Manglish Review

Strictly following the three-acts-structure of screenwriting and movie-making, Manglishdoes have its first and second acts intact with impressive opening, set-up, inciting incident, turning points, confrontation and build-up for the final act. But the final act leaves much to be desired.

It is the story of Maalik (Mammootty), known as "Bhai" to the folks of Fort Kochi. He's a hero to them - to be dreaded, revered, loved, and approached for help. Leading an eventful life of a middleman in the fishing business, having connections with politicians, police officers and other influential people, things take a turn when the foreign lady Michelle (Caroline Beck) enters his life. What starts off as a routine activity to help his prime political connection soon becomes entangling, and more than whatBhai was prepared for. Disclosing any further would be to play spoilsport in the simple-story movie.

There are three strong factors that keep you amusingly engaged for most part of the movie - the charisma of its megastar, the simplicity and fun environment of Fort Kochi along with Tini Tom as Bhai's close aid doing the honors of its strong comedy element, and its foreign feminine charm.

The movie does not exist without its megastar Mammootty, in every sense. Mammootty stamps his towering personality in every frame that he appears. Though the introduction is typically exaggerated for the megastar that he is, the character soon becomes endearing to all, with its genuine simplicity, originally innocent Fort Kochi language, and daring integrity. The first-half song that's a piece of imagination, showing Mammookka and Caroline Beck in an exotic foreign location, is a stunning exploitation of the killer looks and style of both the hero and the heroine, and of great music, and of excellent choreography.

After watching the whole movie, one would want to move the slide-bar of "Romance" towards the higher value side. Bhai could have romanced Michelle a little more, the scope of which was definitely there in the story and plot and genre. The resolution scene where Michelle hugs Bhai in child-like innocence and love does leave the desire for more in an average spectator. While running around trees after lasses is definitely not Mammookka's forte, true romancing definitely is! Love need not have been underplayed to such lower levels in this movie.

The ambience of Fort Kochi has been used exceptionally well in the movie, contributing great to its entertaining value. Dialogues and situations are fun-packed, without the slightest vulgarity, and with a few of them making you laugh aloud heartily. Tini Tom, Jojo George, Srinda Ashab, and Balachandran do entertain the audience in their simple and humble characters.

The movie belongs as much to the foreigner Caroline Beck as it is to Mammookka. She is beautiful, simple, original, and enticing. The character of Michelle that sulks a lot, cries a lot, shouts a lot, smiles a lot, and looks child-like a lot, has been played to perfection by Caroline Beck. The post-interval song that's dedicated to her character in the movie is a charming exhibit of her beauty, grace, and sensuality. At the end, the average spectator would wonder why she did not romance Bhai a bit more, or more correctly, why she was denied the damn chance!

Music by Gopi Sunder, and cinematography by Pratheesh Varma have been big selling points of Manglish. All songs were beautifully written and sung. The unique beauty of Fort Kochi was framed quite nicely.

There is an unmistakable genuinity and simplicity in Salam Bappu's movie-making style. We have seen that in his debut film Red Wine. Though Red Wine did not make it big at the box office, it was not all an unimpressive movie. As his second venture, Manglish that belongs to a different genre of Cinema when compared to Red Wine, must not have faltered for the same defect as in the first one. Unfortunately, it did. There could have been a little more zest and strength to the core conflict and the climax part; there could have been a little more warmth and directness in the romance part. Salam Bappu could be a little more less-restrictive in his movie-making style!

Manglish comes out as a simple, breezy entertainer for its most part. But it could have been much better with a little more romance, and zealous final act and climax.