The first 45 minutes of Garudan play out like any other thriller. There's a crime (a rape, i.e.), the police team led by Harish Madhav (a languid Suresh Gopi with 0.75x speed of delivering dialogues) zero in on the culprit based on DNA evidence (?), and he's put in prison. There's nothing that stands out in these portions except for the details surrounding the crime along with its questionable circumstances. The direction (Arun Varma) is straightforward, sans gloss, and the music (Jakes Bejoy) is adequate. Ajay David Kachappilly's frames set the tone for a dramatic first hour with events playing out one after the other in typical fashion. It's only when the film moves to the 7-years-later timeline that things pick up.
At that point, the film turns into an out-and-out Biju Menon show. He excels in the role he's given, and it helps that the character comes with multiple layers. The pre-intermission stretch is the most interesting part of the film, and as audiences, we feel the mystery is truly yet to unfold. The second half's pacing takes a dip, and it's focused heavily on Harish's internal frenzy, as his personal and professional life begins to go haywire. The underlying mystery still remains (even when you get some hints) and this keeps the film from lagging a lot. The climactic finale, while rushed, is emotionally satisfying, with some one-liners hitting the intended mark. The film's title also finds its true relevance in that stretch.
Endnote: Midhun Manuel Thomas is on a solid thriller-writing spree, and hopefully, his next with Jayaram redeems the actor's lost glory to some extent.
At that point, the film turns into an out-and-out Biju Menon show. He excels in the role he's given, and it helps that the character comes with multiple layers. The pre-intermission stretch is the most interesting part of the film, and as audiences, we feel the mystery is truly yet to unfold. The second half's pacing takes a dip, and it's focused heavily on Harish's internal frenzy, as his personal and professional life begins to go haywire. The underlying mystery still remains (even when you get some hints) and this keeps the film from lagging a lot. The climactic finale, while rushed, is emotionally satisfying, with some one-liners hitting the intended mark. The film's title also finds its true relevance in that stretch.
Endnote: Midhun Manuel Thomas is on a solid thriller-writing spree, and hopefully, his next with Jayaram redeems the actor's lost glory to some extent.