Sini Abraham – Movies of the Soul

Vampire Owl: I take this as an opportunity to rise from the ashes.

Vampire Bat: Vampires have already risen from the grave.

Vampire Owl: Rising from the ashes like a phoenix is different.

Vampire Bat: There will never be a Vampire Phoenix.

Vampire Owl: An owl is bird enough to be a phoenix.

Vampire Bat: So, you are going to be burned on a stake?

Vampire Owl: I can always hide in the ashes and rise from it.

Vampire Bat: Does this mean that you only need that title and nothing more?

Vampire Owl: Once I become a phoenix, my vampire powers will surely be different.

Vampire Bat: Well, vampires are real, but phoenix birds are not.

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

What is the movie about? :: Advocate John Williams (Aju Varghese) moves away from his hometown, choosing an abandoned house in the middle of nowhere, after having some problems in the court where he was practicing as a lawyer. This new house has been deserted for too long, and the owners ask for an advance rent payment of six months. John is happy about it as nobody will evict them for six months even if he creates some unnecessary problems. He is accompanied by his wife Daisy John (Nilja K Baby) and three children who are not really that happy to be in this strange place where nobody is present to help them. Ameer (Bhagath Manuel) is John’s only friend as he keeps making enemies out of people he knows. He does not try to meet the parish priest Fr. Geo Kuttikadan (Zhinz Shan), the local shop owners, or the village authorities. He begins practicing at a local court, even though that also does not become a successful adventure for him.

So, what happens with the events here as we just keep looking? :: But the new house becomes a strange place for John and family as they feel that there is somebody else living with them. They ask around and understand that the place where they lived used to be a graveyard where so many people were buried underneath during the time of a cholera outbreak. They discover that the letters come from Anna Rose George (Abhirami Bose), an orphan girl who died during a cholera pandemic in the 1970s, who was in love with Freddy Mathew (Chandhunadh), son of an aristocratic businessman who was proud of his lineage and money power. The alliance is not a widely accepted one, as Margaret Tharakan (Aradhya Ann) is chosen as the right choice, as she is the daughter of a doctor who is studying for MBBS. It turns out that Freddy has to finish his research in marine engineering, for which he leaves to Madras. At the same time, cholera spreads in the village, and Anna is affected. What follows is a twist of events which would separate the two lovers, but for how long? How is this related to the sinister events?

The defence of Phoenix :: From a distance, the movie might look like a horror flick, but it is basically a tale of doomed love having an emotional touch told with the presence of spirits that haunts a family. The requirement for the past to be dug up makes the horror not more terrifying, but more emotionally relevant. The quality of all of these elevates the movie to a new level, as the location as well as the settings of the past never ceases to amaze us. The tale is nicely told with right focus on the necessary elements at all times. The movie never lets us keep away from the proceedings here. The divergent approach towards the genre brings the refreshing feeling here. Despite not focusing that much on special effects, the terrifying feeling never really goes away. The music is really good here, and songs remain touching. The experience of Phoenix would move away from the usual trends, and could bring new life to the genre of horror which has not done the best work during the last year, not just in this part of the world, but also outside.

Positives and negatives :: There is something about the movie that runs the emotional undercurrents so well in this movie, while the side of horror is always ready to move to the backseat to let the emotions rise about the rest. When the people behind the movie are associated with Twenty One Grams, Anjaam Paathira and Garudan, you know that there has to be more than just horror about this particular movie which impressed with the trailer itself. The deviation from horror is still there, and some people might not like the same. We focus on a longing for lost to be more than having vengeance on people, and in that case, horror will have taken the side seat. Vishnu Bharathan who is directing his first film, has made us feel a veteran touch, and for the same, the performances especially from the new face in the industry, Abhirami Bose has the biggest role to play. The ghosts of the past have the roles to play in this movie in a beautiful manner, and with the spirits, we have the blending of multiple genres, and with the same, the movie only gets better as time progresses. The worlds of the living and the dead is connected by the eternal love which stays strong in both.

The performers of the soul :: Aju Varghese in a serious role works like a dream in this movie, as he impresses us in a different way, in the form of a character which would not be loved by many people who watch this. Nilja K Baby plays the character of the wife with a certain amount of sadness always present on her face, and it is more like reflecting the overall mood of the film. Bhagath Manuel’s supporting role also remains a notable one. But the tale that remains the soul of this movie is that of a forgotten past, where Chandhunadh shines as the Shakespearean tragic hero who brings about his own fall out of grace and Abhirami Bose who becomes the lovely Ophelia who is destined to meet the unexpected but awaiting doom. Abhirami’s work as the doomed lover who is stuck in a Waiting for Godot situation even after death which comes to her after being proclaimed death, is one of the most tragic situations which calls for a spirit to return to life. The way in which she blends into this character is remarkable. Anoop Menon’s priest role is smaller, but more relevant to the proceedings of the long-lost past. Zhinz Shan’s priest also makes a point.

How it finishes :: The best thing about Phoenix is that it does not try to limit it to the usual jump scares despite it being known as a horror flick. It is like Crimson Peak, as the words which are told in that movie about the spirits of a particular type – “Others that hold onto an emotion. A drive. Loss. Revenge. Or love. Those, they never go away”. We know that by end of the movie, and we wonder how we can separate love from horror and hope from loss, as they are all interconnected; often one rests on the other to provide the substance. The film creates the bond of eternity which binds and curses people through love, and the emotional side only grows. I would safely say that this one of the most underrated romantic horror movies of all-time in Malayalam movie industry, as this stretches the arms towards the eternity which both romance and horror searches for in a world of modernity. The movie does what Ezra could not, as it found the possibility of multiple dimensions in a tale of horror, characterizing both the living and the dead beautifully.

Release date: 22nd December 2023 (Amazon Prime Video); 17th November 2023 (Theatre)
Running time: 132 minutes
Directed by: Vishnu Bharathan
Starring: Aju Varghese, Bhagath Manuel, Abhirami Bose, Nilja K Baby, Anoop Menon, Chandhunadh, Jess Sweejan, Babi Avani, Abram Ratheesh, Asha Aravind, Aji John, Sini Abraham, Devendranath, Aradhya Ann, Rajan Pootharakkal, Zhinz Shan, Paul D Joseph, Premananandan, Aroop Sivadas, Rahul Nair R

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@ Cemetery Watch
✠ The Vampire Bat.

What is the movie about? :: The story is set in a high range village and at an old style family which is left with one old motherly figure and the young son who hasn’t married yet even though he has reached the age of thirty five. Sleevachan (Asif Ali) is someone who hasn’t thought of marriage at any point of his life. Kuttichan (Jaffer Idukki) has brought profiles of many different women for him, but he didn’t even try to go and see a single lady, much to the dismay of his mother, four sisters and other relatives. Even his neighbours, friends and the villagers are looking forward to see him getting married, as he is a much loved person and a helpful man. But as he realized that his mother was getting older, and she needed help, he finally decides that he can’t manage all the farming activities and look after his mother, as he is always outside home.

So, what happens with the events to follow? :: A new proposal comes, and this time, Sleevachan is ready to marry, and the girl is Rincy (Veena Nandakumar), daughter of the church vicar’s sister who lives at Angamaly. Even though Sleevachan’s sisters are doubtful in the beginning stages, the two are supposed to be ideal match, and there is no hesitation from anyone’s side about getting them married, except for Richard (Rony David), Rincy’s brother who also agrees to the union of two families. There is a grand wedding ceremony which is attended by almost the whole village, but on the very first day itself, Sleevachan ends up drinking too much alcohol, and falls asleep early. But from what is to follow later, this might be the better night for him. His own lack of understanding of what happens after marriage would land him in trouble. The question remains about how he can change his ways and adapt.

The defence of Kettiyolaanu Ente Malakha :: The success of Kettiyolaanu Ente Malakha depends on how its situation and idea is presented to make a story with lesser content far more interesting than how it would have been, if presented directly. The main characters are nicely written, and without any melodrama or insensitive dialogues, the movie takes on the family mode quite easily. There was some risk involved with this movie, and the movie even though does take it, never really venture close to danger – the balance is maintained effectively. The music is pretty good, even though not the best. The visuals of the place are nicely captured, and it serves as another good-looking movie too. The messages here are there to be taken, even though not for everyone, and not at the same dose.

The claws of flaw :: There is not much of a content in this movie that stretches to its full length, as some parts of the movie could have been cut down to make this one and half hours – there is not that much in there to take it to two hours and fifteen minutes. The story can be considered to be too simple, and the beginning half an hour or even up to forty five minutes doesn’t have anything to catch our attention at all, and goes through a struggle to get to the point, until it begins to change the mood. There are also moments when one feels that the movie is not that realistic, and due the lesser content out there, it does drag, and the struggle is visible. The ending, even though good, needed to pack a better punch – the feel-good has itself working all the way here though.

The performers of the soul :: Asif Ali has done a fantastic job here, and it him who gets to drive the movie forward effectively. Even though Kakshi: Amminippilla was a terrible and aimless movie, he had two fantastic movies, Virus and Uyare, as well as the one fine feel-good movies in the form of Vijay Superum Pournamiyum. He makes this simple, highland villager close to life, and also natural enough. He has some fine moments for us to remember, especially in the second half of the movie. This role of the simpleton from a village on a hill, stays safe with him from the beginning to the end. Veena Nandakumar who is best known for the movie Kadam Katha, comes up with a fine, controlled performance. She delivers the most with less dialogues and more from looks and action.

Further performers of the soul :: Basil Joseph, the director of two wonderful movies Kunjiramayanam and Godha has another good role to do after Manoharam. He plays the supporting role well once again, and it is once again the kind of role which Aju Varghese would do in a similar movie. The girl who plays the role of his lover also does a fine job here. Shine Tom Chacko is there in a small role which you would miss if you don’t look around at the right time. Rony David also has a smaller role as the brother of the heroine. Jaffer Idukki has a bigger role, and we get to see him handling a funny as well as matured side. Sruthi Lakshmi and Maala Parvathi are there for shorter moments too. It can be seen that the rest of the cast are also natural, unlike Happy Sardar which released this week, and keeps itself artificial throughout its run.

How it finishes :: Kettiyolaanu Ente Malakha has done a pretty good job in keeping close to the family audience while providing a few messages. After the critically acclaimed and top level Helen, this is the movie which will grab your attention. Even with new releases coming this week, its number of shows remaining the same is a sign of the possibility of the movie to stay, even though with Mamangam coming up soon, there is no clear guarantee of the same. Kettiyolaanu Ente Malakha‘s title won’t really symbolize the story, but the message does work out, considering the way the movie moves forward. Among the usual feel-good movies, this one strives to be different, and trying new experiments never get old in Malayalam cinema, as we work and seek more.

Release date: 22nd November 2019
Running time: 135 minutes
Directed by: Nissam Basheer
Starring: Asif Ali, Veena Nandakumar, Manohari Joy, Basil Joseph, Rony David, Jaffer Idukki, Raveendran, Sruthi Lakshmi, Maala Parvathi, Shine Tom Chacko, Jayalakshmi, Sini Abraham, Jesna Sibi