Njan Steve Lopez Malayalam Movie

Feature Film | 2014
Critics:
Audience:
Njan Steve Lopez is serious cinema. If you have a good taste for non-commercial, intense and realistic movies, it's a must-watch for you.
Aug 15, 2014 By Shaji Francis


The movie is fresh, direct, realistic and powerful. Like any intense cinema, it enthrals you, unsettles you, inspires you, probes you, questions you, and finally sets you free with a quivering mind. This is not the kind of movie that's done with the last frame on the silver screen; it's the kind that lives beyond. And all these hold true if and only if you have a good taste for non-commercial, intense cinema.


Steve (Farhaan Faasil) is a teenager college student, handsome and carefree. Having all the inquisitiveness and misdemeanours that's typical of a virile young man, he has an extraordinary air of innocence that makes him very likeable. Being the son of a DYSP, he stays in Police quarters, with its limited space and privacy that's irksome to a teenager. Anjali (Ahaana Krishna) is his childhood friend, staying in the same Police residential area, for whom Steve realizes he nurtures more than just friendly emotions. As life begins to look more colorful and promising, Steve encounters his destiny on the street, with little warning. His innocence that's fearless and unperturbed embarks on a journey into the brutal and the vicious domain that's so strongly active in today's society.


The name Steve Lopez is perhaps the only attribute that is not original in the otherwise completely fresh project, including the movie's casting. Like an eloquently written short story that deals with simple human emotions narrated in a heart-wrenching manner, Njan Steve Lopez is an elegant piece of visual alternative. Just like how you would close your eyes for a while to absorb or assimilate the emotions that the written words convey in a short story, the movie gives you breathing spaces exactly at every point that it invokes strong emotions. Only a top-quality movie-making team can assure such emotional balance and continuity, while ensuring precise control over what emotion to be triggered at which scene or shot. Endowed with a great screenplay (by Rajesh Ravi, Santhosh Echikkanam & Geethu Mohandas ) and dialogues (by Santhosh Echikkanam), Rajeev Ravi leaves no stone unturned in his attempt to create a powerful movie.


The movie opens with teenage love, traversing its poetic vibrations, aching uncertainties and invigorating charm. The song that picturizes Steve's and Anjali's love is wonderfully executed (music by Shahabaz Aman), nostalgic to everyone who has loved in their teenage days. Having gone through the emotional turmoil, all that Steve wants at the end is to return to Anjali's love, which he feels is the only solace that he can be certain of, is another stark reality of life. It's the loop of life that begins and ends in genuine love.


Each character of the movie has been etched in finest detail and dimension, no matter how many times they appear before you. That they are all performed by fresh artists, except for a couple (like Vinayakan, who plays the role of a thug), is a clear strategy by the makers to avoid any kind of image-baggage that could have been carried over. None of the fresh faces show the slightest shade of performance amateurism, and they have given their best shots for the project, is ample proof of perfect casting. Farhaan has very expressive eyes, just like his elder brother Fahadh.


Background music (by Chandran Veyattummal) that so well gels with the narration, never having to struggle to enhance or mellow down the original intensity; cinematography (by Pappu) that captures the realistic ambience of the story perfectly; editing that's conducive to the unmistakable smoothness of story-telling - Rajeev Ravi as the captain of the team has elicited the best from every member.


Not appearing preachy even for a moment, the movie is a powerhouse of human values. Selfless love and compassion, forgiveness, humanity, integrity, courage - during the runtime of less than two hours, Steve takes us through these integral qualities that make us worthy human beings. He values every single life around him, however small or detached it is. He refuses to give up on life, in contrast to his uncle Freddy (Anil Nedumangad) who indulges in drugs and other intoxications when challenged by life to extreme. The social activist in Rajeev Ravi seems to reflect on how we are treating our innocent, quality young minds.


Njan Steve Lopez is serious cinema. If you have a good taste for non-commercial, intense and realistic movies, it's a must-watch for you.


Shaji Francis

   

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