Traffic (2011)

I saw a program on Kairali channel when this movie was in the production stage and was surprised to know that this movie's producer is only 23 years old. He looks like a +2 student and back then i thought he was making the biggest or expensive mistake of his life.I was wrong.

Traffic is surprising. Mainly because the script is good beyond belief. It is not completely faultless but it has it's share of glorious moments. Non linear narrative, intersecting story lines, characters from one story dropping in another, these are all new to Malayalam cinema and that's exactly everyone's talking about.Apparently, the movie is inspired from true events that took place in namma Chennai and i'm surprised that no one there thought of adapting it to the big screen.

Movie begins with director Renjith's monologue about fate and how our lives cross every day with total strangers...blah blah blah...his baritone voice is so good that every movie has it (Best Actor too).What pissed me off is the timers shown on screen which was confusing. Though unnecessary the makers spent too much time setting up the premise to raise the tempo. So they cut back and cut forth to make chaos and confusion which is always good in keeping the interest level up as the audience is eager to know what the hell is going on. Somehow to keep up it's frantic pace the movie falls short in emotional impact as if the characters are somehow not that much moved or cracked up by these unprecedented events. None of them are given any appropriate screen time to deliver the emotional leverage and somehow everything is about the heart that has to reach on time. So many possibilities in a multi narrative and none is explored. But the screenwriters were smart to incorporate some twists just when we thought the movie was about to get stale when it reached the interval.But it's pretty much needed and any smart viewer would see it coming because they have to have something in store for the second half right?

They have an ensemble cast comprising of young actors like Vineeth, Asif,Remya etc and seasoned actors like Sreenivasan, Rahman and Kunchacko. The Dynamics is pretty good but some characters were just part of the mis en scene and had nothing much to do. For example Kaadhal Sandhya's character is in half boiled love with Vineeth's character so the makers doesn't get her too much into the plot and doesn't keep her out either.Her character is in a kind of limbo which wasn't needed. Rahman and Lena's performance are praise worthy as they deliver some quality performances. Sreenivasan is kind of half baked and he doesn't have much lines either. All he has to do is to look helpless, surprised and shocked. Kunchacko proves once again that he ain't all that sweet.Vineeth still needs to work on his acting skill but his performance strikes gold especially after the accident. Asif Ali has huge potential in him. He really shines in his character with sheer enthusiasm and energy. Even though he's kinda sidekick his performance magnifies his character's impact on the audience. Remya looks hot in her pivotal role.

Mejo Joseph's background score has it's own heart that beats with the rhythm of the movie. I'm haunted by the piano theme loop which is sad and sweet. Debutant Shyju Khalid,a protege of "Big B" fame Sameer Thahir, is quite impressive. One scene that is still fresh in my mind is with Sandhya ,Vineeth and Asif at the beach with it's sunburn look, displays his skill with the camera.

The Writers Bobby and Sanjay are growing to be a name to be reckoned with in Malayalam Cinema. They made an impressive debut with "Ente Veedu, Appunteyum" following it up with the Rosshan Andrrews flick "Notebook". What really keeps them apart is their diverse topics and tumultuous storylines that grips and moves you. Heard that they are teaming up once again with Rosshan Andrrews for "Mumbai Police" with Prithviraj in the lead. I bet all the prominent directors is going to run behind these two men for their scripts which i hear is already happening.

Rajesh R Pillai's, the director, debut was a disaster starring Kunchacko and Bhavana. I haven't seen the movie but after reading the synopsis i pretty much know why it flopped. If you know exactly why it flopped, then you have seen "Hridayathil Sookshikkan". To Be Honest, i think his directing was mediocre with such a superb script to back him up. What he did is to just shoot them and edit them up. There is no visual language for the film nor style. It's just plainly did and could have been a thousand times better. I'm forced to imagine how good this movie would have come out if it went into the hands of Rosshan Andrewss or Anwar Rasheed but being his second movie, i'm also compelled to say he has a future in the industry but has a long way to go. You don't get a good script like this to support you all the time and only fresh imagination and visions keep you alive in a highly hostile malayalam movie scene.

Overall, this movie is a sure winner. Producer kiddo Listen Stephen will be able to pay back all his dues in time and still make a profit. The force is with this one.

My Rating:3/5

The Next Generation Malayalam Movies!

The Whole Malayalam movie scenario has come a long way .From the evergreen classic "Chemmeen" to the latest flick "Sagar alias Jackey" ,movies made in Malayalam are on a road to transition. For the past Twenty years ,Malayalam cinema was about recycling.An Industry dominated by super heroes and super directors.For eg we have the same people making movies today who made movies twenty years before.And the actors  with their fan bases behind them had become a commodity rather than creative.Nobody goes to the theatres nowadays solely for the reason that every single movie made doesn't have anything to offer new.It's always the same old story.What i don't understand is in this era of globalisation,when you can sit in your home ,download whatever movie you want from whichever part of the world, you have our movies with story of the hero ,the Heroine and the Villain.Diverse themes is what we need right now and also a different way of telling things.Of the good things that has happened to Malayalam cinema the best things are Amal Neerad,Roshan Andrews,Blessy .This trio for me is the landmarks of good cinemas in Malayalam.But speaking of Amal's latest offering "Sagar alias Jackey" ,i was honestly dejected.The Movie had a shitload of style without a convincing story base.I thoroughly enjoyed Big B,for it's Freshness,Style,Funny cool one liners which was missing in SAJ.But i would contribute that shortcomings to script writer S.N.Swamy the writer of the original.With all due respect i think h is outdated and when these two teams up i think you wont expect a good result.Amal's stylishness doesn't go with Swami's Substance Di Old.Mohanlal was good but certain scenes reminded his age.Blessy is a magician whose playground is not style but substance.I Still can feel the pinch i felt in my heart after watching Thanmatra.Kazcha had this raw smell of the Kuttanad and Calcutta News was a bold attempt and different.The way he plys with the tiny little emotions is magnificient and his way of storytelling  absorbs you as a whole with feeling for every single character.I remeber the Climax of Palunku,which made me feel a numb pain my nerves even after the movie ended.That kind a magic i something i have never felt before and that's Blessy.I'm looking forward to Bramaram fingers crossed.Udayananu Tharam was simply honest.This simple honesty was the thing that struck a chord with the audience.You could relate to every single character in the movie including the antagonist Saroj Kumar.Sreenivasan might be a veteran like S.N.Swamy but his stories are social issues and about the negative realms of Ordinary Man's thoughts. And issues like that never outdate they just switch relevance.The One thing i want from most of the comic movies  is that they don't attempt to make us laugh us instead it comes out naturally.Udayananu tharam doesn't have any sandboxed slapstics but it has a humour that has a flow ,tagging along with the nuances of daily life,the struggle,the pain,the revenge is all the way we might feel too and that's what Roshan did.He took something ,dressed it up a little and made it convincing.Even though the Climax was a liftoff from Hollywood flick Bowfinger ,i don't think it's a crime considering the fact that how many Malayalees are gonna watch Bowfinger anyway to watch that Brilliant Climax.Somethings are changing ,Malayalam cinemas is on the right path...the problem is the unavailability  of right people to lead it in the right direction.In a state where movie industry is being excessively politicised ...Macta Fefka and shit like that....let's hope that it doesn't drown this changing Art!