I saw 22 Female Kottayam yesterday from Changanachery Apsara Theatre....First of all, a thumbs up to the theatre management..After the success of Second Show and Masters, I think they gained some money such as they have been able to modify the seats and interior.....Now it has become a good theatre.Coming to the movie, it is a good movie worth watchable. I must appreciate the bold attempt by the team not to restrain dialogues or scenes involving sexual matters. The theme of the movie is good. A woman going for revenge against men who cheated her and abused her sexually. The way it is treated is also good. Good direction by Aashiq Abu. The visualisation of the story is superb. Eye catching visuals actually. I have not seen Salt and Pepper yet. But by this movie, I regard him as one of the future bests.
The best thing about the movie, I think, is Fahad Fazil. He is absolutely amazing. Believe me, he is going to be one of the best actors in Malayalam movie industry. He has portrayed a complex character with such ease and fine precision. The transformation from a handsome chocolate boy to a heartless villain is simply amazing. The main thing to say here is that he has not overacted a little bit. He did what was required by the screenplay. That is a very difficult thing to do. This guy has got talent
Having said all these good things, I really do not appreciate the movie as some other people have reviewed it. I think it is a good movie, but not that very good. It lacks something somewhere. My main argument is that the movie lacks an inherent logic. It is like the team wanted to portray the power of women and some feminist thoughts all along the way, let it be in the expense of a good, solid storyline. I felt that especially during the climax scenes (when she wants Cyril to know what he has done wrong). That felt comical to me. No real depth in those scenes. Actually, who in the hell is going to forgive a person who surgically removed one's genital organs and who is still going to say that "Neeyanu pennu??" . (Although one can argue that Cyril was bluffing throughout the scene, but certainly not in this case ). It was all symbolic. A little too much feminism for the sake of feminism.
And another thing I felt went wrong was Reema Kallingal. I know most people praised her for her acting. I am not saying that she was bad. Actually overall she was good. In the latter half, when she is a smart and bold and deadly woman, she is very good. But that is in her comfort zone. That is what Reema Kallingal can do. We have seen the confident-self of her in Happy Husbands and all. That is who she really is. But what about the first part of the movie where she is a pretty naive girl??? I don't think she has handled it well, especially in the scenes after she was raped and she gets emotionally disturbed. There was way too much theatrical, melodramatic overacting (especially in the scene when she cries all over Fahad). I did find it irritating actually. (When Anne Augustine did it in Ordinary, everyone booed. What is the difference here?). The main flaw of the movie lies in the transformation part. The focus was not at all on Reema Kallingal. Just because of a jail sentence (where she actually had not much difficulties or did not have to endure that much torture), will one become a ruthless cold minded person over two or three months?? In Kill Bill (one of the movies from which it is inspired as the director himself quotes), Uma Thurman was already an assassin and she just came back with a vengeance. Here, just over time, she transforms (without much shown in the script). I couldn't accept it.
But another good thing here is the woman who portrayed the pregnant Subaida. She is an absolute class actress.
And finally do not get me wrong here. I liked the movie. It is a very good movie. But the reason I spoke too much negatives about the movie is that no one did it before. Everyone was in appreciation of the movie. So someone has to flip the coin, right?
It is a good movie, go and watch it, you won't be bored,
My rating is 7/10