Unnam - Not sharp enough

This movie has everything - crime, money, lust, action - but, a story line that one could relate to. Adapted from Sriram Raghavan's 2007 Hindi movie 'Johnny Gaddaar' (acknowledging the source is a welcome change indeed), the movie is about the genesis of a crime, done on the lines of a crime thriller neo-noir film. Sunny (Lal) is a retired conman who had connections with Mumbai's underworld and Murukan (Nedumudi) is his confidante. Aloshy (Asif Ali) is an aspiring singer who now sings in a bar to eke out a living and who has been brought up by Sunny and his late wife Padma (Chitra Iyer) as their own son and Tommy (Prashanth Narayanan) is the son of an old friend of Sunny's to whom he is indebted. They plan a crime to make some quick-buck. However, this botched crime-saga to get richer by Rs. 2.5crore fails spectacularly thanks to one misdeed. A difference from the usual crime thriller pulp, is the fact that the identity of the culprit is revealed early, and the movie is an 'existential what-happens-after-he-done-it'.

Siby Malayil is a fine craftsman who could translate a good script beautifully into visual language ('Thaniyavarthanam', 'Kireedam', 'Dasharatham', 'Bharatham' with Lohitadas, 'Sadayam with MT, 'Akashadoot with Dennis Joseph). His stories usually revolved around the familial system within Kerala milieu. With 'Apoorvaragangal' he changed track opting for crime thrillers with metropolitan background suitable for a multiplex crowd. Johnny Gaddaar worked because it takes place in Mumbai whereas it is hard to visualize a no man's land in Kerala with all the characters flaunting guns, the protagonist/antagonist on a killing spree with no police or enquiry and the motive, making a fast buck, itself seemed unconvincing. Sunny decides to go for heroin-peddling not for himself, as he has retired from all that activities and is leading a life of a recluse, listening to his late wife's songs. He wants to help the others settle in life, but nobody seems to be in dire need of money and pooling 50 lakh was so easy for them all, except Murukan who plunders money in gambling. Had the plan been devised by Tommy who has no scruples when it comes to making money it would have been more convincing.

When we are watching a thriller we want the screws to be tightened with a gripping narration, but for 'Unnam' the second half becomes easily predictable and in the last shot the character reveals the motive to the audience, facing the camera. It ought to have been a monologue. Also it was more than obvious that on the throes of death, Sunny will switch on the tape recorder to hear his wife's song. The obsession with heroine's virginity is here to stay in Malayalam cinema it seems; even if she is married it ought to be so to be the love object of the hero. Aloshy is in love with Jenny (Rima Kallingal with the same plastic expression. At least she should have been provided with a good wig!), Tommy's wife. He is shown as an unscrupulous man in all his dealings, still he has not touched his wife!

The role of the protagonist look heavy for Asif Ali and his dialogue delivery resembles the delay effect (in music), with variation in timing. The surprise-package of the movie is Prashant Narayanan who has made his debut in Malayalam cinema memorable.