I already posted a spoiler free review, discussing the major themes and meanings of the film. Now I think I am ready to get into the nitty-gritty details of what happened and why it was like that.
I saw my second Malayalam movie in theaters! Thanks to moviemavengal’s review. And I gave up on pronouncing the title at all when I bought the tickets and just called it “the Malayalam movie at 7:30”. Thank goodness, the ticket guy was able to figure it out from there. (It’s not that Malayalam is such a hard language, it’s just that I’m terrible at languages. The handy Hindi movie abbreviations are my saving grace!)
This was one of those movies that was recommended to me more as an “it’s okay I guess, and kind of interesting” than as an “oh my god, Best. Film. Ever.” kind of thing. And I agree, it is okay and kind of interesting!
This was quite the challenge! I ordered the DVD from India, as part of a huge order, and it just plain didn’t play! Both in my regional and my all-regional DVD player, so it must be a flaw in the disc itself. But not to worry! I was able to find it on youtube without subtitles, and separately find a subtitle file I could drop in.
That’s a little unfair, it really doesn’t have much in common with Dr. Kildare, beyond the basic set-up of the wise older doctor mentoring the young one. But it’s in the country instead of the city, and there is a whole bunch of other stuff going on in the plot as well.
This movie was very very well-made. And it managed to tell a familiar story in a new way. At least, familiar to me, since I’ve read a lot of books on film history and the same horribly depressing things always happen to the early filmmakers. Although, like I said, this film took a slightly new tack on it in a couple of ways.
Finally, a happy romance! Well, okay, there were still some kind of dark statements about law and assumptions and the pettiness of those in power. But also, a romance! With two leads who I like, Dulquer and Namitha Pramod!
First, and most importantly, I think I might “get” Fahad Fazil now! I’ve seen a fair number of his movies, from Bangalore Days to 24 North Kaadam, and he always just seemed sort of blah. But somehow in this, his character worked for me!
Priyadarshan! I love Priyadarshan, his comedies are always funny, and yet somehow heartbreaking. Sort of “you look at the worst situation possible, and you can either laugh or you can cry” feeling. And somehow I did not realize until I watched this film that he came out of the Malayalam industry.
I am just zipping through my Malayalam list! At least until there is another big Hindi release that blocks me for a week. But in the meantime, Spadikam! Yet another Mohanlal film!
I’ve had such a hectic week at work! For no real reason. I do tech support for a small software company, and some weeks all of our users have questions, and some weeks they don’t, and I really can’t predict why! Anyway, to relax, I decided to check out one of the older Malayalam films that had been recommended to me.
(moviemavengal just watched it as well, check out her review here)
I watched Charlie! Which I don’t think is even on my To-Do List, but was recommended to me by a friend, and moviemavengal just posted a review and that it’s been added to einthusan, so I had to check it out.
I feel bad, I know I have a lot of faithful readers who are more here for the regional stuff than the Hindi, and I’m not going to have time to watch another regional film for another few days, not until I’ve seen Fan several more times. So I’m going to go ahead and post a review on a film I watched a while back and never covered here.
Law Point! My third Malayalam film of the week! I have to get them all out now, because Fan-Fever starts next week and I will be dedicating my life to that for the foreseeable future. Anyway, I really liked the plot and the actors and the characters and all sorts of other things in this film. But the introduction of our hero was so evil, it kind of distracted me the entire time.
Continuing to work through the whole list of movies people recommended to me, Salt n’ Pepper! Such an adorable movie. Not like a super super great movie, but so lovable! Like a big floppy puppy!
I saw a Malayalam movie in theaters! Because my friend convinced me I should be brave and risk no subtitles. It was really really good! And subtitled, thank goodness.
(if you want to see a different review, moviemavengal has posted hers here)
I actually went to a theater and watched a Malayalam film! I am so proud of myself. Of course, I cheated a little and picked a movie with a title I can actually pronounce without struggling.
This is one of those recent movies that was recommended in a sort of “well, it’s kind of interesting, you might as well” sort of way. Instead of the “You MUST watch this movie!!!” kind of way. And that was basically my reaction too, it’s okay, it was enjoyable, but it didn’t blow my mind.
Well, sort of stuck in traffic, sort of got lost on the way and took a detour. Either way, appropriate! The point is, I got it two days late because someone at the mail center in India messed up and put in the wrong digit for my zip code, which meant it went to Dunkerton, Idaho, before it made its way to me. Actually, kind of remarkably it was only 2 days late, since that’s several hundred miles away from me. Also, remarkably, the funky Indian website where I ordered it was not at fault! I checked the original packaging and packing slip, and they had everything right, it was only when it was handed over to the private shipping company that it got messed up.
But, All’s Well that End’s Well, I finally got my DVD, and I was able to watch it in bits last night and while getting ready for work this morning.
(update: Moviemavingal just posted her take on it, including why it is and isn’t like the American style hyperlinks)
I watched Classmates! After getting obsessed with it once I found out I couldn’t have it (this is also why I ended up ordering Traffic on DVD. It’s a sickness!). Well, that and after hearing about it in all sorts of places as being a landmark in the evolution of the Malayalam film industry.
I watched Drishyam! Finally breaking free of my rom-com streak! But I got Classmates delivered on DVD (finally!), so I’m going to watch that next and be back to rom-coms. Although, I think I saw somewhere that Classmates has a mystery at the heart of it along with the romance?
I wanted to watch Traffic last night, because it is supposed to be really good and groundbreaking, and the director just died, and I have been watching a ton of rom-coms and I need to rinse out my system with a thriller. But, no luck! Couldn’t find Traffic anywhere. However, Mili, by the same director, was readily available, so I watched that instead.
Another Nivin Pauly movie! Premam! Which I loved, but I should probably make it my last rom-com for a bit. I’ve been spoiling myself with a string of recent rom-com hits, I need to check out a different genre/era. I wanted to watch Traffic, but no luck, it’s not available anywhere online. Which almost gives me an excuse to watch Mili instead, which is available (and also by Rajesh Pallai, so it would be a nice thing to do the week he died). But it’s another Nivin Pauly movie, and I am dangerously close to a Nivin Pauly overload. Or maybe not? Mili does look really good!
Raghil in comments said that if I liked Ohm Shanti Oshaana, I should watch Thattathin Marayathu. So I did, and I did like it! Not as much as Ohm Shanti Oshaana, but it is definitely in the same family.
So, Lisa, my Malayalam expert commentator has been pushing me for weeks and weeks and weeks to see Manichitrathazhu. And I finally did! It was a nice break from all my Neerja posts. Next I am going to watch Thattathin marayathu from my other Malayalam expert commentator. And then maybe just go through this whole list from Midukki that a friend pointed me too. By the way, if you are enjoying my Malayalam posts but wishing I knew a lot more, or had a bigger archive, or anything, you should definitely check her out. And also this blog.
dontcallitbollywood 