BOTTOM LINE
A Cleverly Written Thrill

RATING
3/5

CENSOR
U/A, 2h 22m

What Is the Film About?

Ammachi (granny) goes missing from Basil Joseph’s home, and his neighbor Nazriya Nazim starts suspecting him for several reasons. Basil Joseph claims that Ammachi’s disappearance is due to her Alzheimer’s disease, but Nazriya remains unconvinced. Is there more to her suspicion? What serious turn does the story take, and what is the real reason behind Ammachi’s mysterious disappearance? These questions form the core plot of Sookshmadarshini.

Performances

Basil Joseph and Nazriya Nazim compete with each other in running the show with their seamless performances, delivering exactly what a thriller drama needs.

Both carry the film on their shoulders through the cat-and-mouse, tit-for-tat narrative. Though Sookshmadarshini is a thriller, it stands out in their filmography due to the superb balance and finesse they bring to their performances.

The styling and performances perfectly complement the story, as expected from a quality Malayalam film.

Analysis

Sookshmadarshini is directed by MC Jithin, who previously directed Nonsense, a film that also grabbed the attention of Telugu OTT viewers.

In Sookshmadarshini, director MC handles a simple plot with a suspenseful hook but needs to tightly guard the secret and maintain the viewer’s attention until the very last scene.

While the first half feels simple and slow, and the director seems to be trying too hard not to reveal even the slightest hint, the mix of humor and suspense keeps the narrative engaging.

By the time we reach the interval, the story pulls us in, yet the success lies in the fact that nothing is really revealed.

At the same time, it feels like the buildup in the first half raises high expectations for the second half, which must deliver big; otherwise, it risks becoming frustrating.

The second half introduces more intrigue through a sister character, and the suspense around the ‘secret’ driving all the drama becomes even tighter.

Although most of the story takes place in a neighborhood between two houses, the quality technical work -be it the camera or the background score -elevates the suspense as the director pushes the story forward.

It might not a perfect thriller but offers enough to keep you hooked, especially in the second half.

Some exaggeration or logical misses in Nazriya’s character might be noticeable, but they don’t affect the viewer’s engagement, which is the best part.

Also, the director successfully breaks away from the regular beats of a typical comedic thriller, adding a sense of freshness.

Overall, Sookshmadarshini is a cleverly written, smart mix of comedy and suspense, with the director maintaining the secret until the climax through an engaging narrative. The film also offers superb, fresh BGM and visuals that perfectly match the theme, making it a satisfying watch.

Performances by Others Actors

Sookshmadarshini is a film that relies on its supporting cast as well, and their selection is flawless.

Actors like Manohari Joy who plays Ammachi (granny), Kottayam Ramesh, Deepak Parambol, and Sidharth Bharathan, along with the female cast -Akhila Bhargavan, Pooja Mohanraj, and Merin Philip -may not be familiar to Telugu audiences, but their performances clearly demonstrate how perfectly they fit their roles. Each one proves to be an asset to the film.

Music and Other Departments?

First and foremost, the background score by Christo Xavier is terrific, we must say. It is one of the best BGMs of the year. It’s neither too loud nor too soft; instead, it sounds fresh and, most importantly, perfectly matches the situations, elevating them to a whole new level. He has justified every single penny of his remuneration.

Camera work by Sharan Velayudhan is perfect. The film moves between two houses for the most part, but the camera angles and visual quality never feel boring or low-budget. He has done full justice to what the film requires.

Editing by Chaman Chakko could have been sharper. Though Sookshmadarshini is an engaging watch, it does feel like it could have been sharper.

Though the small VFX work handled by Black Maria Studio is slick, especially showing WhatsApp conversations as text on screen, it came out trendy and of good quality.

Production values by Happy Hours Entertainment and Ava Productions are quite adequate and immersive for the simple setup it requires, pulling it off with quality.

Highlights?

Superb BGM that enhances most scenes

Sustaining suspense until the end

Engaging writing and narrative

Performances by Nazriya and Basil Joseph

Drawbacks?

Logical flaws or occasional exaggeration

Feels forced at times to keep secrets until the end

A bit of a slow first half

Did I Enjoy It?

Yes, it’s an engaging mix of humor and thriller.

Will You Recommend It?

Yes, without hesitation.

Sookshma Darshini Movie Review by M9

There’s been a curious trend in the promotion of movie musicals lately. The trailers and commercials have obscured the fact that they are musicals. This was true of the Mean Girls trailer, which made the film seem like a highly redundant note-for-note remake of the Lindsay Lohan original. And it was also true of Timothée Chalamet’s Wonka, a particularly baffling choice since the original was itself a musical. Both those films did well at the box office but I would argue this was in spite of, not because of the sneaky marketing strategy.

Musicals are having a moment. It’s an extension of fan culture—that is to say, culture—with musical theater nerds loudly and proudly staking their claim among the other fandoms on social media. When I went to see The Outsiders on Broadway, there was a large group of teenage girls screaming for Ponyboy and cheering in anticipatory excitement before all the big numbers. When I caught a preview of The Great Gatsby, the screams were so loud you would think star Jeremy Jordan was Harry Styles.

Certainly among the most enduringly popular musicals is Wicked, the girl-power reimagining of The Wizard of Oz, which made co-stars Idina Menzel and Kristin Chenoweth stars—or at the very least, god tier among musical theater nerds.

Happily, Universal Pictures didn’t try to obscure the fact that Wicked is a musical, but that’s not to say the production was without controversy. Everyone agreed that Cynthia Erivo, who won the Tony for The Color Purple and was Oscar nominated for her turn as Harriet Tubman in Harriet, was perfect for the part of misunderstood witch Elphaba, but mega pop star Ariana Grande as Glinda? When there were deserving musical theater professionals out there in need of a big break? Additionally, the promotion was not above its own bait and switch. Never seen in the commercials and trailer is the fact that the nearly three hour film is merely part one. Part two is due next year.

Let’s get those “controversies” out of the way first. Ariana Grande is a marvelous Glinda—pampered, entitled, but secretly kind—like Alicia Silverstone in Clueless if she had pipes for days. Anyone who has seen Grande on Saturday Night Live already knew she was funny—and here, her stellar comic timing is aided by her adoring sidekicks played with gleeful “you can’t sit here” bitchiness by Bowen Yang and Bronwyn James. As for the film being a part one? I wouldn’t fret it. It ends perfectly. You feel satisfied with what you just saw, while eagerly anticipating the next installment.

So yeah, Wicked is good. Almost great, although I couldn’t quite warm up to all the CGI sets and backdrops. I understand that director Jon M. Chu worked hard to create a built environment, even going so far as to plant 9 million tulips to recreate Emerald City (reader: I thought they were fake). But, despite his best efforts, the film still has that slightly glossy, uncanny feeling of AI. Give me cheesy, hand-built sets any day.

Still there’s a lot to recommend here, as the film is filled with wit and cleverness and verve. Erivo, as expected, makes for a heartbreakingly vulnerable, yet fierce Elphaba, and her belting out of “Defying Gravity” feels like cinematic catharsis at its finest. There are also excellent supporting turns, including Jonathan Bailey as the dashing but romantically conflicted Fiyero; Michelle Yeoh as the glamorous professor of the dark arts, Madame Morrible; the voice of Peter Dinklage as the wise and kindly goat professor, Dr. Dillamond; and Jeff Goldblum as the Wizard. (I mean, of course, Jeff Goldblum is the Wizard of Oz. It’s casting as inevitable as it is perfect.) Also, look out for a few smartly placed cameos. (Can you say: Adele Dazeem?)

Directed and performed with flair and obvious affection for the source material, Wicked is a wickedly good time at the movies. And yes, I imagine it’s going to be popular, as I’m already thinking of shelling out 15 bucks to see it again.