The Malayalam industry keeps throwing up surprises from time to time. During the lockdown, director #KhalidRahman worked on a multi-layered script that is based on the premise that things are often not what they seem to be. Here is a narrative that operates at three levels - what we think has happened, what we assume must have happened and what actually happened.
ASHOK’s FIVE reviews the Malayalam film on #NetflixIndia, curiously titled #Love. Starring #ShineTomChacko and #RajishaVijayan, the story does not have what you would conventionally expect from a Love story. Instead, it explores what the term Love could often represent in a marriage. Love that can often turn to hate in a marriage gone bad and then the couple has to wriggle out of trust issues.
The film opens with Deepthi (#RajishaVijayan) getting a confirmation on her pregnancy and returning back home to a disgruntled husband Anoop (#ShineTomChacko). One can only surmise what must have been happening in their life when the good news pales into the background and one witnesses domestic violence and abuse. Enter Anoop’s friend who lends perspective to the narrative . The turn of events then builds the suspense and the screenplay takes the film to a high with an ending that has a twist.
The treatment is raw with focus on raw emotions and a physicality that is often eschewed in Indian films. #Chacko is fantastic in his portrayal as the husband and is ably supported by #Gokulan and #SudhiKoppa. #JohnyAnthony shines as Deepthi’s father.
At one level, #Love is a murder mystery. But the narrative operates at other levels too. The film is also a drama of domestic abuse. And at a different level, it is also a psychological black drama that toys around with your mind. You end up wondering what actually happened. Anoop’s friend tells him “Every man thinks about killing his wife, somewhere in their marriage” and that is where the story seems centered. Shot within the four walls, the film has its own share of thrill, suspense, relationships, emotions and mind games. The characters are not sketched out completely so you don't really understand why they behave in a certain manner but that is how it is meant to be.
With a run time of 91 odd minutes, #Love is an interesting experiment. It is not everyone’s cup of tea . In my self-confessed affinity for novel experiments, the film does get filed away as a worthy watch for the lockdown experiment that it is!
Comments