Three Half Bottles Review – An Amateurs Guide To Filmmaking

BOTTOM LINE: An Amateurs Guide To Filmmaking

Rating: 3/10

What Is the Story About?

Three friends Nikhil, Adithya and Sirish, stay together. They all come from different parts and have individual problems and lives to deal with. What are the issues they face and how do they overcome it is what the series is all about?

Performances?

All the three actors have equal parts, but we go with Adithya Pamnani as the lead. It is merely because he has a better presence and connection compared to the other two. He is the ‘mass’ element in the story. It doesn’t mean Adithya is any good, but it is only in comparison with others. He is able to generate fun a few times and comes across as sincere, a quality that is shared with others.

Analysis

Prasad Raju has a simple and straightforward story in his hands. And yet he fails in getting the right output. Two things deserve mention before further critical discourse. One is that Prasad Raju has terrible actors at his disposal and secondly, could they have done more?

The entire series, Three Half Bottles can be shown in studies as an example of amateur filmmaking. It can be showcased to upcoming directors in a class educating them how ‘content’ would turn out if the basics are merely carried out professionally without any vision.

Prasad Raju picks an all predictable set up and puts in all the details academically. There is a character, and then they have a background. The locations and the issues, a few scenes which highlight their bonding is all present. But, it is all done without any feel or emotion.

The actors just recite the dialogues as if it’s a play in a school. The chemistry, the bonding and emotional build-up is all absence. Everything that is happening is a result of mere technical details. The editing, the dubbing fails to bring any vigour or liveliness to the proceedings. Everyone is going through the motions on a tangible line.

The narrative lacks depth and proceedings on the superficial level from the start to the end. To make matters worse, we have a predictable storyline for each of the three friends.

Overall, Three Half Bottles feels like a sincere attempt to learn the craft of making. In the process, we the audience end up as its judge. And unfortunately, it is unworthy of the full-length devotion of time to sit through.

Other Artists?

Sai Ketan Rao and Hriday Bharadwaj are the other two parallel leads. Physically that is the looks-wise, they seem apt for the part. But, they are poor in acting skills and the dialogue delivery is terrible. Sai Ketan Rao still is manageable as his track moves on a predictable line, but Hriday Bharadwaj gets unbearable after a point. It should not be confused with his character, which has to turn that way. It is a simple role that in the hands of a better actor would have had a lot to chew on. The character arc, which has an uptight, arrogant change his ways and loosens and light up is the best among the three guys. Sadly, Hriday fails to make anything out of it.

Monica Tavanam, Jasmine Kaur, and Swetha Varma play the female leads in a technical sense. They are mere background properties who come to the forefront once in a while. The last of three has the smallest of the parts. Monica and Jasmine are both dull and unimpressive.

Apart from the primary lead pairs, there is John Kottoly playing Popz, a mentor kind of figure to the boys. It is his performance that casts apprehensions on Prasad Raju’s directorial abilities. He doesn’t raise beyond a routine. The rest are forgettable as soon as they leave the scene.

Music and Other Departments?

Naresh Kumaran’s music fits into the setting very well, and it is not a compliment. It is the musical equivalent of the acting and the direction. Still, it would have been impossible to go through the proceedings without any background score. It covers a lot of acting and directing flaws despite being banal on its own. The cinematography by N Prasanth is weak. The editing by Ahmed Abdulla is at an ordinary level which is the same case with writing.

Highlights?

Climax
Some Awkward Fun Moments

Drawbacks?

Direction
Weak And Predictable Story
Acting
Zero Emotional Connection

Did I Enjoy It?

No

Will You Recommend It?

No

Review by Siddartha Toleti

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