Fans of the psychopath thriller series #You on #Netflix know how Joe Goldberg (#PennBadgley) keeps you hooked to his story as he talks to himself and you get a ring side view of what goes on inside the mind of a serial killer. #You is a clever inversion of the usual psychopath story. As Joe keeps revealing his mind to you and goes about his committing multiple gruesome murders, he plays with and subverts audience expectations. The horror and the rom-com is blended to create a tale which keeps you hooked. It is for sure an uncomfortable watch, but I can't get over why I am so invested in the character.
#AbhinavSunderNayak #MukundanUnniAssociates on #Disney+Hotstar is a similar treatment; yet another novel experiment in Malayalam cinema. You stay invested in the narcissism and the indifference of the lead character. What works is that the lead is played by #VineethSrinivasan, who has made his mark and whom you expect to see in feel good roles. What does not work is that the film gets stuck on this one perspective and you can literally see the story being stretched to its close, having run out of ideas.
Mukundan Unni (#VineethSrinivasan) is a young lawyer who wants to achieve stellar success before the age of 30 and will do anything to get there. He is highly ambitious and has no patience for anyone. Egoistic and opportunistic, he thinks nothing of sheltering a cobra at his home in order to use it lethally later. After multiple failed attempts to break into the stronghold of lawyer Venu (#SurajVenjaramood in another essay replete with characteristic ease), he employs the cobra to murder his rival. Unni then goes on to build his own practice and then there is no stopping the juggernaut. The film sets you up for this unusual narrative with the yellow and black animation for the statutory notices on cigarette smoking and usage of animals. There is also a neat play on the 4:3 aspect ratio of the screen that shrinks to Vineeth’s voice over; later on you do not even realize when it gets restored to the normal aspect ratio. The film begins with a caption that tells it like it is “ Most people are gray, except in some cases, they are just black. The film does dwell deeply on the doctor - lawyer- Insurance nexus with some interesting graphical elements but fights shy from passing judgement. The film does not offer any apology or redemption and stops short of celebrating the lead here. This no attempt to fix things is a refreshing change!
#Vineeth is starting to look like his father #Srinivasan from some angles and the resemblance brings on pure nostalgia. He plays a restrained, confident self and does not allow the various jibes to get to him. His first person narrative gets us to understand his thoughts, motivations, fears and joy. Things begin to get hectic when the hallucination starts and he starts imagining Venu talking to him. You notice that Unni cannot laugh naturally; he has to make an effort to bring on a forced smile most times, even as he continues with his trickery, deceit, manipulation and exploitation of the hospital victims at the private hospital in Kalpetta.His english voice overs are hilarious, especially the way he proclaims “A magnificent resurrection!”.
#SibiMathewAlex’s background score and Cinematographer #VishwajitOdukkathil’s work adds layers to the narrative. The score oscillates from playful to menacing but at no time does it overpower you. The jump cuts, disorienting camera angles and the methods used to denote passage of time all add to the visual treatment. Essentially, the director has used any and every technique to amplify the unusual story.
#MukundanUnniAssociates merits a special word for the acting prowess on display. #SurajVenjaramoodu, #TanviRam, #ArshaBaiju all bring heft to the novel black comedy offering. The gore is completely eschewed and there is no trace of blood in any of the scenes. The film is an innovative experiment that works in parts but disappoints on the whole!
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