Pazhashi Raja -- പഴശി രാജാ

Direction: Hariharan

Mammooty,Sharath Kumar,Padmapriya,Kaniha,Manoj K Jayan




They say the movie cost the producer 26 crores..well I would say they have spend the money..
They have invested a lot of money in shaping up the Kurichya tribal settlements and stuff

The war scenes r good,but many of the numbers are much cliched..

Hariharan watched many movies b4 making this film it seems..Lord of the rings,Kagemusha,Last Samurai

Do u remeber Legolas the elf moving down the rope and firing arrows..when Manoj's Thalaykal Chanthu borrows heavily from LOTR.The fighting sequences show resemblance to Last Samurai(particularly the end)

The one actress who bowled me over is Padmapriya with her astounding perfomance..she rockz!!..her slang bears a striking resemblance to Revathy's in Kilukkam..
She moves more fluidly than all male actors put together.

And yes..Sharath Kumar was good.He stole the limelight from Mammooty in this film,his looks and expressions making Mammooty look like a teetotaller.
Mammooty must has been selected for this role for his looks and sound.He has got nothing else to offer here.The film is nowhere near Vadakkum Veera Gadha.While the former broke stereotypes,the latter fixed them.The short dark Pazhasi Raja has had a makeover.Shouldn't have happened,it betrays reality.

The Kaniha was 'dead weight'.(Her talent seems to be elsewhere;) ).While his followers are preparing for battle Hariharans Pazhassi wastes time pleasing his wife(No wonder the Brits won)

The English actors employed are a disgrace..they looked like they were forced to act


The film is pretty long at 31/2 hours..but is a good experience provided u can stay away from howling Mammoonju fans..


2.5/5

Swa Le -- സ്വ ലെ

Cast:Dileep,Gopika,Salim Kumar,Innocent



I approached this film cautiously.I was afraid this would be yet another film which would make us hope to decieve.The starting 1/2 hr almost confirmed my fears,it was a mix of amateurish moves,colorless jokes,and cliches.
But 1/2 an hour into the film,u feel life rushing into the script,the camera work becomes great,the cliches disappear to give you potshots into a film with a fresh story with good direction and script.

Dileep sparkles in his role as 'Swa le',Gopika supports him well.Innocent does his job with ease.
Salim Kumar is just brilliant.,along with Jagathy Sreekumar.


The film puts in a lot of questions into one's mind,but saving us the blushes of watching yet another cliche.


The film is brilliant and beautiful,but I would disagree with director for the last scene.
The entire message of the film(it has one..) is killed by the last scene.




Watch this film,encourage such films..it isn't an art film,but a good film with life and message in it.


3.5/5

Paleri Manikyam--പലേരി മാണിക്യം

Direction: Renjith and crew

Cast: Mammooty,Shwetha Menon,Mythili,Sreenivasan,Sidhique



The story is about a murder involving the brutal rape of a 20 yr old girl in Paleri,a place in North Malabar.

The film starts with its haunting title track..the horror experienced by the poor girl seeps into us,her innocent eyes,and beautiful smile haunts us and leaves a trickle of tear somewhere inside.The main problem with films with an old time line is an over dependency on cliches.But this films grows from that.Yes the director employs cliches,but they are not caricatures,they are characters with life in them.

Mammooty is superb as the negative character in Murikkum Kunnathu Ahmad Haji,a cold blooded feudal landlord.His entry into the film is cool,the single frame showing him in a single thorthu infront of his house prints the image of a cold blooded feudal lord into our minds.

The film tends to compare the contrast between the world in 50s and now,with Mammooty's relationship with his 'friend',who..happens to be criminal analyist of some sort,who also happens to be Mammooty's friend's wife,who also happens to share his life(?) now.Well she is employed so that Mammooty has somebody to narrate the story to.

Now enter the girl who plays Manikyam,she doesn't have much screen space as a character,but her eyes,her beautiful innocence drives the film.She needn't utter a word,her eyelashes and smiles speak for her and her poor tormented soul.Great pick!!

Each small character plays out perfectly,the village crack(Paleri's supersub conscious),the communists of that era,landlord,henchmen of the Haji etc.
Sreenivasan plays an 'original' communist(Paleri's superconscious)in the film,a hot blood,filled with dreams of a new proletarian era in the 1950s.His relationship with his former mentor leads to some very interesting thoughts being shared(great work Renjith!!).

Shwetha Menon is also great.She plays a seductive young woman in a frame and transforms effortlessly into an old hag in another.While she is seductive in each frame while shown as a young woman,she transforms completely into an old hag in other frames.Its not just make up,it shows her calibre as an actress.

Overall the film is a wonderful piece of art..I could point out flaws,but I am not going to do that..cos you have to watch this film..its an experience you shouldn't miss!Go in with the right frame of mind..just follow the sad song on the title track it lulls us into the 50s..the dark roads of Paleri with its hidden beauties and dangers.


4/5