The Pet Detective

Posted on December 2, 2025 by Tennyson

Vampire Owl: I have heard about a man named Ace Ventura being a pet detective.

Vampire Bat: He is quite a different person even from a distance.

Vampire Owl: Why do the pets even need detectives?

Vampire Bat: Don’t you know that animal lives are more important than human lives these days?

Vampire Owl: I have heard so much related to the strange love towards dogs.

Vampire Bat: Yes, so much that they abandon the dogs in the street and let them bite humans.

Vampire Owl: It is indeed some strange love.

Vampire Bat: Humans even hate each other so much. Strange people.

Vampire Owl: Have you ever met a good human in life?

Vampire Bat: Well, I do not know that many humans.

[Gets a Paneer Patty and three cups of Nuwara Eliya tea].

What is the movie about? :: Tony Jose Alula (Sharaf U Dheen) is a jobless young man who inherits his Mexico-returnee father Jose Alula’s (Renji Panicker) failing private detective agency, and in the process, also hopes to impress his childhood sweetheart Kaikeyi Menon (Anupama Parameswaran) and her disapproving strict father CKP Menon (Major Ravi) who has returned from military service. Rajath Menon (Vinay Forrt), the local police officer is also after Kaikeyi to earn her love, but she does not show that much of interest in him. Meanwhile, Tony and Kayikeyi keeps their relationship with a lot of fighting in between, but they get back to each other every time. But time keeps running out for Tony who really need to get a good job to get a chance to be married to his lady love. Tony and his loyal assistant at the detective agency, Sanoop (Joemon Jyothir) get the first big case in the form of a missing dog, which they are able to solve with relative ease due to some strange turn of events. As they get one lakh rupees from the owner who value the dog a lot, they begin to call themselves Pet Detectives, trying to solve more of similar cases.

So, what happens with the events here as we just keep looking? :: But there are lots of things happening in the background and everything is happening due to some grand evil schemes which have its roots in Mexico and other states of India. There is a criminal racket involved in the smuggling of some exotic aquatic species, with fish worth lakhs of rupees gone missing, and then there are little kids being kidnapped. A mafia leader from Hyderabad named Yaqat Ali (Vinayakan) has also arrived in Cochin, and has brought his own team of goons who are ready to do anything at his request. Tony is forced to take the help of his old school friend Thinkal Thomas (Shyam Mohan), but both are kidnapped along with Kaikeyi. Now, it is still to be seen about what step is to be taken for them to escape from these people who are looking out for them as they have also become entangled in this series of problems. Will the gangsters get what they want, and will the biggest crime lord of all-time come to Cochin from Mexico?

The defence of The Pet Detective :: The movie does focus on the comic side more than anything else. There is the effort to make it feel big, almost in that CID Moosa mood, with complications getting solved due to situations with a touch of humour, and the main characters are able to carry the same well on their shoulders as there is the full-fledged support of veterans. The performances here are energetic and the light feeling never really leaves the movie – the darkness never engulfs the film despite having a Mexican drug lord and gangster in the background ready to make an attack. The silly chaos mode has been activated very well too. The movie’s beginning is of top quality, and has us interested in the proceedings early. There is a certain amount of quality related to the visuals around here too. The movie’s good box-office collection reflects the response of the family audience here, as one feel that there is something for all kinds of audience, with this one being a clean entertainer. The arrival at OTT has also made sure that it will have more fans around.

The claws of flaw :: The inability to get on to the provided opportunities can be seen here. It tries to go big too, but never really reaches that level. The movie did begin with that promise which is only partially fulfilled by the end. There is a certain loss of interest which seems to have come in the middle due to the fact that there does not seem to be enough of an effort from some characters that seem to just wander along. Some characters are just everywhere, and the focus is never really one the right place during times. There are moments which could have been so much funnier, but the movie holds back at times, and keeps on adding complications, but the funny side does not get added there. The ending also feels a little bit too rushed and the final running around in confusion feels amateurish. The ending seems to have been forced to add a happy finish, and one would wonder if it could have just finished normally.

The performers of the soul :: Sharaf U Dheen has already displayed the strength to carry this type of movies on his shoulders, from that antagonist in Anjaam Pathiraa to the horror comedy combination in Hello Mummy. This time, when dealing with action comedy, he shows the skill to carry the whole thing mostly in his own style which works. Anupama Parameswaran makes her way here nicely, even though one would have felt that she deserved more, from how she began here. Vijayaraghavan carries the side of humour so well, and leads to the twists nicely. Shyam Mohan’s avatar keeps us interested as he did in Premalu. Vinayakan handles the negative role with a touch of humour without any difficulty. Vinay Forrt does well, but required more to his particular character here. Joemon Jyothir’s comic side works nicely and adds to the overall humour. Nishant Sagar also adds nicely to the fun while Bhagath Manuel and Jinu Joseph could have had bigger roles to play in here over these contributions.

How it finishes :: The Pet Detective seems to be aimed at heights, but that much is never reached despite opportunities being presented. Just a few months earlier Sahasam had achieved what the chaos comedy thrillers had dreamed of, and the chaos comedy was always best done through movies like Adi Kapyare Koottamani and Kunjiramayanam. If one is still in the mood for some light comedy without using that much of brains, this one provides an energetic and engaging journey, with never going down with its pace. But looking for believable plots, strong story-telling and memorable moments would not be the right choice to here as you need to enjoy the fun and move away, with no questions asked. After all, these kinds of movies are also the need of the times, for not everyone needs the most powerful investigation thrillers with twists that bends the mind to find a terrifying serial killer – for them, there are always movies like John Luther, Anjaam Pathiraa, Forensic, Paappan, Abraham Ozler, Anveshippin Kandethum and others.

Release date: 16th October 2025
Running time: 116 minutes
Directed by: Praneesh Vijayan
Starring: Sharaf U Dheen, Anupama Parameswaran, Vinayakan, Vinay Forrt, Shyam Mohan, Joemon Jyothir, Bhagath Manuel, Renji Panicker, Shobi Thilakan, Nishanth Sagar, P P Kunhikrishnan, Praseetha Menon, Sanju Madhu, Jai Vishnu, Jinu Joseph, Major Ravi, Amey Wagh, Maala Parvathi, Nileen Sandra, Prasanth Madhavan, Sonam Singh

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@ Cemetery Watch
✠ The Vampire Bat.

Hello Mummy

Posted on October 15, 2025 by Tennyson

Vampire Owl: I am sure that this movie has a vampire mummy.

Vampire Bat: We are dealing with real ghosts around here.

Vampire Owl: Mummies are animated corpses, right? Not ghosts.

Vampire Bat: I do not think that this is that kind of a mummy.

Vampire Owl: Because the character is not Egyptian?

Vampire Bat: They are referring to the mother-in-law of main character.

Vampire Owl: But this is still horror, so other mummies could also be around.

Vampire Bat: What can a mummy do to reach South India from Egypt?

Vampire Owl: I do not know. Maybe, take a flight?

Vampire Bat: Even Count Dracula is known to have taken only a ship.

[Gets a chilly chicken puffs and three cups of mixed tea].

What is the movie about? :: Boney (Sharafudheen) who has been running a pet shop – one of the biggest in the city, and trying to evade marriage for quite a long time, much to the dismay of his father Philip (Johny Antony), mother Soyamma (Ganga Meera) and sister Tincy (Sruthy Suresh). But when he goes through the usual process of seeing and rejecting girls, he comes across Stephy (Aishwarya Lekshmi), whom he really likes and decides not reject her. But Stephy comes with a condition that he should move to her house after wedding, and even though Boney’s parents show some hesitation, everyone is just happy that he is finally going to be married. But one day, she stops responding to him, and when he asks, she tells him that her dead mother still talks to her and that she does not approve of her marriage with him. She says that it is the best for the future of both of them that they do not proceed to the wedding ceremony. But Boney feels that she is just making things up to avoid him, and tells her that he believes her – and that he is ready to adjust in whatever ways possible.

So, what happens with the events here as we just keep looking? :: This impresses Stephy and they go on with the process. But on the first day itself, Boney realizes that she was not joking or making an excuse, and his father-in-law Samuel (Jagadish) asserts the same. The ghost mummy begins attacking him whenever he does something that she does not like. Stephy reveals that the mummy has prevented any physical union between them for now, and there some strange rules which he has to obey – this includes not wearing chappals inside the house, keeping the refrigerator open for more than ten seconds, dropping any food particle on the floor and a few more. Boss (Aju Varghese) who is running an investigative channel from the neighbouring house feels that there is something wrong, and tries to find a solution, while Boney’s best friend Bichu (Joemon Jyothir) tries to help only to find him at the receiving end of the mummy’s fury. Boney and Stephy tries to twist the situation by telling the mummy that they are going to be parents. But how can they sneak away from the powerful spirit which keeps the watch all the time?

The defence of Hello Mummy :: Here is one merging of horror and comedy that works well on the lines of Bollywood movies like Stree and Bhool Bhulaiyaa, but this is not a genre that has been working too well in this particular industry. In comparison, black comedy has had more success, like in the case of the recent work, Maranamass. There are moments that would be remembered, along with some dialogues which can stay for quite a long time. There seems to be a lot of energy in various parts of the movie, and that keeps the level of the movie high. This is also one horror movie that one can watch with family without too much of terror and no unsuitable comedy to go with it. The performances from the leading cast remains the highlight of the movie along with the fine support with the veteran actors around. The way in which the movie makes the fantasy tale blend into a world which was normal, makes it a world of magic realism in one way or the other. Cinematography and background score adds well to the whole thing.

The claws of flaw :: The movie’s focus on horror is rather less on comparison to the side of comedy which rises much above the other. The blending is rather one-sided when we look closely, and there is not much of an explanation of the supernatural elements. There is also a lot of predictability associated with the movie, even though most people might have expected the same. The lack of hype might have left many people without having watched the movie – if focused on the strengths, this would have become more popular from the day of release itself. There is a certain amount of silliness that can be seen around, and the lack of seriousness means some loss of the overall quality of the movie. The cliches are surely there, and the tale could have kept a stronger centre. Some of the emotional moments could have been avoided to make the movie shorter, as there is not that much of focus on the story, as situations are above everything else. The lack of consistency can be seen here in relation to the content, and horror also falls flat at times.

The performers of the soul :: Sharafudheen shines in the humorous role which seems to suit him so well, even though there is a subtle emotional side that runs through here. There are some fine one-liners which are there to stay, and some of these moments can be seen in the television in parts regularly. The movie also has Aishwarya Lekshmi who continues to prove that there are not many actresses who can match her grace and variety of performances in this generation. From a grand beginning with movies like Njandukalude Nattil Oridavela, Mayaanadhi, Varathan, Vijay Superum Pournamiyum and Brother’s Day with range from romance and feel-good to drama and thriller mode, she has come a long way, and deserves even more. She is in full strength here in a role which does not challenge her, but she assures that things are now better. We just need to remember how good Kaanekkaane was, to be reminded of her capabilities. The group of Jagadish, Johny Antony, Aju Varghese and Joemon Jyothir adds to the fun, while Bindu Panicker’s role is something that we will remember for a long time. Sunny Hinduja makes a fine villain at the same time.

How it finishes :: We know that good horror comedy is really hard to create, especially to make both sides work. This movie aligns more on the side of comedy, but there is always that hidden horror which comes out at rarely, but by the end of the movie, we see the blending of the two genres becoming one effectively. There is no lack of enjoyment at any part of the movie, as we see the situations, and feel the entertainment. There are not many movies that make us think too much about the situations, and we can focus on enjoying the whole thing without second thoughts. There is the scope left for a sequel, and we can expect this to get better. After all, there are so many questions to be answered from the first movie, and there might be a little too much to be done for what could be a series of movies. We can always accept the movies with a certain amount of silliness that worked so well, like Adi Kapyare Koottamani and Kunjiramayanam that keeps us laughing for a very long time.

Release date: 21st November 2024
Running time: 92 minutes
Directed by: Vaishakh Elans
Starring: Sharafudheen, Aishwarya Lekshmi, Sunny Hinduja, Jagadish, Johny Antony, Aju Varghese, Joemon Jyothir, Bindu Panicker, Arun Cherukavil, Ganga Meera, Sruthy Suresh, Adhri Joe

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@ Cemetery Watch
✠ The Vampire Bat.

Maranamass

Posted on April 17, 2025 by Tennyson

Vampire Owl: There seems to be something sinister about this particular movie.

Vampire Bat: You mean like there is more than what meets the eye.

Vampire Owl: Yes, with a fine dose of evil.

Vampire Bat: You feel that there is more evil here than what seems to exist?

Vampire Owl: Evil does come in many different forms.

Vampire Bat: You mean the dark humour in use here.

Vampire Owl: You see that darkness in humour which makes the film beautiful.

Vampire Bat: There was always going to be evil with a serial killer around.

Vampire Owl: Well, evil always finds a way, doesn’t it?

Vampire Bat: Especially with bigger movies not doing the job well enough.

[Gets a vegetable puffs and three cups of elaichi tea].

What is the movie about? :: Sreekumar (Rajesh Madhavan) lives a seemingly sweet and cute life as he teaches little kids in a kindergarten, and helps them in different possible ways. He seems like the typical kid-lover who cannot keep himself away from them. He takes them for rallies, tells them stories, and gets them support from the government. But in between doing all of these, he is the one serial killer whom the state is searching for. The serial killer has been known for brutally murdering elder people and also making a mockery of their corpses without any remorse and the state has been failing to capture him even with the police force in full alert. At the same time, the people of the same village are trying to send Luke (Basil Joseph) to Czechoslovakia because he has become a nuisance to everyone around him. Due to his strange behaviour, he also becomes a suspect in the serial killings, but is not arrested as police did not consider him to be smart enough to be a murderer with perfect plans.

So, what happens with the events here as we just keep looking? :: Luke is not happy because his girlfriend Jessy (Anishma Anilkumar) wishes to breakup with him as he is suspected to be a serial killer by too many people and because he is going to Czechoslovakia. He tries to win her interest back, but keeps failing miserably. At the same time, Jikku (Suresh Krishna) is looking forward to his wedding day, after a big number of rejections that have happened in the last few years due to random people spreading rumours about him. He drives the bus named “Veena Poovu” with Aruvi (Siju Sunny) as the conductor. At the same time, the case about serial killings is passed on to DYSP Ajay Ramachandran (Babu Antony), a remorseless police officer who is being remorseful about his missing dog that forms his only family. It is then that Keshavakurup (Puliyanam Poulose), an old man and womanizer who has been dumped into an old age home escapes and gets into the “Veena Poovu” bus which also has Sreekumar and Jessy as late-night passengers. As the old man tries to misbehave with her, Jessy uses pepper spray on him, leading to his death.

And what complicates things further within chaos? :: Sreekumar is disappointed as he was planning to have the old man as his victim but hopes that he can have the body and make the media feel like it was his victim. But he is not able to take the body away, as Luke comes in for Jessy. The team decides to bury the body, but are not able to do so, with Aruvi feeling that the man is his long-lost father due to the mark on his body. They decide to take the body elsewhere to provide the final rites, but there are so many obstacles that they have to face. This would include people trying to get into the bus, the need to use the bus for the Communist Party purposes and the remaining doubt about Luke being the serial killer. At the same time, the serial killer manages to have some different plans, but none of them would favour Luke and Jessy’s love, Jikku’s upcoming marriage or Aruvi’s love for his father. Can the unexpected team of confused people manage to get out of trouble with none of them dead and buried?

The defence of Maranamass :: The movie uses the dark humour to a fine level, as a serial killer and his attempts at murder gets the funny side to explore. The tale of Tom and Jerry being told in a serial killer’s perspective feels funny because what they do in the cartoon itself is nothing less than attempt at murder if this was in real life. The humour works at all times, and the use of real-life situations is very effective as the movie’s satire stays strong. Basil Joseph handles the whole situation really well as the leading actor, and there is always some fun around he is there. Rajesh Madhavan does a wonderful job as the serial killer, and he adds something special to the movie. Suresh Krishna invokes the funny side very well and is well-supported by Siju Sunny. Anishma Anil Kumar makes a fine presence as the leading actress, and maintains the humorous side very well, as we hope to see more of her work in the coming days. Babu Antony with the humorous side also catches our attention. Puliyanam Poulose adds further humour here.

The claws of flaw :: The movie could have had some focus on the story too, as it seems to be woven around humorous situations to make sure that it exists for namesake. Some of the characters seem to be present for the sake of being there. We do not see an attempt to introduce or develop most of them, and some of them just come and go. Some depictions might feel too silly for anyone’s standard, and could have used a little bit more of thoughts. There is no doubt about the fact that there was scope to make the film even better with added content. Maranamass is surely not the movie for everyone, as not all people might get some of the references here, as most of them do point somewhere, and not all viewers can appreciate some dark humour without being offended. People might be more interested in those mass masala and repeated family stuff for Vishu as they would most probably be watching together.

How it finishes :: Maranamass is that kind of a movie which can be watched for the funny side, and not for the tale, because it follows situations which are created to bring laughter and not to take the story forward. This was actually the only Vishu release which had us interested in watching, and that comes as no surprise considering the other releases which felt like no fun. The other releases can be found anywhere at any time, but it is to be noted that movies like this one are not that easy to create with effectiveness. We remember that movies like Aadu became cult classics, but this one is surely better than that, and we see that films like Adi Kapyare Kootamani and Kunjiramayanam had similar silly characters and succeeded in creating a laugh riot – this one is of the same level if we consider the characters that we see around. This is that kind of a film with serial killer which will not leave us in fear, but with a lot to laugh about.

Release date: 10th April 2025
Running time: 141 minutes
Directed by: Sivaprasad
Starring: Basil Joseph, Rajesh Madhavan, Siju Sunny, Babu Antony, Anishma Anilkumar, Suresh Krishna, Pooja Mohanraj, Joemon Jyothir, Puliyanam Poulose, Dheeraj Denny, Prashant Alexander, Tovino Thomas (cameo), Guru Somasundaram (cameo)

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

<<< Click here to go to the previous low hype movie review.

@ Cemetery Watch
✠ The Vampire Bat.

Falimy

Posted on January 7, 2024 by Tennyson

Vampire Owl: I think that humans no longer have the concept of ideal family.

Vampire Bat: Are you referring to the change of spelling here?

Vampire Owl: I am referring to the idea of a perfect family.

Vampire Bat: Humans have never been family-oriented by nature.

Vampire Owl: So, the human nature has been missing for long?

Vampire Bat: They are moving away from families as it is not in their nature.

Vampire Owl: So, there are no families anymore?

Vampire Bat: Almost all families of humans are broken now.

Vampire Owl: So, there is no more hope for them?

Vampire Bat: Hope is now a thing of the undead, not of the living.

[Gets a vancho cake and three cups of Darjeeling tea].

What is the movie about? :: Janardhanan (Meenaraj Palluruthy) is an 82 year old man, the eldest person in the family who keeps trying to travel to Varanasi, but every time someone from his family finds him on the way and brings him back. But that does not stop him from trying again and again. On one occasion, he had almost boarded the train itself. His son Chandran (Jagadish) does not go for any job, and had ended up shutting down the printing press owned by the family. He spends most of his time doing nothing except watching television. He has a lack of interest in family matters, and becomes more and more alcoholic as time progresses. Chandran’s wife Rema (Manju Pillai) is working at a press, and tries to keep her family running without problems. She keeps the family together after giving her best efforts. The elder son of Chandran and Rema, Anoop (Basil Joseph) works as a dubbing artist in a nearby studio. Abhijith (Sandeep Pradeep), the younger child spends his time doing nothing, and dreaming about getting out of India, preferably the United Kingdom.

So, what happens with the events here as we just keep looking? :: Things seem to get better when Anoop gets an alliance from Anagha (Raina Radhakrishnan), a school teacher who had earlier rejected the idea of marriage itself. The engagement gets into trouble as a man named Robin (Joemon Jyothir) disrupts the ceremony, claiming to be her lover. Abhijith beats him up, only to be chased by the goons regularly. Anoop who feels cheated decides to go to Varanasi for a change, accompanying his grandfather, and a frightened Abhijith also decides to go with them. Chandran and Rema also decide to go and according to the plan, they get into the train. On the way, at a railway station at night, Chandran finds himself tricked by a tea-selling boy at a railway station, and he is stranded at the station with his wife and two sons. The grandfather is also forced to get out of the train, and the whole family is forced to continue the journey by road. But with tension building between them, can they finally finish the journey? How far will they travel?

The defence of Falimy :: There is a pretty good attempt to display a middle class family with all the small problems that become inflated as members do not understand each other too well. The realizations that come across them are nicely shown here. Having Basil Joseph at the centre surely has worked in favour of the movie, and Antony Varghese withdrawing from the project did not do that much of a damage. The message about importance of being one family and providing values to the desires of the elders could get the attention here. The frustrations in the movie do feel real, as the meaningless existence of a few and the inability to find meaning for others do get some presence here. Living through some habits which lead nowhere would not feel strange to our people, as doing nothing itself has become a habit due to the rise of Youtube – people these days know nothing other than to make videos which are watched by more jobless people, and it is one reason why we need the Terminator-type apocalypse to come and internet to go down. The visuals outside Kerala makes an impact, especially as we get closer to Varanasi with the characters.

The claws of flaw :: The movie does go through its struggles just like the characters within it. There seems to be the feeling that there is comedy when there is none. The comic side often losses its charm as it is lost between reality and the need to add something extra. In the name of showing middle class families, the movie also shows too many brainless people – in a society, we would expect at least one person to have some brain, but this locality and extended family seems to be different, and it is to be noted that this is not a Kuniramayanam or Adi Kapyare Koottamani type of film to move that way. The poverty here seems to be that of intellect rather than anything else. The movie could have used its spirituality at the end to its advantage, or bring back the wedding element to create the feel-good, but this one is caught between the feel-good and the dumb comedy which often prevents film from making the best out of the available potential. There was so much to be done, but this family takes the easy path, and that might have felt like the safer one for them. This is where the struggle feels more real for the movie than the characters.

The performers of the soul :: Basil Joseph remains the major protagonist here, and he adds more to the existing factors like in Enkilum Chandrike. He makes this character so good with the frustration, helplessness and meaningless existence which becomes him – you know that it is very difficult for a young man to get married in this part of the world if you do not have a government job. At the same time, Jagadish and Manju Pillai makes a fine combination and adds to some situational and realistic humour, but the latter do not have a Home-like platform here to get to serious mode. Sandeep Pradeep also comes up with some fine performance in a new generation realistic mode here. Meenaraj Palluruthy has a fine performance which would be remembered for long, and the emotional touch remains strong. Boloram Das who plays the main character outside Kerala also leaves us with some fine moments to cherish, filled with funny elements. Raina Radhakrishnan who is like the main female lead for a few minutes also leaves a mark – the moments have a cute side as well as a tragic one, which sets the world moving forward. It could have been good to have her back at the end of the movie, but it was not to be.

How it finishes :: Falimy is a movie which could have surely been much better, and there could have been better quality associated with different elements present here. The attempts to create comedy out of nowhere do not work at all times, but the simplicity and the plan to remain close to reality would keep it going and gain the positive appreciation that it required. The journey still does not become a Kumbalangi Nights kind of adventure which we could cherish for a longer period of time. It has been strange throughout the movie to see so many opportunities to be wasted. You cannot keep asking the ordinary space to create something special out of situations, and that is where the problem lies. Consistency has not been a quality of this film from the beginning itself. Yet, we watch this one for those moments, the comic ones that work here and there and the emotional ones that struggle even further to create impact. The movie surely manages to be at a higher level than the rubbish that is provided to us in the form of realism, like Angamaly Diaries and Annayum Rasoolum, two of the most miserable nothingness movies in the history of Malayalam cinema.

Release date: 15th December 2023 (Hotstar); 17th November 2023 (Theatre)
Running time: 127 minutes
Directed by: Nithish Sahadev
Starring: Basil Joseph, Jagadish, Manju Pillai, Abhiram Radhakrishnan, Raina Radhakrishna, Joemon Jyothir, Boloram Das, Amith Mohan, Meenaraj Palluruthy, Sandeep Pradeep

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@ Cemetery Watch
✠ The Vampire Bat.

Tholvi F C

Posted on January 6, 2024 by Tennyson

Vampire Owl: I would like to sponsor this football club.

Vampire Bat: We are not allowed to sponsor clubs of humans.

Vampire Owl: But I have the money, like human cash.

Vampire Bat: It has never been about the money.

Vampire Owl: Well, for humans, it has always been about the money.

Vampire Bat: Uncle Dracula has never talked about money.

Vampire Owl: This is about survival in an evil human world.

Vampire Bat: You can try sponsoring any drink some vampire business instead.

Vampire Owl: We shouldn’t do business, for we lose money.

Vampire Bat: Well, we live in a vampire welfare society. There is no need of too much cash.

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

What is the movie about? :: Oommen (Sharaf U Dheen) is an engineer who quit his job in IT industry at Bangalore to start his own business in the form of a grand tea shop known as Chai Nation Private Limited, which he established close to an It park. But the venture is not successful, and his plans to expand the business gets nowhere. His father Kuruvila (Johny Antony) is only interested in making profit by investing in cryptocurrency, and he miserably fails in doing the same like he had earlier did with share market. Thambi (George Kora), Oommen’s brother is running a football club for children known as Thambi FC, based out of Kadavanthra. But the team has always been losing matches, especially to their newfound nemesis Bolgatty FC. Shoshamma (Asha Madathil Sreekanth) is not happy about her jobless husband Kuruvilla or the two sons who are also of no use. During one of the games, he gets to meet Mariyam (Meenakshi Raveendran), who is very much interested in football, and has returned to her sister Shahana (Anju Abraham) and brother-in-law Feroz (Abraham Joseph) who forms a typical orthodox family. She had only recently divorced her husband at Qatar, which has led to her living a lonely life.

So, what happens with the events here as we just keep looking? :: The struggles of Oommen, Thambi and Kuruvilla comes together with the failed attempts of Shoshamma to get her book published while going through her life as a librarian. Her psychological thriller keeps getting rejected by different publishers. Oomen is in love with Sharmin (Poonam Gurung) from Tibet who used to work with him, while Thambi and Mariyam gets closer to each other as much as they go keep the passion for football. Oomen’s attempts to impress a potential sponsor Althaf (Althaf Salim) fails miserably, while Thambi F C losses its players after a fight which breaks out after a match. Both Thambi F C and Chai Nation continues to be in trouble as the latter forms the main sponsor for the team. Kuruvilla is forced to get out of home as he losses more of the money earned by Shoshamma. Oomen’s relationship with Sharmin also gets into trouble. The family struggles to keep things going, as life gets more and more difficult for them to remain normal. Can they finally go past the struggles and get what each of them wishes to achieve in their lives?

The defence of Tholvi F C :: We have always looked for some fine family movies which we can relate to, and finish the movie with some happiness that can be kept with us for long. The message about gaining success in life is asserted strongly again and again. We are never short of the need to have some inspirational movies as long as they do not overdo their ideas with impossible or useless ideas which lead us to trouble. This movie knows where it stands in relation to that, and even though the investment and innovation mode might feel extra, the overall thing remains interesting and connectible to all of us. There are only a few feel-good movies with family and children that have managed to make a good impression on me, and this is surely one of them. Unlike some other overrated families in Malayalam movies, this is surely one family that we can love better than other. The comic side is very good, and they also feel realistic and close to our lives, sometimes reminding us of the pathetic state of affairs all around us, serving as satire too. Some of the dialogues are nicely written to stay in our minds and situations are created in the same way too. The significance of tea is also asserted so well, and a dream come true for all tea lovers to see the drink taking centre stage at times.

The claws of flaw :: There are moments when Tholvi F C tries to force some feel-good factor when the chance was not really there. The elements of football could have been taken in a better way. Some parts of the movie seem to be added just for the sake of having them there, even though no movie needs to focus on giving equality and liberty ideas all the time. There are moments when quick solution achieved despite going deeper, as humour takes over fast enough to overtake the tension. The problems of motherly figure also get a little too less attention here, as the character was the one who could have had much more to display here. The scattering of the elements of the movie is surely uneven, as it struggles to combine them at times. Sometimes, the movie does try too hard all of a sudden, but then we also realize that it is moving towards that aim of being full feel-good, to which tireless striving and the requirement not to yield is to be asserted, and we also let it go and move along. Still, a better title would have inspired more people to watch this one for sure.

The performers of the soul :: The main role of the movie is handled well by Sharaf U Dheen, who had already done a similar job well with Madhura Manohara Moham, providing the image of the family man who is not that successful in life. In this case, the bigger struggle belongs to him rather than the others around him, even though the problems belong to all of them. Johny Antony plays the father figure with his own long-lasting troubles well, as his transformation to the hardworking man is well-portrayed and combination scenes with Asha Madathil Sreekanth work really well. George Kora, the director plays the other character that undergoes transformation from the irresponsible to the better man with the touch of humour that keeps the movie getting better as it progresses. What strikes us more is Meenakshi Raveendran in a serious role which never ceases to be impressive. From Naayika Nayikan days and the later Udan Panam days with Dain Davis, we knew that she was a talent to be remembered, and she re-iterates the same even though she has not been provided which that many roles in the industry. The emotional side is as much safe with her as the humour. Althaf Salim and Anuraj O B nicely adds to the overall humour with some fine funny moments, and the child actors are really good here.

How it finishes :: Tholvi F C never really moves away from its feel-good factor, and the possibilities that it can achieve with simple family humour. This is one movie which is powered by its female lead more than any other even though it is not that much marketed in the same way, as Meenakshi Raveendran keeps scoring so well with multiple sides of life. There is no doubt about the fact that the movie could have been better with the progression of a tale which intends to be inspiring, but the purpose is nicely served in the end. For a new year, we should be looking for movies which would motivate us to do better, and this movie in Amazon Prime Video now, does the same with effectiveness. This drama about dysfunctional families never gets out of the light mood, even though some dark shades and a feeling of real danger comes in the end. We have some beginning to 2024 through the OTT platform, and we can only hope that the same can be there in the theatres too, as we wish another fine year for Malayalam movie industry which brings more collections and even more viewers than last year with bigger getting ready for release.

Release date: 4th January 2024 (Amazon Prime Video); 3rd November 2023 (Theatre)
Running time: 120 minutes
Directed by: George Kora
Starring: Sharaf U Dheen, Johny Antony, Meenakshi Raveendran, George Kora, Asha Madathil Sreekanth, Althaf Salim, Rahul Riji Nair, Poonam Gurung, Anuraj OB, Ashlee Issac Abraham, Joemon Jyothir, Amith Mohan Rajeshwari, Srikanth Mohan, Abraham Joseph, Anju Abraham, Ayden Abraham

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@ Cemetery Watch
✠ The Vampire Bat.

Romancham

Posted on April 8, 2023 by Tennyson

Vampire Owl: We have heard a lot about this movie.

Vampire Bat: When we hear too much about a film, it won’t be good.

Vampire Owl: Well, human tastes rarely apply to us.

Vampire Bat: Yet, there have been exceptions from old times.

Vampire Owl: The exceptions have not been really worthy either.

Vampire Bat: There are actually so many movies releasing these days.

Vampire Owl: But we don’t even know most of them.

Vampire Bat: They just come and go as fast as possible.

Vampire Owl: Well, releases used to be more relevant until some time ago.

Vampire Bat: The movies these days mean too less. It has been so quiet.

[Gets a paneer biriyani and three cups of cardamom tea].

What is the movie about? :: Jibi (Soubin Shahir), Rivin (Anantharaman Ajay), Niroop (Sajin Gopu), Shijappan (Abin Bino), Mukesh (Siju Sunny), Karikuttan (Afzal PH) and Soman (Jagadeesh Kumar) are seven youngsters sharing the same house in Bangalore. Most of them don’t have any job, and some among them are not really interested in working at all. The people in the neighbourhood do not like them and consider them to be nuisance. One day, they come across the idea of playing an ouija board by decorating a carroms board to tranform its looks. Even though they feel that it doesn’t work at all, things seem to get supernatural at least within the board, as there seems to be a female spirit named Anamika talking to them. The spirit answers to all their questions, which even brings people from outside to become part of the game. People even get to know things which were unknown to most humans around. It seems that the spirit could even solve mysteries and crimes, which surprises everyone. But things go out of control when it seems that the spirit is capable of more than just being part of the game, and they finally decide to stop playing the ouija board.

So, what happens with the events here as we just keep looking? :: But things don’t get any better after the oujia board is destroyed. They bring an acquaintance named Sinu Solomon (Arjun Ashokan) to the house after he had faced a trauma of being kidnapped, but this man seems to be even stranger than the lady spirit. He seems to act strange, and even knows things that he was not supposed to know, even about Anamika. He seems to be stuck at times while doing something or talking to himself during regular intervals which makes everyone feel strange. To add to it, he also talks about human skull soup, much to the dismay and fear of the already scared group of people. They try to bring a common acquaintance to talk to him, but he feels that the problem is with Jiby. Compared to others, Jiby feels that there has never been a spirit in the house, as it was him who started moving the glass on the board, and thinks that someone else might have continued from where he had left. So, is there a chance the spirit is actually something else, or is there something to be afraid of?

The defence of Romancham :: The genre of horror comedy gets the much needed strength with this particular movie. This is the category which hasn’t managed to find a fine footing in Malayalam film industry, and this is a positive move in that direction. The prevailing mystery in this movie never ceases to exist, and we are left to think about the spirit more than anyone in the movie. There is the humour that works, and it is that kind of a comic side which has been used before, but not something that we haven’t seen before, thanks to the premise and the setting at work here. The movie also manages to connect most of the dots really well, and it doesn’t back down when there is chance for some realistic talk to go on in between. It is also that kind of a horror movie which does not require us to think too much about evil that has its claws stretched towards human lives, as it is more focused on letting the audience live through the experience of the main characters who remain different from each other, even with so many common things which seem to run through. The final moments do score well, and leaves scope for guessing for another movie which can also follow.

The claws of flaw :: There was so much to be done with this movie, and a lot more than what was seen on the screen. The horror remains weak throughout this movie, and there is no clear indication of what has happened around here in relation to the spirit – the lady spirit is never really shown around here, and we never really get to see the demonic spirit. The movie also takes too much time to start becoming interesting, as the first forty-five minutes are rather dull with the life of random youth being shown with all the useless elements. It is only when the board gets the focus that things begin to be of significant nature. Then, the movie seems to be getting ready to become something extraordinarily huge, but it never really manages that, as it stays within the limitations instead of breaking free to bring the unlimited doses of anything of the blended genres. Along with the same, I have to say that movies based on Bangalore has worked less for me, and it was the same case with Bangalore Days which was so much appreciated for some reason, which I would never really find out. There could have been more than what meets the eye, but there isn’t, and it is also too long a film.

The performers of the soul :: The movie depends on a list of newcomers to make the desired impact, and the same has been mostly achieved with most of the actors. Among the performers who have a long history, Soubin Shahir is there for the longest time, and he manages to keep things going strong. The next one who is there for more time is Arjun Ashokan, who has his moments, especially with funny side having a spooky addition to it. Chemban Vinod Jose should have been there for more time though, as he seems to be most experienced person who shows the face around here – it remains more or less a cameo-like performance though. Among the new faces, the ones who catch our attention the most are Anantharaman Ajay who plays the decent boy among them all and Sajin Gopu who played the supposed-to-be-brave character. The movie does miss the female cast though, as the only ladies around here are those of no importance to the tale or a spirit which is never revealed in the feminine form. Deepika Siva as a nurse might be the only other female presence on whom the camera is focused for enough time period.

How it finishes :: The movie misses out on the opportunity to have the side of horror up and running along with the comedy, but in the end, it seems clear that this one would not give the genre of horror any advantage in between the comedy. There was a lot to be achieved by this movie, and it only happens to be successful with some of them. It could do better with a sequel, but even without such hope, remains a film of interest. Adi Kapyare Koottamani which had a horror presence in the end with all the comic side is still to have that long awaited sequel, and so we just cannot be sure about another film. The movie might not feel that huge as some of the opinions about it, but the use of the available resources to become effective is to be noted. Making a horror movie work has been more difficult than ever during these days, and such difficulty in display here is managed better during the later stages of the movie. The device at work for the supernatural here is the homemade ouija board out of the carroms board, and it is the innovation that makes one feel the presence of the local ghost even without that woman in white saree.

Release date: 7th April 2023 (Hotstar), 3rd February 2023 (Theatre)
Running time: 129 minutes
Directed by: Jithu Madhavan
Starring: Soubin Shahir, Anantharaman Ajay, Sajin Gopu, Abin Bino, Siju Sunny, Afzal PH, Jagadeesh Kumar, Arjun Ashokan, Joemon Jyothir, Chemban Vinod Jose, Deepika Siva, Sneha Matthew, Asim Jamal, Thankam Mohan, Jolly Chirayath