Sreeju Sudhakaran

in Rediff

Fun premise and a handful of clever scams, but its biggest con is failing to convince you it's smarter than it really is

in Rediff

Last Man In Tower works because it understands that its most frightening villains are not monsters, but ordinary people blinded by greed and the promise of a better life.

in Rediff

The dark humour used never trivialises the seriousness of Vineeth's struggle. Instead, it makes the setbacks easier to absorb while keeping the storytelling lively and engaging. Nayak and fellow editor Nidhin Raj Arol ensure that even the quieter stretches are presented with enough visual flair and momentum to hold your attention, with Jakes Bejoy's score doing the rest of the uplifting. Still, it is the writing that emerges as Mollywood Times' greatest strength. Ramu Sunil's screenplay excels at throwing one unexpected obstacle after another in Vineeth's path, beginning with the rude reality check he receives at a short-film festival. The movie never attempts to soften his flaws either. Vineeth is conceited, self-preserving and often blinded by a confidence he fails to realise can be off-putting to those around him.

in Rediff

Which is already a problem in a film whose writing promises an ambitious political commentary by attempting to tie the Sri Lankan genocide with the goonda activities of Thiruvananthapuram, only to reduce everything to a revenge drama that you have seen umpteen times before.

in Rediff

I found Pari Elavazhagan's performance also to be a mixed bag. He is impressive in several portions, especially the lighter scenes, and his outburst in the climax works well. But in some of the more dramatic stretches, he comes up short.

in Rediff

Emraan Hashmi delivers a sincere and committed performance, but it cannot overcome the script's ordinariness.

in Rediff

So much so that when Balan veers away from this equation, you can sense a struggle in both pacing and writing to match what is an excellent first half, even if the film eventually wraps things up with a surprising conclusion.

in Rediff

The performances also reflect the level of commitment this madcap (un)comedy, demands. Including Ajay Devgn, who often seemed to be sleepwalking through several of his recent performances. Here, at least, he feels awake, helped considerably by sharing most of his scenes with the terrific Sanjay Mishra, who can simply stroll through a one-liner and still make it funny.

in Rediff

The finale, centred around a wedding and yet another complication for Ammu to resolve by hook or crook, is passable at best, largely because the conflict it hinges on feels undercooked and unconvincing.

in Rediff

So what prevents Pati Patni Aur Woh Do from becoming a full-blown entertainer? For starters, there is a severe shortage of genuinely funny one-liners and you have to make do with the actors' comic capabilities to liven things up. The screenplay also lacks the sharpness needed for situational comedy to consistently land. At times, the writing ties itself into knots simply to manufacture misunderstandings. The pre-interval stretch involving Prajapati, Chanchal, Nilofer and Aparna ending up at the same half-constructed building pushes the gag far beyond breaking point. It makes little sense for a character to climb atop a building in the middle of a city merely to get mobile network reception. One wonders what exactly that says about Benaras' connectivity.

in Rediff

The film's plot, involving a stalker-like hero and a predictable twist, offers little novelty and suffers from a lack of emotional depth.

in Rediff

Vismaya Mohanlal makes a physically impressive debut in Thudakkam, particularly in the action sequences, though her overall performance remains inconsistent.