Cock Tail

Medium : Malayalam
Starring : Jayasurya, Anoop Menon, Samvritha Sunil
Director : Arun Kumar
Music : Alphonse, Ratheesh Vega (bg score also)

We are usually hearing complaints regarding the non availability of new subjects, new technicians, new artists etc related to the malayalam movie industry. In the process of a much awaited youthful trend happening here, a new director has made his debut. After traveling as an editor companion with Priyadarshan for around 20 movies and also with the immense experience got through working for various projects like 'Ivar', 'Sound of Boot', 'Sesham', 'Seetha Kalyanam' etc, Arun Kumar has entered the direction field. The name of the movie is 'Cock Tail', It has got Jayasurya, Anoop Menon and Samvritha Sunil in lead roles. 'Cock Tail' is released with in a week's gap when Priyan's latest hindi movie 'Aakrosh' is also in the theaters; it is a coincidence that both movies were edited by Arun.

Pradeep Nair (former associate to Santhosh Sivan), who has worked for Jayasurya movie 'Nallavan', is the cinematographer. The story and screenplay is given by Shyam Menon. Anoop Menon, who has got experience as the script writer of 'Pakal Nakshatrangal', has written the dialogues for this movie. Alphonse gave a couple of songs and the duet number 'Neeyaam Thanalinu...' is composed by new comer Ratheesh Vega, who has also given the bg score for the movie. Milan Jaleel, who gave movies like 'Happy Husbands', 'Thuruppugulaan', 'Ben Johnson' etc is the producer.

Ravi Abraham (Anoop Menon) is working in a construction company. He has got a wife Parvathi (Samvritha Sunil) and kid. He is having ambitions about their family's future and is working hard for achieving it. On an usual day, the couple happened to meet Ambi (Jayasurya) which later lead to a series of incidents in their life and thus goes the thrilling journey of 'Cock Tail'.

The new director has presented the movie straightly, without much gimmicks and wasted comedies. Though some of the scenes in the beginning were slow paced with small dramatic shots, once the story starts rolling the required tempo is attained. An item song, though matching the situation, is apt for a bollywood culture. The story is happening in Cochin, but the foolishness of showing the board of a beverages shop with the Trivandrum address in a certain shot should have been avoided.

Pradeep Nair's camera work is good. Shyam Menon's screenplay based on some realistic incidents is good. Anoop Menon's dialogues felt realistic and he has performed well to fit the role. Jayasurya, with an unusual appearance has given a variety style of acting. Samvritha Sunil is good, but some where I doubted whether the role is heavy for her to handle. Music director Ratheesh Vega gave an immense support for the visuals with an excellent bg score, the song composed by him has got a different flavor. He had proved himself in editing area before, now 'Cock Tail', bearing an unusual theme showed that Arun Kumar is on the way to become a promising name in the direction side also. The story adapted from the foreign film 'Butterfly on a Wheel', is very relevant in the current period.


'Cock Tail' is a good suspense family thriller. We should welcome attempts like this, to encourage more productions with different themes in future...


Rating : 7.5 / 10

Chekavar

Medium : Malayalam
Starring : Indrajith, Kalabhavan Mani, Sreejith Ravi, Samvritha Sunil, Sarayoo
Director : Sajeevann
Music : Rahul Raj

Though Indrajith's previous venture in the hero role 'Naayakan' created a hype and has got a good responses, it was not a commercial hit. Now he has done another movie in the lead role, named 'Chekavar'. It is directed by Sajeevann (probably a new comer). Samvritha Sunil and Sarayoo ('Kappalu Muthalaali', 'Inganeyum Oraal' fame) are coming as heroines. Indrajith did the role of a Sub Inspector here. Sujith Vasudev, a former associate to Raajaratnam, is the cinematographer. Rahul Raj has given the music.

Kaasinathan (Indrajith), who belongs to a brahmin family is an honest soft-hearted cop. His sister (Sarayoo) is studying for MBBS. He is in love with his uncle's daughter (Samvritha Sunil). Due to a political case involved by his brother (Suraaj Venjarammood), he got transfer to a farther place. On the joining date itself, he has acted against Raghavan (Kalabhavan Mani), a highly influential gang leader who runs the city. At another occasion, Kaasi fighted against Rocky (Sreejith Ravi), a notorious criminal who in turn is Raghavan's brother. Rocky decided to destroy Kaasi's family and how the latter one tackles such a situation is told in the remaining portions of 'Chekavar'.

The theme is not new. the villainism and the associated things are told many times before. The smoothness in the story flow is affected when the second villain Sreejith Ravi's character is appeared. He is shown as a drug addict and rapist, who is willing to do such criminal activities even in the police station itself. It is considered as a cinematic thing only. The scenes involving Rocky especially the close up shots felt too lagging. Editor Samjith would have been helpless, as he don't want to trim such shots that can affect the current total duration of the movie too badly (as it is around 1hr30mnts only). More importance given to the villain character can sometimes make you restless. The family scenes in the first half felt dramatic in many areas, especially those involving female characters. The political meeting and Janardhanan's role as an old 'gandhian' (with such an appearance) felt unrealistic. The beginning few scenes needs more crisp editing as the separation between two camera angles are revealed in such portions. The relevance in giving such an end for the story is not good.

Indrajith is ok. Sarayoo is good. Samvritha doesn't have much to perform other than giving company for her co-artists. Suraaj Venjarammood comes in a serious role in the second half, but he tries to crack some jokes in his beginning scenes, which is not effective. Shobi Thilakan's voice felt too heavy for Sreejith Ravi sometimes. Cinematography by Sujith Vasudev is colorful. The 'sivarathri' day at Aluva is captured in a wide canvas, like never happened in any other movie before. Anal Arasu had given some fast action scenes. Rahul Raj's bg score is good. Though technically good, director Sajeevann's attempt won't be rated on top, as the base ingredients here are not the best.


An action subject executed in a neat way is good to watch, but 'Chekavar' can't be included in such a list.


Rating : 4 / 10

Punyam Aham

Medium : Malayalam

Starring : Prithviraj, Nedumudi Venu, Nishanth Sagar, Samvritha, KPAC Lalitha
Director : Raj Nair
Music : Issac Kottukappally

For any actor to maintain the tough position of a stardom, he has to act in a separate category of movies, which is so called the 'parallel movies'. Mammootty started such a journey through 'Anandaram' with Adoor Gopalakrishnan, Mohanlal has done Aravindan's 'Vasthuhara', Jayaram did 'Sesham' by TK Rajivkumar, Dileep has got 'Kathavaseshan' to his credit from TV Chandran and now Prithviraj has decided to join the race through the film 'Punyam Aham', directed by Raj Nair, grand son of great writer Thakazhi Sivasankara Pillai.

The film starts by showing the unnatural behavior of Narayanan (Prithviraj), who belongs to the brahmin family. This unemployed guy is frustrated always. He is blaming the system and his brahmin father who left the family earlier. His mother was a left party worker and she is from a lower caste also. One day he leaves to Kuttanad area. There he meets an old lady (KPAC Lalitha), who is not mentally stable. She takes him to the house and treats him as his son. Her daughter (Samvritha) is being sexually exploited (for money) by her own uncle (Nedumudi Venu), who is a Kathakali artist. Now when Narayanan stays in the house, he gets in affair with her.

'Punyam Aham' mainly deals with the poverty issues, effect of modernization and the nature of the humans to escape from the realities etc. The concept is good, but the film raises many questions. It is due to the problem in the narration of the film, which is not straight. An average viewer may find difficulty in understanding the facts. He may have doubts regarding the symbolic representations and unusual incomplete shots that happens in the middle of a scene, for which the director might only give the solution.

I don't understand the girl's character who stays with the hero's mother and sister in his house in the beginning area. The rich man role done by Nishanth Sagar looks like an odd one. The mental stability of characters like Prithviraj, KPAC Lalitha and MR Gopakumar changes from time to time. The usage of traditional arts like Kathakali and Theyyam to convey certain sequences in the story is different, but it is an escapism on the part of the director.


MJ Radhakrishnan, who is the favorite cinematographer of parallel films, has done a good work. Bina Paul is the editor. Background score by Issac Kottukappally is excellent. Nedumudi Venu and KPAC Lalitha had done good with their experience. This is a different role for Prithviraj; in the beginning frames he is over acting, but later on he has adjusted himself to be in the track.

Usually, I don't like the classification of mainstream movies and parallel movies. But after watching this, I felt that such a process is unavoidable. The movie that is not presented straightly and if it raises many questions, then such movies should certainly come under 'parallel stream' section, like 'Punyam Aham'.


'Punyam Aham' discusses some serious issues. As the presentation of the film is complex and shabby, it is not a promotable one.


Rating : 3.5 / 10

Robinhood

Medium : Malayalam
Starring : Prithviraj, Narein, Jayasurya, Bhavana, Samvritha Sunil
Direction : Joshy
Music : M Jayachandran, Rajamani

In the very late 70's, some new directors came to the malayalam cine field, who later gave many good films in their career. But, now at this point we can't spot out many seniors that belong to those group, who are still giving super hits. Joshy is exceptional case here. Right from his first film ('Tiger Salim', 1978), he had traveled through the action path on the majority of occasions ('Aarathri', 'New Delhi', 'Nairsaab', 'Naduvazhikal', 'Lelam', 'Pathram', 'Runway', 'Naran' etc). In his first film, he didn't get a chance to cast the superstars; now this 65+ films old director's new film has got the current sensation Prithviraj, supported by promising young stars like Jayasurya and Narein.

The script is written by Sachi-Sethu team ('Choclate' fame). It is produced by Muralidharan. He has given superhits like 'Classmates' and 'Choclate' before. Shaji ('Naran', 'Red chillies' fame) handles the camera.


The name of the film, 'Robinhood' with the biline comment, "prince of thieves" cleaarly indicates the nature of the story. ATM Robbery is the main thing discussed here which is shown in the beginning itself. Hero (Prithviraj) is shown as the culprit here. The bank appoints a private detective (Narein) for finding out the way in which it is done. In the meanwhile, the police officer (Jayasurya) investigates the case. The hero is working as a tutor in a private institution. His student (Samvritha), is in love with him. Heroine (Bhavana) is a bank employee. Anyway in the end, the reson for the revenge is revealed (as there is no suspense).


'Robinhood', acted by a group of youthful stars, has been presented by one of the senior director in the industry; this itself is the attraction here. Here you have got songs, action, humor, sentiments, revenge etc which are necessary for a commercial entertainer. Prithviraj is stylish as always. Narein's role is different from his ususal style; here he has got some humor also to do, which he has managed to a certain extend. "Jayasurya in the IPS role", won't be too good to hear, but seeing it I felt that he has not done bad. (He has tried the same kind of role in the film 'Positive' before).


I am not entering into the logic of the robbery discussed in the story. But the script writers should have created a suspense till the end for the story. Since the robbery is shown straight away, only thing to reveal here is the motive; the thrill would have been more on the other way. (this is what top directors like Shankar might have been done in such a postion). But the film is not boring.

M Jayachandran has given some peppy numbers. "Priyanu Maathram..." featuring Prithviraj and Samvritha has been excellently choreographed by Shobi ("karuppana kaiyyale...", "valameenukkum..." fame). Though the tall heroine's body language has every chance to become awkward, it has not been projected due to the different frames used here. While choosing some of the female extra artists for such a good dancing sequence, there should have been extra care given.


Rajamani, "the fastest man in the re-recording field" has given the background score. He has used some English sounds in the bg for the hero's introduction and his proceedings. (I dont think that. it is necessary to create the mood; more over it is noisy also).


Still the malayalam films has not reached an above average level position on the action sequences. The carpets and floor mats for the fighters to jump and dive are clearly visible. Action directors, Aanal Arasu and Palaniraja should have been more vigilant on this by using fast frames. The title credits done in animation is good, but it had got black texts in black bg, which is not readable...(the most experienced man, who is the captain of the ship should be responsible for all such negatives happened also).


'Robinhood' is a watchable movie. It has got a revenge subject done by some youthful stars.


Rating : 7 / 10