Totally Filmi

Malayalam Films 2012: January 26th

January 26th sees the return of The Complete Actor, Mohanlal, to the screen in the film Casanovva.  Directed by Rosshan Andrrews (who also directed Totally Filmi favorite Udayananu Tharam), it's the story of Casanovva (Mohanlal), owner of an international chain of flower shops called "Casanovva's Eternal Spring" (which to my ear sounds more like a name for a funeral parlour, but perhaps that's the dour side of me coming out).  And for some reason, the fact that he's supposed to be surrounded by woman (staff, ex-girlfriends, friends) who are willing to support him or help him out made me think of Robert Altman's Dr. T. & the Women, though admittedly, it's been a long time since I've seen that.  Also, Dr. T. & the Women wasn't a crime caper/action film, so I suppose it's just the "surrounded by supportive women" thing.

But I digress.  I also think there's kind of an irony in the fact that the film is billing itself as "THE HIGHEST BUDGET MALAYALAM FILM EVER MADE!!!" didn't bother to do anything with the film's official website.

Let's look at the trailer, shall we?

 

 

And I have to admit, I'm praying that the song "Hey Manohara" (AKA The Casanovva Theme Song) ends up in the closing credits.  But then, we all know how I feel about hip-hoppy songs set in clubs:

 

And you also know how I feel about remakes, but really, this is just crying out for a Bollywood version starring Akshay Kumar, isn't it?  Well?

Malamaal Weekly?

Well.  Rumour is that Shafi's 2010 hit film Marykkundoru Kunjadu ("Mary Had a Lamb") is set for a remake at the hands of Priyadarshan, and, according to IndiaGlitz, it's going to star Ranbir Kapoor, Suniel Shetty, and be titled Malamaal Weekly.

That Bollywood would go looking for yet another Malayalam hit film is no surprise, but I'm skeptical, about the title at the very least -- because, of course, Priyadarshan has already made a film called Malamaal Weekly (apparently loosely based on Waking Ned Devine, and about the attempt to find the winning ticket holder in the local lottery -- with Mollywood actor Innocent in the Ned Devine role).

A sequel to it was rumoured, but somehow I doubt the remake of  Marykkundoru Kunjadu is it.  In Marykkundoru Kunjadu,  Dileep stars as Soloman, a decent-hearted but good-for-nothing guy in love with Mary (Bhavana).  Soloman spends much of his time running from Mary's brothers and the rest of it dabbling as a mostly failed director.  Both his family and Mary want him to stop running away from his responsibilities.  One day a burly stranger (Biju Menon) turns up in the village, and everyone assumes he's Solomon's brother Jose, who had left home many years before.  Solomon is delighted to have someone around to stand up to Mary's brothers and the beatings they deal him -- but the stranger has some peculiar ways and it soon becomes apparent to Soloman that Jose is not quite what he seems.

Here, have a look at the trailer:

 

 

I have seen Marykkundoru Kunjadu, and I quite like it (and should probably dig out the write-up of it sitting in my drafts and get around to publishing it).  And I have to confess:  my first thought on seeing it was that if it had been made 15 years ago, David Dhawan would have snapped up the remake and it would have starred Govinda.  And it probably would have been almost as fun as the original.

I'm also not sure about Ranbir Kapoor or Suniel Shetty in either role -- the Solomon role might seem too much like Ranbir's Prem (from Ajab Prem Ki Ghazab Kahani), and although the Jose role is mostly silent and broody, Biju Menon is a terrific actor who brings more to the role than just that.

But of course, I'm always biased when it comes to remakes, generally preferring the original anyway.

Here's a final taste of Marykkundoru Kunjadu, the delightful song "Entedukke Vannadukum":

 

Good Night, Good Morning (dir. Sudhish Kamath, 2012)

 

“From here on, I am going to remember New Year’s Eve as this night that I had this wild conversation with a random strange boy.  Seriously, aren’t you going to remember this night when you got a little high and called a girl in the middle of it to talk about boobs and existence in one breath?”

 

 

Dear lord, how the heck do I start writing about this film?  Which I adore to bits?  Because it’s funny, witty, compelling, intimate, wry, tender, charming and meticulously written and crafted?  Like starting a conversation with a stranger, it’s not simple. 

Good Night, Good Morning trades in all sorts of pop culture references that are familiar, that allow us to immediately identify with the two main characters, Turiya and Moira, who meet by chance on New Year’s eve in New York, and spend the night carrying on a long and far-reaching conversation by telephone, Turiya in a car with his three friends, on their way back to Philidelphia, and Moira, spending the night in a hotel on a stop-over on her way to Mumbai. 

Images of New York, shot in black and white, and set against a smooth, jazzy soundtrack,  give this film a hip, contemporary, cosmopolitan feel.  I am a huge fan of black and white photography, and Kamath uses it to create an intense environment that allows us to focus on the discussion taking place.  But he also intersperses fantasy segments and flashbacks in colour, allowing for a change in pacing, and further emphasising the intimacy created by the use of black and white, contrasting with it.  The intimacy of the phone conversation is further intensified by the use of a split screen, not only allowing us to watch both characters, but also serving to underline the changing nature of their conversation and relationship.  In the early parts of the film, Turiya and Moira are shown facing away from each other, but gradually, as the film unfolds, they begin to slowly turn around, first facing out, then finally, facing each other.

 

I’m a fan of the small details, and these are just peppered throughout the film – from the little scene from Some Like it Hot (the good night/good morning scene, from which Kamath’s film takes its title), to the waffles Moira mentions in an off-hand way, and which Turiya orders for her from room service (ask me how much I melted at that moment); to the ring Moira wears, and leaves behind; to Moira’s name -- it means “uncertain” or “bitter”, and she is, by turns, a little bit of both, and we long to find out why, what motivates or propels this lovely young woman, inhabited so splendidly by Seema Rahmani.

 

 

Turiya is still hanging on to a relationship with a woman who, three years on, he still believes was the love of his life.  But as Moira sharply notes, “Do you realize you always keep saying she “was” the love of your life?” Moira’s past is more secretive, more complicated.  She claims to be over her past, but like Turiya, she still carries baggage, though she will deny it.  As the night wears on, the two will eventually put down their respective baggage and when morning comes, be prepared to walk out into a new day.

What is lovely about this film is that though we first see Turiya as kind of a hopeless, even hapless, romantic and Moira as a more – if not cynical, then definitely world weary – realist, we come to realize each of them has a wee romantic soul, each of them really believes in romance, though they each define it differently.  For Turiya, love is about the journey, not the destination; for Moira, it’s about reaching the sunset of your life and realizing you really have spent it with the person who turned out to be the love of your life.

What makes their night-long roller coaster of a conversation compelling is, certainly, the dialogues (the script was written by Kamath and Shilpa Rathnam), sharply and crisply and pointedly wonderful; but it’s also the film’s two lead actors (Manu Narayan as Turiya and Seema Rahmani as Moira) who make us want to listen, to find out more about them, to see where this conversation will take their characters, as well as us.

And where it takes us?  On a free-wheeling ride, from flirtation through philosophy of life and the nature of love and relationships (the film mirrors the stages of a romantic relationship:  “The icebreaker,” says Moira.  “The honeymoon, the reality check, the break up, the patch-up, the confiding, the great friendship.  And the killing confusion”).  From Before Sunrise to When Harry Met Sally to The Matrix to Kuch Kuch Hota Hai (oh, how I so love Moira’s reality check on that film).

What makes the film especially compelling, at least for me, is that the conversation between Turiya and Moira rings true, from beginning to end.  I’ve had that discussion about The Matrix:  “Explain The Matrix to me in four lines,” demands Moira, much as I’ve done myself, agreeing with her belief that “stories are meant to be simple, no matter what kind of bells and whistles they come with.”

And that’s why Good Night, Good Morning is so incredibly engaging as a film:  it is a simple story, and the bells and whistles are used precisely to create atmosphere, mood, and pacing.  They allow us to identify immediately with the film’s two protagonists.  We’ve been where they are – at some point in our lives we have all been Turiya or Moira --  and we want to see how it’s all going to turn out.   As Moira might say:  "It’s a great ride while it lasts."  And it’s a brilliant, delightful, charming ride while it does.

 

 

******

I had the distinct pleasure of seeing this charming film precisely because the folks over at Mela managed to strike a last minute deal with director Sudhish Kamath that saw the film release on Mela's various platforms on the same day as its theatrical release in India.  I would love to have seen the film in a theatre, but I likely wouldn't have seen it at all, or not for a good long while, if I hadn't downloaded the Mela iPad app -- which is still available on a free trial until February 10th, 2012.  Needless to say, if this is the kind of stuff Mela is going to offer me, I'm going to be downloading the paid app for sure.

Malayalam Films 2012: January 20th

"This winter, Malayalam cinema is going to be Spanished!" proclaims Spanish Masala's official site.  The latest film from director Lal Jose (Classmates), Spanish Masala is, as the title suggests, set in Spain, and stars Dileep as Charlie, who, after getting stuck in Spain after arriving there as part of a mimcry troupe, ends up working as a chef, thanks to help from Camilla (Daniela Zacheri, an Austrian model), the daughter of a former Spanish ambassador to India, who herself is in love with Rahul (Kunchacko Bobban).

I have to confess, though I'm looking forward to another film from Lal Jose, and one starring Dileep and Kunchacko Bobban, I'm not too sure about the trailer:

 

 

Not surprisingly, the film's songs have a heavy Spanish influence, like this one, "Akkare Ninnoru" (sung by Sujatha Mohan and Vineeth Sreenivasan):

 

As well as this one, "Aarezhuthi", sung by Karthik and Shreya Ghoshal:

 

Spanish Masala is, apparently,  the first Malayalam language film to be shot in Spain, and although Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara probably showed me enough of La Tomatina to last me a lifetime, I'm still keen to see what Lal Jose is going to serve up.

Test driving the Mela iPad app: some thoughts

For a while now, many of us who are fans of Indian cinema have longed for a way to watch the films we love so much without having to buy every single film that comes out on DVD.  Availablity of films for rent either by being sent a physical DVD or through streaming internet has been limited or minimal for many of us – from my own perspective, I have the option of signing up with either Zip or Netflix Canada; the former has a better selection of films, but is very weak on newer releases, and carries nothing in the way of regional cinema, and none of the content is available for streaming at this time.  The latter offers streaming, but a small selection of Indian films.  Sure, some content is available on line (there are films legitimately offered for viewing on YouTube, for example), but in general, there’s been a gap in the market  with respect to legally available, good quality streaming with a good selection of films available.

So I’d been watching the launch of the Mela service, offered across a variety of platforms, with some interest.  And when the Mela folks approached me to try out their brand spanking new iPad app, I couldn’t resist.

I had the good fortune to purchase a second-hand iPad a while back, and amongst the many things I love it for is the ability to watch films – usually I convert my legally purchased DVDs to a format that I can use on the iPad, because then I can take them with me wherever I go and watch as I please, instead of being tied to my DVD player and television.  So I was really excited to discover that Mela was working on an iPad app.

Disclaimer:  when Mela approached me, they offered me a year’s subscription to the service in exchange for my time spent exploring the app and writing about it (if I chose to).  But they were clear in the email they sent that I was free to write up the app as I pleased, and was under no constraints to edit my thoughts.

Not that they would have any worries, because to be honest?  After downloading the app last week and spending a little time exploring it, I can state that I really love this idea.

I like the layout.   The interface is clean, organized and easy to move around in.  I will admit that the search function could use a bit of tweaking – for the most part, it found things I was searching for, but occasionally it wouldn’t return a result for a film I knew was there, like Awara.

I like how when you’ve stopped a film partway through, it’s listed right at the top, with a button to allow you to resume watching (because you can start watching a film and stop partway through and come back to it later at the same spot you left off watching).

Films are available in Hindi, Telugu, Tamil, Punjabi, Marathi, and Gujurati.  Readers of Totally Filmi will understand my disappointment at there being no Malayalam language films, but Mela promises that they will be expanding  their coverage of regional cinema, and, to be fair, I think for an app that’s just been introduced, the range of films available in the various languages is already impressive.

Films from a number of eras are represented, too, allowing the fan of older films an opportunity to revisit classics such as Aag, Awara or Bluffmaster (the Shammi Kapoor film) as well as explore more recent offerings such as Ishqiya, and Manorama Six Feet Under (aside: actor Abhay Deol has done a celebrity endorsement for Mela).  And although personally I wasn’t interested in watching Ghost, the 2012 film released last week, Mela offered it for viewing the same day as the theatrical release.  For those of us with limited or no access to Indian films in a cinema, the possibility of seeing new films as they are released is much appreciated, and fingers crossed that Mela can continue doing this. 

I’ve only just started dipping into the films on Mela, but so far, I’ve been impressed with the image quality and the streaming.

The slight disappointment with Mela:  at the moment, not all the films are subtitled.  Mela is working on the subtitles, however.  The plan is to begin with Bollywood films and then add them to the regional films.  Newer films will come with subtitles (and there are some on the iPad app already, including the aforementioned Ghost), and Mela themselves will subtitle older catalog films, again, for all their platforms.  The films on the Roku box platform should all be subtitled within 90 days, and although Mela would like to promise the same for the iPad, the device -- because it uses a different format for films -- will require Mela to re-do films/subtitles entirely so they will work on it.  Mela is hoping to be able to provide subtitles for all films on the iPad within 90 days, too, and told me they'd let me know when they had a better estimate of the time frame it would require for iPad users to have access to subtitled content.

The Mela iPad app is available until the end of January 2012 as a free trial download (with a somewhat limited selection of what will be offered once the trial is over).  After the trial ends, the service will be offered at a cost of $4.99 (US) a month, a fee that will be automatically deducted from your iTunes account.  For me, that’s on par with what I’d pay for a service such as ZIP or Netflix Canada, with a much greater selection of films.  I’m really keen to keep exploring the films Mela is offering for streaming on the iPad, and I’ll report here on the blog from time to time on changing availability of films, increased selelection of films, and on how the subtitling of films progresses. 

And I might even write a review now and then of films I've watched via the Mela iPad app. 

Malayalam Films 2012: January 14th

 

In 2005, Sreenivasan wrote a film I rather like a lot, Udayananu Tharam ("Udayan is the Star"), which told the story of Udayan (Mohanlal), an assistant film director who longs to write and direct a film of his own.  Sreenivasan himself took on the role of Rajappan, a talentless actor who steals Udayan's script out from under him and transforms himself into the superstar Saroj Kumar.

Aside:  it was remade in Hindi as the atrocious Short Kut:  The Con is On.  I still marvel at how such a terrific film could have been turned into such a turnip.  But I digress.  Because Saroj Kumar is back, in Padmasree Bharat Dr. Saroj Kumar:

 

 

Fingers crossed that Sreenivasan is in fine form, because when he is, you can expect a movie that's sharp and funny.  Frankly?  I'd pay the price of admission just to see his take on Rajnikanth.

I'm also happy to see Jagathy Sreekumar reprising his role as Pachalam Bhasi (one of my favorites in his filmography), plus? 

This one is a two-fer, with Sreenivasan's son, Vineeth Sreenivasan (who was in one of my favorite films of 2011, Traffic,) also part of the cast:

 

 

Sigh.  When is this DVD coming out?  Sigh.

Players (dir. Abbas-Mustan, 2012)

 

 

It probably was only a matter of time before the directing duo of Abbas-Mustan got around to remaking The Italian Job.  Both the original and its Hollywood remake revolve around the heist of a massive cache of gold bars.  The 1969 version oozed Sixties charm and British kitsch, from Michael Caine’s waggish Charlie Croker, to his fellow heist experts, including a demolitions expert and the Benny Hill-ish computer expert, Professor Peach (not surprisingly, played by Benny Hill).  The 2003 version updated but stayed true to the original, and technological improvements meant that the planning and enacting of the heist became even more intriguing to watch.

And I’ll be honest – part of what made me actually enjoy Players as much as I did was the fact that the duo decided not only to make an official remake, but that they chose to try to integrate elements from both previous versions.  Master Planner Charlie is a given, but we also have the ultra-patriotic British criminal Mr. Bridger (Noel Coward) from the 1969 version – who becomes the Indian patriot Mr. Braganza (Vinod Khanna) who decides to back the plan because he wants to use his share to build the biggest orphanage in India.  The 2003 version gives us the idea of Bridger’s daughter (Charlize Theron), the master safe cracker who, unlike her father, uses her skills for good until she joins Charlie’s team in order to avenge the death of her father.  In Players, we have Naina Braganza (Sonam Kapoor, mostly out of her depth here, sadly), a specialist in “ethical hacking”, who, well, joins Charlie’s team in order to avenge her father’s death.

So for me, it was kind of an interesting exercise to see what had been taken from which version, and how Abbas-Mustan managed to integrate the two (well at times, less well at others), and then add their own particular touches  to make the film their own. 

So, in Players, we have Charlie (Mascarenhas this time, played by Abhishek Bachchan) the master planner.  We have a geeky computer hacker, Spider (Neil Nitin Mukesh); there’s Riya (Bipasha Basu), equally at home playing the seductress as she is as souping up a train to make it run faster.  There’s Bilal Bashir (Sikhander Kher)  the demolitions expert (who, like his counterpart in the 2003 version, is deaf in one ear.  Though in bit of sloppy continuity, when we’re introduced to him he’s wearing a hearing aid in one ear -- the same ear he’ll be wearing a headset (for talking to the team) in later on in the film).  There’s the expert in make-up and disguise, Sunny (Omi Vaidya), and a mysterious illusionist, Ronnie (Bobby Deol).

The problem, though?  I think for a film entitled Players, there’s not an awful lot of play going on.  Oh, sure, there are car chases and stunts and explosions (though, sadly, no one utters Michael Caine’s classic line, “You were only supposed to blow the bloody doors off!” – no one but me, because I couldn’t resist leaning over and whispering it to Mr. Totally Filmi a couple of times.

 

"Wait.  Is this Plan A?  Or Plan B?  Or Plan C?  Dammit."

 

But most of the actors wander through the film with a serious expression pasted on their faces – oh, I know, stealing Bulgarian gold from the Russians is a serious business, but surely one could have some fun with it in the process?   Abhishek’s Charlie is mostly a somber man, and the only time we see a spark of amusement come through is when, in order to check out a gold merchant, he plays the assistant to a man who wants to buy some gold (the amusingly named Mr. Zaheri Bazaar, which made me guffaw in theatre).   Bobby Deol as master illusionist Ronnie is given very little to do except look mysterious – probably to reflect both his craft and the secret he hides.  Sikhander Kher’s Bilal is there to plant a few explosives and not much more, except perhaps to argue a wee bit with Omi Vaidya’s Sunny.  I’ll be honest – I found Sunny an incredibly annoying character, and though Vaidya should be commended for his continuing efforts to work in Hindi, his lack of fluency seriously impacts his ability to deliver lines with appropriate comic timing.  Sunny was meant to be comic relief; thank goodness there was Johny Lever and his Smart with gold-rimmed wheels to actually make me laugh.

 

See?  Mysterious.

 

In fact, the only two people who seem to be having much fun at all are Bipasha Basu’s Riya and Neil Nitin Mukesh’s Spider.  In fact, I think Basu is given the best line in all the film.  Riya is sent to seduce a Russian officer, and he begins rambling on drunkenly about how he loves India, all Russians love India – in fact, Russians love Raj Kapoor.  He then proceeds to sing “Mera Joota Hai Japani”, stripping off each bit of named clothing as he sings (hat, shoes, pants) – at which point Riya says, “Thank god there were no underwear in that song!”

 

"No, really!  I am also mysterious!  And geeky!  But mysterious!"

 

And Neil Nitin Mukesh?  Well, he rips through the film like a gleeful teenager who’s just stolen the keys to his father’s Ferrari.   Perhaps he could be faulted for hamming it up, and maybe like that teenager, not quite have the skills to keep from crashing a car that’s maybe a bit too much to handle.  But it was such a relief to see him taking the role and running with it, to bring a touch of gleeful menace to it all, to put the play back in Players.

All that said – Players was not the disaster I’d expected it to be  (with the exception of the music.  I’m sticking to my rule of not listening to soundtracks before I’ve seen the film, so the song “Buddhi Do Bhagwan” left me a little gobsmacked.  “Charlie’s Angels”?  Really?), and until the last half hour, was actually reasonably entertaining.  Unlike the 2003 version, where the last half hour of the film just captivated my attention, the overlong and draggy last part of Players finally had me looking at my watch.  For me there were a few too many eye-roll moments, there were one or two too many twists introduced, a few too many plot holes, too many surprises spoiled because they were telegraphed in advance, and one missed opportunity.

In the original film, the Minis were painted patriotic red, white and blue, the colours of the Union Jack.  I so wished Abbas-Mustan had painted their Minis saffron, white and green

 

Still the best thing about all three versions...

Adaminte Makan Abu (dir. Salim Ahmed, 2011)

A landscape, a house, a Koran, a suitcase, an umbrella, some perfume bottles, and a picture of Mecca hung on the wall.  From the opening frames of Adaminte Makan Abu, director/writer Salim Ahmed draws us in to the world of his main character Abu (Salim Kumar).

Abu's world is a small one, encompassing his wife, Aishu (Zarina Wahab), and the various members if his village in Kerala.  But Abu's world is also one where the ripples spread outwards, concentric circles that spread until they reach his life's dream, a pilgrimage to Mecca.

Abu and Aishu live a life of sacrifice, a gold chain sold at the birth of their son (who has virtually abandoned his parents after moving to the Gulf), years spent saving for one moment - the Hajj. 

Nothing comes without great sacrifice, and nothing comes without forgiveness.  As part of the preparations they make for their trip, they make the rounds of the village, saying goodbye and asking for forgiveness for any wrongs they might have unintentionally caused.  Even more of a test of faith is seeking forgiveness when you do believe you have caused harm, and Abu doesn't shy away from this, seeking out a former neighbour who he feels he has slighted.

 

 

If the film gives us an insight into the nature of forgiveness, it gives an even stronger insight into the nature of faith, in God, in our friends and relationships.

When their hard work and savings is just not enough, they dig even deeper, selling their cows and their beloved jackfruit tree.  What this reveals is not only the dedication and sacrifice of Abu and Aishu, but also the goodness of the community they are surrounded by – the local school master (Nedumudi Venu, also a National Award winning actor), a Hindu, asks Abu to pray for him, too, when he finally reaches Mecca.  “Man is his selfish best in front of God,” he tells Abu.  “He has many things to ask for himself.  Yet...when you reach there, pray for us also.”  The school master is the first person to offer Abu the money he needs when his plans fall through – money Abu refuses, since the only financial help permitted him is from blood relatives.

 

 

It’s  just one example of how this community values and helps Abu.  Hyder (Suraj Venjarammoodu, also in a performance that is a far cry from his over-the-top comedic ones), the local teashop owner, supports Abu and sympathises with him, and tells him that if he manages to get a passport without having bribed the policeman dealing with Abu’s application that he’ll be the first person ever to do so. 

 

 

Ashraf (Mukesh) the manager of a travel agency that organizes Hajj trips, not only guides Abu  and helps arrange his voyage, he also offers to send Abu and Aishu on the Hajj when Abu’s planning falls through.  His parents always wanted to go on the Hajj, he reasons, and he couldn’t afford to send them.  Now that he can, they’re dead.  Abu declines his offer; for him, it would mean going on Ashraf’s parents’ hajj, and not his own.

 

 

Abu also refuses the money offered to him by the local sawmill owner Johnson (Kalabhavan Mani).  Johnson buys the couples’ beloved jackfruit tree for its wood – but discovers that the tree is, in fact, hollow inside, a metaphor, Abu finds, for his own son – a son he and Aishu loved, who turned out to abandon them, a fact that breaks both Abu and Aishu’s hearts.

 

 

The film’s pacing is slow and measured, matching the elderly Abu's halting steps, foreshadowing the journey he hopes to make, and each step Abu takes towards his goal is beautifully shot (cinematographer Madhu Ambat also won a National Award for his work on this film), and poignantly scored (by Isaac Thomas Kottukapally, again, who won a National Award for this). 

 

 

The relationship between Abu and Aishu is truly sweet, capturing the rhythms of a couple who have been together a long time, and who have grown old together.  “Haven't I repeatedly told you not to travel at night,” Aishu chides when Abu coughs, and after she gives him a glass of tea he confides his worry at his declining business.  Abu is an old man, and the world around him is changing.  "Nobody wants attar these days," he tells Aishu.  "They get perfume from the Gulf." 

Salim Kumar s performance is, quite simply, lovely.  Make-up assists his transformation into the elderly Abu (Kumar Is 43), but everything he brings to the role- Abu's halting gait, his old man cough, his habit of nodding off periodically, his weariness with a world that is surpassing him -- everything makes us believe in him. He makes us forget his comic roles entirely, and his National Award for this film is much deserved.  His Abu is so earnest in his quest, so devout – so completely and utterly a good man, another rarity in a world filled with people looking out for their own self interest.  Abu’s desire becomes ours – more than anything, we long for him to find the means to make the journey that means so much to him.

 

 

Sadly, despite the support of friends and neighbours, despite their unflagging efforts, Abu and Aishu’s plans to undertake the Hajj prove to be beyond their means.  It is to writer/director Salim Ahmed’s credit that he chooses to give the film its appropriate ending; but if Abu’s story does not quite end happily, it at least ends hopefully.  Abu’s faith never wavers:  he plants a new jackfruit tree, and still holds on to his hope that he’ll make the pilgrimage – next year. Adaminte Makan Abu is an incredible testament to faith and community, and a heartwarming story of one incredibly good man.

 

Malayalam Films 2012 - January 5th/6th

It's been my habit for a while now to make a list of all the Malayalam film releases, so that I can get them when they finally come out on DVD (on average, 4 to 6 months after their theatrical release), but I thought this year, I'd gather up the film trailers on a weekly basis, as I'm making up my list of what to see later.

There are three releases this weekend, Orkut Oru Ormakoot (or O3 for short), Kunjaliyan and Asuravithu:

First the trailers for each, and then some thoughts:

Orkut Oru Ormakoot:

 

 

Kunjaliyan:

 

Asuravithu:

 

O3 is the story of Crystal (Rima Kallingal), a Malayali living in Germany, who makes friends with four young men via a social networking site.  They help her learn about her roots when she returns to Kerala.

I'll be honest -- I'm not sure that O3 sounds like my cup of tea, and I'm guessing that I'm clearly not in the tarket audience for the film, which seems like a youth oriented venture.  And this is a film featuring a host of new faces, although new faces with some filmi pedigree:  Joe Sibi Malayil (son of director Sibi Malayil), Ben Lalu Alex (son of actor Lalu Alex), Anu Mohan (Grandson of actor Kottarakkara Sreedharan Nair), Vishnu Raghav and Arjun Ashokan (son of actor Harishree Ashokan). 

It's a debut venture for writers/directors Manoj-Vinod, but what pricked my interest was the fact that Manoj had previously worked as an assistant director with director Lohithadas.  That fact alone would make me watch the film, out of curiousity.  I'm also interested in what Rima Kallingal will do here -- I follow her on Twitter and quite like her energy.  And if it comes out on DVD with subtitles, I will, indeed, watch it.  Sadly, youth-oriented comedies are the ones that often come without subtitles.

Kunjaliyan is billed as a "family entertainer", and the trailer would certainly seem to confirm that.  It's the latest film from director Saji Surendran, and stars a Totally Filmi favorite, Jayasurya (who has appeared in all of Saji Surendran's films).  It's the story of Jayaraman (Jayasurya), who's known in his village as "Kunjialiyan" or "Young Brother-in-Law".  Looked after by his three sisters, he ends up abandoned by them after they marry men who aren't interested in the young brother-in-law.  He leaves his village, moves to Dubai, becomes a millionaire, loses his job, and reluctantly returns to his village, where he is, bewilderingly, given a warm welcome.

I have a soft spot for Jayasurya, so this is one film I'll definitely be getting once the DVD is out.  Do I have great expectations of it?  Not really.  But I'm open to being surprised -- perhaps it will turn out to be the entertainer it purports to be.

I have to admit -- this weekend is kind of being billed as the clash of the two up-and-coming stars in Malyalam cinema, with Jayasurya on one side, and Asuravithu's star Asif Ali on the other.  And as much as I like Jayasurya, I will say that the film I most wish I could see this weekend is director A.K. Sajan's Asuravithu.  Asif Ali stood out for me in two films last year:  Traffic and Salt n' Pepper, and of all the new generation of actors in Mollywood, he's fast becoming the one I want to watch.  In Asuravithu he plays Don Bosco, a religious young man (how could he not be with that moniker?) studying in a seminary, whose life is changed after he witnesses an incident.  What, I don't know, and I'm dying to see the film to find out.