Moonnamathoral Malayalam Movie
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After his initial two films - Punaradhivasam and Freaky Chakra, ad-filmmaker-turned-director seems to have become more obsessed with technicalities rather than content. The frames of his last two films Mullavalliyum Thenmavum and The Police have given us a glimpse of a techno-savvy director, also betraying the ad-filmmaker in him too. And now, with his much touted Moonnaamathoraal, which is the first Malayalam film to be shot and released digitally, V.K. Prakash proves himself again as a techno-savvy director, but falters on the content side.
He amazes us and occasionally sends a sort of a shiver down our spine, but doesn’t satisfy us or give us a film worth mentioning or remembering.
Two young girls Anupama and Rahel, both working as nurses in a hospital, come to stay at Krishnapuram palace located in a remote place. The caretaker of the palace is Chempattu Raman Nair. Soon after they begin their stay at the palatial bungalow, eerie things begin to happen one after the other. Anupama even starts having strange and bizarre dreams. Shocked and shattered, they are on the verge of leaving the palace, but decide to consult Dr. Arun, their boss.
What they discover is shocking. This is what happens prior to interval. Post interval you find Jeevan, a police officer and his newly wedded-wife Bala, a writer, coming to Krishnapuram Palace to stay. Strange things happen, especially to Bala. How all this is linked to what had happened before the interval forms the rest of the plot.
V.K. Prakash manages to maintain the tempo of the film and gets the aid of visual and sound effects to maintain the horror effect throughout. Cinematographer Loganathan and art-director Nathan Mannoor, along with Editor Don Max give V.K. Prakash ample support in creating an eerie feel throughout the film.
Jayaram, Jyothirmayi, Samvritha, Vineeth and Sherin do justice to their roles. The background score by Ouseppachan too is in sync with the theme.
Songs penned by Shibu Chakravarthy and set to tune by Ouseppachan have been filmed in style by the director. But in totality the film has much wanting and leaves you disappointed. There are many scenes and shots that remind you of Hollywood films and even of desi stuff from Ramgopal Verma like Bhooth, Vasthushastra etc.
Moonnaamathoraal is stylishly shot, stylishly edited, stylishly spiced up, but lacks that something that differentiates the stellar from the stale. And that something is what V.K. Prakash seems to have lost after his initial two films.
