What Is the Story About?
Freedom Fight is an anthology series comprising of five short stories. As the title suggests, the common theme among the five is related to freedom.
Performances?
Rajisha Vijayan nails the part of a bubbly girl next door who wants to live life the way she wants. The suppressed inner energy is channelled well during the frustrating moments. It is a typical part, but well done.
Srinda, Kabani and others part of the second short do a reasonably good job of expressing their problem’s disgust and disappointment. The roles are a bit one-dimensional and lack depth, though.
Rohini and Joju George’s Old Age Home is the most challenging short regarding the acting. The actors have to rely on expressions, emotions, and intensity to hold attention as the pace is languid. They bring their experience to the fore and keep one hooked even when they stare blankly. Unni Lalu and Siddharth Siva play the most predictable roles with ease. The content itself generates the required feel more than their acts.
Analysis
The first short, Geethu Unchained, of the anthology series deals with the freedom of a young woman about to get married. It is a crisp and light-hearted coming of age story compared to what is in the line. Akhil Anilkumar succeeds in narrating the same old thing freshly. The casting writing with lots of fun and music make it is a breezy watch even if there is nothing new to be told.
The second short by Kunjila Mascillimani, Asanghadithar, deals with the issue of toilets for women in the workspace. The point it wants to convey is good and an often overlooked one. But, the way it goes on with the narrative could have been done better. After a point, the whole thing seems to be moving in circles with new issues cropping up. We get that there is a problem and its seriousness; stretching it so long makes one restless and lose interest.
The third short story, Ration, again brings us a widely visible issue, but overlooked, as usual. It makes one wonder if this (overlooking what is visible in plain sight) should be the undercurrent theme of the series instead of ‘freedom’. As in that case, the short is a little ambiguous. We see here an extension of the kitchen segment of The Great Indian Kitchen. Only here, the focus is on food more than the woman.
The social media influenced kid, and her behaviour could have been a good story, but the director Francis Louis’s focus here shifts in multiple directions. The ultimate point is the wastage of food without even getting noticed.
The fourth short story Old Age Home deals with loneliness among aged people of a family. In particular, if one needs attention due to a medical condition. Or if one wants to relive the past but can’t due to the problem. Many such issues make life miserable but are often ignored.
Imagine a woman taking care of her family, sacrificing all her dreams for years. She hopes to have some freedom in the final days, relaxed and doing whatever makes her happy. When one cannot do that and additionally face the ire of kids, it is depressing. Old Age Home shows this scenario patiently. In fact, it is so slowly done that one might doze off multiple times by the time it comes to an end.
What holds the attention despite the pacing issue is the seasoned actors and simple moments that convey the problem effectively. Joe Baby successfully manages to develop a connection with the characters. It is here that this short scores.
The last and final short, Pra Thoo Mu, is straight-up brutal when talking about freedom. It is about the manual scavengers. The moment we see them, we know the narrative is headed. It is that predictable. Jithin Issac Thomas tries his best to camouflage the predictability with striking and shocking visuals and non-linear narrative, but they don’t change the final impression.
Overall, Freedom Fight is an impressive attempt that blends art and commerce with topical and relatable themes. Not all the shorts work, but they give food for thought, and that’s a job done. Give it a try if you like to see something unique out of ordinary and overlooked things.
Music and Other Departments?
Multiple technicians have worked on the anthology, each bringing their unique flavour. The actors and technicians add to the already unique vision of the director. However, it is typical of the new wave kind of cinema emerging from the Malayalam industry.
Highlights?
Story Ideas
Presentation
Making
Performances
Drawbacks?
Slow Pace
Meandering Parts
Self Indulgent
Did I Enjoy It?
Yes, In Parts
Will You Recommend It?
Yes
Freedom Fight Movie Review by Binged Bureau
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