Kaathal – The Core Movie Review
When the title cards start rolling for Kaathal, a beautiful melody is played on violin. It turns out that the background score is one of the pivotal parts of the movie. Music brings out the soul of the story to the fullest. This Jeo Baby directorial produced under the prestigious banner called Mammootty Kampany deals with a very significant social subject. It is imperative that somebody starts talking about one of the marginalised communities and Jeo Baby carries out a sincere effort in storytelling. Jeo Baby’s style of filmmaking depends heavily on subtle elements and hardly uses any cinematic sequences. Even in Kaathal, he hasn’t created any detailed tension building scenarios yet the viewers start to realize there is a friction ensuing. These situations are gradual and take some time to develop. Hence the conversations between the characters feel real and meaningful. Jeo Baby avoids melodrama and doesn’t indulge in explicit explanations or detailing the character by working through their backstories or history.
The audience needs some patience to blend into their stories but once the movie reaches the intermission part, the plotline gets more comprehensible and emotional. This was a necessary execution as the director wants to slowly develop the characters and the emerging issues while voyaging through their present day activities. Finally, a relevant message is discussed in its political and social context and the audience perceives the essence of the message appropriately. But the latter half totally changes the proceedings. Jyothika’s character Omana has opened up Pandora’s box and the characters need to face the facts. The performance of the characters amplifies as the movie reaches the climax portions. The emotions peak in the climax episode and hit the audience really hard. Mammootty’s Mathew Devassy who had to deliver a composed and subtle performance till then, breaks hard at the climax alongside Jyothika’s Omana & RS Panikkar’s Devassy.
The performances are highlighted with some beautiful frames. There are extended moments at various points of the film focussing on the individual characters and their minute expressions tell a profound story. The emotions are brilliantly covered in these portions highlighted by a soulful melody played in the background. The notes of guitar and violin are sometimes assisted by rain uplifting the tone of the film. The theme gets a poignant touch and is skillfully executed with all the artistic notions. Kaathal is a content driven movie and the subject needed a detailed discussion. The film is successful in laying out a clear and direct answer to the topic. The movie is a compelling drama that submits a bold statement by exploring the need for a strong emotional bond over the physical needs regardless of your sexual orientation.
VERDICT: An aesthetically appealing and powerful portrayal of human emotions defying the social norms and heralding change.