Language:Malayalam
Director:Chidambaram
Screenwriter:Chidambaram, GanapathiΒ
Cast: Soubin Shahir,Sreenath Bhasi,Balu Varghese,Ganapathi S. Poduval, and Arun Kurian
Music: Sushin Shyam
Editing: Vivek Harshan
Camera: Shyju Khalid
The long-awaited survival thriller βManjummel Boysβ featuring Soubin Shahir, Sreenath Bhasi, Balu Varghese, Ganapathy, and Jean-Paul Lal, directed by Chidambaram, is coming to Apollo CInema.
Manjummel Boys is an emotional survival storyβa story of triumph against all odds. It was all that and more. It will end up being more than a movie. It is a technically sound, well-paced, thoughtfully crafted film, and it is a cinematic experience.
Inspired by real life incidents ,The story starts in a village called Manjummel, where we meet a lot of friends. We get to see their ordinary lives and, later, in sharp contrast, how they get overturned because of the tour trip to Kodaikanal and Guna Cave. The absolute horror and helplessness one feels when a friend is trapped in a cave are well depicted, and Director Chidambaram succeeds in doing justice to the sufferings, desperation, and pain of friendship.
While the first half was comparatively calm, it was the calm before the storm that was the second. A fun and carefree journey quickly takes a turn for the worst as a string of unexpected incidents starts testing their relationship, changing the path of their adventure.Manjummel Boys, and their rescue efforts, the locals, and the help they providedβalmost every moment was well executed.
Soubin Shahir, Sreenath Bhasi,Ganapathi, Lal Jr,Balu varghese , etc.βeach of them has done justice to their roles. Add to that the performances from an array of actors who have played the minor roles of mothers, fathers, and officials, and there was nothing over the top about their performances.
The songs and the background scores were well-suited and not too jarring. Sushin Shyam nailed it to his full potential. Mostly, Ilayaraja’s famous song from ‘Guna’ placement gives more vibe and goosebumps to the final 30 minutes. There were moments that could have been explored more, but this is a big job to make the difficult situation presentable in an engaging manner where they absolutely deliver the best possible work.
The quality of the writing shows, and Ganapathi and Chidambaram have done a commendable job. Cinematogtaphy by Shyju Khalid needs a special mention. Add Vivek harshan’s editing and Ajay Sasidharan’s quality art, and the movie is a good theatre experience.
Bottomline
A nicely packed survival thriller has established its full potential.
Peak cinema in all aspects!!
3.75/5
