After writing one good film and directing a bad one, Midhun Manuel Thomas strikes this third time with a comedy drama that conveys two serious messages.
Ann Maria (Sara) is a clever but over-smart 4th-grader who lives with her doctor mother, Treesa (Lishoy) in a plush apartment in a tony neighborhood. Her otherwise merry life shifts focus when she witnesses a nasty romantic breakup between two of her professors - her English teacher and David, her PT master - uprooting her confidence as a kid wizard. Things take a turn when her nimrod of a principal informs David about Ann Maria's observation pitting her and the PT master against each other. As a result, David, a sycophantic playboy, disqualifies Ann Maria from a long jump competition, in turn, forcing her to hire a contract goon named Poombatta Gireesh (Wayne) to break David's legs. This is the base of the story which then moves on to Gireesh (who is a cowardly loafer), his good-for-nothing friend Ambrose (Varghese), and some less important characters.
The development that Ann Maria, a 10-year old, teams up with her schoolmate who requests his neighborhood friend to get them a contract goon is what introduces humor into the story. It is then expanded by Wayne and Varghese as they maneuver their characters to perform some good slapstick, at the same time staying formulaic in their approach. Thomas and Manthrichal's prime reason to cast Varghese should have been to add comedy into this dramatic, and sometimes even serious, tale about extents that children can go nowadays to carry out an activity which they think is righteous. Ann Maria using transceivers, pawning her expensive phone, and borrowing big money from her mother just to teach a wrong-doer a lesson is a serious theme that is conveyed using a comic container. And the makers succeed, to a point, after which the plot sashays down the magical realism genre, which is warranted considering the film had to be wrapped up in a happy- ending way.
Baby Sara is wonderful and graceful as Ann Maria, maintaining her air as the cunning daughter of rich doctors. Her presence in any given frame adds to its glamour and sweetness. I'm sure she will land more roles. Wayne and Varghese support her and other cast members, with help from Siddique, Shine Tom Chacko, Lishoy, and Saiju Kurup. Dulquer Salmaan's cameo is pleasant. Overall, the casting is one of the primary causes of the successful narrative.
While the attention to details is below par, one should credit the makers for not bloating the script with nondescript elements which could have been the case had the shift moved from the central characters to the supporting ones like Siddique, who plays a shameless merchant with some good old wisdom taped into his teeth. Similarly, Chacko's ravishing character wraps up in the first 30 minutes itself. But, thankfully, the plot is focused on Ann Maria and her endeavors - be it settling scores with her evil PT master or trying to ace that long jump competition.
The strongest point that the film conveys is that children require the love from both parents, and if one of them experiences a paradigm shift and goes nomadic, then the child may get attracted to outside elements which may not always be safe, unlike how Wayne's character influences Ann Maria. It also chafes on the topic of bad characters as teachers who enter educational institutions through influence and exploit its immaculate populace.
Of course, the narrative does have illogical elements glued into it. Otherwise, the flow with which the story unfolds wouldn't have been so smooth. But, what matters at the end, is that the story sparks a sense of feel-goodness. It will be an easy watch for a family.
BOTTOM LINE: Midhun Manuel Thomas's "Ann Maria Kalippilanu" is a sweet little story about a young kid and the world seen from her perspective. Worth the weekday ticket price.
Can be watched with a typical Indian family? YES
Ann Maria (Sara) is a clever but over-smart 4th-grader who lives with her doctor mother, Treesa (Lishoy) in a plush apartment in a tony neighborhood. Her otherwise merry life shifts focus when she witnesses a nasty romantic breakup between two of her professors - her English teacher and David, her PT master - uprooting her confidence as a kid wizard. Things take a turn when her nimrod of a principal informs David about Ann Maria's observation pitting her and the PT master against each other. As a result, David, a sycophantic playboy, disqualifies Ann Maria from a long jump competition, in turn, forcing her to hire a contract goon named Poombatta Gireesh (Wayne) to break David's legs. This is the base of the story which then moves on to Gireesh (who is a cowardly loafer), his good-for-nothing friend Ambrose (Varghese), and some less important characters.
The development that Ann Maria, a 10-year old, teams up with her schoolmate who requests his neighborhood friend to get them a contract goon is what introduces humor into the story. It is then expanded by Wayne and Varghese as they maneuver their characters to perform some good slapstick, at the same time staying formulaic in their approach. Thomas and Manthrichal's prime reason to cast Varghese should have been to add comedy into this dramatic, and sometimes even serious, tale about extents that children can go nowadays to carry out an activity which they think is righteous. Ann Maria using transceivers, pawning her expensive phone, and borrowing big money from her mother just to teach a wrong-doer a lesson is a serious theme that is conveyed using a comic container. And the makers succeed, to a point, after which the plot sashays down the magical realism genre, which is warranted considering the film had to be wrapped up in a happy- ending way.
Baby Sara is wonderful and graceful as Ann Maria, maintaining her air as the cunning daughter of rich doctors. Her presence in any given frame adds to its glamour and sweetness. I'm sure she will land more roles. Wayne and Varghese support her and other cast members, with help from Siddique, Shine Tom Chacko, Lishoy, and Saiju Kurup. Dulquer Salmaan's cameo is pleasant. Overall, the casting is one of the primary causes of the successful narrative.
While the attention to details is below par, one should credit the makers for not bloating the script with nondescript elements which could have been the case had the shift moved from the central characters to the supporting ones like Siddique, who plays a shameless merchant with some good old wisdom taped into his teeth. Similarly, Chacko's ravishing character wraps up in the first 30 minutes itself. But, thankfully, the plot is focused on Ann Maria and her endeavors - be it settling scores with her evil PT master or trying to ace that long jump competition.
The strongest point that the film conveys is that children require the love from both parents, and if one of them experiences a paradigm shift and goes nomadic, then the child may get attracted to outside elements which may not always be safe, unlike how Wayne's character influences Ann Maria. It also chafes on the topic of bad characters as teachers who enter educational institutions through influence and exploit its immaculate populace.
Of course, the narrative does have illogical elements glued into it. Otherwise, the flow with which the story unfolds wouldn't have been so smooth. But, what matters at the end, is that the story sparks a sense of feel-goodness. It will be an easy watch for a family.
BOTTOM LINE: Midhun Manuel Thomas's "Ann Maria Kalippilanu" is a sweet little story about a young kid and the world seen from her perspective. Worth the weekday ticket price.
Can be watched with a typical Indian family? YES
