Thread by @manuscrypts

"Halal Love Story" has a unique premise though it follows a "movie within a movie" theme that's been explored quite a bit in #malayalam #cinema The screenplay could've been tighter, but there's an innocence to it that's endearing. Indrajith Sukumaran 🙌 as I've said before!

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Though I didn't like Lucifer the first time, I've to admit that it's the kind of masala movie that makes me watch its reruns on TV, despite its unintentional LOLs. And a few discoveries happen. Like Suresh Chandra Menon, Vineeth's voice #malayalam #movies

His Highness Abdullah (1990) on TV. Remember watching this on the big screen, the day we were shifting houses. Received an earful! 😬 A unique plot (and name) splendid acting, and amazing music, this was the debut of Mohanlal's production house Pranavam Arts. #malayalam #movies

For some reason, Diamond Necklace (2012) has a 45% on Rotten Tomatoes. I quite liked the movie.🤷🏾‍♂️ A good story, excellent support cast, and some terrific humour. This is relatively early Fahadh, and just about the time he started getting into his rhythm. #malayalam #movies

Jeo Baby uses sharp observations in The Great Indian Kitchen to bring out the other sides of those delicious Kerala dishes - before and after. And how it shapes women's lives. A story that needed to be told.
P.S. This is available for Rs.140 on Neestream. #malayalam #movies

#Drishyam2 - the kind of movie that gives sequels a bad name. Jeethu Joseph usually does slow burn context setting well. But this time it was forced, just like the climax. Cringe-worthy meta references, tacky production, and a plastic support cast didn't help. #malayalam #movies

"Love" is a different narrative style and at some point you will catch what is actually happening. But you'll still be surprised in the end. 😃 An excellent twisted take on life after love, well paced screenplay, and some superb performances.
#malayalam #movies #netflix

"Masters" on TV. A 2012 thriller with an ensemble cast that includes Prithviraj, Sasikumar, Biju Menon, Salim Kumar. The basic concept is inspired by a 50s Hitchcock movie but the script does a great job of building on it. Fast narrative, decent performances #malayalam #movies

"Jalam" (2015) is the kind of hard-hitting movie that forces me to think deeply about my privilege. Based on a real story, it's directed by M Padmakumar and is apparently a CSR movie. Heart-wrenching story, and some excellent acting by Priyanka Nair. On Prime. #malayalam #movies

Watching "Dhwani" on TV. Batch of 1988. A unique movie in many ways. An amazing, evergreen soundtrack - by Naushad. 🥰The only time he composed for a Malayalam film. Also Prem Nazir's last movie, with Vaikom Muhammad Basheer making a special appearance.
#malayalam #movies

"Saajan Bakery" might not be the most phenomenal #malayalam movie you'll see, and it can't boast of a stellar cast. But I really liked how it showed the complex relationships that lie beneath the quaint small-town life that it is set in. Very nice performances too. #movies

"Jacobinte Swargarajyam" on TV! One of the very few Nivin Pauly roles I enjoyed, and one among many of Renji Panicker. Based on a true story. Tight screenplay, some very good acting, and a well told "hero's journey" make it a must-watch. #malayalam #movies

Soubin's (author) character seems to be the proxy for the scriptwriter of #Irul as he justifies the flaws that Fahadh's character points out in the former's book. Taut screenplay, but the script itself is loose. Fahadh delivers, Darshana tries, Soubin fails 😔. #malayalam #movies

If you're in the mood for a romantic thriller, Ishq (2019) is worth a watch. It primarily draws attention to Kerala's rampant moral policing problem through some excellent storytelling. But it also does a neat takedown of the male ego. #malayalam #movies

Watched Kerala Cafe exactly 11 years ago (the movie was a 2009 release). Still an absolute must-watch - superb stories, superstars, future stars, future national award winners and the best directors, all packed into a 10 story anthology

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#malayalam #movies

#Joji is a slow burn movie. In your head, after the movie is over. It may not be an instant classic like Dileesh Pothan's earlier works, but I think his nuances and detailing in scenes are up a notch. Fahadh and Baburaj excel, in a superbly crafted tale #malayalam #movies

Mayanadi (2017) playing on TV. The kind of wistful storytelling that Aashiq Abu uniquely delivers. Balances a manhunt and a poignant love story perfectly. Has an effect each time I watch. Beautiful soundtrack and some excellent performances, including cameos.
#malayalam #movies

It isn't that The Priest lacks a story, but the screenplay is messed up and the editor couldn't be bothered. The good thing is that Mammootty is understated as Ghostbuster and doesn't supernaturally fly around in action sequences. But don't bother anyway. #malayalam #movies

Nayattu is an absolute treat. A taut thriller backed by a superb screenplay, it's also a sharp socio-political commentary and showcases a system that doesn't spare even its own. Great performances, and some splendid cinematography and music while at it! #malayalam #movies

Nizhal spoils an interesting premise with contrived scenarios, elaborate detailing where it's uncalled for, poor editing, and yes, make-up that's distracting! Despite a talented cast (including the kid), you might respond to the climax with a "whatever". #malayalam #movies

Operation Java takes an episodic route to weave a narrative around joblessness and cybercrime. Counterintuitively, the jobless ones help the cops. Not perfectly made,but cases based on real happenings & good performances (Irshad, Binu Pappu) keep it interesting #malayalam #movies

#Aarkkariyam is a thriller only if you insist. But it's a fantastic exploration of what we are perceived as - from the roles we play. An unhurried pace and great background score help. Really good to see Biju Menon and Sharafudheen step out of their playbook. #malayalam #movies

From a viewing experience pov, there's something very primal about #Kala in the way it is visualised. But underlying it is also a perspective on power and ego, and our notions of value and freedom. Sumesh Moor has an edge over Tovino in terms of performance. #malayalam #movies

Mohan Kumar Fans is just an easy watch, despite a talented cast. Through the dynamics of multiple characters - a yesteryear star trying to make a return, an aspiring playback singer, and a rising superstar - it shows the industry 's biases and idiosyncrasies
#malayalam #movies

The two-genre approach to solving #ColdCase is interesting, and the script doesn't make it all about Prithviraj, but that's about it. The promising premise doesn't go anywhere and both the ending and the screenplay are a stretch. #malayalam #movies

I am biased towards Sara's since it echoes my worldview on parenthood - not having kids. This is a subject that is not discussed enough, especially in #movies. It's great that it's shown from a woman's perspective, and Anna Ben delivers on a slightly subpar screenplay. #malayalam

It isn't that #Malik was a bad movie, I enjoyed it, and Fahadh was excellent as he mostly is (playing old is not an easy task), but I did think that (only) a reasonably good movie is getting a bit beyond its due because #malayalam #movies! Oh yes, great to see Jalaja after eons!

Kuruthi has an extremely talented ensemble cast, and does a great job of bringing out the "us vs them" narrative without a morality lecture or taking sides. But it could have done with slightly better editing, and avoided the superhuman Prithviraj.
#malayalam #movies

'Home' has gotten a lot of praise for highlighting an important societal issue. Unfortunately the length of the movie, an episodic attempt at covering multiple aspects, and a preachy tone take away from what could have been a very good movie. #malayalam #movies

Finally caught Vellam on TV, though I almost subscribed to SunNXT only for this. Based on a story that is shown in all its depravity and yet treated with the empathy it deserves, with Jayasurya performing at his brilliant best, this is a must-watch movie #malayalam #movies

"Doctor, do you know what happens to life when one loses hope?", asks Jayasurya in Sunny. The stark narrative of his life in which everything has gone wrong is set against the beautiful backwaters of Cochin in this excellent one-man (in quarantine) show #malayalam #movies

Damn, I'll have to watch Andhadhun again to wash away the taste of Bhramam. None of the cast match up to the original, the changes take away from the tight narrative, and the music is butchered. The clue was in the first scene - the rabbit replaced by a boar!
#malayalam #movies

What an absolutely delightful watch Thinkalazhcha Nishchayam is! 🤩Armed with a simple story and a relatively unknown cast, kudos to the writing, direction, and hilariously natural performances that delivered several LOLs. *This* is #malayalam #cinema @sennaHEGDE 🙌
#movies

#KanakamKaaminiKalaham started great but probably needed to be a tad bit shorter for it to work. It's smart, quirky, self aware, and has its share of LOL moments. Grace Antony nailed it, so did Rajesh Madhavan, Nivin Pauly I can't be sure.
#malayalam #movies

#Churuli is finally a Lijo movie I could at least try to grasp. Had me hooked for the first 30 mins, and then got me thinking on what metaphors were at play. Excellent visual ambiance for the plot, an extreme play on human nature (incl. expletives), and aliens! #malayalam #movies

I have to wonder what really was expected of #Marakkar by the makers. A clueless ensemble cast, half-baked action scenes, and a script that seemed to be made on the go stretched the movie to 3 hours! Sympathies to the horses that carried Mohanlal and Prabhu.
#malayalam #movies

Dulquer brings his trademark earnestness to #Kurup, Indrajith is as always dependable, and Shine Tom does a great job, but the style-over-substance approach is exactly the opposite of what I'd expect of #malayalam #movies Generic masala fare for a national audience was the idea?

#MinnalMurali is a great addition to the MCU - #malayalam cinematic universe. With a measured pace by Basil Joseph, Tovino in cracking form, and a narrative that subtly plugs in a societal commentary, it's just fantastic storytelling. Extra points for Dakshayani biscuits! #cinema

Hospital stories aren't very common, and even more rare are ones about the people they call bystanders. #Madhuram does a lovely, sensitive job with stories about them and what the patients mean to them. Great performances from Joju, Shruti, Nikhila and Indrans. #malayalam #movies

Didn't really expect much from #Kaaval beyond seeing a ver 2 teaming up of Suresh Gopi and Renji Panicker. Kannan Rajan P Dev was a pleasant surprise, hope to see him get more opportunities soon. But yes, times have changed, and nostalgia can only do so much. #malayalam #movies

What a brilliant piece of work Bheemante Vazhi is. A unique story, superbly paced screenplay, a crazy set of characters you're unlikely to forget anytime soon, hilariously clever dialogues, and fantastic performances make this an absolute must-watch! #malayalam #movies

It's been 28 years since Pavithram, when Mohanlal played Chettachan. #BroDaddy roughly means the same, but that's as far as it goes. One can't expect that depth but that it does not even merit a 'one-time watch' rating says how far the actor has fallen. #malayalam #movies

Bhoothakalam has the metaphor play right from the title. It means the past, but has "bhootham" (ghost) built in. Past actions and actions haunt the present. Excellent performances by Revathy and Shane Nigam, and small but meaningful, well-executed scares. 👍
#malayalam #movies

Ellam Sheriyakum has a few things going for it - tight screenplay, a few plot swerves, and a surprisingly good Asif Ali. But the jerky narrative lacks the finesse of Jibu Jacob's earlier play with politics (and church) - Vellimoonga. Still a decent watch though
#malayalam #movies

Based on the story of a real team, Aaha could have gone far beyond a standard sports drama into a sociocultural and political commentary of the time it was set in. It unfortunately didn't, and even a stoic Indrajith couldn't really salvage it #malayalam #movies

Veyilmarangal manages to balance both the human condition and the yoke of the caste system in this poignant story. Fantastic cinematography and some excellent performances make sure that the leisurely pace of the narrative isn't a burden. #malayalam #movies

Freedom Fight is a superb anthology of five stories that bring up extremely relevant issues - a young woman's love life choices, lack of public toilets for women, the plight of septic tank cleaners. The issues do the heavy lifting, the performances are just ok #malayalam #movies

Hridayam is a standard coming of age story, but it feels fresh and has the best version of Pranav Mohanlal I've seen. Having said that, it's the support cast that delivers better performances than the leads, Darshana being the exception. Could have been tighter #malayalam #movies

Unni Mukundan's Meppadiyan was surprisingly decent. Relatable scenarios, well written and relatable characters, a solid support cast, well paced screenplay, and a few edge-of-the-seat moments.👏for a smoothly-evil Indrans, and a frustration-inducing Saiju Kurup #malayalam #movies

Jan-E-Man balances the bitter and the sweet, and delivers a superb rollercoaster with a neat climax. A 2hr runtime would have been great, but a perfectly cast Basil, with help from some hilarious one-liners, manages to hold the fort with his unique style. #malayalam #movies

Meow is a feel-good film whose novelty comes from the context it is set in. But that wears out pretty soon. Soubin leads a set of decent (and earnest) performances but slice-of-life with a wafer-thin plot can only keep the viewer engaged to a point. #malayalam #movies

In Salute, DQ does a role reversal of his Kurup character. That could be said of his performance too - he plays the shades much better. There is a battle against the system, his own redemption, and a double murder to solve. A well-scripted, engaging film. #malayalam #movies

Siblings' reunion, nostalgia, a runtime of <2 hours, and that semblance of a plot should've worked for Lalitham Sundaram, but it didn't. Biju Menon gives it a good shot, and Saiju Kurup is excellent as always, but Manju Warrier seemed quite miscast to me. #malayalam #movies

Aaraattu spends 2 hrs of its 2hr45m runtime on a self-referencing Mohanlal. If you survive that, you'll get a convoluted plot, and a sequel threat.
P.S. What was Indrans even doing in this movie!
P.P.S. What happens after he has self-referenced all his movies?
#malayalam #movies

If you don't mind a mashup of The Godfather and Mahabharata you didn't ask for, Bheeshma Parvam is worth the time. Amal Neerad does justice to an ensemble cast. The plot is predictable, but the performances and deft screenplay touches make it a decent watch.
#malayalam #movies

Enjoyed Super Sharanya primarily because of the hilarious dialogues, slick screenplay, and superbly written characters. The lead pair - Anaswara and Arjun Asokan complemented each other really well, and a splendid support cast helped too. #malayalam #movies

Naradan is probably the closest that Arnab will get to a biopic in #malayalam Aashiq Abu uses a news 'anger' (as the old joke goes) to incisively show how the media works. Tight script and great performances by Tovino, Anna Ben, and a bunch of the support cast. #movies

Pada is based on an actual event in 1996, and keeps it as realistic as possible. A very well-cast lead quartet, a splendid Arjun Radhakrishnan, an ensemble supporting cast, and a subject that unfortunately doesn't get the attention it should, all make it a 👍 #malayalam #movies

Anna Ben and Roshan Mathew were magic in Kappela, and I probably expected that in Night Drive. Despite their decent performances and a dependable Indrajith, this had zero surprises and was actually a test of patience. I should have noted the director! #malayalam #movies

Veyil takes its time to set the context and lay the groundwork for an excellent climax. It is not a new story by any means but the setting and the performances elevate it. Some slick editing would have taken the movie up a notch, but definitely worth a watch #malayalam #movies

Archana 31 Not Out does a refreshing take on an old subject. Works to some extent, but it paints itself into a corner, and delivers a climax punch that didn't land as expected. Excellent performance by Aishwarya Lekshmi, extra points for Manasuno! 😄
#malayalam #movies

The name 'Antakshari' evokes a fun, family drama, but I was gobsmacked by Vipin Das' brutal opening. Has a few loose ends, but captures harsh reality and important social narratives. Very happy for Saiju Kurup - finally gets a role worth his range. Great watch
#malayalam #movies

It isn't often that we get to see Mammootty the actor (as opposed to the star) these days. That's why #Puzhu is such a treat. Another reason- there are multiple plot threads and some hasty conclusions, but they don't take away from the points raised. Must watch #malayalam #movies

The good news is that #12thMan doesn't make a mess of its (borrowed) plot. Also refreshing to not have Mohanlal in every scene. The narrative is intriguing and the ensemble cast gets opportunities to perform. A 2.5hr edit would've been great, but hey...
#malayalam #movies

It's a testament to the issues presented, excellent story, and fantastic performances by Prithviraj, Suraj, and GM Sundhar, that despite a screenplay and direction that doesn't do it enough justice, I still think #JanaGanaMana deserves to be seen 👌 #malayalam #movies

Pathrosinte Padappukal could have done with a better casting and ending, but it doesn't take away from the situational and dialogue LOLs it delivers throughout its runtime. With the similarities, you could think of it as Kumbalangi Lites. ;) #malayalam #movies

I've only liked the first couple of movies in the series, so I didn't have a lot of expectations from #CBI5 That helped. An ensemble cast and seeing Jagathy were a plus but a plot that I think was heavily inspired by another Mammootty movie from 1998 spoiled it #malayalam #movies