What Is the Story About?
Deputy Tahsildar Paul arrives in Ernakulam for two reasons. One – to stay a couple of days with his grandson, Kuttu, son-in-law, Allen and his new family. Two – to meet his lawyer so as to continue to fight the man who killed his daughter in a hit-and-run case. However, when Paul sees a photo, his entire world shatters. What was in this photo? Will he get absolution?
Performances?
Kaanekkane mainly has four main onscreen performers – Tovino Thomas, Aishwarya Lekshmi, Suraj Venjaramoodu and child actor, Master Alok Krishna. Tovino Thomas and Aishwarya Lekshmi are really good onscreen. While they have taken up nuanced and complicated roles before – their performance is still noteworthy. Their subtle onscreen ticks and refined act gives their characters more depth.
However the star of the film is Suraj Venjaramoodu. He is the film lead (not Tovino) and the heart and soul of the movie. He is the main onscreen mood maker and his nuanced performance of a grieving father and a resolute grandfather drives the movie and makes Kaanekkane interesting. Master Alok Krishna also deserves a mention for his performance as well.
Analysis
The film has a very simple premise – A grieving father finds out about the major lies his son-in-law hid from him. The entire movie, if needed, could have been an hour longer or it could have been a short film – and Kaanekkane would still have been a passable film. But three factors make the movie better than passable – it becomes a good film.
One – the direction. The director of Kaanekkane, Manu Ashokan, uses many artistic tools to make a simple drama into a bone-chilling thriller. He uses flashbacks in abundance to flesh out the main characters as well as to give us an in-depth look at the relation between characters – especially in juxtaposition with their current relationships. The flashbacks are almost never noticeable, so most of the time they appear, it is a surprise.
Two – the background score. For a movie to be thrilling, you need good sound effects or score in this case. And Ranjin Raj does an excellent job in Kaanekkane. From the simplest of scenes to the most tense, the music helps us appreciate the situation and keeps us glued to our seats.
Three – the acting. Specifically, Tovino Thomas and Suraj Venjaramoodu. Both actors have to give us a believable performance to keep us invested and they do not disappoint. While Aishwarya has a few good scenes of her own and Master Alok brings a few moments of levity on screen – Tovino and Suraj are the main actors we follow on screen.
Tovino plays a man who has been wallowing in his guilt for two years. He is losing himself to alcohol and distancing himself from everyone, including his pregnant wife. Suraj plays a grieving father who finds out that his son-in-law was cheating on his daughter before her death. He then finds out more distressing news about his daughter’s death. While both roles require a lot of work from the actors, Suraj needed to give us more – and give us more he did. And when his character comes full circle at the end of the film (Paul undergoing the same situation as Allen) – his absolution helps us as much as it does Tovino. And that can only be felt through powerful acting.
Overall, Kaanekkane is a very good film. A slow paced film for sure – probably its one main drawback, but the slow pace works in the movie’s favour most of the time. The movie should be seen at the very least for Suraj Venajaramoodu’s performance.
Other Artists?
While there are a few other small performances, Shruti Ramachandran is the only other actor who has a major onscreen role on Kaanekkane. While the actress has less screen time compared to the rest of the main cast, she still makes us believe that her character had a happy life, when she was alive. Her onscreen performance – that of a happy daughter, mother and wife; gives us more character depth.
Music and Other Departments?
As we said earlier, the music and direction of Kaanekkane was top notch. Cinematography and editing deserves a mention as well, especially when cutting between flashback scenes and the present day scenes. ‘Notebook’ writers, Bobby and Sanjay wrote the script for this movie – and it is really well written.
Highlights?
Direction
Music
Suraj Venjaramoodu’s Acting
Drawbacks?
Slight Slow Pace
Did I Enjoy It?
Yes
Will You Recommend It?
Yes, definitely.
Kaanekkaane Malayalam Movie Review by Binged Bureau
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