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Pakshe (1994)
A very under-rated movie
I think, a simple test of the quality of a movie is to watch the same movie again. This is a movie that passes this test. I have watched it twice and the experience that I got the second time surpassed that which I received when i viewed it the first time.
The movie is about lost love and sacrifice. It shows the life of an IAS officer who regrets the compromises that he had made in his life. I am sure that viewers who are in their early forties will appreciate it.
I am generally not a fan of any single actor, but in this movie, Mohanlal and Shobana act so naturally. Every action done by Mohanlal, even the act of taking off his spectacles, paints the picture of a man who has nothing but regrets. Soman, also has some memorable dialogues and his portrayal of a retired IAS officer is worth mention.
Except for a small fight sequence, almost all the scenes in Pakshe are so coherently intertwined, and if you remove even a single scene, then the movie will lose its charm. It is a slow paced one, but it is definitely not a movie which you can fast forward. Also do enjoy the wonderful songs in it.
I was surprised that the movie was made in 1994, but it seems so fresh and the theme is timeless.
Yavanika (1982)
A good movie, but not really a 'thriller'
The movie is not actually an 'investigative' one. There is hardly any investigation in the first part of the movie, there are no great twists and is kind of slow. Don't watch it if you are impatient.
That being said, watch it for character development and for realism. Everything is in the right proportion in the movie. There are just one or two songs, but they are memorable ones. Alcoholism and the problems caused by it is the main theme in Yavanika, but K.G. George has seen to it that the movie does not look like a sermon from a preacher.
Bharath Gopi's acting is excellent and realistic, even when we dislike his on-screen persona.
Neelakasham Pachakadal Chuvanna Bhoomi (2013)
Refreshing and genuine effort
This is a movie that is completely new and refreshing, almost experimental in nature. The director has painstakingly avoided prevalent stereotypes, cliché and set formula in the Malayalam film industry. The movie has a refreshing cast, and the director has not shied away from casting people who are almost unknown to the Malayalam movie industry. A clear example of this can be seen in the actor who played Kasi's father. Usually such a role will be given to Saikumar.
The plot also avoids stereotypes. It is not the father of Kasi, who creates trouble, it is his mother. At every juncture in the story, the director has avoided the easiest route. He could have added lots of action, in the scene where the goons enters the hostel, but the director chooses not to show a complete action sequence. Kasi itself is not a hero. It is not he that protects others, but others protect him. Nowhere in the movie does anyone go about yelling dialogues. There are no over the top acting. Even the occasional comical scenes of Suni are restrained. Dialogues sound as if they are natural conversations, and the director lets the scenes do all the talking. This is best explained in the complex relationship between Kasi and the girl. Their relationship is shown by the simple act of holding her hand, at Shyam's death. Tons of dialogue about motivating each other to continue the journey is replaced by an uncomplicated scene of gunning the throttle of the bike.
The movie asks a simple, straightforward question: Is destiny something that we make for ourselves? Or is it something predestined, something which can be achieved with the support of people that we meet, both friends and utter stranger, on the journey of our life. Having said, all this, let me say that this movie is not for all. It will be criticized for not having a thick plot. But, like a journey without a destination, this movie, I think, is deliberately left plot less. Those who keep on fast forwarding a video to see what happens towards the end will find the movie disappointing. There lies the beauty of the movie.
Like all path-breaking movies, it is bound to have to some hiccups. The story is not completely convincing. Who finances their journey? Surely, two fresh graduates cannot have the money to go all the way to Nagaland. The scene of Dulkar Salman standing his ground in front of the water cannon does not go well with the scene where he almost gets killed by naxalites or robbers. The journey itself is romanticized a bit too much, with clean wide roads, good climate, no dust, and all that.
Having said all this, the movie might itself in the near future, be a trend setter.