If not for a somewhat brilliant show by Joju George, 'Joseph' doesn't come across as a satisfying thriller by a long shot. The screenplay is a bit of a slow-burner; building the titular character up one emotionally-tugging scene at a time. Joseph, as we'd expect, is a highly intelligent (but retired) cop who can spot potential cues in a crime scene very quickly. He constantly has either a drink or a beedi in hand, owing to everything that has happened in his past (shown in short but effective flashbacks). He has a gang of cop-friends around him who have taken to his habits and body language pretty well.
As an investigation thriller, the film doesn't shy away from capturing the ghastly details of murders in all viciousness. Even if that's so, the imagery doesn't make you wince, and the applause for that should probably go to M. Padmakumar, the director, and Manesh Madhavan, the cinematographer. However, the same two people should take the blame for extending shots by several seconds (in many an emotional scene), sometimes throwing their essence out of the window. Once 'Joseph' moves on to embrace certain thriller elements in the second half, it does get slightly more interesting.
Eventually, the writer does fall back on the scenario of one person being subjected to the same crime on multiple occasions, which seemed far-fetched when you perceive how scenes (and characters) were being built up in the first half. The finale is nothing short of a bummer, and a court scene detailing Joseph's strategy of catching the culprits red-handed is one that doesn't give you the feel of a complete thriller. Honestly speaking, 'Joseph' works better as a character study than a tightly-knit thriller.
The major women characters, played by Athmiya, Malavika Menon, and Madhuri Braganza, all of whom meet the same fate, in fact, feel like unfortunate ploys to enhance the sadness quotient of the protagonist. The writing (by Shahi Kabir) needed some refinement in both halves while the editing department had to do better by trimming certain scenes that didn't contribute much to the film. Nonetheless, if there's one factor that still makes me ask a casual viewer to check 'Joseph' out, would be the stellar performance by Joju George. The Mohanlal-shades are hard to deny, but it does feel like a very sincere effort put in by an actor whom we've constantly seen doing comical/supporting roles. If you're a fan of dark thrillers, then keep your expectations minimal and watch the movie!
