My Favourite Movies

Malayalam(not in order)

1.Thaniya Varthanam (Recurrence)

Starring: Mammooty,Madhavi,Mukesh
Director/Writer:Sibi Malayil/A K Lohithadas
A poignant story of how society,meaningless rituals and superstitions drive a perfectly normal person insane.Quite a disturbing movie.The protaganist is a teacher who hails from a family which suffers from a curse of insanity.Once his uncle dies,he is suspected to be lunatic and slowly bit surely,he becomes insane largely due to the role of the society.

2.Sukrutham (Grace)

Starring: Mammooty,Gautami,Manoj K Jayan,Narendra Prasad
Director/Writer:Hari Kumar/M T Vasudevan Nair
A brilliant movie which questions our attitudes towards life and death.The sympathy that the protaganist attracts when in deathbed is wiped out the moment he comes back fighting death.When most modern medicines fail,he is brought back to his old self by a doctor using Yoga,Pranayama etc.But when he's back,no one wants him-including his wife.It leads him back to what he had fought hard - death.

3.Oru Cheru Punchiri (A Small Smile)

Starring: Oduvvil Unnikrishnan
Director/Writer:M T Vasudevan Nair
A beautiful narrative which portrays a warm relationship between a septuagenarian couple in a small village in Kerala.A romance more lively than the younger ones generally which come across in movies.The theme's simple and humorous and has an ethereal charm to it without resorting to any cliches.

4.Thazhvaram (Valley)
Starring: Mohan Lal,Sumalatha,Salim Ghouse
Director/Writer:Bharathan/M T Vasudevan Nair
A revenge drama but taken in style.MTs script weaves a suspense thriller set in the high ranges and has a very Western craggy look to it,the Clint Eastwood types.The protaganist goes in search of the man who has destroyed his family and business.A tight script which keeps one close to the edge of one's seat and music which adds to the tension.It is reportedly inspired conceptually in parts by Roman Polanski's Knife in the Water; a detailed review provided here.

5.Sadayam (With sympathy)
Starring: Mohan Lal,Mathu
Director/Writer:Sibi Malayil/M T Vasudevan Nair
A tragic tale of helplessness where death is the only solution.A brilliant performance by the protaganist who stays cold and almost emotionless throughout but conveys his angst in his actions.In order to rescue four children from society's lust, he does the only thing he thinks he can do - he kills them.Very little humour but even the humour presented is cruel(like the quality of rope used for hanging etc).

6.Piravi (Birth)

Starring: Premji
Director/Writer:Shaji Karun
Shaji Karun's ode to the Rajan murder case set in the era of Emergency.Shaji as the old man conveys that deep sense of loss but a sense of hope that his son will return one day.Haunting images of the monsoon and the cinematography take the movie to a different plane.Shaji's film was widely accliamed and won awards in many film festivals,including Cannes.

7.Amrutham Gamaya (To Eternity)

Starring: Mohan Lal,Geeta, Parvathy
Director/Writer:Hariharan/M T Vasudevan Nair
A young man is out to make amends for his errors in life.He's responsible for the death of one of his juniors in a ragging session and tries to help out the poor family by educating his junior' s sister.Mohan Lal gives a brilliant performance as a guilt-ridden doctor also torn between his beloved and his conscience, in the backdrop of medical ethics.

8.Panchavadi Paalam (Panchavati Bridge)
Starring: Bharath Gopi,Innocent,Jagadish and others.
Director:K G George
A fantastic political satire which probably never got the due recognition it should have because it was not successful(wonder why).The story of corruption involved in the construction of a bridge in a small village is a minor classic and covers almost every inch of the political spectrum. It has a brilliant ending - the bridge collapses on its inaugration but everyone escapes except Srinivasan,who plays/represents the common man in the movie. Kundan Shah's "Jaane Bhi Do Yaaron" may have won much acclaim but it pales in comparision with George's spectacle.

9.Varavelpu (The Reception)

Starring: Mohan Lal,Revathy
Director/Writer:Satyan Anthikad
A tragi-comic look at Trade Unionism in Kerala.The protaganist comes back from Dubai to put all his earnings in a bus transport business.The unionism kills his efforts and he goes back to the Gulf,a broken man.The director uses humour to tone down the tragic undertones of the movie.The movie was referred to by Vajpayee in one of his speeches.

10.Vadakka Nokiya Yanthram (Magnetic Compass)

Starring: Srinivasan,Parvathy
Director/Writer:Srinivasan
A semi-tragic tale of a person with low self-esteem.He suspects his beautiful wife and goes to all extremes till he finally lands into an asylum.We are left in doubt at the end if he's fully cured as we watch the ending- another directorial touch,probably.A brilliant directorial debut by Srinivasan;a self-deprecating sense of humour to convey a serious situation.