Producer- Fareed Khan
Director- Lijo Jose Pellissery
Cast- Fahadh Faasil, Indrajith, Joy Mathew, Kalabhavan Mani, Sunil Sukhada, Swathy Reddy, Rachana Naryanankutty etc.
Music- Prashant Pillai
Cinematography – Abinandhan Ramanujam
Editing by – Manoj
Review By : Unni R Nair (Kerala9.com )
‘Amen’, Lijo Jose Pellissery’s third film after ‘Nayakan’ and ‘City of Joy’, is, in one word, brilliant. It’s brilliant, in every department and is thoroughly enjoyable too.
‘Amen’ is different from the director’s earlier ventures. This time he treads on an entirely new turf. I won’t reveal much about the plot; instead I would like to say something about the characters and the background against which the story is set.
Kumarankary- a little village by the backwaters…a bunch of interesting characters… and some interesting happenings going on. There is, in the village, a church dedicated to St. Geevarghese, Kumarankary’s patron saint. Father Abraham Ottaplackan (Joy Mathew) is not just in charge of the church as the head priest; he is sort of a decision maker for the whole village and the people therein. But he is no pious priest; he has his own vested interests. His trusted lieutenant is the sexton Ousep (Sunil Sukhada), who is hand in glove with him in almost everything and has his own interests to promote. The Geevarghese Band Group, which had always had the church as its patron, is now seeing bad days. The band had been facing defeat consecutively at the annual competition and it’s now the Martha Mariam band, run by Davis (Anil Murali) and his wife Mariamma (Sandra Thomas) that emerges the winner every year. Old Louis Pappan (Kalabhavan Mani), who leads the Geevarghese band, is sad but not defeated. Solomon (Fahadh Faasil), who plays the clarinet, is the son of the gifted clarinet player Esthappan (Rajesh Hebbar), who was a friend of Louis Pappan and who had drowned in the backwaters of Kumarankary. Solomon, though a talented musician, is unable to play the clarinet when the occasion comes for him to perform and he is thus always reprimanded and ridiculed. He is in love with Sosanna (Swathy Reddy), who is from a rich family and who too is madly in love with Solomon. (Their meetings and romantic exchanges remind us of Romeo and Juliet and their romance!). The men in Sosanna’s family however are totally against her love for Solomon. Father Vincent Vattolly (Indrajith) drifts in one fine day into the midst of these and the other simple villagers of Kumarankary. He is a priest, designated to be under Father Ottaplackan. Attired in flashy dresses and having the airs of a romantic musician, Vincent Vattolly looks more like a singer and a romantic lover than a priest. But in the course of time he does prove himself, as a priest in the true sense… It’s these and some other characters and an interesting story- peppered with emotions, laughter, some witty remarks, romance, an attempt at elopement, competition and the battle for survival, shrewd plotting etc that constitutes the plot of ‘Amen’.
I just don’t want to talk more about the plot, because it’s not a review but the film that needs to do the talking here. Everything about it is impressive- from the script to the technical aspects and from the performances to the direction part. Even the seemingly insignificant characters have been worked out with master strokes and performed naturally and even the occasional use of expletives and such things handled in a very funny manner. It’s a thoroughly enjoyable movie, nearing perfection in all aspects and departments… I wouldn’t want to do more of talking, just stop reading this review and go enjoy the movie!!
Performance
Every single actor in the film has done a perfect job of his or her role… (This includes those mentioned above and those who have not found mention). I wouldn’t bother discussing Fahadh or Indrajith or Kalabhavan Mani or Swathy or Joy Mathew or Sunil Sukhada individually. Every one of them has done a great job. Rachana Naryanankutty, Sudheer Karamana, Nandu, Makrand Deshpande, Anil Murali, Sasi Kalinga, Rajesh Hebbar, Chali Pala- all of them are part of the film’s success. (Yes, success it definitely is, from a film lover’s perspective, irrespective of how it does at the box office).
Technical aspects
‘Wow’- that’s all that I have got to say regarding cinematography by Abhinandan Ramanujan. Never before have you seen the beauty of the backwaters in such a manner and never before have you seen darkness and night communicate so powerfully against the backdrop of Kerala’s backwaters. The art-director Bawa and editor Manoj too have done great work.
Music
Prashant Pillai has done a brilliant work of the music. The songs penned by Kavalam Narayana Panicker (good choice Lijo!) and P.S.Rafeeque, jell perfectly well with the total fabric of the film.
Script
P.S.Rafeeque has managed to come out with a script that has been done so brilliantly. Every single aspect of it is done excellently well. The writer needs to be appreciated for having created even the most insignificant of characters in such a good manner and every single moment in the film, every single incident proves the versatility of the writer.
Direction
Kudos Lijo Jose Pellisserry!!! It’s a wonderfully brilliant work from the director, who is totally in control of things and knows perfectly well what he has got to deliver. Hats off to the director and his team!!
Verdict- Brilliant film, nearing perfection in all departments!!!
Rating: 4/5