Mollywood Times" is, in essence, a film that every aspiring filmmaker should watch before considering making films as the only career option to get an idea of how this industry operates (and maybe read Sidney Lumet's 'Making Movies' too). Some scenes and dialogues are likely to offend some, but these aren’t made up; these are actually valid points, whether someone likes it or not. If you don’t like it, try to deal with it. Why should a filmmaker suppress his/her creativity just to earn the brownie points of a select group? Take the caste element, for example, which is one of the things addressed during a few crucial moments. Some filmmakers make mediocre-to-terrible films, but they get a pass (along with a couple of awards) simply because of their background. It's a fact! And kudos to Abhinav for including it in the film.
Despite strong initial visuals and some compelling performances, "Ananthan Kaadu" eventually becomes an energy-draining affair with overstretched violence and underwritten characters
Movie of the bad variety. A couple of reasons. One, this is the kind of movie that you have to be mentally well-prepared for, more than you would a genuine horror movie. Two, it reminds you of the kind of hate that can be manufactured through the medium of cinema. By
But the only horror scenario I can imagine here is that the writer-director of this movie got possessed by a male teenager who has been watching way too many Instagram reels — the ones that alternatively feature seductive women, grandmother sentiments, melodramatic teleserial clips, cringe-inducing jokes, embarrassing dance sequences and male posturing, and stunning visual effects — and combine them all into a
The film showcases regality and grandeur, adrenaline-pumping action sequences and punchy dialogues, but interestingly, it does all of that and more, while ensuring it doesn't lose track of the plot and the narrative that runs beautifully across all its frames. This is a good watch, whether you're a history fan or not.
Sajin Shrijith of The Week rated 3/5 and wrote, "The second chapter of 'Lucifer' is too pre-occupied with eyeball-catching visualisation than storytelling prowess, and suffers a little as a result."
Sarvam Maya is loaded with feel-good vibes. It's not for someone seeking a dark and gritty movie where the protagonist grapples with the effects of a major traumatic event or conflict. No. There are other directors who are experts at that sort of cinema. Akhil Sathyan is not making that kind of movie. Yes, the protagonist has experienced a painful past event, but it’s not the extremely heavy sort. If you go in expecting the kind of cinema made by the same man who made Paachuvum Athbudha Vilakkum (starring Fahadh Faasil), you are most likely to come away feeling pleased. The writing is not exactly "masterpiece" material, but it's undoubtedly one designed to make the viewer feel completely at ease
The plot is brilliant, backed by a decent script that stumbles occasionally with cliché dialogues and a whole lot of plot convenience. For example, just when Kurian hits a dead end in solving a case, a clue is handed to him quite literally. The first three episodes were engaging, hooking the viewer with a story full of suspense. However, that is where the good part ends. The show took a major fall in the next four episodes, with unnecessary diversions, long and dragged scenes. Director Najeem Koya seems to lose focus, introducing unnecessary subplots and drawn-out scenes that stretch the episodes to their 40-minute run times without adding much value. The show could have easily been a limited series, had it not taken any detours, but it has somehow paved its way for a second season.
Nirmal Jovial of The Week gave 1.5/5 stars and wrote "Reports suggest a budget between ₹300–350 crore, but once again, it proves that all the money in the world can't compensate for a weak script, and there's only so much the actors can do without strong storytelling."
Pooja Biraia Jaiswal of The Week gave the film a rating of 3.5/5 stars and wrote, "Thar's gripping atmospherics, set in 1985, is captured evocatively by Shreya Dev Dube, as the narrative unfolds in the desert's grim expanse."
The show is carried valiantly by its actors and their performances. Manav Kaul is excellent when he has to talk. When he has to act without talking, he hams. But since he is easy on the eye, his shortcomings are easy to ignore. Tilottama Shome, who keeps skulking around with a pout, is a bit of a drag. But Shweta Basu Prasad is a live wire and I wish her role had been written with a little more depth.
