5 MALAYALAM FILMS OF 2017 YOU DON’T WANT TO MISS

It is great news that some of the best films of the year were also the ones that made more money, but 2017 had great many efforts that may not have been all that bad, but fell short all in all. One of the major letdowns being Bijoy Nambiar’s middling SOLO that defied all expectations. Well-intentioned and well equipped, this Dulquer omnibus could not do full justice to the central idea that tied the stories together and despite a great production remained a half-baked effort. But moving on to happier attempts, listed below are what was worth the time.

5. Mayaanadhi

This entry may fall behind the rest of the films on the list by a considerable lap, but Ashiq Abu deserves a slow clap for finally finding a balance! He has always strived to make movies with a difference, which he surely did on most occasions, but it never quite hit the mark, except for pleasing his fan base.  Within the process of making a film, he also seems to have simultaneously obsessed with the right depiction of the new-age Malayali who is considerably different in values, lifestyle and lingo from the conventional Malayalam-film-types. With Mayaanadhi he seems to have finally struck equilibrium with the characters and their plot-purpose, instead of getting carried away with just making a difference. Amidst telling the love story intertwined with the police-gangsta chase, he also creates some good moments in unexpected places, which was his specialty anyway, but this time we will remember.

4. Parava

Not with just the director, or the talented young actors playing the lead characters, but Parava is new in many ways. You wouldn’t have had such a realistic encounter with the life in Mattancherry before, unless you’ve lived there of course. To many, the pigeon flying sport and the details of pigeon taming also must have come as a revelation. And for once we see a Mattancherry that is not infested with gangs and goons, we see a life far above the meandering by-lanes and small life of this crammed city backyard- one that is beautifully viewed down from flight. Among the clutter of plot elements, Parava addresses universal themes like friendship, growing-up, and sense of closure. Soubin Shahir’s directorial debut may suffer from a lack of thematic focus, but is an entertaining watch, and we would definitely like to see more from him.

3. Take Off

One of the much talked about films of 2017, this real life survival tale of Indian nurses stranded in the tumult of Iraqi conflict through the fictionalized life of one of them stranded in its middle, rouses a great deal of empathy for the tragedy, unlike many films of its ilk. Great directorial debut by editor Mahesh Narayanan and excellent performances by Parvathy, Kunchako Boban, and Fahad Fazil, Take Off is as endearing with its drama as it is nerve-racking with its thrills. What is initially assumed to be an off-putting theme gains worth once the sense of physical danger is slowly made to feel real, and the spellbinding chronicle of ordeal leaves you drained by the end of it all. Take Off is technically brilliant for a Malayalam film and one can see how filmmakers, ready to flush the limitations of the small size of target audience down the toilet in favor of realistic storytelling, cross the finish line with grace.

2. Thondimuthalum Driksakshiyum

There’s a lot that Dileesh Pothen’s wonderful second film shows us but since everybody is talking about that, let’s begin with what he could have not shown- the chain-snatching scene in the bus that is the key to everything that happens afterwards! The sheer absence of that scene alone could have attributed a lot more meaning to the squabble at the police station where the “suspected” chain-snatcher, skillfully portrayed by Fahad Fazil in his career-best so far, is accused by the runaway couple. If the scene just showed us the ruckus following the act, one wouldn’t have guessed if the girl was unsure or the chain-snatcher was lying, and like the cops, even we would have found out only after the X-ray. This could have also added so much more depth to the characters of both. But having said that, Thondimuthalum Driksakshiyum is an evocative watch and deserves your attention for the meticulous direction and the relevance of the subject matter.

1. Angamaly Diaries

Lijo Jose Pellissery’s tale of the “locals” is a triumph in filmmaking as a craft. A risky attempt for not just taking the leap of faith with 86 debutant actors, but also for seeking the absurd and playing it out in the right dose, we are eventually given the movie of the year with a ferocious energy. A film that is heavily seated in the dynamics of the eponymous small town, Angamaly Diaries gives us a compelling mix of life, color, culture, food and excitement that the place offers. Much of the pleasure of Pellisserry’s rowdy trip comes from the dialogues and the colloquial voice-over penned by the one to watch out for- our very own Chemban Vinod. Another area has to be the experimental music by Prashant Pillai that gyrated the spartan narrative into a whirlwind of fun, not to forget the brilliant performances by all the novices who couldn’t have asked for a better start.