naveenkrishnanh Reviews

Marivillin Gopurangal (2024)

Waste of time and talent !

[2/10 · 17 May 2024]

Slice of life dramas and rom coms are evergreen and quite easy to make since they connect almost universally!

But the director, scriptwriter and editor are so bad, that they missed the 'life" of slice of life ! What we get is a souless piece of boredom for 2 hours that leaves you irritated, perplexed.

This alone would have been fine for a 4 or 5 rating - but the constant cringe dialogues and cliche situations and the utter failure to properly utilize the talents of Indrajith, Vincy etc. Made me give it a 2 stars.

Seriously disappointed and please don't waste money to watch this in Theatres.

Nadikar (2024)

Missed opportunity

[4/10 · 5 May 2024]

The story, few scenes, cinematography all were promising, and acting and commitment of Tovino was commendable - but writing, screenplay and direction wasted the opportunity!

There was considerable buzz around the movie and I admit, my expectations were a tad high going into the movie; which could be why I felt that much more disappointed.

But in all honesty, the writing was really poor and lazy - a good filmaker shows and never tells ! And for drama telling totally spoils the experience and you end up not connecting or feeling what the scenes are intended to say.

Supporting characters including Bhavana, Soubin were under utilized.

It is sad that Tovino's acting and basic interesting premise was wasted.

Pavi Caretaker (2024)

Not worth watching at theatres

[2/10 · 28 April 2024]

This film was ok, performances over the top, Dileep and director trying to recreate slapstick and cliched physical comedy of 2000s ( homages or scenes reminiscing of CID Moosa, Parakkumthalika, Vettam etc. Put in)

But the story and character development was given less priority in going for the comedy!

Also screenplay is hit and miss and supporting acting was below average.

The movie is not as bad the rating I gave, movie is watchable when it is comes on TV - can watch on a lazy afternoon - when you don't want logic, but just entertainment. But Malayalam movies and audience deserve better ! The story and premise had potential and a better more serious treatment! Ity

The leads character got messed up trying to inject comedy - because Pavi in comedy scenes and in other scenes are totally different - it's like he is suffering multiple personal disorder.

Family Star (2024)

Forgettable

[3/10 · 26 April 2024]

Saw the trailers a while back and looked promising !

But the movie was largely a "Meh" affair - the storytelling is messy, director / editor and confused and create a mismatch of romantic - comedy - family drama - corporate politics that the movie ends up not justifying in the basics below : -

• Character development : characters are not fleshed out and looks largely 2D - even the leads! Director / Editor could have cut a few comedy / song sequences and invested to explain the character better (especially the leads since the twist / reveal all seem unnatural instead of organic )
• Screenplay was style over substance and cliche over class / art
• Performances were over the top - this could be a combination of bad character development as well : but I find the acting not impactful

Watch in OTT if you are bored - fast forward would be your best friend!

Ramachandra Boss & Co (2023)

Waste

[2/10 · 21 April 2024]

This was a ridiculous movie without any redeemable quality !

Bad direction, screenplay with half hearted acting and horrible script ! This was Cringe Max ! What a waste of time and money (if anyone was stupid enough to watch this travesty at the movies)

There story was thin and made thinner still by the lacklustre dialogues and direction - which focused on style rather than substance !

Nivin really needs get into better shape (need not necessarily lose weight - but should become more flexible atleast! )As it stands his bodyshape and fitness changes his body language so much that some of his acting looks too artficial and clumsy !

Rebel (I) (2024)

Hard pass !

[2/10 · 10 April 2024]

Not worth the time - the premise was interesting, actors were good - but direction, screenplay, script and editing all an atter failure!

There is very little redeemable thing I could think of after watching this! It was that bad!

Mamitha's character arc was just plain stupid - there is no layer or depth to any character - not even the hero let alone the villians!

Attention to detail was totally wrong - the attire, hair style, setting, dialogues all seems to be mixed across multiple eras from 70s all the way upto late 90s! Basically clumsy execution !

Had the fight sequences (especially the last fight - which was boring and unnecessarily dragged) could have been cut and expanded the characters better.

There are possibilities in the story thread - GV Prakash tried valiantly - but there is nothing for him to save - since direction, screenplay and editing left him high and dry.

The Goat Life (2024)

A masterpiece

[9/10 · 29 March 2024]

This film deserve to be watched on the big screen - the cinematography, sound design and bgm are epic and needs theatre to experience it fully.

The acting, commitment, script all were ok to good - music ( the songs) were above average - Perone was really superb and well placed and well used in the movie, but others and love song did not leave a lasting impression.

I would rate it 9/10 -1 is for editing - I dont mind the slow pacing - it sort of makes you experience the boredom, irritation and by the end of the film, like Najeeb, you also sort of accept that pace (may be that was intentional) - But the jump cuts in few places could have been avoided - especially the love song - it comes on a bit too abruptly for me, similary many of the scenes in the second part (dont list - since it might spoil the experience for viewers) But editing aside, this movie deserves a watch by anyone who is into serious films.

Thirakkatha (2008)

A classic - must watch for any serious lover of cinema

[9/10 · 26 March 2024]

This was one of the film that made me see Prithviraj in a whole new way - till then many (including me) saw him as a chocolate hero - who was not that good an actor. 2008 with this film, Thalappavu and Mozhi (Tamil Movie - release in 2007) revealed his acting chops to the world !

Coming to the movie - it is brilliantly paced, has some of the best dialogues, shows the movie industry in its raw form - with its warts and all - and music by Sharath was a revelation ( he was ridiculed during that period - with memes being made on his reality judge persona - but his music was perfect for the movie - ones for the 70-80s period, those for the recent period - all perfectly apt )

Sad the movie was not a blockbuster - but still was watched by many and highly rated by critics and did won the state award.

Abraham Ozler (2024)

Not upto the mark

[3/10 · 23 March 2024]

Nothing special, full of holes and lacks proper pacing ( i dont mind slow thrillers, but this was not well paced and could use a good 20 - 30 mins cutting and would have benefited from elaborating a bit more of the back story - especially recent bits and how they did what they did )

Performances are ok - but other than Jayaram and Mamootty - rest of the cast seems artificial in their acting - and script was not upto standard, which made the supporting acting being more poorer - leads fared better since their characters were mostly doing action more instead of words.

All in all - this was a below average movie - which does not engage you intellectually ( since there are multiple plot points and unresolved plot elements) or give you a suspense / action of a thriller (subdued, no action sequences and slow pacing)

Bramayugam (2024)

Film making at its finest

[9/10 · 15 March 2024]

Film making at its finest !

Each frame, each dialogue, each expression, music, lighting all are almost perfect !

Music and sounds effects elevate the movie - but felt 1 song could have been trimmed perhaps (songs are really good - but 1 less would have made the film tighter / crispier - perhaps put it in end credits instead)

If the movie could have trimmed down (may be made exclude the first bits or trim down the bits around the forest and Yakshi parts - which doesnt really add anything to the overall narrative or story) - expand the ending a bit more perhaps.

But as it stands movie is a materclass of filmmaking - Arjun and Sidharth gave their career best, while Mammooty's screen presence is out of the world !

Aattam (2023)

Well made

[9/10 · 12 March 2024]

Loved this movie ! Film making at its finest - each dialogues, framing, pacing, cinematography, score, acting all are top notch !

The premise is crafted with such panache that everyone and everything is believable. The inner workings, failure and limitations of humans, greed over righteousness, subtle misogyny all are depicted so very well ! All characters are shown barely - it is all shades of grey - there is no hero or villian and victim is not powerless or helpless.

Wonderful and the pre-climax with twist was beautiful and the climax was satisfying !

Highly recommended - much watch for all, who are into serious movies.

Premalu (2024)

Simple film with lot of laughs

[9/10 · 11 March 2024]

This is a great movie to watch with friends and family - it is clean, well made, has pretty good performances, songs and cinematography.

The good : -

• Good chemistry between the lead pair as well as the villain (all three were really good, the villain, Shyam stole the show! )
• Good cinematography and screenplay (Introduced Hyderabad to larger Mallu Audience like what Bangalore days did)
• Songs and score were pretty good (score was a tad imposing / intruding at points - but overall good)
• Script / Dialogues were really rustic - kept the movie organic (especially the IT jargons, office power plays, banter between the friends etc. )

The Bad : -

• Editing could have been better (movie could have trimmed down by alteast 20 - 25 minutes)
• Ending was a bit abrupt and felt hurried / inorganic / over the top (movie was realistic and relatable till that)

Malaikottai Vaaliban (2024)

Well shot but script, story and pacing a big let down

[3/10 · 9 March 2024]

Movie is not as bad as the 3 star rating I gave - I mean screenplay is really good, acting and action at certain points were interesting and there was some really good performances Mohanlal, Nasser etc.

But pacing is off and no investment into the character - we don't know even at the end what drive the lead character, his thoughts, views, goals, internal challenges, motivation etc. We just see a bunch of sequences (brilliantly shot - but got boring after the a while )

Movie could have trimmed atleast the fights or eliminated one, and invested rather to develop the characters ( would have loved a bit more insight into the dynamic between lead, brother and his coach / father figure, also the parts around love affair of the brother and girl looks half cooked - either could have been excluded and just used to show the conflict or elaborate so we can empathize with characters - now as it stands, it is just there disrupting pace of story, while giving nothing to viewers)

Mathimaran (2023)

Worth a watch

[7/10 · 24 January 2024]

This was a passionately made film and definitely worth a watch. Performances are largely good (though some seem a bit clichéd), pacing and screenplay is pretty good as well.

Though dwarfism, the perspective of society around it was one of the selling points for this film - it is actually a mystery thriller. Honestly if the movie focused on the first bit and elaborated more on mental modal changes of society or individuals and focused more on that it would have been fine as well. The triller could be made as a seperate movie altogether, while giving more focus to the police officer (the solving can be done a seperate lead - but in this movie, that character is not developed at all and we dont know why he is doing what he is doing and feels odd )

The thriller stands on it own (the lead, his characteristic or background story has no relation or much influence in the thriller part) - I think the sole issue I is that these two story lines seems to be forcely meshed together.

Month of Madhu (2023)

Well made !

[9/10 · 4 December 2023]

I loved this film - loved the acting, script, direction, cinematography, and score.

The pacing is slow and I felt the movie possibly could be trimmed a bit and maybe some more insight into the now of the couple be shown (we are shown mostly the old, their times before marriage).

There characters are all fleshed out really well (other than perhaps the parents of he NRI girl and the mobile shop guy - who was a promising character, but needed a better depth in the film )

The score and songs are good - especailly the score - it elevated the movie brilliantly without being intrusive.

Highly recommended for anyone into serious movies.

Upacharapoorvam Gunda Jayan (2022)

A good lighthearted film with good performances

[8/10 · 16 November 2023]

A good lighthearted film with good performances.

I did not have high expectations before watching this, but this movie pleasantly surprised me !

The premise, character development, cinematography, score all were top notch - story and screenplay were a bit light and stretched a bit (because the story was so very basic) but good none the less (they didnt try to fit in unnecessary side stories and songs to extend the story - which is commendable)

The performances of all - especially Saiju Kurup, Sudheer Karamana, Sabareesh, Johnny Antony, Vrinda Menon. Nayana as the lead actress was ok and Siju Wilson was a bit over the top (But I guess, maybe it was written that way)

Irugapatru (2023)

Good overall

[8/10 · 11 November 2023]

I liked this movie, the ensemble of cast was good - especially Sania (was highly critical of her acting in the initial movies - but here she has done much better job - albeit a tag superficial - but her improvement is commendable).

The thread around relationships is evergreen and so many movies have been done on this left, right and center - back from Visu and Balachader during 70s and 80s through Mani Ratnam and other during 2000s and 2010s to even our new directors like Ashwin Marimuthu, Brinda Master, Balaji Mohan etc.

The movie is shot well, score is quite good (gives proper emphasis without overwhelming or sticking out)

The sore things I felt was the editing (some of the scenes in the middle felt repetitive - I think those could have been trimmed down) and screenplay (occasionally felt forced - trying for melodrama - but a restrained approach as done during the first 10 - 20 minutes would have been better)

King of Kotha (2023)

Forgettable gangster movie with no substance

[3/10 · 26 October 2023]

This is a typical gangster movie, starting from the pastel and orange colors to period elements to cartoonish characters and cringy dialogues.

All this works when there is passion and clarity in storytelling - here that is totally missing - the story is weak or absent !

Action sequences are pretty well shot and largely believable (which is good) - but after midway - it was pretty boring and repeated !

Movie could use a good triming - atleast 20-30 minutes. Also Acting was good - but the lack of clarity and over focus of actions rather than thoughts of characters made it pretty flat (even though Dulquer, Aishwarya, Chemban Vinod. Nyla all tried valiantly)

Adipurush (2023)

Hardpass

[2/10 · 22 June 2023]

This is ridiculously bad ! I mean horrible casting, boring screenplay, soulless editing and direction and very dated and clumsy VFX and graphics.

There is very little good about this blunder of a film. I seriously thought about leaving the film half way - it was so cringey and lame.

I seriously wonder who had money to burn away to create a monstrosity as this ! This is rumoured to be the costliest money ever produced in India ! I seriously wonder where the money was spend ( not on graphics or technicians - since they are horrible).

Please don't waste money to watch this movie in theatres, wait for OTT, fast-forward would be your best friend and you can skip through most of the movie then.

Kathal: A Jackfruit Mystery (2023)

Neither here nor there

[4/10 · 2 June 2023]

I was confused after watching this film, I mean it is not really is a dark comedy, not really a romantic or family drama, a crime thriller or a spoof movie!

The movies tries to be a bit of all and end up being a pretty confusing cocktail that leaves you confused.

The acting, and even chemistry between the lead pair were pretty good, the social commentary (some of them) interesting, but the genre switches and basically the lack of clarity in direction and screenplay failed to utilize it.

The story is pretty predictable and you can guess the ending, even the last small twist at the end with her job detail !

If the director and writer could have been brave made this into a full dark comedy - highlighting the absurdities with police bureaucracy - this would have made a compelling watch.

Mukundan Unni Associates (2022)

A well made dark comedy

[8/10 · 24 January 2023]

Insight into the actions and inner monologues of a cold-blooded psychopath. (This is a genre which is not really explored in Indian Cinema, at least not as an attribute of the lead).

The strong point of the movie is the editing, direction and acting (especially Vineeth).

Mukundan Unni as the opening says is not Grey, but Black ! He is a true pyschopath - unapologetic, unremorseful, coldblooded killer. He is true wolf, not a Hyena in sheeps cloth !

The movie proceeds in an almost thriller manner and really just shines light on the characters without really taking any real moral stands.

Deserves a watch.

Chhatriwali (2023)

Misguided

[3/10 · 23 January 2023]

Another misjuided social commentary - though meant to give messages on safe sex, only ends up misleading the public !

Condoms are good for safe sex and contraception pills does have issues - but here also the film does not talk about the full contraception options !

In the case here the optimal solution for the sister-in-law and / or brother in law like Vasectomy or Fallopian Tube tying (since they have completed their family long back) is not mentioned let alone suggested.

Also there are spermicide gels, female condoms etc. Which are also ignored completely !

Condoms are not the best form of contraception ! They are just one of the cheap options - but they are not infallable, good ones are costly, cause environment issues (construction of condoms are not at all green and they cause non degrading and non re-usable hazardous waste )

My Name Is Azhakan (2022)

Rustic, light and real

[9/10 · 29 December 2022]

Loved this movie, the story is simple but elegantly directed, acted and edited. It is coming of age kind of a movie.

The score and music are on point and does not disturb or take away from the viewing experience (though the cameos felt were a bit forced on and bit unnecessary).

The strong point of the movie I believe is the acting, especially from the father and wife of the lead male character. The supporting characters all were really good. Kudos to director and editor to make sure you get invested with enough characters and their actions seem natural and realistic.

There is very little twists or suspense in the movie - it is perfect for an afternoon lazy watch with family.

Monster (III) (2022)

Not worth a watch

[2/10 · 29 December 2022]

Very poor screenplay, editing and direction ! The story had some elements that could have made it an interesting watch - but alas the movie was more concentrating on style over substance and real or heroism.

Apart from the story aspect, technically also the movie was pretty shabby, score being too loud and editing done in such a way to seem as "cool", but really just confuses and looks pretty cheap.

Heck the ending and back story could have elaborated, and give characters more 3 D and realness - but the hurried edit and direction spoilt it completely.

Final word - Not worth a watch - even the actors were not really performing with much conviction.

Kochaal (2022)

Watchable, but needs a better screenplay and editing

[5/10 · 7 December 2022]

This was mixed bag - has some really good performances and dialogues, especially from the supporting actors as well as leads, but the trouble is in the pacing and screenplay (sporadically good in an ocean of mediocrity and often mundane ).

The real trouble I feel is that the movie needed a much better editing, especially towards the climax (it was a huge let off and frankly left off almost incompletely - almost as if they run out of film or director just got fed up with shooting or something).

That being said, the performances and sporadic scenes and premise is interesting does captivate ( one of the best things with OTT - the fast forward button :) makes it a watchable film)

But in all honestly I watched the film in around an hour or may be less (as I was constantly skipping through the boring, mundane, repetitive bits )