Director Jithin Issac Thomas continues to surprise with his talent. Is he the new PA Ranjith of Malayalam film industry? With a very focused subject selection and not afraid to speak his mind approach on critical and sensitive issue this one is another feather in his cap.
Its deceptively calm film, movie is a very simple and minimalist one, with its setup and settings. It's one of those films that prove content is king. The story is about five friends staying in a house and one thing common between them is their passion for cinema. They breath cinemas in their conversation. Each of these friends are having their own viewpoints and they chose to live a different life to make ends meet. That frustration of not able to follow their dreams keeps showing up in their day to day chit chats.
One among the friends Hari, an aspiring script writer who so far has not got any break and he is a liability to the group. But he not willing to give up like how others did and thats one of the main contention point of the film. Its very common during drinks party, how we pull each other legs and most of the time it doesn't cross boundaries. When everyone criticizes Hari's lack of talent and unable to move forward with his life, a defense mechanism of a different kind kicks in. A metaphorical worm plays a crucial role in how things transforms over their one night booze filled stand.
The caste politics part become very clear only during the second half and the simmering tension felt real. The performances are all on fire with superb character development. Hari is a stand out from the crowd and the way he tells his stories is just amazing. The apt sound score of this single-location thriller elevates the story telling. The first half is very conversational in nature and its an exciting experiment. The second half is dark and disturbing. If you enjoyed Ozhivudivasathe Kali movie then this format wont disappoint, though it did not have that stunning reconciliation part of OzK. In the end the peaceful co-existence side is a positive note but its a long cross in our country. The second half did frustrate me a lot with its repetitive structure. Not for everyone.
Verdict - 3.5/5(Freedom of Expression)
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