Latest Malayalam Movie Reviews

In India when we think Travel movies, we tend to picture cool dudes whizzing off on roaring bikes or in even cooler cars with some moments of manly bonhomie thrown in. It’s very rare that we come across a movie about a girl backpacking her way about....And two girls?? Almost never! Which’s precisely why this next movie is like a breath of minty fresh air! Rani Padmini is a 2015 road film by Aashiq Abu on two females- Rani & Padmini (enacted by the supremely talented duo- Manju Warrier & Rima Kallingal), as different from each other as chalk from cheese, who cross one another’s paths in the midst of their respective diverse, personal journeys.
Growing up, Padmini was the quintessential “Miss Goody Two shoes” who had always lived her life traditionally by the rule book. So also, later when it comes to potentially life-changing decisions, she docilely lets her close ones decide for her, only to realise to her naivety that if one doesn’t speak up or put one’s foot down when required, one will be expected to toe the line forever & live the rest of your life living somebody else’s idea of life!
Rani, in contrast, was always the rebellious tomboy at heart- forever getting into fist fights with boys. They both embark separately on a trip to Himachal for very different reasons- Padmini to meet her husband who’s participating in the Himalayan car Rally there & resurrect their failing marriage, while Rani is forced to be on the run to flee from some local Delhi gangsters with whom she had a run-in with! The crux of the film lies in the coming together of both these diverse characters & the warm camaraderie & joie-de-vivre shared by them on this journey to self-discovery, whilst also learning some invaluable Life-lessons along the way, from each other as well as from the people they encounter. As Padmini reasons to herself before setting out “The dangers a girl would encounter on the road are not much different from the ones she would perhaps encounter sitting at home”!
The film’s plus point lies in the fact that it doesn’t take its lead characters too seriously, unlike the typical movies with female leads; not hesitating to laugh at itself and finding humour in the unintentionally comical situations they find themselves in. And while at it, it takes the viewer on an invigorating trek through the lush green carpeted valleys of serene Manali & jaw-dropping vast expanses of Leh-Ladakh to the awe-inspiring visuals of the snow-peaked majestic Himalayas- This is one of those movies which makes you wanna crave to set out back packing yourself ! The downside is the script, which could have been a tad tighter, with a more engrossing storyline. After all, all the king's horses can't save a film from tanking if the content itself is weak- and this is the weakest link of this on-road flick. less

Premam, a 2015 release directed by Alphonse Puthren, is a typical coming-of-age movie treated in an ‘atypical’ manner to dish out an engrossing, adorable affair. The storyline is fairly simplistic like its tagline that reads 'nothing extraordinary in it' and deals with the heartaches & infatuations George (Nivin Pauly again), your average young man, goes through growing up, while scouting for the elusive “true love”. The film traces his life & heart’s journey over a period of two decades, via his three crushes :–
First, a pretty girl from his school, who is basically sought after by most of the boys from his neighborhood but who is in a relationship with another guy- thus leading to his first heartbreak. His second crush is his young & sassy college professor, a Tamilian lass (a charming act by newcomer Sai Pallavi), for whom he falls hook, line & slinker. She also seems to reciprocate his feelings but in a tragic turn of events, loses her memory in an accident and can barely recognize him or even recall her present, leave alone the special bond they shared. This leaves him devastated for a very long time. Eventually with time and some maturity, George mellows down and gets over this traumatic loss . Setting up his own business, he immerses himself into it completely. And that is when he runs into his final lady love, who eventually ends up as the love of his life!

This movie reflects the Director’s competence to raise a mediocre plot to a ground breaking level, purely based on its content-detailing & treatment. The film has been made with a perfect blend of comical elements which keep the tempo of the film zingy & entertaining. Some of its characters and punch lines have acquired cult status among the masses, with the film going on to become the highest grossing Malayalam movie at the worldwide box office! Its phenomenal success has propelled its remakes in other South Indian languages like Telugu.
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The movie Vikramaditya is the completion of the slogan the weakest can be successful. The movie showcases the story of 2 brothers who want to become SI. But the life takes a turn for Adityan and he becomes an ACP. The movie has been directed with precision and in keeping in mind the theme the movie wants to show. The movie also shows how life can be successful with hard work and determination. The movie also breaks the stereotype fo the job roles for certain people less

Good action by Manju. Mature direction by SAJID. Good script. Good music. Title song awesome. Good to watch all age groups. One thing is an over exaggeration. Overall nic to watch less

A good movie watchable with family members. Suspense and timing of the story well maintained. All characters have justified their roles. Climax well handled with a social message by Mamooty. Villain's role played well by Stunt Silva. less

When the world doesn't run the way we want it to; we tend to relieve it's frustrations on others through Rage. The daily struggle with the missing keys, annoying colleagues and noisy relatives is not rocket science which gobbles up your brains but these are tiny dollops of fuel which contribute to a raging fire. For instance, when you are on a treasure hunt for your car keys in the morning and miserably fail in finding them, travel all the way to your workplace by foot and to your worst nightmares you're welcomed by a vexing co-worker with an irksome body language followed by a truckload of scum-bags impatiently waiting in line to prick you with infuriating questions, I reckon after all this capos trophy you'll be back home with a volcano head all set to erupt. Director Sameer Thahir's movie Kali sails through a similar context washing us overboard with a thrilling climax.

Dulquer Salman plays Sidharth who has been possessed by short-temper at a very tender age. His sneaky affair with anger-management continues all the way from school to his college days and his married life. Sai Pallavi plays Anjali Sidharth's college sweetheart who is his backbone throughout his battle with anger. With hardly airbrushed blemishes Anjali wins a place in the hearts of her audience as the young wife struggling with her husband's anger intolerance. Whether it's in public, at home or workplace Sidharth loses his temper. And when he does things get ugly.

It was one such night which led to an array of life threatening consequences in Sidharth and Anjali's life. (SPOILER ALERT) From thugs seizing Sidharth to a low life groping Anjali the story with a face of a down-to-earth drama swaps seats with an action thriller to keep its audience on the edge of their seats. (SPOILER ALERT) As the movie nears its end it even shifts gear to an unexpected twist and ends with a note on feminism.

It is the innovative way of placing the bits and pieces of the story together into a movie which is interesting to sit through. Despite starring alongside the super hero of Mollywood Sai Pallavi's dynamic performance was at par with Dulquer's power pact debut. With a little bit of sugar and spice from the supporting actors Kali flies to the pinnacle of its success. Seasoned with the right style of Cinematography which alone deserves a standing ovation and top-end execution of stunts as well as the blood-boiling background scores cooks up a wholesome three course satisfactory entertainer for its viewers.

A must watch if you do or do not face anger issues cause it's just worth the time! less

The Director -Actor duo Fahadh Faasil and Dileesh Pothen's most awaited comedic thriller 'Thondimuthalum Driksakshiyum' is Pothen's second directorial venture after Maheshinte Prathikaaram which was an enormous commercial success.

A movie with a warm heart of a humble villager, carefully crafted to tickle your funny bones until you burst out laughing. The story welcomes its audience with wide open arms shedding some light into the love story of the main leads Nimisha Nair who plays the bold and beautiful Village girl Sreeja and Suraj Venjaramoodu who plays the timid and kind hearted lover boy next door.

After sailing the backwaters of Alappuzha, post Sreeja and Prasad's (Suraj Venjaramoodu) romantic tale the movie strolls us through the roads of Kasaragod where a thief is painted into the picture. In a bright red KSRTC bus where Sreeja dozes off unknowingly at the window seat, in shades of black and grey Fahadh faasil steals the thunder with his sneaky eyes, effortlessly slipping a gold chain off Sreeja's neck. Followed by a barrage of wolf hoots and applauds.

The story shifts focus to Sreeja and Prasad's inter cast wedding and their financial crisis and hurdles after which the thief steps in to cause a complete commotion in their married life testing their time and patience. Ever since the theft, Sreeja and Prasad spent tiresome days at the police station fighting for justice trying to retrieve their priced possession.

But, a theft case which could have been easily mortified was later on scaled up as a robbery by the police. Just as the title suggests 'The evidence and the eyewitness' this is when the movie picks up its insanely slow pace. Despite the award winning cinematography and the witty but neatly written script the movie drags miserably till the end. A story which should have been beautifully played out within the first half of the feature film was monotonously stretched out into a 135 minutes long cinema while losing out on all the glory with which the movie hit off in the first half.

Regardless of its flaws 'Thondimuthalum Driksakshiyum' backed by fresh peppy background scores is a very down-to-earth flick driven by corruption.

Three Cheers to all the actors who did justice to their roles throughout the movie. Even though the Brownie points definitely go to Fahadh for his Billion dollar expressions, Nimisha Nair successfully saves herself some praises for her promising debut in the film.

Walk in with a clear head for this one cause you're in for a truck load of patience! less

Movies striving to motivate its viewers to chase after their dreams are dime a dozen. And Despite Manju Warrier's efforts to carry the movie on her own two shoulders; the overcooked doze of spur served with a sprinkle of happiness is nothing more than a jarring flick.

Amidst the serene and scenic backdrop of Kodaikanal director Rojin Thomas tells a tale of Joan Mary John (Manju Warrier) a bubbly babe who gallivants around her tropical neighbourhood snapping pictures on her DSLR aspiring to follow the footsteps of Walter Elias Disney. Growing up midst the misty hues of a hill town Joan develops a knack for sketching. But, her dreams which were mere doodles on a piece of paper came to life only when a whiz kid, Chris (Sanoop) showed up at her door step.

From developing Artificially Intelligent Animated Characters (AIAC) to jumping every little bump on the road while paving the way to rocketing success, the movie which starts off as a gentle wind hurls into a hurricane but slowly subsides to a dusty breeze by the time it reaches the second half.

The lack of visual execution of the verbally blabbered Dream Job, the disturbing but, delusional drift between Jo and the Boy and the meagre Animation which drives international media like BBC all the way across the country to cover Joan's work is all utter ruckus!

The cinematography earns the brownie points for this feature film and sadly Manju Warrier's attempt to blend in as Jo/Joan went awry as the movie diverts into complications galore. Sanoop as Chris was as adorable and mischievous as expected like in his previous movie 'Philips and monkey pen.' Even though the movie revolves around the eponymous, Lalu Alex as Joan's dad as well as the rest of the supporting cast like Pearly Mannie, Rekha, Sudheer Karamana, Kiran and Sunil Sukhada pulls off a promising performance.

Setting aside the monotonous motivational cliches 'Jo and the Boy' definitely follows an engaging theme for young toddlers and a visual relief for adults. less

The secret behind the title of the film is well worth two joyful hours of this humorous masterpiece!

'Ohm Shanthi Oshaana' is the story of a young girl, Pooja Mathew (Nazriya Nazim ) who is dead set to marry the very first love of her life who is seven years and two heart breaks away.

Well, this is no ordinary story of a Boy chasing his lady love. But, a tomboy who chases the goody two-shoe in town throughout her school days and further ahead. Her love for this guy only seems to grow stronger as the years pass by.

Let's rewind to the beginning of the feature film when a melodramatic voice over starts to narrate the love story between Giri (Nivin Pauly) and Pooja. The protagonist interrupts the mysterious voice to claim her right to the story taking us back in time when Pooja was a spoilt brat riding around the neighbourhood in her motor bike. Beneath all the Badass gangster face lay an innocent young girl who spent her cheery days at her Aunt's Wine cellar bored of being the single child of a wealthy Christian family.

Pooja, who occasionally visited her aunt enjoyed her tod tales and it is one such tale which gave meaning to her aimless life. "It is better to wed someone you truly love. Or else you'll truly struggle to love the one you truly wed." These words rang in her head like church bells every time Giri showed up in front of her.

So, who is this Giri? According to Pooja's rowdy cousin, Giri is the thug of the village. Words Coming from a worthless scum like him was of no value to anyone so Pooja turned to her own next door tailors for some information. According to them and the others in the village Giri is a revolutionary social worker, a Kung Fu master, a farmer and a genuine gentle man from a humble dwelling. But, if the entire tristate area knows Giri from head to toe how come Pooja hasn't heard of him until her school trip?

On a cloudy day the high schoolers were driven to a water theme park for their school trip. In between all the fun in the water Pooja and her friends were cornered by a gang of low-lives who picked a fight with the girls who stood no chance against them. This is where Giri swoops in to tackle the eve teasers like a superhero with a cape around his neck. Ever since then its butterflies in pooja's
stomach!

The movie goes on and on portraying Giri as the ideal man through Pooja's heart shaped magnifying glass. Love's time travel through the 90's to the twentieth century is another nostalgic moment to cherish throughout the movie.

With a hilarious, down to earth script which we can relate to, the not so cliche protagonist who resembles us back in our school days and the ever so charming Giri played by Nivin Pauly is well executed with the right amount of romance and tickling comedy.

The brownie points go to Naziriya cause she simply deserves it fair and square! Nivin pauly steps aside from the limelight while Naziriya overshadows him with an extremely adorable performance. Supporting actors like Aju Varghese who played Pooja's Rowdy cousin brother was another giggle jerker for the movie. Promising debutants like Renji Panicker (Pooja's dad) , Vineeth Sreenivasan (Dr Prasad pooja's lecturer) & Vinaya Prasad( Pooja's Aunt) elevated the movie to a whole new level.

Will Pooja be successful in gaining Giri's love after 7 long years? Find out for yourself! less

When summer time almost nears its end director Basil Joseph invigorates malayalis with his take on women empowerment through a romantic story with a wrestling backdrop. While authentic wrestling themed movies like 'Dangal' and 'Sultan' focuses on the hard work and sweat of Indian wrestlers, 'Godha' sends sparks flying from the silver screen while tickling your funny bones till you get down on the facts that many women in kerala compromise on sparkly gold medals to lead a family life. The story is of one such Punjabi kudi who elopes to kerala and ventures into the land of 'gusti' where she watches her dream come true.

It all starts when Das (Tovino Thomas) the son of a former wrestler (Renji Panicker) is sent off to Punjab to pursue his M-Tech. Struck by the bold and beautiful Aditi (Wamiqa Gabbi), Das fell deep in love with her. Little did he know that the ruggedness of a Punjabi Kudi stood no chance against Punjabi arranged marriages. Aditi who passionately practices wrestling regardless of the gender of the opponent was dragged into marriage by her brother. To be married off and caged under a husband for the rest of her life was Aditi's worst nightmare. Taking Das's advice, Aditi escapes to kerala where she is warmly welcomed and pampered by the society. The movie's fast pace keeps the audience at the edge of their seats giggling to genuine humour and blushing while relaxing to some fresh romance.

In the Second half of the movie Aditi builds a bond with Das's father and trains under him. She even goes on to bag some prestigious medals. Das's village which was once a sleepy hallow was now a power packed godha with locals assisting Aditi in wrestling. Lover boy Das din't seem quite pleased with Aditi's interaction with the local men which infuriated him and urged him to confess his feelings for her. Having miserably failed at chasing his dream and dream girl Das sets off to win over Aditi fair and square. This is when the story shifts focus from Aditi to Das's perseverance to prove Aditi wrong.

Tovino Thomas sets Godha on fire, but it's Wamiqa Gabbi and Renji Panicker who keeps the flame burning. The inevitable chemistry between Das and Aditi as well as the cut throat performance by the supporting cast makes this movie well worth a second watch. Godha certainly stands out by compromising on the cliches and glamour of cinema. An innovative concept which paves its own way into the hearts of its malayali audience through a solid story line, soothing music and top-notch direction. The one and only teeny weeny flaw in this masterpiece which I could pin point was it's cinematography which could have been better.

A fresh movie to hit off your weekend. Don't let the masculine posters of 'Godha' deceive you. It's a Rom-Com perfect for your date Night. less

A PURE THALLIPOLI AND NEGATIVE MOVIE.
This movie is not even worth watching by hiring a CD for Rs. 20/-.
This movie can neither be watched with family nor with friends.
The highlight of the movie is booze, double meaning dialogues and vulgarity. All these are promoted in full scale.
An actor like Jayaram should refrain from acting and promoting such movies.
I fail to comprehend why people are making such movies w/o any thing positive less

The movie may have a title that emphasises on the male protagonist, but the center of this movie is its leading lady Malini played gracefully by Anu Sithara. Her looks that sort of reminds us of Kavya Madhavan and a little bit of Meera Jasmine has already been in the talks when the promos came out. The actress looks beautiful on screen and her performance was also a good one. The character of Raman doesn’t look like a challenging one. It demands a kind of charm, silence and vibrancy which was there in Kunchako Boban’s appearance and performance. Joju George’s honest performance as the adamant chauvinistic husband deserves appreciation. Sreejith Ravi and Muthumani were good in their characters. Ramesh Pisharady offers moments of laughter through his typical dialogue humour. Aju Varghese was okay in his extended cameo like appearance in the second half.less