Filmy Illusions

  Picture Courtesy: OnManorama Ever had a candy that starts off really sweet but leaves a weird aftertaste by the time you're done with it? Officer on Duty kind of feels like that. The movie is genuinely engaging in theory and almost on-screen too. I have zero complaints about the performances or the team that put it together. In fact, the technical aspects are one of its biggest strengths—Jakes Bejoy’s music and the sound design by Sankaran A.S., K.C. Sidharthan, and Vishnu Sujathan play a crucial role in keeping the audience hooked, even when Jithu Asharef’s otherwise solid direction starts to falter slightly in the second half. Special mention to Roby Varghese Raj’s cinematography and Chaman Chakko’s editing—both do their job to perfection, elevating the film to another level. So where does the problem lie? That cake goes to the script, courtesy of cop-turned-writer Shahi Kabir, with whom I have the same bone to pick as I did with his previous works like Ela Veezha Poonchira ...

Picture Courtesy: Cine Point Kadhalikka Neramillai – A Masterclass in Performative Wokeness While Kadhalikka Neramillai throws around plenty of taboo topics, it does so with all the depth of a puddle after a light drizzle. It’s almost like the director fed ChatGPT a prompt saying, “Write a woke script, but make sure it’s still safe enough for my conservative uncle to watch with his family.” Having worked with AI platforms myself, I can confidently say even an AI would have churned out a better screenplay than this. Fair warning—this review has spoilers. Normally, I’d avoid them, but in this case, they’re necessary to highlight the chef’s kiss levels of absurdity at play. Also, the movie has been out for a while on both OTT and in theaters, so if you still haven’t watched it, do so and come back. Picture Courtesy: Movie Crow Now, I’d love to say credit where it’s due , but when a film treats serious issues with all the respect of a high school project thrown together the night befo...

  Picture Courtesy: Pravinkoodu Shappu FB Page In one of the most telling scenes in Pravinkoodu Shappu , Soubin’s character remarks, “I can see right through a guy who enjoys the accolades because I am exactly like that.” This line encapsulates the film's underlying narcissistic tone—a brilliant facade that crumbles under its own weight. The movie boasts of excellent characters, brought to life by actors who truly understand their craft. The dark humor scattered throughout the narrative is sharp and effective, and the script holds immense potential. However, much like the narcissist who meticulously crafts an image but falters with one misstep, the film loses its way in the second half. The initial brilliance gives way to unnecessary misogyny, cheap gags, and a mystery trick that is reduced to a simplistic device handled by commoners. Previously clever characters are sidelined into foolish bystanders, making the climax feel like a letdown. The promise of a gripping narrative fa...

  Picture Courtesy: TV9 Malayalam News Happy New Year! It’s been exactly a year since I last wrote about movies consistently. Not because there weren’t films that moved me—2024 had plenty, with gems like, Bougainvillea , Ullozhukk , Meiyazhagan , Amar Singh Chamkila , Bhramayugam , Avesham, to name a few . But somehow, I just couldn’t bring myself to write. Let’s just say 2024 wasn’t a great year. I don’t know if this year will be any different, but I’m trying to go with the flow—in writing and in life. Fingers crossed. And what a movie to restart writing about than a mystery thriller around the magic of cinema! Rekha Chithram, my first theatre experience of 2025, is a captivating mystery thriller interwoven with the wonder of filmmaking. It beautifully demonstrates how modern technology can be used so effectively to make you fall in love with a yesteryear classic while delivering an intriguing new narrative. Picture Courtesy: Nana on X My memories of Kathodu Kaathor...