Chaaver Movie Review

Tinu Pappachan who is known for making action films like Swathanthryam Artharathriyil & Ajagajantharam tries a different genre this time. Chaaver is unlike his previous films as he pursues on a political drama which is written by Joy Mathew. The movie is narrated in the political backdrop of Kannur and gives an insight on the political murders. So how did Chaaver which is dead straight on the political atmosphere of Kannur fare up.?

The opening shot of Chaaver shows a rat being crushed under a jeep which was about to catch a fly. It seemed like the makers were trying to bring a figurative representation to the whole story beginning with that frame. The plot starts from here as they do not waste a single moment to dive into the story. A murder happens and the culprits are on the run carrying an innocent man along with them. The whole narration happens from the point of these characters.

But the writing falters after a moment when they have nothing else to show other than these characters. The audience might expect some sort of conflict between them while they are on the wind. The characters simply do not engage in any sort of conversations to ignite a dramatic moment between them nor they face any sort of threat. This is where the screenplay feels dragged and nothing to offer for the audience.

Regardless of a weak script and screenplay, Tinu tries to use his technical expertise to create a different visual experience. He is successful only to a point in the storyline after which there is no content for the maker to proceed. The technical details or the distinct frames doesn’t help the movie for a major portion in the film. The movie gets a lifeline towards the end only to be paralyzed a few moments later. The film doesn’t boast of a high-quality action even when there were possibilities. The background music gave a chilling tone to film but wasn’t enough to safeguard a shaky narration.

As far as the actors are considered, Kunchako Boban looked so intense and had a convincing screen presence as the menacing Ashokan. Sangeetha had a minute scene at the police station but the character went underutilized big time. Most of the characters were wasted as they never had a solid character arc in the film.

VERDICT : A disappointing political drama that never incites a thought-provoking question or convey a deeper meaning