Best of Malayalam films : 2015

Major films missed in theatres which could have been considered: 

Pathemari, C R No 89, Ottal, Ain

Best film: Ennu Ninte Moideen

Second best film : Kumbasaram

Best director: Alphonse Puthren

Best actor: Jayasurya (Kumbasaram)

Best actress: Parvathy (Ennu ninte moideen)

Second best actor: Prithviraj (Ivide)

Second best actress:Lena (Ennu ninte Moideen)

Best supporting actor: Prem Prakash (Nirnayakam)

Best supporting actress: Kalpana (Charlie)

Best story: Nirnayakam

Best screenplay: R S Vimal (Ennu ninte Moideen)

Best Dialogues: Charlie

Best Cinematography: Jomon T John (Ennu Ninte Moideen/Charlie)

Best editing: Shabeer Mohammed (Charlie)

Best sound design: Premam

Best song: Bijibal :Ee Mizhikalil (Lukka Chuppi)

Best BGM: Gopi Sunder(Ennu Ninte Moideen)

Best singer(male): Vijay Yesudas (Premam)

Best singer(Female): Shreya Goshal (Ennu ninte Moideen)

Best comedian: Vinay fort (Premam)

Best Villain: Atul Kulkarni (Kanal)

Best costumes: Charlie

Top 5 Malayalam movies -2015

2015 was a relatively good year for Malayalamfilm industry where we had multiple money spinning movies which broke many box office record at one side and content driven classy movies at the other side.Here I would list my favorite five Malayalam films of 2015 and this list is purely based on the impact it made on me as a movie lover and not influenced by their box office performance.

Movies I missed in theater which could have entered the list:

Pathemari,C R No 89, Ottal,Ain

Movies which I loved but couldn’t make it to final 5:

Lukka Chuppi, Su Su Sudhi Vatmeekam, Nirnayakam,Chandrettan Evideya

5. Chirakodinja Kinavukal: This movie deserves  to be in this list as a token of appreciation to the director who dared to make a cinematic spoof which is perhaps seen first time in Malayalam cinema and did complete justice to the film showcasing various cliches followed in film industry today.It was entertaining as well as eye opening simultaneously and hopes to see more of such experiments in future.

4. Premam:Premam reiterated the fact strongly that cinema is a director’s medium and Alphonse Puthran proved that an intelligent and talented director can make trend setting blockbusters even with an average script with sheer technical brilliance and clever marketing strategies.He created a whole lot of lovable characters with special mention to Malar, Vimal Sir, P T Sir ,George, Koya etc who could make even the weakest scene endearing .

3. Charlie: This feel good film directed by Martin Prakkat and written by Unni R is a character driven film which is seen rarely in Malayalam films. Its about the life of free spirited person whole celebrates his freedom and enjoys life to the fullest changing lives of numerous people surrounding him. Each and every frame looks beautiful thanks to magical cinematography by Jomon T John and music by Gopi Sunder enhances the mood of the film. The stupendous screen presence and dialogue delivery of Dulquar and terrific performances  of other characters makes this one of the best visual experiences of the year.

2. Kumbasaram: Directed by Aneesh AnwarKumasaram is definitely one of the most brilliantly crafted film in Malayalam we had this year which was emotionally heart breaking and thrilling simultaneously ,socially relevant too. Jayasurya who played the role of a poor, helpless father of a sick child gave perhaps the finest performance of this year. Though a bit lagging at times Kumbasaram doesn’t deserve to be tanked at the box office and had to satisfy as a torrent hit, the usual fate of these type of movies.

1. Ennu ninte Moideen: And the best film of the year goes to Ennu Ninte Moideen  directed by R S Vimal which portrayed the iconic true love story between Moideen and Kanchanamala.The success of Ennu Ninte Moideen is very very  special as an intense and heavy  love story of this sort without much light moments could lure the audience to the theaters and made it the second highest grosser in the history of Malayalam film industry.This could be achieved because of the passion and sincerity of the writer-director  R S Vimal who dedicated about seven years to make this film. And the realization that something like this had happened in real made the film more appealing to the audience. Parvathy as Kanchanamala gave perhaps the most brilliant performance of the year. Though Prithviraj was a bit over the top in initial sequences but excelled in the intense sequences of the film. Tovino as Appu was a revelation and got his much needed break in cinema. And again it was the Jomon T John – Gopi Sunder combination which made it an heavenly experience . 

Half Yearly rating: Top Tamil movies of 2015

As far as 2015 is concerned there were some spectacular films which were critically as well as commercially accepeted. We have selected the few  of the best tamil films of this year till july(The ratings are strictly personal):

6. OK Kanmani: Maniratnam, the king of romance, after a series of flops was back in his strong forte with OK Kanmani, a refreshing coming of age love story portraying the subject of living together relations among the youth.The maor highlight of the movie were the cracking chemistry between the leading pair, terrific music by ARR and mind blowing visuals by PC Sreeram.

5. Demonte Colony: Its always difficult to make a well crafted horror thriller keeping audience hooked up to the screen for 2 hours and scare them at the same time. But Ajay Ganamuthu  successfully keeps us glued to the seat and add shivers till the end in Demonte Colony with the help of a well written screenplay, scary camera shots, nerve chilling sounds and that too with 3 actors.

4. Indru Netru Nalai: Directed by debutant Ravikumar, Indru Netru Naalai perfectly told the concept of time travel in a hilarious manner through two friends who are trying to make money using the time machine.The best part of the film is that the time travel scenes and the machine are shown in a believable manner.Though it cannot be termed as a sci fi as the importance is given to the problems faced by the lead characters due to the time travel rather than scientific aspects of the travel.

3. Uthama Villain: This classy stuff is another masterpiece from Kamal hassan who went into new depths in screenplay writing which was ahead of its times.The story telling itself is unique as it involves 2 parallel stories, one is the present stroy of a superstar and next is a 8th century story told in the form of villupattu and songs.The major highlight of the movie are the brilliant script by Kamal himself which would be a study material for aspiring script writers and spell bounding performances of the entire cast which will be remembered for a long time. Uthama Villain will be definitely in the league of Kuruthipunal, Anbe Sivam and Hey ram and will be considered as a classic in the years to come.

2. Papanasam: In this remake of Drishyam, directed by Jeethu Joseph, Kamal gave his own style of performance to the role made immortal by the inimitable Mohanlal in the original.This was undoubtedly the closest remake to the original and perhaps one of the best remakes to be ever done in Tamil film industry.The film had everything to be a perfect blockbuster: water tight script with several hair rising moments, terrific performances and perfectly edited scenes which added another cap to the illustrious career of Kamal Hassan.

1. Kakka Muttai:  A film billiantly scripted and directed by Manikandan make us realize that a film that wins awards can be outrageously entertaining also. A story of two slum brothers whose struggle to buy a pizza was told so endearingly by the director that you don't feel bored even for a minute for the entire 2.5 hours and the natural  performances of the children would simply wins your heart.Undoubtedly the best tamil film of the year and perhaps the best film of the year among all the Indian films  released till date. A cinematic gem not to be missed by film lovers.

Top Malayalam movies -2015: Half yearly report

As we have covered more than half of 2015, we have picked the best five Malayalam films in the year based on the quality of the films and not on box-office reports. Though it was not a great year for mollywood as far as quality is concerned, some of the better films which deserves to be watched are listed below.(The ratings are strictly personal):

5.Chandrettan Evideya: This movie directed by Sidharth Bharathan was a refreshing change from the Janapriyanayakan  after a string of so called masala pot boilers which was testing the patience of audience for a while. The highlights of the movie were the unforced humour included in the narrative and the performance of Anusree particularly in the climax sequence.

 

4. Premam: This film which was nothing more than the compilation of three short films is placed at fourth position for the stupendous packaging and fun filled treatment of  director Alphonse Puthren  which stimulated the nostalgic hormones in the youth audience and reminded  them of their school and college days. And with the help of a strong technical team, chart busrting music and spell bounding cinematography Premam wrote new box office records, thanks to the rage created by the characters of Malar, George and his friends and terrific comedy by Vinay Fort.

3. Nirnayakam: Directed by V K Prakash, this was a socially thought provoking film which atleast deserved a hit status but got drowned in Premam mania. Though not a perfect script by Bobby –Sanjay,perhaps the most talented writers in Malayalam today, Nirnayakam is worth watching for the message it was trying to convey and for the powerful performances by Prem Prakash and NedumudiVenu.

2. Chirakodinja Kinavukal: This film ,the first cinema spoof ever made in Malayalam film industry was one of its kind which entertains and makes us think at the same time regarding the clichés followed in film industry for years. Kudos to Listin Stephen, the producer of the film for supporting this experimental initiative though the film had just an average run at the box office.

1.Kumbasaram: directed by Aneesh Anwar is definitely the better  film among the Malayalam releases we had this year which was emotionally heart breaking and thrilling simultaneously ,socially relevant too. Jayasurya who played the role of a poor, helpless father of a sick child gave perhaps the finest performance of this year. Though a bit lagging at times Kumbasaram doesn’t deserve to be tanked at the box office and had to satisfy as a torrent hit, the usual fate of these type of movies.

One By Two: Well crafted , but not everyone's cup of tea !

                     
Arun Kumar Aravind has been the most versatile director of this generation with all his films tries something different from his previous ones. His first film Cocktail was an emotional thriller while the path breaking Ee Adutha Kalath was a social thriller, in the same way his previous one Left Right Left is considered the best political thriller this date. In his latest venture One By Two, he attempts a genre which is not yet tried in Malayalam film industry, that of an intense psychological thriller.While he is successful in making a well crafted movie, the complex scripting and slow paced making, though apt for such a movie, may not be everyone's cup of tea.But there is every chance that the viewers who enjoy those dark,heavy and intellectual  Hollywood psychic movies would like this one too but devoid of a high voltage climatic sequence.

The story revolves around the death of a doctor Hari and how his death affects the psychological balance of his twin brother  Ravi both played by Murali Gopi. Fahad plays the role of a police officer who are in charge of this case who too has a haunted past.The plot gets complex when the person who is believed to be Ravi behaves as Hari and everyone gets confused on the real identity of the person.Simultaneously the story also gets into the investigation of the death of Hari/Ravi and the conspiracy behind it.The script written by Jayamohan is complex and intense and does not deviate from the mood of the film by incorporating any comedy scenes in order to increase the commercial viability of the film.The characterizations are multi layered which take time to establish which require patient and quality viewing but may test the patience of a normal audience at times. At the same time I need to admit that such a movie needs exactly this sort of character detailing  and time to settle down but may not cater to some sections of audience. Arun Kumar Aravind has done full justice to the script by creating the serious and psychic mood of the film throughout without compromising on anything.The only problem with the movie is that it keeps you guessing in the first half and promises to be something spectacular in the second, but could not provide thrilling finale may be due to over expectations.The terrific bgm by Gopi sunder is another positive aspect which enhances the mood of the film substantially.The cinematography was just perfect for the film and the editing by Arun tried to compensate for the lavish pace of the film to some extent.

Coming to performances, the man of the moment is definitely Murali Gopi who delivered the most spectacular performance of the year and his best till date with his immaculate portrayal of the twin brothers and the psychic instability of the live one.Special mention to the pre climatic sequence where he just stuns everybody and shows what a power house of talent he is.Fahad fasil is more of a secondary character and does his role perfectly as usual but don't expect anything more from him.Honey Rose had a good role to play and she has done justice to the role.Other characters also played their part well.

Overall One By Two could be called a well made psychological movie which is new to the Malayalam audience and may not be digested by many due to its complexly layered script which demands patience.I believe Arun Kumar Aravind has made a classy movie as usual (not his best)but for a smaller section of audience who would like to see something different in Malayalam

film industry other than the usual genres.Recommended for fans of those slow paced,intense and intellectual psychological English thrillers but without any adrenaline rush in the climax.

Queen: A Cinematic Gem not to be missed !!

Its rare that you see a movie in which you just forget to review or see the technicalities, you are just lured in to the screen and emotions of the characters , fall in love with each and every scene of the film and comes out of the theatre with such an emotionally satisfying and heart warming experince that fills your heart with such enormous joy  Queen directed by Vikas Bhal is such a fun filled yet classy entertainer with genuinely engaging script and terrific performances from the leading lady which leaves you no way other than falling in love with this movie and a must watch for alll girls who are married or going to be married.

Queen is the story a typical delhi girl Rani who gets dumped by her boyfriend one day before their marriage and decides to go for honeymoon to paris and Amsterdam alone. The film narrates the physical and emotional journey of Rani , her interations with different sections of people and how she evolves as a person at the end of the journey.You may find the story similar to english vinglish but the similarity ends here perhaps this movie just overtakes all its predecessors with its unbelivably realistic narration where each scene evokes life in its most plesant form. The script by the director is so relatable(or they made it so relatable)  that you don't feel that you are watching a movie, you are seeing something happening in your neighbourhood.

Especially the family scenes, their interactions with the heroine, the robbery sequence, the amsterdam sequences etc. There are numerous scenes in this film which are so genuinely witty  and so beautifully portrayed that is rarely seen in a Bollywood films yet so Indian in its sensibility.Filling the movie with the required freshness and energy are the terrific dialogues which are so real and humorous , some of them are truly laugh riots especially the interaction of Lisa Haydon with Rani's family, the night club scene in Paris etc. And the director takes the support of this terrific script and mind blowing dialogues to make one of the most realistic movies on womanhood in Bollywood.

The technical department is another hero of this film with sidharth Diwan and Bobby singh just mesmerize you with their visuals. The editing by Anurag Kashyap is so crisp that you won't be feeling bored even for a minute.And Amit Trivedi..man you just rocked like every time  with your inspiring music that we have no choice other than tapping our legs during the songs. Also the songs are so gelled with the movie that you won't realize when eight songs got over.

And not the least coming to the performnces, Kanagana....take a bowwww !!! This is by far the most natural  and effortless acting performance by a leading lady in hindi cinema for me and the most spell bounding performance in hindi after Nawasuddin Siddique in Gangs of Wasseypur. There is not even a scene in this film in which you can take your eyes out of her face.After seeing the dumping scene, the drinking scene in Paris, the Amsterdam room scenes, you can't think of any other actor who could do this role. In a few scenes you don't even think of the film , you are just worried about her character. This could be the role of her lifetime and she just blows your mind away with her award winning performance which is leagues above her contemporary actresses.Lisa Haydon is a revelation and does her role with utmost sincerity. Rajkumar Yadav should be complemented for doing such a small and negative character in a  female oriented film which shows his confidence over his own talent. And the family of Rani has given a natural and lovely performance.

In a whole Queen is one of those rare gem of a movie which is commercial yet classy stuff which shows you the real magic of cinema.Kudos to Vikas bhal , Anurag Kashyap, Kangana and whole team of the film who can be proud of this film for their entire career. This movie should not be missed in theatres especially girls.Must watch..... Highly recommended !!!!

Thegidi : An intelligent and taut thriller

For most of the non tamil people tamil films are just super star movies, kuthu songs, anti gravity fights, crap comedies and so on. But there is also another side of the same industry where the new film makers with relatively unknown heroes make gripping films where a terrific script and their talent are the only capital they have, and  manage to woo the audience.Thegidi directed by debutant Ramesh is one such brilliant suspense thriller which would never bore the audience even for a while  and keep up the adrenaline rush of the viewers till the end of the film.

Thegidi is th story of a person who unknowingly becomes a part of a series of murders and he has to solve the mystry behind the murders to safeguard himself as well as his lover.The film narrates whether he will be successful in his endeavour.The first half of the film moves smoothly and  shows the day to day life of the hero,his friendship, love and how he graduallyends up in a dangerous situation.The second half is all about his investigation on the person behind the murders.The screenplay in the secong half is so engaging that you wont be taking your eye out of the screen  to know the next move of the hero as well as the villain and it is told in such believable manner that we won't , even for aminute, doubt anything illogical about the sequences of the film.There are few twists and turns in the film, but its not the twists that makes it interesting but the way the whole investigation is narrated just sweep you by your feet and ended it just perfectly keeping in the scope of a sequel and this itself shows the confidence of the director in hid creation without any presence of  superstars.

The other major plus of the film is its terrific background score and music by Nivas Prasanna.The bgm was successful in supporting the director to create the tension and the suspense all through the film and again proves that the right bgm can raise the quality of films many fold times.Though the film's climax  is not as racy as we expect,but the crisp editing by John Paul takes over and creates the needed tension in the final parts.In the acting front, Ashok plays the main character with considerable subtelity and has done done a pretty good job but if he could have emoted a bit more in a few intense scenes, that could have taken those scenes to another level.Other characters too didi their part well.

Overall, Thegidi is one of the best thrillers that you would have seen in tamil films in recent times with an intelligent and engaging screenplay overlaid with a stunning background score. Considering that this is the debut film of the director Ramesh, he has shown thate  he has all the talent to reach the top league of directors. A movie which everyone associated with it can be proud of.

Definitely a thrilling entertainer !!Go for it !!

LIST OF OSCAR WINNERS 2014 !!!

Best Picture: 12 Years a A Slave

Best Actor: Matthew McConaughey, Dallas Buyers Club

Best Actress:Cate Blanchett, Blue Jasmine

Best Director: Alfonso Cuaron 

Best Original Screenplay: Her (Spike Jonze)

Best Adapted Screenplay: 12 Years a Slave (John Ridley) 

Best Supporting Actor: Jared Leto, Dallas Buyers Club

Best Supporting Actress: Lupita Nyong'o, 12 Years a Slave

Best Animated Feature Film: Frozen

Best cinematography: Gravity (Emmanuel Lubezki)

Best Film Editing: Gravity ((Alfonso Cuarón, Mark Sanger)

Best Sound Editing: Gravity

Best Sound Mixing:Gravity

Best Visual Effects: Gravity  

Best Foreign Language Film: The Great Beauty (Italy)

Best Original Score: Gravity (Steven Price)

Best Original Song: Let It Go (Frozen)

Best Production Design: Great Gatzby   

Best costume Design: The Great Gatsby (Catherine Martin)

Best Makeup and Hairstyling: Dallas Buyers Club

 Best Documentry Feature: 20 Feet from Stardom (Morgan Neville, Gil Friesen and Caitrin Rogers)

Best Documentary Short: The Lady in Number 6: Music Saved My Life (Malcolm Clarke, Nicholas Reed)

Best Animated Short Film: Mr. Hublot (Laurent Witz, Alexandre Espigares)

Best Live Action Short Film: Helium (Anders Walter, Kim Magnusson)