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November 28, 2009

Neelathaamara -Was this remake really needed?


reviewed by nikhimenon@gmail.com

Lal Jose's tribute to Yousuf Ali Kecheri -'Neelathamaara 2009' is painfuly boring and hence a tiresome experience for the viewers.Most of the web reviews seem to be too much carried away by the M.T-Lal Jose combo(as they have showered praises endlessly),but it's not the same atleast in the cinema halls.

All right, i will come straight to why i found this movie as a test of my patience(Contains Spoilers)..

1.The lack of Chemistry between the lead pair...
2.Though Neelathamara is designed as the story of kunjimalu, the story never delves deep into her life.
3.The half baked character of Shaarathe Ammini.Can somebody tell me why she committed suicide? Was it because her brother molested her?
4.The cliched 'Naadan characters' of Bhaagavathar,insane genius who sits in the temple ground.
5.The better movies with similar theme like Nandanam which got released earlier.
6.Nothing really happens in the movie and even a running time of 110 minutes seemed too long ...!
7.Neither Haridaasan nor kunjimaalu made an impact
8.The lethargic pace of the movie....

9.The  beaten -to death.story line...

Why it was not an absolute disaster for me...(again i am not saying about the b.o.performance or the general public opinion)

1.The song Anuuraga Vilochananayi...
2.The movie had atleast it's heart in the right place....
3.Archana who played Kunjimaalu was sincere..

verdict: swa.le was more entertaining than this neelathaamara....!

3 comments:

Panicker said...

I haven't watched the old version. But its script is included in the book 'ente priyappetta thirakathakal' by MT. His scripts can be read with as much as ease as one would his stories and novels.

Comparison with 'Nandanam' is unfair, as Nandanam was nothing but Neelathamara meets Nakhakshatangal meets 'Poonthanam-Mangaattachan-Guruvaayorappan' legend, albeit with some awesome music. Nandanam worked probably because it was an MT rehash. That's one formula we 'mallus' never get bored with.

Panicker said...

In the script, there is a hint about Ammini getting pregnant after being taken advantage of by her brother-in-law, which leads to the suicide. It's subtly conveyed by her trying to cover her belly when she sees Kunji Maalu at the 'kadavu'. But then, cliched as this is I think a viewer can guess the ultimate cause and no greater elaboration is required.

Panicker said...

The mad man at the temple is indeed a cliche, probably meant as a symbol of a 'misunderstood philosopher' of sorts. Inspired by Naaranathu Bhranthan?

From the youtube videos, every frame looks beautiful. Hope it'll still be in theatres after 2 weeks when I am at home. :)