What Is the Story About?
A group of eleven friends (men and women) from college plan a holiday in a far off resort. What starts as a fun evening turns into a nightmare when a game they start turns things upside down by revealing their dark side. Soon a war of words takes place, and later one among them, Shiny, is found dead.
Is Shiny killed? If that’s the case, who is the killer? 12th Man’s basic plot is the investigation drama. DySP Chandrasekhar (Mohan Lal) is in the resort on vacation and takes charge of conducting a thorough investigation in his style and finding the truth.
Performances?
Mohan Lal breezes through his role with ease and class. His role has no depth and mouths, only superficial lines. It is to the star’s credit that he holds the entire movie together with his magnetic and commanding presence despite such a role. The subtle changes in dialogue delivery, from high pitch to soft tone and body language, are enough to bring things under control. If not for him (or such a towering personality), the whole thing would have looked messy.
Analysis
Jeethu Joseph, the man behind the two Drishyam movies and many more thriller narratives, direct 12th Man. It is the combination and the setting that interests one in the first place.
12th Man is a mystery thriller with a whodunit angle on the lines of Agatha Christie novels and the Poirot series based on them. So, Mohan Lal here plays the Poirot, and the whole movie can be seen as an episode.
A chaotic beginning is expected, given the number of characters central to the main story. We get that in 12th Man, where the first half an hour is devoted to the various members, their immediate background necessary to take the narrative forward.
It isn’t until one hour into the proceedings that the real story begins when a serious game starts. What happens if everything concerning the individual’s mobile is open to all for an hour? It is an exciting idea, one which harks back to the idea that mobiles hold a lot of dark secrets. It is undoubtedly an intriguing idea, and as anticipated, it leads to exciting drama.
Soon there is a murder, and then the story takes an investigative turn with the re-entrance of Mohan Lal. What follows next is as formulaic as it comes. It was the case before as well, but it goes several notches higher when the ‘Murder On The Orient Express’’ like investigative drama takes place within a confined location.
There is nothing wrong with the idea, but too many characters make way for too many formulaic choices and many contrivances. Despite slick editing and the towering presence of Mohan Lal, one loses interest in the proceedings due to the length. The whole thing falls apart in the final stretch, which further mars the viewing experience.
The end especially leaves one with a feeling of dissatisfaction after all that transpires. The climax fizzles out after all the build-up.
Overall, 12th Man is a well-cast and enacted mystery thriller that predictably delivers the thrills. If one likes the genre and doesn’t mind the formulaic narrative, 12th Man is a passable watch.
Other Artists?
The eleven members – Leona Lishoy, Unni Mukundan, Priyanka Nair, Saiju Kurup, Anusree, Rahul Madhav, Anu Sithara, Anu Mohan, Aditi Ravi, Chandunath and Sshivada, well cast and each one gets an opportunity to shine. They all do their parts with conviction even if the screentime is less. Everyone has a fun side and goes through an emotional arc as part of the story.
Music and Other Departments?
Anil Johnson provides the music and the background score. The former is forgettable, whereas the latter is alright. It is despite the heavy influence of Bond themes and sounds from similar genre flicks.
Satheesh Kurup’s cinematography is decent. Yes, there are limitations, but it could have been better within the same space. VS Vinayak’s editing is superb after the first hour. There is a bit of chaos in the beginning due to multiple characters, but once things settle, the cuts are slick and crisp. The writing is a mixed bag with a lot of expository stuff.
Highlights?
Casting
Performances
Editing
Build Up
Drawbacks?
Messy Begining
Formulaic Narrative
Length
Ending
Did I Enjoy It?
Yes, In Parts
Will You Recommend It?
Yes, But With Reservations
12th Man Movie Review by Binged Bureau
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