Money Ratnam Malayalam Movie
It's a surprisingly low bar that 'Money Ratnam' aspires to rest on and despite managing to raise the occasional smile, is loud and low. A road movie that wants to be a comedy and a moralistic fable all at once, it's a jug-headed chore that has eye-rolling moments galore.
Neil (Fahad Fazil) is tremendously excited when he leaves the Mercedes Benz office after the launch of a new model. He has been doing pretty good at his job as a sales executive, and has an engagement ring stashed away in his trouser pocket. His lady love Pia (Niveda Thomas), is meanwhile busy organizing an event for her charity organization.
In another corner of the city, Isaac (Renji Panicker), a builder by profession, has set out to lay his hands on Geraldite, a rarer than the rarest green gem. He offers a crore for the stone to Karim (Sasi Kalinga) and his team, but ends up losing his suitcase that contains the cash, (no) thanks to his assistant with a severe memory loss (Kochupreman).
The money ends up with Neil that makes him a crorepati overnight. A crazy merry go round is what follows, with one after the other, and with everyone trying to get a share of their fortune. When Neil runs into a local city thug, a scuffle ensues, which leaves the goon with a sprained neck. The ruffian's brother Makudi Das (Joju George) emerges out of nowhere, and demands Neil's blood.
As is the case with several such films, there is almost an unpronounced statutory warning hanging in the air throughout, to throw logic to the winds, and sit back and try to have a laugh at what is going on in full swing. If you would indeed be able to do that would depend on so many other things, your temperament and sensibilities included.
There are a few digressions that make you wonder where it's all headed. There is this lover couple whom Neil comes across, who appear time and again before him. Their story is even told in flashback, and when its finally unearthed and laid bare before us, the several questions regarding its utility stare us right on our faces.
Of course the point has been established beyond doubt that Neil is an epitome of virtue, with his sticking some gum on a politician's poster, while affectionately gazing at a 'Save a Child' notice. The man with a heart of gold does not think twice before leaving a bundle of notes beside a young girl awaiting a tumour surgery outside a hospital.
'Money Ratnam' isn't the kind of film that I would expect from Fahad Fazil, undoubtedly one of the actors in the industry with an impeccable script sense. I would like to believe that Fahad was just letting his hair down with this film, and that he knew what was in store all along. He is without doubt good in it, but it hardly matters in a film as this.
Niveda Thomas looks gorgeous and sashays into the heroine league with aplomb. Sasi Kalinga and Renji Panicker are two other actors who make a mark, while Kochupreman leaves a smile on your lips with a few of his antics. There is nothing much spectacular about the technicalities, nor does the musical score impress you beyond your wits.
'Money Ratnam' suffers from a script that tries hard to do a lot of things at once, but which finishes none of it in style. A statement here and an assertion there, a giggle here and a frown there, it's a film that fails to hold together as a whole.
MOVIE REVIEWS