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@flix_n_dawn
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Genre: Thriller/Drama
Introduction
I seldom watch Indian films because I find them lengthy and I am not fond of song and dance insertions which are most of the time out of context. This film is highly recommended by a friend because it is India’s official entry for 93rd Academy Awards. It premiered in 2019 Toronto International Film Festival and was showcased at the 24th Busan International Film Festival. Among its accolades include Best Director for 50th International Film Festival of India, Best Sound Mixing and Best Director during the 50th Kerala State Film Awards, and Best Cinematography during the 67th National Film Awards.
Story & Screenplay
The story revolves around a bull that escapes from a slaughterhouse in a hilly remote village and the entire village men gathering to hunt down the animal. At first, I was wondering why it's a thriller? What could a Jallikattu turn into for it to become a good thriller? The story is one hell of a roller coaster ride. The narrative style is exquisite. How it transcends the story from one genre to another is intelligently done. On the opening is the mundane day-to-day life of the villagers. Then it gradually shifted to the comical chase of the bull. And when night fell, the story had a major turning point making it dark, blood and gore, seat-edge thriller.
The screenplay is taut and does not deviate away from the plot which manifested a powerful combination of R. Jayakumar and S. Hareesh. Dialogues are sharp and hard-hitting and had delivered substantial messages to the audience. With slick editing of Deepu Joseph enables a smooth genre transition and plot development that is free from unnecessary scenes.
Music & Frame
I was lazily watching it at first but when the opening frame started, I was mesmerized. That first 5 seconds really captured my interest especially the score. And I decided I had to watch it with a headset on.
I have fallen in love with the score (music, sound) as a whole. It intensifies the scenes, excites the audience, and changes the tone of the movie from light to dark. Prashant Pillai is able to make the simple frame magical (river flow was like a musical ensemble). That tic sound, in the beginning, crawls deep into my senses and the music coming from the ancient musical instrument is indeed majestic.
The cinematography is unbelievably good. With that opening scene, I knew already that this movie will be a feast-in-the-eye. The camera angles, close-up, wide-angle, and some random shots are all brilliant. It is astonishing how detailed are some frames in the first half while some are blurry in the second half. I love movies shot in the dark, at night, and under the rain and this movie gives me all that. The night shots using only torch lights, the jaw-dropping long shots during the bull chase, the astonishing rain shots, and the out-of-this-world climax scene are all framed with utmost authenticity. I highly admire Girish Gangadharan for such delicate cinematography. The film uses mechanical bull but it looks real at all times and the artificial rain looks authentic, kudos to the visual effects department for that.
Characters & Performances
This is a plot-driven narrative and did not focus so much on one specific character. As a matter of fact, the bull here is the protagonist and everyone else are antagonists. However, the characters are well developed and had given appropriate side stories.
Acting performances are spot-on. The main characters compellingly portray their characters especially Antony Varghese, and Sabumon Abdusamad. Supporting roles also deliver unforgettable performances despite limited screen time.
Direction
I admire Sir Lijo Jose Pellissery's unique and non-linear narrative style. His integration of social commentary in the film is commendable. He turns a simple plot into an out-of-this-world, and unimaginable climax. He casts so many amateur actors and makes them execute the acts needed in the story. That is a clear manifestation of craftsmanship.
Social commentary is the aspect that I usually look for in a film to say it is good. When a film delivers a message to the audience then that movie could be really something. The film is an allegory of sensitive social issues like domestic violence, discrimination among women, corruption, selfishness, man's cruelty, ego, and deconstruction of male id. The line "They may move around on two legs but they are beast" really hit me hard, it resonates and leave me with deep contemplation even after the credits had finished rolling.
Conclusion
This film had not only thrilled me but moved me and made me realized I was such a fool for stereotyping Indian cinema. I'm so ashamed of myself. After watching this, I realized that there are many cinema industries in India that I am now starting to explore. This film made me fall in love at the first watch with Indian cinema. And sir LJP will always be among my favorite Indian filmmakers.
By @flix_n_dawn
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