[RaghuVis]

I Watched 4 Malayalam movies in theatres recently and will rate them from best to worse.

Aavesham -- Undoubtedly FAFA's best till date. Even those who are not big fans will come out mesmerized by his performance. Sajin steals many scenes from FAFA and it was a treat to watch. I wish I could watch this in Kerala in a hardcode theatre with full-on masti. Even in Pune, the smaller crowd were very energetic. I hope they make a sequel.

Manjummel Boys -- Writing a very late review. The movie just hit the right notes and was soothing to watch as I knew the ending. The performances felt like they were fighting among themselves to become to best actor and still I could not pick one clear winner.

Premalu -- Again, I am writing a late review. After a long time, watched a movie where I laughed a lot. I Went in without huge expectations and felt so relaxed and happy after watching it. Nothing great about it but nothing to complain about as well. One also realizes that new gen lingo and their way of life is something we have no idea how to manage! After coming in OTT, my 7-year old cannot stop laughing at some jokes!

Varshangalku Shesham -- I could not connect with the movie at all. I felt it a bit cringe in many places. Even Pranav's character was written weakly. His initial decisions were not convincing enough. But I have to say, I do not remember the last time a character was written so poorly for a lead role as how they wrote for Kalyani Priyadarshan. I enjoyed the interviews of Dhyan much much more than the movie itself.

[aspire]

Watched Premalu on Hotstar, after some 30 minutes had to check if I was indeed watching the super hit comical movie Premalu :| Somehow found it very amateur, the humour didnt appeal much to me, the only time I laughed was when Aadhi was rejected by Reenu! I will stick to Premam for countless moment of laughter every single time I watch it!

Manjummel Boys
Had seen it towards almost 3 weeks of its release here in Singapore, the hall was crowded even on a work day! I had no idea of the story, so everything was a surprise for me, the way they treated the story is brilliant, Compared to the Thai cave miracle, where the whole world got together to help those kids, here these grown up men were all to themselves, the official apathy was very well portrayed. Highly recommended, this story needs to spread.
4.5/5

[SithDefender]

Originally Posted by balenoed_

Except the cringe of adding his own name in the lyrics of Periyone song. 😀

Originally Posted by GeneralJazz

Err... that is not a cringe self promotion. Rahman and Rahim are two of the most common names attributed to god in Arabic.

Correct. In fact, one of the most common prayers is "Bismillah Hir Rahman Nir Rahim" which translates to "In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful". The song aptly captures the heartrending call to God amidst unbearable hardships.

[Asish_VK]

Anchakkallakokkan - Malayalam - Prime Videos - 2.5/5

This is one of the recent period drama - action movie added to Amazon prime after below average performance in theaters. I flet this as an example of style over substance.

Positives :
- Superb cinematography & colour grading
- Terrific BGM, mix of folk + western music. It would've been awesome in theaters with good audio setup
- Performance by actors
- Action choreography, especially the bar (toddy shop) fight scene was superb

However many negatives were present in the movie.
- Movie needed better edit. It was laggy for many parts
- Better screenplay , I felt even though movie had a good plot, nothing was able to hook me into it. Felt like lazy writing
- Climax action sequences. Felt it was biit too long slow motion was overused.
- None of the charactors had the connect to audiences (due to writing).

Must say, it was a good attempt, if they had focused on the story and editing a bit more, it would've been a blockbuster.
Recommended for a one time watch.

[naveen.raju]

Varshangalkku Shesham



First half - Just the 2 central characters and slow
Second half - Floodgates open and you have new characters and everything seems to move really fast.

They could have added lot more humor since their interviews were fun and I expected the same in the movie. I found the first half to be a super drag while the second half was rushed. Nivin Pauly was self trolling himself to another level. Maybe seeking attention? But that was fun.

Rating - 3/5 (One time watch - OTT)

J Baby - Tamil



Meh. A typical family drama. But Urvashi nails it with her performance.

Rating - 2/5 (Can be passed).

[benbsb29]

Been seeing on Insta that Premalu 2 is being planned. I hope this isn't a case where they ruin whatever goodwill the original earned. Not really one that warrants a sequel.

[vb-saan]

Aavesham | Malayalam (4.0/5.0)

A total-riot from start to end. I was not particularly happy with Fahad Fasil’s recent outings (the last real notable one for me was Joji), but here he totally owned the show. And a special mention to Sajin Gopu – never a dull moment when he was on the screen.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LtKRnGO2ZDg

[MaxTorque]

Originally Posted by vb-saan

Aavesham | Malayalam (4.0/5.0)

A total-riot from start to end. I was not particularly happy with Fahad Fasil’s recent outings (the last real notable one for me was Joji), but here he totally owned the show.

Very true, I too watched it during the weekend. It was a fun ride. I had a couple of Tamil folks with me, who were watching a malayalam movie in the theater for the first time. For them it was bit underwhelming though.

I think after a long time, I watched a movie without scrolling mobile.

[GeneralJazz]

Originally Posted by vb-saan

Aavesham | Malayalam (4.0/5.0)

A total-riot from start to end. I was not particularly happy with Fahad Fasil’s recent outings (the last real notable one for me was Joji), but here he totally owned the show. And a special mention to Sajin Gopu – never a dull moment when he was on the screen.

Totally agree with your rating! A totally weird and crazy movie, in a good way though. Not much of a story, just watch it for Fahad. Feels as if the makers of the film gave a general outline of a script to FaFa and cut him loose on the set! We were left coughing and gasping by the end!

Really hope they make a prequel for this one!

[DicKy]

Originally Posted by MaxTorque

I had a couple of Tamil folks with me, who were watching a malayalam movie in the theater for the first time. For them it was bit underwhelming though.

Underwhelmingaa???
Guess it is our familiarity with Fahadh Faasil that made us enjoy him going all out. While for them, he is just another actor (yes they liked him in Vikram and Maamannan) doing what many actors do.

Originally Posted by MaxTorque

... I watched a movie without scrolling mobile.

Gawd. Please don't. Crying babies are a thing of the past. It is the one sitting in front with their brightly lit phone screen in the dark theatre that is a major annoyance nowadays. Some even play games if they find the movie uninteresting.

[DudeWithaFiat]

Originally Posted by RaghuVis

Premalu -- After coming in OTT, my 7-year old cannot stop laughing at some jokes!

Wow, we watched it for the 2nd time in OTT and my 8-year old was constantly seen laughing at many of the jokes

[StarrySky]

Aavesham (Malayalam):

Aavesham did not give me much "aavesham". I enjoyed the first half. The movie peaks at the end of the first half, but I felt that the second half was a letdown compared to the first. The plot is done by the end of the first half, and there is only so much Fahad's acting can cover up in the second. There are some good moments in the second half, like the dumb charades scene.

Music and performances carry this movie. Fahad is in fine form, and the three debutants also do their roles very well. Sajin as Amban is also very good.

[RaghuVis]

Originally Posted by StarrySky

Aavesham (Malayalam):

I enjoyed the first half. The movie peaks at the end of the first half, but I felt that the second half was a letdown compared to the first.

In one of the interviews, the director was joking that out of 5 blockbusters in 2024, his movie is the only blockbuster where the second half lags

[SithDefender]

Originally Posted by vb-saan

A total-riot from start to end.

Yep, I completely agree! It was fun to watch along with a very raucous crowd that elevated the theatre experience. Sajin Gopu as the sidekick was every bit as good as FaFaa in a completely unhinged role! It was strange that there were almost no female characters, yet somehow I noticed that only when the movie was over. The highlight was the last song "Illuminati" that ensured everyone stayed in their seats! And yes, "Eda Mone!" is trending everywhere now!!

[chinkara]

Bengali - Badami Hyenar Kobole - Hoichoi.

1/5. Could not watch beyond 20 min. Overintellectualizing pulp fiction.