‘Manjummel Boys’ movie review: Chidambaram pulls off an immaculately-crafted survival thriller

Nothing exists with out a motive in Chidambaram’s sophomore movie Manjummel Boys, not even the behavior of 1 character to scream loudly every time he’s excited, inflicting a lot irritation to these round him. Or, even a tug-of-war competitors that the hot-headed principals take pleasure in, fairly early on within the movie. Every of those parts comes again into the image, if you least count on it, delivering satisfying pay offs.

Together with his debut Jan-E-Man, Chidambaram proved what he’s able to, deftly balancing the tonal shifts from the humorous to the morbid. In Manjummel Boys, impressed from a real-life incident, he isn’t required to do such balancing acts, however no much less are the challenges. Particularly so when the viewers is conscious of how the occasions will end up in the long run. But, it’s fairly a feat that we’re saved invested within the story all by.

Issues take off quite casually in Manjummel Boys, with the gang having enjoyable as uninvited company at a marriage celebration and entering into tiffs with a rival gang. The easygoing temper is maintained proper until the second one in every of them falls right into a ravine. However, by this time, an excellent variety of the eleven buddies get registered in our head, because of the standout traits written for them. This connection proves very important within the latter half of the movie, which rests on the emotional pull of the bond they share with one another.

Although the survival thriller a part of it brings again recollections of Bharathan’s Malootty, this one takes a special path by tying the occasions intently to their friendship. As one in every of them lies precariously perched on the sting of a rock, unseen to the anxious buddies peering down from the highest of the ravine, the scene cuts to their childhood, to a hide-and-seek sport and of them swimming in a river. These will not be simply random recollections; the actions of the little ones again then inform the occasions within the current, of their hour of disaster.

Ajayan Chalissery’s manufacturing design, particularly of the bat-filled ravine the place a lot of the motion takes place and Shyju Khalid’s visuals of the rescue, mixed with Sushin Shyam’s immersive however understated background rating, give one the sensation of being there at that time of time. However, at a key second, Sushin takes a step again, and lets Ilayaraja’s basic ‘Kanmani Anbodu Kathalan’ from Gunaa take the centre-stage. That sequence, which additionally works as a tribute, is so elegantly pulled off that it nearly manages to rewrite the reminiscence of the scene within the authentic starring Kamal Haasan.

The references to the unique occasion within the epilogue, with snapshots of the actual folks concerned, provides to the affect of the movie. The casting actually does play a component within the success of the movie, as most of them ship precisely what was required. With Manjummel Boys, Chidambaram pulls off an immaculately-crafted survival thriller. Clearly, he’s right here to remain.

Manjummel Boys is presently taking part in in theatres