Pigman Malayalam Movie
Having watched 'Pigman', I wished that the script had pushed a bit harder. Avira Rebecca's second movie could have been a precious little gem, had it not given in to the constantly underwhelming execution of a script that fizzles out after an interesting start.
Sreekumar (Jayasurya) is a PhD research scholar who refuses to give in to the attempts of his research guide (Reena Basheer) to seduce him. Aggravated by his indifference, she ruins his thesis which sends him packing off from the university to a pig farm, where a friend (Remya Nambeesan) gets him a job. Sreekumar is unable to tolerate the injustice meted out to the employees by the manager of the farm (Baburaj) and the veterinary doctor (Suraj Venjarammoodu), and his behavior gains him a place right on to the top of their target list.
As I said, 'Pigman' starts off pretty well, and I was wondering if the film would be bold enough to dwell on the politics in Higher Education, that very few films have managed as yet to take a closer look at. For a few minutes at least, it did seem as if this film would do the unthinkable, thereby raking up animated discussions in academic circles.
Sadly however, nothing of the sort happens, and you realize that this is the story of a man who stands to lose everything in life. It's an account of his dejection, frustrations and depression, and his inability to express any of these. As it is, 'Pigman' turns out to be the tale of a miserable life, lived and almost lost to the barbs thrown at it incessantly from all around.
It's a steady and steep decline for the film, from the moment Sreekumar enters the pig farm. It starts telling you of things that you have heard a thousand times already, and which you are in no mood to further lend your ears.
There are the darts thrown at religion, education and of course politics. They seldom hit the mark and leave an impact, since the dartboard is already packed with plenty of predecessors. You hear those remarks and you nod, wondering where and when you had last heard of it.
Not always does the intention to pull off a hard hitting film work out as you expect it to be. 'Pigman' suffers on this front, and when it starts talking of the concerns of a jobless youth, with almost everything from an ailing father, a house that might be snatched away any moment by the bank, a family to look after and what not, it settles comfortably into a chair that is left rarely vacant.
Jayasurya somehow seems and looks out of place in 'Pigman', which isn't very common for this actor. I have seen him do worse roles much more convincingly, but the spirit of enthusiasm that makes his performances watch worthy is missing here. Harisree Ashokan grabs the very rare opportunity to perform in a meaty role with a vengeance, and indeed does a neat job of it.
'Pigman' is a rather dull affair where the efforts to drive across a few messages are indeed there, but where their depth and weight are lost in transaction. At times it appears a bit too two-dimensional, and sticks to its very basic plot without the slightest intention whatsoever to make a difference.
