more than required. Slashers can actually use different kind of endings rather than the usual horror. There is some dragging effect which can be seen here, and the struggle towards the end does not help. The predictability factor is also present around here. Those who are looking for serial killers like in Forensic, Anjaam Paathira, John Luther, Twenty One Grams and Paappan might be disappointed.

The performers of the soul :: The movie does not focus on any one character or put the spotlight on anyone who plays any role. Baburaj and Chemban Vinod Jose are the biggest names in the movie, and manages to carry the movie on their shoulders. Chemban surely has that menacing strength which adds to the dark side of the movie. Nithin George of Luca fame and Rony David of Aanandam fame plays the two characters with whom we would feel some sympathy. Binu Pappu plays a solid role among the friends, as we have seen him do earlier in Thallumaala with ease. Jinu Joseph’s negative side is something which we have seen since Iyobinte Pusthakam and he continues to do the same. Sai Kumar’s role is something with power as much as a certain amount of mystery about his nameless character that stays. Ganapathi makes a quick, interesting appearance when least expected. Sajin Cherukayil adds a certain amount of humour around here, but it is also not that much. The female characters do not have much to add to this film – they just come, show their faces and leave as fast as they can.

How it finishes :: Nalla Nilavulla Rathri is the first movie from Sandra Thomas Productions which separated from Friday Film House. This has brought some more spark into the horror genre in the form of a slasher inception. At a time when horror struggles to make an impact, the slasher element can nicely support the process. The movie is progress towards the variety which Malayalam movie industry required in a separate field. There should be no question about the industry’s ability to frighten its audience with blood and gore even more than the usual scares right out darkness and the elements of nature. This can be considered as a positive step towards brining back horror with all its possibilities – with or without the presence of the supernatural. We can always have more than one simple horror film with a ghost wandering around. A supernatural slasher addition can always do wonders to a new generation of scary movies.

Release date: 30th August 2023 (Amazon Prime Video); 30th June 2023 (Theatre)
Running time: 126 minutes
Directed by: Murphy Devasy
Starring: Baburaj, Chemban Vinod Jose, Jinu Joseph, Rony David, Binu Pappu, Nithin George, Sai Kumar, Ganapathi S Poduval, Sajin Cherukayil, Shravan Satya

<<< Click here to go to the previous review.

@ Cemetery Watch
✠ The Vampire Bat.

Christopher

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Vampire Owl: I have only known one Christopher in my life.

Vampire Bat: Are you talking about Christopher Marlowe?

Vampire Owl: I am not sure about University Wits being part of vampire world.

Vampire Bat: The vampires have been secretly part of all universities.

Vampire Owl: There are no vampires who study directly in universities.

Vampire Bat: Well, Dracula Castle is a university affiliated institution.

Vampire Owl: So, vampirism is now accepted as a course?

Vampire Bat: The difference between a curse and a course is lesser these days.

Vampire Owl: I would surely love to see B.A. Vampirism as a course in human universities.

Vampire Bat: Let us make it BSc. Vampirism, as humans only go for science these days.

[Gets a strawberry ice cream cake and three cups of pista ice cream].

What is the movie about? :: Among the police officers of the state, ADGP Christopher Antony (Mammootty) has a special place as one of the most efficient and honest ones. To add to his list of skills, encounter killings is a well-known one. As he finishes off five rich and influential young men for raping and murdering a young lady who was delivering food, he is hailed as a hero of the masses, but due to the pressure from human rights activists and the rich families of the dead youth, there is the order for an investigation against him. Christopher’s ex-wife, Beena Mariam Chacko (Sneha) is also in favour of an investigaion, which is led by ACP Suleksha IPS (Amala Paul). She decides to uncover Christopher’s past to make sure that the process would be easier. She finds out that Christopher’s motive to become a police officer with an interest in encounter killings goes back to childhood when his parents were killed and sister was raped and murdered. He had tried to have his vengeance, but was stopped by a police officer who was in charge, and the cop himself does the encounter of the two men who committed the act of brutality.

So, what happens with the events here as we just keep looking? :: This police officer who brings vigilante justice to the scene becomes his role model. Christopher was trained under the same police officer who also took care of the boy’s rest of the education. With such guidance, Christopher soon clears the civil service exam and becomes an IPS officer. He gets his first posting as an ASP in a village in Madhya Pradesh which was ruled by feudal landlords, and becomes an encounter specialist in a land of brutal murders and rapes. He was aided by SI Muhammed Ismail (Deepak Parambol), who becomes his right-hand man. From there, he begins a new journey, something which becomes headache for many. It seems that Sulekha has more than what meets the eye in front of her. Advocate Amina (Aishwarya Lakshmi) who had become Christpher’s adopted daugher after the death of her biological father Ismail, also meets him with a cause, which would mean more troubles for which there are no easy solutions for Sulekha. More people might die in encounters as long as there will crimes, but will Suleksha bring an end to this as the faith is placed on her?

The defence of Christopher :: There is no loss of style in this movie with its investigations. Even though one might feel that it will keep reminding us about Mammootty’s two other stylish movies Abrahamainte Santhathikal and The Great Father, it is safe to say that our film is far above the others in the way it progresses, and related to how it deals with the narrative in relation to a bigger picture which would remain there. It can also boast about using less drama in comparison to Jana Gana Mana which was more or less overdone with its dialogues. This one here is well-shot as a visually superior movie in comparison with many other movies, and the side of investigation mostly stays on track, even though the stylish side often threatens to do more than it was supposed to do. The background music works most of the time, and does even better in relation to the narrative and action. The movie will leave us with something to remember, as it not only has all the looks and style, but it also makes us relate things with real life incidents. Well, making sure that entertainment is guaranteed, becomes one clear target for the movie.

The claws of flaw :: The movie could do better if the focus was shifted from style to substance on a number of occasions, as the scope was so much there. There could have been some interesting twists added in here, and the investigations could have had more surprises and shocks in store too. The opportunities are never completely taken to the advantage. The psychotic sides here are not of enough strength. The ending could have also meant more. It strange that so many movie s begin so well, and continue in a similar way, but ends without being able to add any innovation in there. Well, this is a movie which seemed to have so many resources in store, and such a movie should not have degraded itself into a stylish commoner with extra elements for the blind fans. Such requirements of the fans seem to have kept this movie behind, with a certain amount of lag in the form of slow motion. It does rise above many movies which are lost in slow motion, and that can be considered as a positive. Well, there is nothing less expected here.

The performers of the soul :: As expected, the movie depends on the style and charm of Mammootty to lead the movie towards something better, and that is indeed a fine advantage. There are scenes which seem to be overdone at times involving him in action. There is a little too much of heroism added on here which makes also makes the main character very much like an unstoppable force of nature, which could have been avoided up to an extent. Amala Paul’s police officer role looks pretty good despite some early struggles, and there are times when she elevates the level out of nowhere from what seems to be too usual a thing. Aishwarya Lakshmi gets a small, but interesting role, and same is the case of Sneha who is back in Malayalam movie industry and suits her role really well. Vinay Rai who plays the main antagonist has some fine moments to show the vilainy which is managed in an engaging manner. Sarath Kumar’s cameo role is also something to stay. The work of Dileesh Pothan and Siddique will also be remembered. Shine Tom Chacko plays the one fully negative police officer here without problems. The other women characters played by both Vinitha Koshy and Aditi Ravi might feel small, but are of very much relevance to the proceedings.

How it finishes :: Among the interesting thrillers of our times, this movie has an interesting place, even though not on the expected lines. There was always more to be taken, but with its contents, this one feels enough for a few hours of entertainment. Making a film a worthy investigative thriller along with being appealing to fans is not that easy, and that has been managed with some skill. After all, it is always better to have a police officer as the protagonist rather than the gangsters and crime lords in some other movies made for fans. There have been so many such movies in which have some foolish dialogues and moments to satisfy the dumb fans. Well, this one rising above such tendencies is a thing of happiness. Among all these, the movie has also managed to make so many Bollywood cop movies look so dumb, as they are expected. As this movie repeats, truth just something that is constructed, and goes on to bring final justice to the character victims. Like Grandmaster and Villain, this remains another balanced act from B Unnikrishnan, and another cop recreated nicely out of family tragedies.

Release date: 9th March 2023 (Amazon Prime Video); 9th February 2023 (Theatre)
Running time: 92 minutes
Directed by: B Unnikrishnan
Starring: Mammotty, Amala Paul, Aishwarya Lakshmi, Sneha, Dileesh Pothan, Shine Tom Chacko, Aditi Ravi, Vinitha Koshy, Deepak Parambol, Jinu Joseph, Vinay Rai, R Sarath Kumar, Vasanthi, Vijaykumar Prabhakaran. Manjulan, Rajesh Sharma, Manohari, Keerthana Sreekumar, Ramya Suresh, Shaheen Siddique, Amal Rajdev, Sohan Seenulal,Kalesh Kalakkodu, Nitin Thomas

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@ Cemetery Watch
✠ The Vampire Bat.

Theerppu

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Vampire Owl: So, we get to watch another one on OTT.

Vampire Bat: Well, OTT can take much more.

Vampire Owl: Some of the best of Prithviraj has come on OTT.

Vampire Bat: I don’t see why these platforms shouldn’t have the best.

Vampire Owl: There are not many movies which we have been waiting for this year.

Vampire Bat: That hasn’t stopped us from watching more.

Vampire Owl: Yet, that hasn’t been enough.

Vampire Bat: I believe that the best of the movies have already released.

Vampire Owl: So the creativity is no longer strong as it used to be?

Vampire Bat: Human creativity has been corrupted terribly.

[Gets a paneer pizza and three cups of elaichi tea].

What is the movie about? :: Ram Kumar Nair (Vijay Babu), a business tycoon has decided to host a meeting with an old friend whom he would be meeting after a very long time, surprising his wife, Mythili Ram Kumar (Isha Talwar) who has never seen him as someone who values friends, family and relatives above money. Even the servant at their resort is suprised by this particular decision. It turns out that this was also going to be a business deal. Later, it is seen that Abdulla Marakkar (Prithviraj Sukumaran), an eccentric man meets his old friend, Parameshwaran Potty (Saiju Kurup) who is also accompanied by his beautiful and commanding wife Prabha Nair (Hannah Reji Koshy). Prabha is skeptical and develops an instant disliking to Abdulla as she realizes that there is a troubled history running between Potty’s two friends, and it could be too personal to talk about even among friends. It turns out that Potty and Prabha are going to meet Ram in the upcoming meeting which is supposed to solve all their monetary problems which mounts to many crores. Their only other friend is Kalyan Menon (Indrajith Sukumaran) who is the DIG of police.

So, what happens with the events here as we just keep looking? :: Ram shows the couple the resort which depends on historical exhibits to attract the foreigners. Soon, it turns out that Ram is only interested in Prabha with whom he has been chatting on Instagram for a long time. It is his sexually motivated interest in Prabha which seems to have brought her and Potty an invitation for a business meeting, and not the old friendship from school which was lost a long time ago. Due to his his infatuation with Prabha, Ram makes fun of Potty and decides to rename the couple’s brand with Prabha as the CEO, also contributing with three crores for the purpose. In comparison to Prabha, Ram considers his wife Mythilli more as a business partner whom he married for the purpose of growing his company. The richer and smarter Mythilli considers Ram as a womanizer who doesn’t hesitate to spend his money for women whenever there is a chance. Aware of her image of voluptuousness that has interested Ram, Prabha doesn’t reject his sexual advances, much to the dismay of Potty, who feels that soon, his wife will be living with the billionaire.

And what is to follow as events get more complicated? :: They are also expecting Kalyan Menon, who is also a partner of Ram in his business deals, but he is delayed by a far-right political organization conducting a programme, which could lead to riots in the city. They are also not able to get Kalyan on the mobile phone, as he remains busy – while awaiting him, they find another person on the door who decides to come in. It is Abdulla Marakkar who has come in, with the reminder of the terrible past of cheating which has been forced upon him and his family, as revenge seems to be closer to him than ever. He would make this a circus of horror with doors locked, and a working antique double-barreled gun in his hands. He would find the special exhibits of the resort including what is claimed to be that bat used by Kapil Dev in 1983 World Cup, spectacles used by Mahatma Gandhi, wine possessed by Saddam Hussein and many more to be interesting, but not that much as the terrible past which was handed over to him by the family of Ram. Considering the situation of Prabha, on which side would Potty stand, and when will Kalyan come to make his own contribution?

The defence of Theerppu :: The movie does have some interesting references running through it, and the expectations that rises in the beginning gives enough hope to keep the audience interested in watching the rest of the movie. The visuals are really good, and world which it creates for a resort of antiques works like a dream. The location works in favour of the mood of the movie. The serving of the basic idea of revenge also stands apart from the usual movies which would have a quick or brutal resolution to the fire of vengeance that would run deep. The cast works perfectly in favour of the movie, as Prithviraj Sukumaran makes an attack like in Kuruthi, and despite the late entry, Indrajith Sukumaran makes an impact. Vijay Babu seems to suit the role really well, while Saiju Kurup once again makes a slow, but effective work. Isha Talwar goes through a smooth journey as the main lady character. Hannah Reji Koshy of Darwinte Parinamam and Rakshadhikari Baiju Oppu has a role to remember here, and among the newer actresses, she definitely requires more roles. Siddique’s role in the flashback remains a thing of interest as usual, with the veteran actor showing the same strength.

The claws of flaw :: The movie’s final statement seems to be problematic as it seems to be further away from the reality that we have known through these times. The weak cannot defeat the powerful in the ways shown in the movie, that is for sure, as the rich and the influential would always find a way. There are many paths which it could have taken to come up with a better idea with its premise. It could have worked as a more serious drama or thriller without seemingly moving through an ordinary path full of pot-holes which needed some better directions. It does seem lost at times, and confused with where it is actually going. The flashback scenes, despite looking fine, often struggles to provide the desired effect, and some of the characters from the past do not stay, despite seemingly having the power in the beginning stages. The present does not take the effect of that treachery of the past with that much strength because the connection is not that well-made, and the less required deviations are rather easily seen as we look.

How it finishes :: Theerppu is a movie which could have surely been something more with the long line of strong cast and the visual style which it had developed with the premise. The trailer had provided the effect of watching something in an international level, but that losses some power beyond the visuals. Clearer ideas and a focused journey would have made this a more interesting work in the end, especially because there are too many layers at work as far as this film is concerned. We have had many interesting stories of revenge in the past, and even the very successful serial killer movies in Malayalam like Anjaam Pathiraa have pointed to the acts of vengeance. Yet, this is the movie in which revenge gets divergent and ends in a different manner than what is commonly expected. It makes sure that entertainment will be provided with such divergence. You can always watch Theerppu for that kind of a chance which does not hesitate in moving away from the regular.

Release date: 30th September 2022 (Hotstar); 25th August 2022 (Theatre)
Running time: 147 minutes
Directed by: Rathish Ambat
Starring: Prithviraj Sukumaran, Isha Talwar, Indrajith Sukumaran, Vijay Babu, Hannah Reji Koshy, Saiju Kurup, Siddique, Sreelakshmi, Srikant Murali, Mammukoya, Suzanne Bernert, Lukman Avaran, Shaju Sreedhar, Alancier Ley Lopez, Aswin Kumar, Poojappura Radhakrishnan, Shameem Rein, Vinod Vaswani

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@ Cemetery Watch
✠ The Vampire Bat.

Paappan

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Vampire Owl: So, we are going to see Suresh Gopi’s true return.

Vampire Bat: Well, this is indeed the return which we have been waiting for.

Vampire Owl: So, the earlier return won’t count at all?

Vampire Bat: Some returns are more important than others.

Vampire Owl: In some cases, there are too many returns which make it insignificant.

Vampire Bat: Well, this should be the one grand return.

Vampire Owl: We are no strangers to grand returns.

Vampire Bat: Uncle Dracula’s returns would not count.

Vampire Owl: A vampire return is of fine significance too.

Vampire Bat: Not for a vampire that comes alive many times.

[Gets an onion vada and three cups of elaichi tea].

What is the movie about? :: A dead body is discovered in a forest by some youngsters, and it is rumoured to be that of super star Ravi Varman (Rahul Madhav), but turns out to be that of his driver Rajan (Sreejith Ravi) who was the initial suspect for this particular murder. ASI Raghavan (Nandhu), SI Sabu (Abhishek Raveendran) and SI Soman (Tini Tom) are the first two police officers on the scene, and the case is transferred to be handled by ASP Vincy Abraham IPS (Neeta Pillai) under the order of SP Bhaskar Shenoy IPS (Vijayaraghavan). The murder seems to have been committed with much brutality. The evidences including the mode of operation and use of weapon seem to point to a former serial killer Iruttan Chacko (Shammi Thilakan) who is known to choose lone male victims at night randomly. CI Abraham Mathew Mathan (Suresh Gopi) who is affectionately called Pappan is asked to assist in the case as he was the one who caught Chacko earlier after a series of incidents which led to the death of his wife, Nancy (Nyla Usha).

So, what happens with the events here as we just keep looking? :: These incidents which followed her mother’s death made Vincy move away from Abraham, who had taken Michael (Gokul Suresh) and his mother Sussan (Kaniha) under his wing, which complicated things further. Abraham is sure that it is not Chacko who committed these murders, but someone who might be inspired by it. Vincy is married to a thatre artist named Sidharth (Chandunath), and the news that she is pregnant makes things only a little better between them. A retired forensic expert Dr Pattabhiraman (Janardhanan) provides further evidence to Abraham related to Chacko’s case. Things get further complicated when another forensic surgeon Dr Sherly Somasundaram (Asha Sharath) seems to be attacked, and that is completely beyond the facts which the police had figured out. Sidharth is worried about Vincy taking too much of worries when pregnant. Can Abraham, Vincy or anyone find the truth behind these murders? Who would copy Chacko and become a similar murderer just because there is some grudge which has stayed for long?

The defence of Paappan :: The quality which has been associated with the movie needs to be appreciated. It is also a feature of the main characters of the film who maintains a higher level. The movie maintains the thrills and the suspense is present till the end. There is the presence of some fine red herrings around here, and the viewers are kept guessing without exaggerating the elements of strength. The procedure of investigation is portrayed well along with a certain emotional side associated here and there. Some spirit of a few older movies is maintained here. The film is also quick to get going as the murder happens rather too early, and the flashbacks just fit into the forward movement. The visuals are really good, and the area as well as the moments of terror are well-captured. There are no exaggerated dialogues or action being overdone. There is also the importance of maintaining balance between one’s family and duty being asserted, and the reminder that past could always manage to return to haunt all humans. There is the journey away from stereotypes during multiple occasions.

Positives and negatives :: The inability of Paappan to keep the last few minutes effective is rather disappointing, and the revelation of the secondary villain also lacks the same effectiveness in a movie which was going in a classic mode until then. There is the feeling that there are not enough actors to play some of the important roles even with so many big names out there. The fight scenes in the end seem to keep repeating as if in a loop, and we are made to keep wondering if it would ever end – the length of the movie is felt to be long in the last few moments than the longer periods of time when investigation goes on. For a movie like this, the usual ending was not supposed to be the right one. The flashback tale is too weak as we have a look at it. But one could still think about this movie without paying too much attention to the unnecessary details. After all, this is all about the murders, killers and the police officers set to solve the riddle – the basic thing remains to hold on to the strengths without fail.

The performers of the soul :: Suresh Gopi and Gokul Suresh have come together for the first time in a movie here. The return of the former is a grand one this time, and it has the troubles of the previous Kaaval return removed well. He is once again the police officer that we continue to love. The one person who catches our attention more than the others is Neeta Pillai, who does such a fantastic job as the leading investigator of a series of murders. Years after her first work in Poomaram, this is one work which makes her a solid performer above many other actresses who debuted in the last few years. In comparison, the role of Gokul Suresh is smaller, but maintains a fine presence in a role which also makes a difference. Shammi Thilakan’s role is a very much impressive one, and he maintains a realistic side to it. It is always nice to see Dayyana Hameed of Star Magic fame and Yuvam in the small, but notable roles too, but we would hope for more of her. Sadhika Venugopal of Star Magic is also notable here. Nyla Usha’s role in flashback is pretty much okay. Asha Sharath has her moments, while Ajmal Ameer’s role feels forced. Kaniha does the predictable role well.

How it finishes :: We never have enough of investigation thrillers which make an impact with the smartness factor effectively used. The thrillers like John Luther and Twenty One Grams successfully became the murder investigations of quality rising above the more hyped films with murder investigations, like CBI 5: The Brain. This movie also gets to that better level rather than going for the superstar exaggeration which often becomes the biggest flaw of thrillers leading with murder mysteries. There are no shortage of psycho killers who can become part of such movies, as we have had films like Forensic with the murderers who had no true motive, like revenge or hatred. A little bit more of attention could have made sure that this movie could become one of the best of its kind. Well, there are more movies which can come up with similar investigations, and after corona virus pandemic having its say, thrillers have surely done better.

Release date: 7th September 2022 (ZEE 5), 29th July 2022 (Theatre)
Running time: 170 minutes
Directed by: Joshiy
Starring: Suresh Gopi, Neeta Pillai, Gokul Suresh, Asha Sharath, Nyla Usha, Kaniha, Vijayaraghavan, Chandunath, Janardhanan, Nandhu, Ajmal Ameer, Abhishek Raveendran, Tini Tom, Shammi Thilakan, Dayyana Hameed, Sadhika Venugopal, Baiju Jose, Sreejith Ravi, Rahul Madhav, Jewel Mary, Manasa Radhakrishnan, Malavika Menon, Rosin Jolly, Preetha Pradeep, Chali Pala, Nirmal Palazhi, Sajitha Madathil, Srikanth Murali, Madan Mohan, Benzi Mathews, Nandhu Pothuval, Kottayam Ramesh, Sinoj Varghese, Savithri Sreedharan, Sanuja Somanath, Parvathi T, Saniya Babu, Baby Kanmani, Jordi Poonjar, Sundarapandiyan, George Abraham

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@ Cemetery Watch
✠ The Vampire Bat.

Thallumaala

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Vampire Owl: I heard that this movie is all about fights.

Vampire Bat: Yes, the title does signify the same.

Vampire Owl: Do you think that there could be more fights in our realm too?

Vampire Bat: We don’t have such small fights. We have only wars.

Vampire Owl: Maybe the wars could be reduced to smaller fights.

Vampire Bat: The smaller fights are not of relevance.

Vampire Owl: They can help stop the bigger wars.

Vampire Bat: I am sure that zombies and werewolves won’t agree to that.

Vampire Owl: Well, Uncle Dracula might agree.

Vampire Bat: For that, he requires a champion. The protagonist of this movie could serve as one in an undead state.

[Gets a marble cake and three cups of mint tea].

What is the movie about? :: There is a fight between Manavaalan Wazim (Tovino Thomas) and SI Reji Mathew (Shine Tom Chacko), and it is a one on one battle while their friends look on. The reason for this fight goes back by a few years, and there is a score to settle. A long time ago, Wazim was someone who usually got into fights, and after the pandemonium was over, he made friends with those who fought with him – the fights develop into a friends ciricle which includes him along with Jamshi (Lukman Avaran), Sathaar (Swathi Das Prabhu), Vikas (Adhri Joe) and Rajesh (Austin Dan). At the same time, he had also fallen in love with Fathima Beevi (Kalyani Priyadarshan), a famous Instagram and Youtube sensation based in UAE, even though she has her roots in Kerala. Despite her early doubts, she soon becomes assured that he could be the one for her, and manages to convince her parents to let her marry the man, even though none of her relatives have a good opinion about her – some of them even think that he is a useless young man who is of no good to the society.

So, what happens with the events here as we just keep looking? :: Wazim’s parents (Johny Antony and Neena Kurup) had already ceased having good opinions about him. They want him to go and do some job in Dubai rather than wander around Ponnani town and pick up fights. After starting a fight with Siyad (Noushad Ali), and after they burn down Wazim’s father’s theatre, he is forcibly sent to the Middle East. But when he comes back, he starts another fight, this time with the group led by Reji – it lands them in the hospital, but hopes for revenge. Reji who wants to make up with them is not accepted with them, as everyone other than him and Wazim seems to be upset whenever the other group is seen around. Kalapurakkal David (Binu Pappu) who was part of Reji’s gang had warned against the two groups seeing each other again, but the situation seems to be in favour of both teams fighting each other again. At the same time, there is also a pending fight with Omega Babu (Chemban Vinod Jose) and Jamshi is depressed about it as he often remembers being beaten up by him. So, can Wazim fight these battles along with being able to marry Fathima?

The defence of Thallumaala :: This is the one movie which you might want to watch if there is the need for seeing a lot of fighting on the big screen. The movie also remains colourful throughout its run, and the visuals are really good. The humour works well during most of the time, and they have really added some fine doses of comedy in between to elevate the level of the film. There is the reminder of masculine ego which is hurt, as it was in Maheshinte Prathikaaram, where two women do talk about the madness of the major male characters who decide to go on an unnecessary fight. The audience will keep getting fights over fights, and in the end, they will have the feeling of having watched a big adventure with fists and legs as the main character never stop thinking about fights even if they cease to believe in love and the other common things in a movie. Some of the songs remain very notable, especially for the different kind of treatment. There are those dance moves which were already seen in the released songs. The world becomes different with this movie, and there is no need to have any outside interference related to this.

The claws of flaw :: Thallumaala‘s trailer had already given the feeling that this was going to be about fights, but it takes a lot of steps towards meaningless fights starting out of nowhere. The trailer itself was indeed confusing up to an extent. The first half takes some time get to be interesting, and most of the engaging moments can be seen as happening in the second half. The romantic side is rather strange around here, as there seems to be no real reason for the incidents to happen and turn the hero and heroine to marriage, especially for the lady who is very rich and remains an Instagram sensation who is adored by so many people all around the world. The story is not that strong, with most of the incidents in the film having not much of a meaning. The show of the sequence of events in also everywhere, and we don’t see anything occurring straight enough. In the first half, the tale keeps moving through different timelines as if they have a time machine – everything is basically everywhere to keep the audience confused. There were many things which could be added and also removed around here as there is struggle to be overcome.

The performers of the soul :: It is indeed great to see Tovino Thomas in a different avatar around here. His roles in Vaashi, Naaradan, Minnal Murali, Kaanekkaane, Kilometers and Kilometers and Forensic were all different, as he played superhero, lawyer, journalist, forensic expert and many others in a short period of time, and he has done the same with some fine skills. This role will be something to remember for him, as he also seems to get younger with this one, as this reckless youth is also of variety. Shine Tom Chacko indeed shines in this work, and he seems to perfectly suit the character. It would seem like the right thing to have him Soubin Shahir who dropped out of the film, as a character like this one requires Shine. Kalyani Priyadarshan, even though becomes the leading actress, has much less to do for the progress of the tale, and in between the fights which are supposed to happen at all times, would be happening with or without her presence in Kerala. Among the friends, it is Lukman Avaran who stands out, as he seem to blend in here like no other. In the other gang, Binu Pappu remains notable – in both gangs, all of them are indeed of relevance. Johny Antony’s father role is lovable, and Shafi Kollam of Star Magic fame gets a fine role to perform. Chemban Vinod Jose is there but with not much to do.

How it finishes :: Among the releases set around Independence Day and a week beyond, this particular movie seems to have the advantage over the others. It cannot be considered as the better film among these choices, but is surely the one flick that seems to attract the young audience to the theatres more than any other. The film makes us wonder if the only thing that the new generation does is to fight, and whether everything is solved by fighting with each other, a disappointing trend for a movie which has Mahatma Gandhi as the father of the nation, and after seventy five years post getting independence. Yet, there is the assurance of entertainment, and the funny side often makes sure that the fighting does not feel too cruel around here. It is to be noted that Shine Tom Chacko brings this movie back to life so well, and we end up wanting his character to win in the end. Well, this variety for sure, and it is not in the story, but in what surrounds it, as we are introduced to the one real fight movie in the Malayalam film industry. It is also realistic if we consider the number of random fights which have broken out in the state for no reason, and adorn the news.

Release date: 12th August 2022
Running time: 148 minutes
Directed by: Khalid Rahman
Starring: Tovino Thomas, Shine Tom Chacko, Kalyani Priyadarshan, Chemban Vinod Jose, Lukman Avaran, Binu Pappu, Johny Antony, Neena Kurup, Gokulan, Swathi Das Prabhu, Adhri Joe, Austin Dan, Assim Jamal, Shafi Kollam, VP Khalid, Noushad Ali, Bhanumathi Payyannur, Ann Salim, Mashar Hamsa, James Elia, Unni Raja, Mohammed Eravattoor, Anand Bal, Satheesh Kumar, Balan Parakkal, Babu Annur, Nasar Karutheni, Salim Kumar (cameo)

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@ Cemetery Watch
✠ The Vampire Bat.

Heaven

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Vampire Owl: Do you think that Uncle Dracula is going to heaven?

Vampire Bat: I am sure that vampires have a different afterlife.

Vampire Owl: You mean beyond heaven and hell?

Vampire Bat: Somewhere in between, to be exact.

Vampire Owl: Are you talking about the purgatory?

Vampire Bat: I wouldn’t know before death, but there would surely be blood.

Vampire Owl: Well, as long as there is blood, I am okay with it.

Vampire Bat: You don’t really take the blood substitute anymore?

Vampire Owl: Until Doctor Frankenstein invents the perfect substitute, I won’t.

Vampire Bat: Then, be assured that it will a long wait, because that pseudo-doctor and scientist with fake degree is involved.

[Gets a paneer puffs and three cups of iced tea].

What is the movie about? :: A group of NCC cadets discover a dead body in the forest area where they were camping for the holidays from their school. The first police officer to the scene is Bijoy Kuruvilla (Sudev Nair), and the dead person is identified to be Fabian John (Deepak Parambol), with the help of the forensic experts who are led by Narayana Swami (Joy Mathew). According to the descriptions from the witnesses and circumstancial evidences, the police discover the murderer to be none other than Peter Kurishingal (Suraj Venjaramoodu), another police officer. Then, the movie gets a flashback when Peter is in charge of a police station in a village. He had only recently lost his wife, and has a number of cases for investigation, which he takes very seriously so that he can use them to forget the grief of loss. His mother Mariyam Kurisingal (Vinaya Prasad) takes care of his only son, as he remains mostly busy as a strict police officer. But things get worse as he comes up against a case which would prove to be personal for him, as a family is murdered, and along with them, he also find his son’s dead body, much to his shock.

So, what happens with the events here as we just keep looking? :: Peter’s subordinate Sukumara Pillai (Alencier Ley Lopez) is posted in the case with the new officer in charge of the investigation, Inspector Kishore (Padmaraj Ratheesh) who seems to be solving the case rather quickly, and a man named Stephen (Jaffar Idukki) confesses to have committed the crime with an immigrant labourer from West Bengal, as part of an attempted robbery. Peter has his doubts, but as one of the victims is his son, his superior officer Revathi Subramaniam (Abhija Sivakala) declines him an opportunity to be part of the investigation team, but lets him have a look at it as part of a parallel investigation for which he would be solely responsible. Soon, he discovers that the man who is accused of murder, Stephen actually had nothing to do with it. This home named Heaven, where the murders took place, seem to have more than one secrets to be discovered. His discoveries soon lead to him taking over the case after joining back on duty. But it remains to be seen if he will like what he would discover.

The defence of Heaven :: Here is one more addition to the smart thrillers of our times with some fine red herrings. The investigation shown in the movie feels solid, and so does the emotional side. The movie achieves its motives without exaggerating anything at any moment. There are twists till the end of the movie, and we see that it has nicely solved the puzzles to come strong in the end with enough strength. The realistic mode is maintained while bringing up the thrills and twists, and it surely feels like something which could happen during these days when different crimes are part of the news more than ever. Even the police procedures seem to be much accurate, and it doesn’t seem to venture into those areas where the smartness of the audience is questioned; maybe it is because the film chooses to have no such superstars who have so many fans wishing for their favourite actor to destroy evil like a fallen angel. Well, this movie is also something with fallen angels, but it knows how to keep it realistic. This is the kind of film that can teach valuable lessons for Bollywood which has its non-performers coming out of nepotism, not able to emote.

The positives and negatives :: The visuals are really good, and the camera is particularly good in capturing the emotions of Suraj Venjaramoodu, with all the grief which is part of the character’s life. The moments after the son’s death is as emotional as it can get, and it is only matched by the determination in his face that comes up later. There are the inner and outer battle shown here are with their own relevance. Heaven does not hesitate in going through the emotional path of the police officer and his investigation, just like it was seen in the movie Memories which had that abiding sadness in it which would return to haunt the viewer. The movie could have actually focused on the darker side even more. The return to the initial moments come rather too late, and due to the same, people might have actually forgotten the events which had happened earlier. The movie does slow down after the deaths and following emotional troubles, and it could have used a serial killer instead of the usual vengeance ideas being repeated. The music doesn’t feel as that great in comparison to some of the other thrillers which dealt with similar themes.

The performers of the soul :: Suraj Venjaramoodu handles the regretful cop role really well, and it reminds us of his earlier movie Pathaam Valavu, where he had also lost his child. The helpless and lack of hope can be seen on one side, while there is smartness on the other. He is the police officer and father to remember. The emotional struggle which was best displayed in Kaanekkaane, and added with mass in Jana Gana Mana and Driving License works really well here too, as he is indeed one of the best actors to go through a strong emotional side. The biggest support to him is provided by Alencier Ley Lopez who makes a fine cop in a supporting role; I had felt that John Luther could have really used him as a police officer too. The actors like Sudheesh and Jaffer Idukki add more of an emotional side to the film with their shorter presence. Vinaya Prasad also has the emotional grandmother role. Padmaraj Ratheesh and Sudev Nair also makes some fine police officers. Abhija Sivakala as the superior police officer is also solid. Deepak Parambol’s as well Nimisha Sajayan’s smaller roles are effective too. The collection of performers here makes sure that there is something interesting about all of them.

How it finishes :: Heaven gets into the list of interesting thrillers including the recently released Twenty One Grams and Solamante Theneechakal, as well as many others which came earlier. After all, the thrillers of this world mean more than just Drishyam. The movie working a lot better than the heavily hyped movies like CBI 5: The Brain is a reminder that we have some new names who can do the same thing better. Well, this is the kind of film which can never work for Bollywood as the sons and daughters of superstars would not agree to act in movies which cannot progress without throwing hundreds of villains around. Movies like this should open their eyes to the idea that there is the need for more thinking differently, or the drought in Bollywood of blockbusters is going to continue forever. Bollywood’s fight with its own incompetence might be forever, but during those times, Malayalam movie industry, just like the other South Indian film industries, is coming up with some fine works of quality which are to be remembered.

Release date: 19th August 2022 (Hotstar); 17th June 2022 (Theatre)
Running time: 130 minutes
Directed by: Unni Govindraj
Starring: Suraj Venjaramoodu, Sudev Nair, Sminu Sijo, Sudheesh, Joy Mathew, Alencier Ley Lopez, Jaffer Idukki, Vinaya Prasad, Abhija Sivakala, Deepak Parambol

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@ Cemetery Watch
✠ The Vampire Bat.

Solamante Theneechakal

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Vampire Owl: Do you think that there could be honeybees in this movie?

Vampire Bat: I am sure that the bees are different in this case.

Vampire Owl: I was looking forward to see a vampire bee.

Vampire Bat: There has been no bee which has been turned into a vampire.

Vampire Owl: Doctor Frankenstein has transformed a few.

Vampire Bat: They are pseudo vampires. They won’t count.

Vampire Owl: You continue to show your prejudice against Doctor Frankenstein.

Vampire Bat: I have never shown love for dumb experiments.

Vampire Owl: You will surely love the vampire bee though.

Vampire Bat: You should see how the human bees turn out here in this movie which is noted as a romantic thriller.

[Gets a vegetable samosa and three cups of cardamom tea].

What is the movie about? :: Glyna Thomas (Vincy Aloshious) and Suja S (Darshana S. Nair) are police constables who are also best friends – they have also rented a place together in Cochin. While Suja is posted in traffic duty, Glyna is assigned the duties at the police station itself. CI Binu Alex (Addis Antony Akkara) is in the charge of the station, and Suja hopes to get rid of the traffic duty and somehow be part of the station duties. For the same, Suja tries to portray Sharath Balakrishnan (Shambhu Menon) as a nuisance for women, but fails miserably. She even falls in love with him later. Sharath works for Nikhil Davis (Sunil Sukhada) who runs a rent-a-car business, but also has other motives. Their love story continues well until one day Binu and Sharath comes across each other, leading to a fight. Binu vows to make Sharath suffer for laying his hands on a police officer, but it is then that a criminal named Arumughan (Manikandan Achari) makes an entry with a grudge against Binu. Then, on an eventful night, things go out of control, and Suja might be the one to suffer for it. Will at least Glyna stand with her during the crisis?

The defence of Solamante Theneechakal :: It is to be noted that Solamante Theneechakal is a movie that has been much awaited by people who had watched at least one episode of the talent hunt show from where the leading actors of the movie where selected. But considering the performances which we come across here, this is more than that – none of the leading performers show any signs of acting in their first movie. They cast indeed is the biggest strength of the movie, as the newcomers score so well with the elder stars like Joju George and Johny Antony. The thrills remain strong, right after the defining incident. The twists are also there to be taken, and the red herrings are very much effective, to make us wonder about them. The early scenes also remain cute, and the friendship is effectively portrayed, with romance almost having a role to be added. There is also a certain amount of realism in the way the life of the leading ladies are portrayed, as both Vincy and Darshana make everything feel so real. Until the life turns around, everything that they do is so natural and without hesitations – the audience falls in love with such portrayal without exaggerations or pretensions.

The claws of flaw :: The absence of the big stars might make this movie’s collections and early appreciation struggle a bit – most people are still slaves to the superstars, and there are other three already established success stories in the form of crowd favourite movies already running in the theatres, which could make this particular movie take a hit. The dark side that the movie adds, do not get that much of a strength as it was expected, and there is some predictability about a few things, even though not with the grand scheme of things. The songs are not that great, and none of them provides the feeling of romance or terror, two elements which seemed to rise above the others – one or two still provide the feel-good feeling though. The first fight scene might be the only exaggerated moment, but there is no following it up well enough. The investigating officer does seem to deviate from the main concerns in the case, but it is justified in the end. Some of the supporting cast members don’t seem to have been used with the effectiveness that they might have deserved – it is still understandable, as the focus is on establishing the new talent which did such a fantastic job on television and deserves to be in the focus throughout the film. Yet, at times it chooses to defy logic by a little bit

The performers of the soul :: It was news then that the main performers for Lal Jose’s new movie were to be selected through a talent hunt show called Nayika Nayakan which aired on Mazhavil Manorama. Darshana S Nair and Shambhu Menon were the winners of the show, and they play the lead with the romantic side in this movie. Vincy Aloshious and Addis Antony Akkara who were the runner-ups in the show also play the next important roles in the movie as expected. They were selected from sixteen contestants going through multiple rounds, and it was one of the high quality shows from which these people were selected, and they have shown the same set of skills reflected around here too. Along with Vincy, some other participants like Meenakshi Raveendran, Ann Jameela Saleem, Venkitesh VP, Amina Nijam and Malavika Krishnadas were already seen in small roles in movies. Thattumpurath Achuthan had served as a vehicle for most of them to make some relatively small appearances which would not be memorized, and this one was to become the bigger space for these four to perform in a memorable way.

Further performers of the soul :: The movie is supposed to be the next big platform for these performers to show their skills, even though their talent hunt show was something which was a memorable experience for the audience. Even the participants in that show who were eliminated earlier, like Ann Paul were enormously skilled – that left no doubt about what these people could achieve. To support them, as the centre of everything, there is also Joju George, who had his best performance in Madhuram last year along with that memorable journey through Pada this year. He feels very natural as the police officer whose portrait never gets exaggerated – we know what he can do with this from Joseph itself. The performers from the talent show makes us feel the professionalism and not the reluctance of the newcomers. Among them, Vincy Aloshious stands out as the star performer, and her moments with Addis are too good. Darshana gets into make things even better – her moments with Vincy are among the best, whether with a funny side or the emotional one, and the two make things work so well. Addis’ villainous side is a strong one, and a lot realistic, but could have used better voice. Shambhu feels perfectly suitable for this role.

How it finishes :: This seems to be a movie which should have released much earlier, if it was not for the corona virus spreading through the world. As it was intended, the movie serves as the fine platform to show the abilities of the performers selected from the talent hunt show, which would reach the bigger audience. I was still surprised to see the less number of audience for this movie, and I would hope for the numbers to increase as it has the quality – we are all admirers of good movies, as far as I know. The other successful movies at the theatre might be a reason, but this need to pick up the pace, and with some good opinions, it should surely do that – this would be one of the first such opinions. The movie has to depend on the content more than anything else with the big names being absent, and it does exactly that, with the thrilling moments and the twists that are added to the tale. With no exaggeration of action or life itself, the movie is something that has the special ingredient, which is the new young cast itself. Seeing them would make us believe that Lal Jose has indeed made the right decision once more.

Release date: 18th August 2022
Running time: 139 minutes
Directed by: Lal Jose
Starring: Joju George, Darshana S Nair, Vincy Aloshious, Addis Antony Akkara, Shambhu Menon, Shiva Parvathy, Johny Antony, Manikandan Achari, Shaju Sreedhar, Binu Pappu, Sunil Sukhada, Sivaji Guruvayoor, Abhinav Manikantan, Aurora Adya

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<<< Click here to go to the previous Malayalam film review.

@ Cemetery Watch
✠ The Vampire Bat.

Pathaam Valavu

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Vampire Owl: So, there is the tenth turn where the twist lies.

Vampire Bat: We vampires are not worried about the turns. We fly over them.

Vampire Owl: Humans do not fly, but their spirits do float.

Vampire Bat: We don’t have the spirits. But we fly.

Vampire Owl: Where do you think a vampire’s spirit cross over to the other world?

Vampire Bat: I am expecting a river of blood there too.

Vampire Owl: So, you think that there will be blood on the way there.

Vampire Bat: Blood will be part of our afterlife as it is now.

Vampire Owl: You mean to say that blood also has the spiritual significance.

Vampire Bat: Vampires have been spiritual for a long time.

[Gets a vegetable samosa and three cups of cardamom tea].

What is the movie about? :: Sethunath (Indrajith Sukumaran) is the officer who is in charge of the Kattappana police station. His wife Suja (Swasika) is pregnant, and Sethunath rarely comes home due to his busy work. After a long time, he finally decides to take a few days off. It is then that he is asked to bring a prisoner who got out on parole and did not return – Solomon (Suraj Venjaramoodu) was arrested as part of a sensational case, and him not returning came as a surprise for most of the police officers. Sethunath visits Solomon’s house with a few other officers in company, just before he goes on a fifteen days leave, as his superior officer as Shihab Ali (Major Ravi) asks for one last duty to be finished. The team gets to Solomon’s home and also finds him, but fails to capture him. But he is caught by Xavier (Nisthar Ahmed) who has a large estate in the area, and they transfer him to the police. On the way back to the police station, there is a landslide on the tenth turn, and the team is forced to stop and have tea and snacks. There, Solomon tells Sethunath his story.

So, what happens with the events here as we just keep looking? :: Solomon was someone who survived one of the biggest landslides the highranges had ever seen, at the age of six. He lived as favourite of the locals, especially of the local priest (Sudheer Karamana) who has served as his local guardian. He falls in love with Seetha (Aditi Ravi), who elopes with him with the help of her sister, Anitha (Krittika Pradeep), and in the process, gets disowned by her rich and influential family. They soon have a child too. Varadhan (Ajmal Ameer), the local police officer who was supposed to marry her is particularly angry with them, especially as his next marriage reached the verge of divorce. He also gets transferred to the highranges soon, with a fight breaking out between him and Solomon, and this leads to Varadhan being relieved of duty and going home early. It is then that their child also goes missing, and the dead body is found between the rocks on the next day. Varadhan becomes the usual suspect for the locals, and there is fear in his eyes. His senior officer asks him to go on leave, but he is determined not to go from there. But where does this lead Solomon?

The defence of Pathaam Valavu :: This is a thriller that also goes on the path of a revenge with the support of flashbacks. There are moments of excellence, and unexpected elements of humour are also present with some flashbacks. The visuals give a beautiful feeling to the happenings around here too. The emotional side does the job well, and in between, the cute moments also get something to work on. It is the kind of the movie which could have gone The Great Father way, with the father of a child doing unbelievable acts in stylish dresses as if he was a rich monkey man, but manages to keep things realistic instead – well, you don’t want exaggerations when dealing with this kind of topics. Dealing with the life of the common man which is filled with simple happy moments of family, and turning it into moments of worries have been used effectively in Drishyam and Drishyam 2 along with the remakes – the same idea still continues to work. In the end, it also gives a social message, and finishes well as if poetic justice would return with a little help provided.

The claws of flaw :: The movie does start slow, as nothing much happens in the first thirty minutes or so, as it takes a little bit more time to establish itself. There is also some slow motion forced in there, against the overall mood of the movie. The loss of thrills to emotions can also be seen at times here. There is a lot of predictability that comes to the scene during the later stages of the movie, despite having the twists to provide the power. Some of the clues are also given in the early stages of the movie itself , which is re-established in the later stages too. The clues should have been hidden to keep the audience guessing. The red herring which the movie provides losses the steam because of the unexpected clues which are left in the process of moving the tale forward. The audience had the right to guess the killer differently, but such an opportunity is ruined too early. If the opportunity was better used, this movie could have been something bigger.

The performers of the soul :: Suraj Venjaramoodu remains the strongest element of this movie, and manages the emotional side really well yet again. He has been doing such roles with perfection for some time now, with its highest point in Kaanekkaane, and most recently in Jana Gana Mana. Yet, the one performance from him which would stay with me even more is from Finals. Indrajith Sukumaran has displayed a certain amount of skill in portraying the police officers, last seen in Night Drive – there is the feeling of not exaggerating the cop role when he is playing the role; it has been there since Angels. Aditi Ravi has been an underrated actress, and her realistic performance as a mother is a reminder of her skills. Her recent release, 12th Man did not give her enough opportunity, and it was only Alamara which used her potential well enough. Ajmal Ameer gets a good role in Malayalam movie industry after a long time, and he did come up with a fine performance until the character was just pushed to the background for seemingly no real reason.

How it finishes :: Pathaam Valavu becomes another interesting addition to the long list of engaging thrillers. It does have the moments, and there are other areas where it could have scored more. Yet, one thing I won’t get is that people call movies like these as one-time watchable; well are all movies not to be watched once? There is absolutely no point in keeping on watching a movie again and again, except for the jokes and songs. There have already been two fine thrillers in this year in the form of John Luther and Twenty One Grams, and this one, even though not that good as the two murder mysteries, still serves its purpose with effectiveness. It is also a reminder that we no longer need those big names to play the central character and make the movie a success. We are no longer in that age of superstars, even though fans can still disagree and go to the theatres as a crowd, providing money to their favourite heroes.

Release date: 22nd July 2022 (Manorama MAX); 13th May 2022 (Theatre)
Running time: 115 minutes
Directed by: M Padmakumar
Starring: Indrajith Sukumaran, Suraj Venjaramoodu, Aditi Ravi, Ajmal Ameer, Sudheer Karamana, Baby Kanmani, Swasika, Sohan Seenulal, Aneesh G Menon, Jayakrishnan, Major Ravi, Nisthar Ahmed, Abhinav Raj, Binu Adimali, Shaju Sreedhar, Idavelu Babu, Joy John Antony, Sudheer Paravoor, Nandhan Unni, Krittika Pradeep, Pria Menon, Thushara Pillai, Anjana Appukuttan

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@ Cemetery Watch
✠ The Vampire Bat.