Ring Master Review from Now Running!

Ring Master Pictures   113 Pictures

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Rafi plays the perfect role as a ring master(director) in his latest film Ring Master and gave seatbumps with the comedies and humping each time. With creary loop rings in his script. Any which way you look at it, you fail to unearth the enthusiasm that should have made the acrobatics easier on your muscles.

Dileep plays as a dog trainer named Prince, who is assigned with a task of caretaker of dogs at each house, when the owner is away. Prince does seem to have a way with the dogs as well as with a blind girl Karthika (Keerthi Suresh), who enter into his life.
   
There's pretty much little that merits the analysis here, and when I say the protagonist's dog and his leading lady (Honey Rose Varghese) have the same name Diana in the film, I presume it should unmistakably presume our assumption of characterisations over each dialogue.

But this doesn't mean that the film is devoid lots to laugh. It does dole out gags in abundance, and if you are the kind who would break a rib watching the antics that the man is up to, you might even think it's an wholesome entertainer.

If you are pet lover, the film left you confused. I couldn't for the life of me figure out if Prince was indeed a man whose heart bled for these delightful doggies. The reason being that in an attempt to bring in hilarity on all possible occasions, the writing makes you wonder if the man is pulling a fast one on you or if he really means business.

It's become usual for Dileep to act in films like this over a long while after CID moosa where he plays th character of CID with Dog to do this investigations of Goons, and its alarming the way these characters get moulded to cater to the supposedly existing target audience. I guess this viewer can should indeed exist, as the box office potential of films as these have proven time-by-time.

Dileep comes up with no fresh surprises in the film, as an actor. In fact, the role as has been said earlier is tailor made for the actor, and all that he has to do is to get that spiked hair intact, which he does admirably well for the ladies, I liked Honey Rose Varghese better in her character, precisely because her role is a tidbit more interesting than the one that Keerthi plays.

This is a huge cast without doubt, and there is Aju Varghese, Kalabhavan Shajon, Suraj Venjarammoodu, Ranjini and Guinness Pakru in key roles. We have been there, and seen almost every bit of it, and yet at times a smile or two does flash across your face.

There is nothing much to rave regarding the technicalities as well. Shaji does no wizardry with the camera, and Gopi Sundar comes up with a musical score that does add up a little fizz to the otherwise worn out state of affairs.

'Ring Master' clearly falls into the category of brainless potboilers, and if you have got a taste for the same, you might end up enjoying it. I for one, am definitely not looking forward to leave logic back home when I venture out to watch a film, which is why Rafi's 'Ring Master' is one silly show that I would gladly give a miss.

Rating:****
http://www.nowrunning.com/movie/14128/malayalam/ring-master/4644/review.htm

7th Day Review from Now Running!

Syam Dhar's directorial debut in '7th Day' quite impressive and clever attempt as a initiater, for the most part of the movie keep your mind arrested on seats. Although it could have been slingshot thriller, if it had covered up some of the potholes in the script. The punches it delivers are quite powerful and the way twists and turns are very appealing and tempting.

Shan (Vinay Forrt) and Vinu (Anu Mohan), Cycle (Praveen Prem), Eby (Tovino Thomas) and Jessy (Janani Iyer) are five friends. It startoff with a series of incidents send the group scavengerred for their life, and with none to turn to, the youngsters are looking for solutions for their own problems of the mess that they are embroiled with. And on a fine Christmas eve, Shan and Vinu meets David Abraham (Prithviraj), a cop who is under suspension, and delivers him what had upturned their lives. David confirms to help them , and goes out find the elements that creates their incident. Eventually coming up with startling disclosures.

The supposedly distinct twist that should make you pop open your mouth in sheer amazement comes by at the very last minute. However, I should not add that it should not be of no surprise for the diligent ones among you, as the revelation is quite obvious, if you have been keeping an eye on things.          

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This film could have made an even more delightful thriller, had the loopholes in the script been stitched together. But there are quite a few apparent loose ends hanging in and out there, still that does let you give an unfinished feel to the film.

It's surprising that Prithviraj had agreed to do a role that does not require him to do extraordinary motions, and at times it even feels like a sober version of the role that he had played in 'Memories'. He looks incredibly dapper, and this is why he is the man who makes this film work.

The supporting cast is pretty much fine, and I would pick Tovino Thomas from among the lot as a favorite, who with his under toned performance almost saves the storyline, otherwise over the board climactic scene from being washed away.

Sujith Vasudev comes up with some brilliant visuals that has tremendously match the thriller air of the film. The art direction however does leave you puzzled at times, and at least on an occasion or two adds up a few questions other than the ones that have been devised by the script. Despite all the lingering questions that remain, '7th Day' could very well qualify as an appealing and thriller promising that keeps you guessing all for while. Here is a solid first-up effort from Syam Dhar & Co. that does deserve a loud round of applause.

'7th Day' is a film that does manages to focus your views, what with the numerous twists and turn-arounds in the plot that engage you presence consistently. There is plenty of intellectual gaming on, and the film never for a moment lets you off the hook.

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Rating:**1/2

Gangster Movie Review from Now Running!!

Akbar Ali(Mamooty) see his Family murdered and he grow through pain all through the time. The Grudge and pain can't releive him, so decides to wreaks vengeance on the men that crunched his past, he decides join them silently and he gradually he turns out to be a don of fearful repute. In the nineties, he shifts base to Mangalore from Mumbai, and forms a peace treaty with the two Parties of Mangalore - Mani Menon (Kunchan) and Uncle Sam (John Paul). Things did go well, until Anto Pandhare (Shekhar Menon), Uncle Sam's godson enters in the play.

Story revolves the same like ganster story, tale is portrayed on Mangalore port, and has zilch new to offer. This time something that changes is the focus from regular movie, and this is where director Aashiq Abu does the trick everyone and his leap in the making of gangster saga whacks into the stands. Here is something he made audience thinking and deflects the peopes taste from general audiences.

He takes off to Ajmer, and after a song, and some therapy later, lands back in Mangalore, with a single mantra chant flowing from his lips - that of revenge. Sadly though, this is the sole merit of the film that takes a while - the entire first half, in fact - to get its feet on the ground. By then, the man has had his share of losses, and the wait starts for his rejuvenation.

The extensive periods of silence with a slow, whirring background score playing through, soon start getting on your nerves, and with the action showing little progress, the film even threatens to be a mere collage of a few disjointed shots thrown together. The shallowness of the script is evident throughout, and the odd dialogues that crop up every now and then are a respite at times, and a blight at others. Quite obviously, this isn't a film that banks on its one-liners, and those of you who are on the lookout for some dhamakedaar dialogue-maari are in for a big disappointment.

With the narration starting off in full swing with some awesome animation to boot, it all looked set to be a monster of an entertainer. As minutes kept passing the thrill in this style and action gradually dissipiated and in no time, the energy burned out, and it all ends up as a shadow of a whimper. And we have seen them all, and by all, I mean pretty much all of it.

I guess a decree of sorts exists that categorize the women in gangster films into two categories - the ones that would be bumped off without a second thought, and the others who are destined to seductively adorn the villain's den. Sana Muhammed (Nyla Usha) falls into the former class, while Lily (Aparna Gopinath) almost makes it to the second group.

Here is an experiment that seems to have gone all wrong, and in effort to be realistic to the core, attempts are made to lend some flesh and bone to each one of those characters that hover around the background. The classic case is that of Vidhura, a widowed cop who has recently got married, and whose bride has a tough time managing his son, who is badly missing his mom.

Surprisingly, 'Gangster' does not come across as a visual treat either, and there is no visual wizardry on show. I wonder if this is a deliberate ploy, and the stealth and sneakiness are retained to the core, as Alby's camera looms large over the Mangalorean landscape like a mobster on the prowl. With several sequences strewn together almost haphazardly, 'Gangster' at times leaves the audience dazed, and the editing one wishes, could have been much crisper.

Mammootty looks dashing as Akbar Ali, and yet there is no missing the lost look that creeps into his eyes every now and then. Shekhar Menon is quite impactful as the stout baddie, and Kunchan, Hareesh Peradi and John Paul impress among the supporting cast. Nyla Usha and Aparna Gopinath - well, they're there.

Nothing more, nothing less. The even saga  that painfully persists throughout, the mindless gunshots and blood splatter and the sodden predictability together blow up this film beyond recognition. And in no matter of time the amount of crashing and crunching can salvage an entertainer from the massive debris that it leaves behind.

Rating:**

Praise the Lord Reviews from Now Running!

Praise the Lord Pictures   44 Pictures

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Paul Zacharia's 'Praise the Lord' put forward pertinent questions on faith, belief and love, and has been much discussed in literary circles for its sharp witticism. The cinematic version though, does not manage to transfer this allure on to the big screen, and merely manages to scrape through, with minimum damage incurred in the process.

Joy (Mammootty), a Pala based planter has been living a blissful life with his wife Ancy (Reenu Mathews) and their two kids. Until, Sunny (Mukesh), his best friend asks him for a favor. On Sunny's behest, Joy and Ancy agree to offer refuge to a young couple that has eloped from Delhi. When Samkutty (Ahmed Siddique) and Annie (Akanksha Puri) arrive, Joy is tremendously excited at having grabbed the opportunity to watch a real life romance in action.

The novelette 'Praise the Lord', as interesting as the insights that it provides, does not have the prerequisites of a full length feature film. At best, it could have been transformed into a sweet short film, with the messages in it delivered crunchy and crisp.

The film does have a few pleasant moments, but they are simply not enough to be stretched out into more than a couple of hours. Which is why, the initial build-up takes longer than usual in the film, and the end looks all too abrupt.

Joy is pictured as a man in his forties, who has perhaps stuck to the conventionalities that are expected of him as a devoted husband, who never ever has crossed those border lines of decorum. We get to see him trying hard to have a few private moments with his wife during daytime, and his Goa escapade further accentuates this fact.

'Praise the Lord' holds no surprises for the viewer, and even for those of you who have not actually gone through the literary work, the denouement should remain as obvious and clear as in broad daylight. Which reemphasizes the fact that it would always remain better in print.

All said and done, it should also be stated that 'Praise the Lord' is never a boring film; in fact, dull moments are indeed rare. However, it does lack that very special verve that makes you reach out to the characters in a film, which is why, it does not leave a lasting impression on the viewer's mind.

As funny as it may sound, Joy finds himself in a quandary aka the friends in the much lauded Tamil film 'Nadodigal'. The striking similarity in the theme that lies at the core of these works of art is plain apparent. The guardians of love, in both these cases, are left appalled as the love birds throw open the gates of their prison and fly away to glory, albeit in opposite directions.

Mammootty is adorable as Joy, and shares an amazing screen chemistry with Reenu Mathews. This is their second film after 'Emmanuel', and they do make a real good on-screen pair. Ahmed Siddique and Akanksha Puri offer a study in contrast with their respective portrayals of the young ones in love, and are up to the mark. Shibu Gangadharan's 'Praise the Lord' is doubtlessly devoted to its material, and yet remains a lumbering affair. Almost inexplicably, it struggles to blow life into a few charming characters that had appeared so lively on print, and which surprisingly come across as bloated on screen.

Rating:**1/2

1983 Movie Review from Veeyen!

Reverberating with vibrant voices, Abrid Shine's directorial debut '1983' roots itself resolutely in a vivacious milieu called the game of cricket. The sense of warmth that the film exudes arises out of the upbeat air of hope that lingers around, as a cricketer who had had his dreams razed to the ground, relives his reverie through his gifted son.
Ramesan (Nivin Pauly), one among the thousands of youngsters that remained glued to their television sets as India won the Cricket World Cup in 1983, realizes at that very spectacular moment that cricket will forever remain a part of his life. Fascinated by the game and becoming increasingly obsessed by it, he does emerge a brilliant player, but one who is destined to remain a sensation at local club matches.

1983 Pictures   18 Pictures

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When you hold fast to a treasure in your heart, everything else at times, appears trifling in comparison. Ramesan comes to terms with this vital truth a bit too late, when he watches his childhood sweetheart Manjula (Nikki Galrani), walk by with an affluent looking hubby and a baby in tow. Academics take a back seat as well, and the once diligent boy who was expected to turn out an engineer, ends up helping his disillusioned dad (Joy Mathew) at his lathe.
There is something very special about the characterization in '1983', and the crisp detailing is almost faultless. And this eminence spreads across almost every character in it, be it the namesake Sachin (Jacob Gregory in a side-splitting role) who drops in like a thunderbolt from Mumbai to play a match, or the beautician (Priyanka) who looks like a flustered peacock with a hair job gone all wrong, who decks up Ramesan's bride Susheela (Srinda Ashab) at his wedding.
I should admit I have never been a fierce aficionado of the game, and if Abrid Shine still manages to make my hair stand on its ends in sheer euphoria, it's apparent that the man has delivered a perfect shot. Above everything else, its Abrid's love for the game that drives this film forward with a gusto, making us, in the process fall in love with it as well.
It cannot be left unsaid, that the film itself is a luminous tribute to the greatest batsman ever, Sachin Tendulkar, and Abrid leaves no stones unturned to emphasize how ardent an admirer of the sportsman he is. In a very obvious tirade against Sachin's detractors, Abrid spells out in clear terms through the words of Vijay (Anoopm Menon), as to why he believes they don't make great players like Sachin anymore. Tendulkar, believe me, should be proud.
It goes without saying that this is perhaps Nivin's best performance as yet, and as a forty year old man who stills holds on to the stars in his eyes, he is out-and-out impressive. Nikki Galrani looks refreshingly stunning, while Srinda Ashab delivers a self-assured feat. There is a huge supporting cast that includes such names as Anoop Menon, Joy Mathew, Seema G Nair, Saiju Kurup and Shereej Basheer, and a few amazingly talented child actors as well, all of whom pitch in their worthy bits to this remarkable film.
'Olanjali..' is undoubtedly one of the best melodies that I have listened to in years, and if Gopi Sunder has succeeded in spluttering some exquisite glitter with his remarkable musical score, Pradeesh Varma makes sure that '1983' is a visual delight, with his dazzling frames that further add to the delectable charm of this film.
'1983' casts a spectacular nostalgic spell over a nation that is known to breathe cricket, and in the process gifts us with the first cinematic gem of the year. It does a magic trick that makes you smile, that breaks your heart and that inspires you to the hilt. Match splendidly won, Abrid, and further matches keenly awaited!

Rating:****.

http://www.nowrunning.com/movie/12120/malayalam/1983/4541/review.htm

Om Shanti Oshana Review from NowRunning!!

Girl falls in love with boy. Boy does not reciprocate. Girl persists. Boy relents.
That pretty much sums up 'Om Shanti Oshana' for you. Pooja Mathew (Nazriya Nazim), the sole daughter of Dr. Mathew (Renji Panicker) runs into Giri (Nivin Pauly) at Veegaland, where he rescues her from a bunch of hoodlums who have been busy twisting her hand. She doesn't think twice before deciding that he is the man, and follows him around like a dutiful puppy.
If you ask me about the best scene in 'Om Shanti Oshana', I would say that it's the one that precedes the film. There is the customary statutory warning against tobacco use here as well, and it's way too good. Way too good.

Om Shanthi Oshana Pictures   90 Pictures

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The film kick starts in the late 90's and spans a couple of decades, and the girl transforms into a lovely woman from the gawky, wide eyed teenager that she once was. Her love for the man remains steadfast throughout, and 'OSO' underlines the fact that many an Indian film had emphasized time and again - true love NEVER fails.
The video cassette shops, the contessa car and the Nokia 3310 all suggest those years that were long gone; and yet there are several other things all around that point out without doubt that the year is 2013. The straightened hair, the watches, the swish spectacles, the drapes, the interiors and the slim fit jeans and attire - all are out there as if on an anti-vintage campaign.
The light hearted moments that occur at a regular pace keep you focused on the proceedings, and the young lecturer at the Medical College (Vineeth Sreenivasan in a cameo) is part of quite a few of them. It doesn't require an Einstein brain to find out where the doc has got his sight fixed, and with all those twists and turns that we have been witness to, the observant viewer puts two and two together in a jiffy.
There are a few other characters that grab your attention, David Kanjani (Aju Varghese) being one among them. Pooja's despicable cousin brother who spends more time in exile than otherwise, is a man who brings about a smile to our face, with the antics that he is upto. There is also a beautiful lady by the name of Thennal (an even more beautiful name) floating around, albeit in a few scenes, and Nikki Galrani sashays in and out like a real breeze.
Despite being a film that belongs to its heroine, I should say that it's the male lead who scores big time here, with an assured performance. Nivin Pauly looks every bit the almost ascetic youngster who is way too practical and clear headed to be lured into an unrealistic romance. Nazriya hams it up (especially in the few initial scenes) when she has to be the tomboy, declaring vehemently through her maneuvers that she is way too feminine to be one. But when her Bambi-esque eyes brim up with tears, you forget everything and reach out to her, hoping that everything ends up well in her world. Renji Panicker is a man whom I would love to see on screen more often and the screen dad that he plays is near perfect.
'Om Shanti Oshana' works no wonders when it comes to the tale that it narrates. And yet, if it manages to leave an impression, its courtesy the uncanny moves that it makes in the account, some of which leave you surprised and pleased as punch, and a few stray ones missing the mark by a mile. 

Rating:**1/2

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Happy Journey Review from Now Running!!

'Happy Journey' starts off where the recently released '1983' left off, with a child cricket prodigy named Aaron getting selected to the under-15 state cricket team. The boy and his mom Alice (Lena) dream of a spectacular sports career ahead, when an unexpected accident renders the boy blind.
Boban Samuel's new film tracks the boy's journey into his youth, where he matures into a charming youngster (Jayasurya) who skillfully manages things on his own, despite being visually disabled. And he starts telling his story to a fellow passenger (Aparna Gopinath) in a bus bound for Chennai, and she even ends up writing a book on it!

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Some themes do manage to capture our attention when it comes to the distinctive milieu that they are set on. As someone asks in the course of the film, how many of us have in fact heard of the Blind Cricket team of the country? Or for that matter how many of us have actually watched these blind sportsmen play?

Not many of us, I'm sure, and even then, 'Happy Journey' turns out to be a yawn of a film. There is only the script that does not have any specific purpose or aim that has to be blamed for the miserable state of affairs that the film finds itself in.

The last half hour of the film, in particular, is insufferable, with the audience literally taken for a ride. So when a song spurts out all on a sudden, only to be followed by yet another in quick succession, you realize that the journey isn't half as happy as it claims to be.

There are a few light moments in the first half of the film, and surprisingly they have nothing to do with the central theme as such. They concern Aaron's cousin Freddy (Balu Varghese), who is the sole lively spirit in the entire film. Wait, there is another fellow named Pranchi with whom Freddy is always engaged in a war of words, and together they are a blast.

The 'Chak De' team, that coach Gopikrishnan (Lal) assembles together is indeed reminiscent of the Bollywood film. However the representatives from the different states in 'Happy Journey' make a clumsy group, with none of their identities explored. And when there is the rare attempt to delve into the lives of one or two of them, like for instead the Tamilian (Chemban Vinod Jose), the results are corny and disastrous.a

All said and done, Jayasurya does come up with an endearing performance as the blind sportsman, and its purely on account of the actor's mode of delivery that we patiently sit through the entirety of the film. Of course, there is Balu Varghese as well, who makes you smile, which is saying a lot, when it comes to a film as this.

The interest quotient in Boban Samuel's 'Happy Journey' remains the minimum, and at the end of it, its nothing more than a series of disparate scenes that try their best to hold together. It's a bit sad, since the source material that the maker had in his hands could have evolved into something infinitely better, with perhaps a bit of a shift in perspective.

 Rating:**

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