1 by Two Malayalam Movie
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I wouldn't really blame the viewer for feeling stranded while watching Arun Kumar Aravind's '1 by Two'. What starts off as a psychological thriller with immense potential winds itself up in loops and loops of complexities until it becomes almost impossible to untangle itself from the knots that threaten to strangle the very last bit of thrill out of it.
Hari Narayan and Ravi Narayan (Murali Gopy), twins by birth, grow up almost inseparable, despite the family's attempts to deliberately diminish their dependence on each other. Hari evolves into a cardiac surgeon of great repute, while Ravi turns out to be an architect. On a fateful night, the doctor's car crashes into a truck, sending Ravi into a delirium and eventually psychosis.
Making up the rest of the world around him are his parents and Dr. Prema (Honey Rose Varghese), a consultant surgeon at the hospital where Hari has been working, and whom he had been in love with. When Yusuf Marikar (Fahadh Fazil), an officer at the Crime Branch runs into an injured Ravi, his suspicions are roused, and he starts digging into the case with an obsessive vigor.
It takes a real long while for things to get into motion in the film, and even as the interval comes up, you realize that the plot has hardly proceeded much beyond the starting point. But it does manage to retain your interest now and then, courtesy the air of mystery that pervades all around.
It's a downslide all right in the second half, with the climax especially suffering terribly. For one, the suspense is revealed way beforehand, and the film tugs along for several more minutes before it draws to a close.
The writing lets you down tremendously in '1 by Two', and while an attempt has been made to keep the characterization intact, it works only in parts. This is because the plot suffers from an Obsessive Compulsive Disorder itself, just as the police officer in the film does, and it remains a bit too much preoccupied with its protagonist and little else.
All said and done, I would gladly watch '1 by Two' again for an unparalleled performance by Murali Gopy; a kind that I haven't had the opportunity to watch in Malayalam cinema in the recent years. The flawlessness that he brings in to his portrayal of a man torn apart by the throes of a psychological disorder is to be seen to be believed.
I really do not think it would be unfair to focus on this one particular actor in this review, since he is the sole reason why '1 by Two' should be worth a watch. There are ample instances of his exemplary talent in the film, and yet there is a scene when he assures an ailing patient, that he would be back soon, and everything will be all right. For me, the compassion that ebbs straight out of his eyes as he utters those words, is what makes him one of the best actors we have at the moment, and without doubt for the rest of them, this is a tough act to follow in the coming year.
Honey Rose Varghese looks dazzling, and as the doctor who doesn't realize what she is actually a part of, is excellent. Fahadd Fazil is perhaps the odd one out in the circle, not because his performance any less, but on account of the way in which his character has been conceived, almost as a caricature made of mock strokes. Jomon's cinematography is top-notch, and contributes hugely to the sense of obscurity that is purposefully preserved.
The biggest letdown with regard to '1 by Two' is how unsurprising everything comes to ultimately, and the tired climax drives in the final spike in the casket. It's too jaded to be entertaining and a bit too static to cook up some excitement.
