[vb-saan]

Originally Posted by naveen.raju

Nalpathiyonnu (Malayalam)

Expected some sort of magical touch of Lal Jose but he failed here.

Rating - 2/5

Completely agree! The Kerala villages as Lal Jose see doesn't exist anymore; at least with the last few efforts (Thattinpuram Achuthan was another example), its very clear that he need to renew himself big time.

Originally Posted by naveen.raju

Forensic was just ok but Anjaam Pathira was better. I quite liked AP due to the entire feel that it gives like the cinematography and the BGM. Overall viewing experience was pretty good here especially in the theater.

Yes, Anjaam Pathira was quite tight on the technical side.

[srishiva]

Originally Posted by TorqueyTechie

Where is this available? I checked in Netflix, Prime and don't see it in both.

Its on Prime
https://www.primevideo.com/detail/0H...qid=1590142252

[naveen.raju]

Uriyadi - Malayalam

Synopsis - Movie revolves around the annual Onam celebration, happening in a police residential quarter. It offers a unique sneak peek into the everyday life's of police personnel and their family, covering their little joy and sorrows.

One time watch. Nothing special like his previous movie "Adi Kapyare Kootamani" but it's just ok.

Rating - 3.5/5

Paapam Cheyyathavar Kalleriyatte - Malayalam

Synopsis - Rohan's family arranges his marriage with the daughter of another elite family. However, unforeseen events befall when the bride-to-be turns out to be unconventional.

I was planning to skip this after hearing some negative reviews from my friends but decided to watch this on the weekend. Everyone acted pretty well and it was a decent watch. Will keep you engaged till the end.

Rating - 3.5/5

[balenoed_]

So here was this first Tamil film to premiere directly on Amazon Prime - Ponmagal Vandhal.

It's a great move by the producer/crew of the movie to push this straight on to online streaming. But it is a small film and need not have to wait for a theatrical release during this pandemic and its aftermaths.

Watched last night. Nice movie, one time watchable if you do not have anything else to do. A weak script and several loopholes, but the message it conveys is of social importance especially in times like this. More of a court room drama and dialogue exchanges. Will keep you hooked though.

Rating 2.5/5

[RM Motorsports]

It was only a matter of a few days that someone made a film on the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

So here it is! Director Ram Gopal Varma released a four-minute trailer of his upcoming film titled 'Coronavirus'.

Calling it the 'world's first film based on coronavirus', though a release date was not mentioned in the trailer, the Telugu film will showcase the life of a family during COVID-19 lockdown.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D3EdI6G2tF4

[Ithaca]

Forensic is currently out on Netflix.

Saw it this evening. For Tovino & Mamta Mohandas.

The ending has set up the premise for a part 2.

[Gannu_1]

After the lockdown recipes post, here's a list of movies (mostly Malayalam from the early '90s), I watched/re-watched during the lockdown period from March 23 until May 7. It definitely felt good to re-watch some of the older classics - brought back a lot of good memories.

A word about the posters I've shared below: So, as I would start watching these movies, I would download the movie poster from Google and would share it with our colleagues' Mallu WhatsApp group suggesting what I am currently watching - I used to get plenty of recommendations in the group that way. Cheers to my friends for that and credits to the respective owners for the posters. Here's the list in the alphabetical order:

Aanaval Mothiram - 4/5



A comedy revolving around a coward cop (Sreenivasan) who believes his days are numbered due to a fatal illness and the missions he undertakes thereafter. Suresh Gopi plays as his aide as his junior. Mallus won't forget Gavin Packard who plays the role of Alberto Fellini in the movie:



Advaitham - 4/5



A crime-thriller about love, friendship, corrupt politicians, religionism, all intertwined into one. Amazing soundtracks. From an era when Priyadarshan used to make great movies. Unfortunately, whatever versions available online were all of low quality with bits and pieces missing. Loved the movie though.

Cheppu Kilukkana Changathi - 3/5



A comedy about a young guy (Mukesh) who lies to his lady love and the entire village that he is well settled in the city, employed at a prestigious company and the girl ends up getting a job in the same city! Jagadish, Oduvil Unnikrishnan, Mamukkoya plays pivotal comical roles. A decent watch if you've got nothing else in the backlog.

Dasharatham - 5/5



A drama about an orphaned, carefree, alcoholic bachelor (Mohanlal) born rich who decides to adopt a baby through a surrogate mother who's in dire need of funds for her husband's surgery and the events that unfold later. Jesus Christ, the climax sequence between Mohanlal and Sukumari made me cry like a baby! Lohithadas' script was mind blowing (I was fortunate to meet him at the Mookambika Temple, Kollur when I was young) and the entire cast put up a great show. This is a must watch.

Dr. Pasupathy - 4/5



A comedy-drama about a con man who arrives at a village, employed as a veterinary doc (Innocent) and how he takes the people for a ride. This is also actor Rizabawa's debut movie. A good, one-time watch esp. for Innocent's comical-villain role. Kalpana's role as UDC Kumari was hilarious! Malayalam filmdom would miss her so much.

Ee.Ma.Yau. - 5/5



An indie satire directed by Lijo Jose Pellissery (same dude who gave us Amen and Angamaly Diaries) about the death and funeral of an old man from a Christian community based out of the fishing harbours of Chellanam, Cochin. Chemban Vinod Jose, Vinayakan and Pauly Valsan played their respective roles incredibly well. And so does rain which adds to the gloomy and depressing setting of the movie. Great cinematography too. This is a must watch IMHO but not everyone's cup of tea. I know of a few who did not like the violence and setting in Angamaly Diaries.

Ezhunnallathu - 3/5



A drama about a guy (Jayaram) from an affluent family, in search of his brother born from his father's pre-marital relationship. Mukesh, Siddique and Philomina plays a classic comical trio in the movie. Not a must watch; it's decent. There are a couple of these Willys Jeeps with a vinyl top in the movie:



Gauthamante Radham - 4/5



A heartwarming, comedy drama about a youngster who hesitatingly welcomes a preworshipped Nano as the first family car after acquiring his driving license, the sentimental attachments with the car and a love story. Loved Neeraj Madhav in the movie after his role as Moosa in The Family Man series. The support cast was amazing - Renji Panciker, Basil Joseph and Valsala Menon. Great narration. Please do watch!

Hitler - 3.5/5



A comedy-drama about a tough, overprotective brother (Mammooka) and the possessiveness over his five sisters, family feud and rivalry. Some good comedy sequences with Jagadish and Mukesh. I recall back in the day when the movie was released, plain silk shirts and dhotis had become a craze.

In Harihar Nagar - 4/5



A comedy from the iconic Siddique-Lal duo about four good carefree friends trying to romance a new neighbour and the drama that ensues. 2 great soundtracks - Ekantha Chandrike and Unnam Marannu. Plus, Mallus shall never forget the iconic villain John Honai from the movie:



Junior Mandrake - 3/5



A comedy-thriller about a sculpture based on a mysterious figure called Junior Mandrake, which would bring about misfortune to whoever is in possession of it. Rajan P Dev, Janardhanan, Jagathy Sreekumar and Jagadish play pivotal roles in the movie. A decent one-time watch I'd say.

Kavadiyattam - 3.5/5



A comedy movie about a man (Jayaram) who's enrolled in the Army but returns home after faking a permanent mental illness and the drama that unfolds in his village. Loved it.

Kalapani - 5/5



A drama epic set in the pre-Independence era at the cellular jail in the Andamans which depicts the life of the inmates. The movie was clearly ahead of its time when it was released with period correct sets, costumes, vehicles and characters. Santosh Sivan behind the camera, Sabu Cyril for the production design and Ilayaraja for the music composition, enough said! Some really memorable soundtracks. I never really watched it when the movie aired in the TV during the Independence Day/Republic Day. This is a watch of a lifetime IMHO. Bucket list item - visit the Cellular Jail at Andamans with the family.

Kilukkam - 5/5



A comedy-drama about a mentally challenged, illegitimate child (Revathi) who comes to Ooty in search of her estranged father and meets a tourist guide (Mohanlal) and their adventures that follow, along with the tourist photographer Nischal (Jagathy Sreekumar). Amazing soundtracks and some incredibly hilarious sequences. I bet we'd never forget the epic vechcha koyinte manam sequence or Innocent's lottery winning sequence! Another must watch for every Mallu and his bro out there!

Kannum Kannum Kollaiyadithaal - 4/5



A romantic-heist about two happy-go-lucky youngsters who earns money by scamming people, meet their romances and the adventures that follow. I loved DQ and GVM in the movie. GVM more so because I had recently seen him in Trance and loved him in the movie. He can definitely pull off some great roles. They showed a Rolls Royce (Ghost?) in the movie with a 'magic' windshield/glasses which lets people from the inside to view out but not vice versa and I almost believed that's true!

Kunukkitta Kozhi - 3.5/5



A comedy-drama about a guy (Jagadish) who cons people into getting work done, meets a woman (Rupini) who betters him and the two ends up at a common friend's house. A fairly unknown movie, randomly showed up in the youtube feed, loaded it and loved it. Philomina's role of the grandma reminded me of her role in Godfather.

Mannar Mathai Speaking - 3.5/5



A comedy-drama and the sequel to the acclaimed Ramji Rao Speaking, the movie centers around the trio Innocent - Saikumar - Mukesh from 'Urvashi Theatres' drama troupe and the ordeals they face. After watching the first part, I followed up with this. Turned out to be a good watch although I loved the first one more.

Mazha Peyyunnu Maddalam Kottunnu - 5/5



A comedy based on a snobbish, US returned guy (Sreenivasan) who disguises himself as the family driver to observe his fiancee's behaviour at her house, asks the actual driver (Mohanlal) to pose as the fiance and the turnaround of the events. An insanely hilarious movie, this will laugh you to death even by today's standards considering it was released back in '86. Apparently, Jagadish wrote the story while Sreenivasan penned the screenplay. This is a must watch IMO!

My Dear Muthachan - 4/5



A drama based on an old stranger (Thilakan) who comes to the rescue of four siblings who were orphaned after their parents were killed in an accident, leaving behind a family owned business and wealth. I loved the story (it has a twist at the end!), characters (the love between the old man and the children is heart warming) and some subtle humor by Innocent and KPAC Lalitha. Do watch this if you've missed it.

Naduvazhikal - 4/5



A crime-drama about a rich but benevolent land owner (Madhu), his bitter rivalry with two brothers (Devan, Murali) with clout and how his son (Mohanlal) comes to his rescue when the father is falsely implicated and imprisoned. Always a treat to watch a young Mohanlal in his late 20s act with so much grace. Loved this recommendation. This one's directed by Joshy BTW.

Nagarathil Samsara Vishayam - 2.5/5



A comedy flick about a couple of carefree friends (Siddique, Jagadish) finding a loot with loads of cash and the sequences that unfold after that. This was just okayish. Skippable and you wouldn't miss anything.

Nettipattam - 3.5/5



A comedy-drama about a bachelor (Sreenivasan) who works as a social worker for the welfare of people of his village and skips his family's well-being in the process. You could relate to most of the issues from the early '90s in this movie (e.g. unemployment of youth, responsibility of an elder brother to get his younger sister married etc.) Turned out to be an enjoyable, light-hearted watch. Do watch if you've got nothing else on a weekend.

Oru Abhibhashakante Case Diary - 3.5/5



A courtroom-drama-thriller about a lawyer (Mammooka) investigating the case of falsely accusation of a guy for the rape and murder of a girl. From the same K. Madhu - SN Swamy combo who gave us the CBI series. This was as good as watching another CBI movie. A similar whodunnit plot, typical background tracks and the good ol' Mammooka charm. I loved this. But I hear there's a fifth part of the CBI series coming!

Pavam Pavam Rajakumaran - 5/5



A comedy-drama about a gullible and reserved bachelor (Sreenivasan) who falls for the pranks played by his roommate-friends when they send him letters and he believes they were sent by a beautiful banker woman working in the town. Scripted by Sreenivasan himself and directed by Kamal, this is a classic that cannot be missed! Sreenivasan with those big vintage glasses, has acted so damn well, you just cannot find fault in him or the whole movie at any point. This is a must watch!

Perumthachan - 4/5



A drama about the Perumthachan (master craftsmen) from a Malayalam folklore which explores the life of one such Perumthachan (Thilakan) who's a legend and his talented but rebellious son (Prashanth) who doesn't really like the old norms and traditions. Great camerawork by Santosh Sivan based on the script by the legendary MT Vasudevan Nair. Today, some may find it boring due to the overall slow pace of the movie.

Peruvannapurathe Visheshangal - 4/5



A romantic-comedy drama about a lowly peon (Jayaram) who arrives at a fictitious village Peruvannapuram, bumps into a girl from an upper-class family pampered by her four brothers and the events that unfold. Directed by Kamal based on a script and screenplay penned by Ranjith, from the heydays when the Jayaram-Parvathy pair was a hit, this was a great watch on a boring evening. Loved it.

Pingami - 4/5



A thriller about an Army Captain (Mohanlal) who comes home for vacation and helps an injured man (Thilakan) but investigations begin to reveal startling revelations about the Captain's own life. Mohanlal as an Army Captain, who'd have thought that this man would eventually be honoured with a honorary Lt. Col. rank by the Indian Army?! But that aside, this was a good watch.

Pradeshika Varthakal - 3.5/5



Another Jayaram-Parvathi romantic-comedy flick directed by Kamal, which revolves around a con man who decides to reform, starts a movie theater in his village and falls for a girl. A decent watch I'd say but you can safely skip this should you wish to. You won't miss much. Wasn't as entertaining as Peruvannapurathe Visheshangal but hot damn, Parvathi looked like a damsel in her heydays!

Ramji Rao Speaking - 4.5/5



A comedy-drama about an unsuccessful drama troupe owned by a man (Innocent) and two bachelors (Saikumar, Mukesh) who seeks refuge in the owner's building and how the trio decides to fake a kidnapping scheme to earn some quick bucks. This was the directorial debut of Siddique-Lal and several actors including Saikumar, Rekha, NF Varghese etc. This was a kick-ass movie back then and even today. One cannot forget the hilarious Urumees Thamban telephone exchange between Innocent and the stranger, or the kambli pothappu exchange between Mukesh and the lady. This is a must watch in my books.

Sargam - 3.5/5



A musical-drama which centers around an epileptic man and his life. Music as the title would suggest, is a central theme of the movie and the sound tracks were composed by Bombay Ravi with lyrics penned by Yusufali Kechery. Overall pace of the movie is S-L-O-W but Manoj K Jayan acted amazingly well portraying the role of the epileptic man. If you love classical music, you'll adore the music and the movie as well.

Sreekrishna Parunthu - 1/5



One word - AVOID! A horror movie (by '80s standards maybe) wherein a legendary sorcerer passes on his legacy to his son but the son cannot practice it with devotion, often breaks the vows of abstinence and gets into trouble. Oh jeez, please don't watch it even if you don't have absolutely nothing to do. Just go out and feel some fresh air or help your good lady in the kitchen or water the plants in the garden or do the dishes or mop the floor or a quick drive/ride somewhere. I'd rated it 1 only for Lalettan.

Suryagayathri - 4/5



A thriller about a widower who loses his only son to a ragging incident at an engineering college and the events that unfold later. More than the movie, I loved the soundtracks composed by Raveendran Master with lyrics penned by ONV. We'll miss the two legends dearly! One of those movies I was re-watching after nearly 2 decades! Recommended.

Here's Golf Mk1 (hope that's the one?) from the movie:



The Truth - 3.5/5



An action-thriller about the investigation of the CM's assassination by a team headed by an IRS officer (Mammooka) and as the title suggests, a shocking revelation towards the end of the movie. If you liked watching action thrillers like The King, Pathram, Commissioner etc. you shouldn't miss this. A typical Shaji Kailas action flick if you're into that sort of thing.

Thoovalsparsham - 4/5



A drama based on Three Men and a Baby about 3 bachelors (Jayaram, Mukesh and Saikumar) who find a baby abandoned at their doorstep and they decide to raise her upon realising her parents may have ditched her. I loved the English one and this one as well. More like a feel-good movie. Plus, a baby is the central character so I loved it all the more!

Here's a Gypsy from the movie:



Ulladakkam - 4.5/5



A psy-thriller about a psychiatrist (Mohanlal) who enrolls a patient (Amala) at his mental hospital, who gets romantically attached to the doc over time although he's engaged to his fiancee (Shobana). Fantastic movie and great soundtracks. If you skip the more recent C/O Saira Banu movie, Amala has only acted in all of 2 Malayalam movies and they both have been a massive hit; the other being Ente Sooryaputhrikku! This is arguably Kamal's best. A must watch from me.

Varane Avashyamund - 4/5



A comedy-drama which revolves around the life of a divorced woman (Shobana), her daughter (Kalyani Priyadarshan), a retired army veteran (Suresh Gopi) and a bachelor (DQ) in an apartment in Madras. This is Sathyan Anthikad's son - Anoop Sathyan's directorial debut and Kalyani's debut movie. A nice heart-warming story with several easter eggs and references to older movies which makes it all the more nice. Shobana, hot damn! The danseuse has aged so gracefully man and looks so elegant in the sarees. Will definitely remind you of her movies of yore. Hat tip to KPAC - she's 73 y.o. and can still pull off a great role. I loved this and would recommend it. But do not expect Sathyan Anthikad's magic!

Vatsalyam - 4/5



A family drama about the life of a man who toils as a farmer and raises his family including two siblings but the younger brother seems to forget his past when he's employed and married. There's a nice sound track in the movie - Thamara kannan urangenam. It was only a few years back that I knew this movie was directed by Cochin Haneefa! What a movie! I can bet there are several lower-middle class households with a similar story of upbringing.

So that's pretty much it. Please do watch some of the older classics - you'll reminisce the time from your childhood, the theater you went to with the family, the old rented home you stayed in, the old CRT TV and National VCR, things like that. Apologies for a LOOOOOOOONG post. Took me a couple of days for the write-up but I thought I should share it here.

[naveen.raju]

Originally Posted by Gannu_1

here's a list of movies (mostly Malayalam from the early '90s), I watched/re-watched during the lockdown period from March 23 until May 7. It definitely felt good to re-watch some of the older classics - brought back a lot of good memories.

I did manage to watch some old movies as well, mostly being the movies of Padmarajan. I still consider him as one of the best experimental directors from the Malayalam industry. Most of his movies are underrated and still have a cult following. Even with MT Vasudevan's scripts. Managing to source all their movies.

Here are some that I managed to watch:

Season
Sadayam
Irakal
Manjil Virinja Pookkal
Rajavinte Makan
Oru Cheru Punchiri
Boothakanadi
Utharam

[binand]

That's quite a spread. :-)

Originally Posted by Gannu_1

Aanaval Mothiram - 4/5

A comedy revolving around a coward cop (Sreenivasan) who believes his days are numbered due to a fatal illness and the missions he undertakes thereafter. Suresh Gopi plays as his aide as his junior. Mallus won't forget Gavin Packard who plays the role of Alberto Fellini in the movie:

Several of this list have been remade in other languages, but this one's might be the least known: it was remade in Hindi as The Gambler starring Govinda in Srinivasan's role and Aditya Pancholi in Suresh Gopi's; famous for its song, Stop That (claimed to have been plagiarised from an Apache Indian song; quite popular nevertheless).

[benbsb29]

Originally Posted by Gannu_1

Gauthamante Radham - 4/5

Attachment 2015946

A heartwarming, comedy drama about a youngster who hesitatingly welcomes a preworshipped Nano as the first family car after acquiring his driving license, the sentimental attachments with the car and a love story. Loved Neeraj Madhav in the movie after his role as Moosa in The Family Man series. The support cast was amazing - Renji Panciker, Basil Joseph and Valsala Menon. Great narration. Please do watch!

I really loved this movie, and posted a review on this thread as well. Good music too, and Neeraj Madhav is just a natural.

Originally Posted by Gannu_1

Perumthachan - 4/5

Attachment 2015964

A drama about the Perumthachan (master craftsmen) from a Malayalam folklore which explores the life of one such Perumthachan (Thilakan) who's a legend and his talented but rebellious son (Prashanth) who doesn't really like the old norms and traditions. Great camerawork by Santosh Sivan based on the script by the legendary MT Vasudevan Nair. Today, some may find it boring due to the overall slow pace of the movie.

I hadn't watched this one when younger, possibly owing to my lack of interest towards such stories/cinema. Last weekend, wifey said let's watch this and I kinda reluctantly agreed, but kept an open mind. Needless to say, the initial pace of the move was a it of a downer, but the storyline was interesting. Not being accustomed to all of the traditions of that period, wifey helped with explaining the parts I didn't quite understand. Made for a good watch, if you can get past the slow pace.

[vibbs]

Watched Forensic on Netflix.

Completely disappointed.

[Rajeevraj]

Good posts on older movies. One that stands out is Sadayam. One of Mohanlal's best performances and one of those films that is hard to see a 2nd time. One of the reasons why I guess it does not have much repeat value.

Same goes for Thanmatra. Hard to repeat watch it.

[KPR]

For a regional tamil film involving entertaining auto races and backdrop, watch Oram Po in SunNxt/MX player app. It's a movie I liked a lot and even watched it again during lock down. The movie was first for Pushkar-Gayathri director duo. Their latest hit was Vikram Vedha (starring Vijay Sethupathi & Madhavan).

Another feel good family tamil movie is Aaha (and the evergreen Hariharan solo hit song from that movie). This one is available in MX player for free.

[vibbs]

Originally Posted by Gannu_1

, here's a list of movies (mostly Malayalam from the early '90s), I watched/re-watched during the lockdown period from March 23 until May 7. It definitely felt good to re-watch some of the older classics - brought back a lot of good memories.

and married. There's a nice sound track in the movie - Thamara kannan urangenam. It was only a few years back that I knew this movie was directed by Cochin Haneefa! What a movie! I can bet there are several lower-middle class households with a similar story of upbringing.

Nice ones. I have been sporadically watching a few myself along with a few Hindi ones.

Originally Posted by naveen.raju

I did manage to watch some old movies as well, mostly being the movies of Padmarajan. I still consider him as one of the best experimental directors from the Malayalam industry. Most of his movies are underrated and still have a cult following. Even with MT Vasudevan's scripts. Managing to source all their movies.

Here are some that I managed to watch:

Season
Sadayam
Irakal
Manjil Virinja Pookkal
Rajavinte Makan
Oru Cheru Punchiri
Boothakanadi
Utharam

I think among all padmarajan ones, I have a very special liking towards Thoovanatumbikal. For some reason. Perhaps it was ahead of times when it came. Don't know. Rain is still Clara for me.

I know it's a padmarajan fan cliche. But still.

[vb-saan]

Originally Posted by vibbs

I think among all padmarajan ones, I have a very special liking towards Thoovanatumbikal. For some reason. Perhaps it was ahead of times when it came. Don't know. Rain is still Clara for me.

Maybe I am in the minority related to this one
For me, it’s one of the overrated movie from the celebrated director. I know there is a cult following for the movie, but I felt movies like Namakku Paarkkaan Munthirithoppukal, Moonaam Pakkam, or even Njan Gandharvan were much better.
Thoovaanathumbikal, Clara, and or the forced Thrissur accent from Mohanlal – none of these really made the cut for me.