James and Alice Malayalam Movie
Sujith Vasudev's directorial debut 'James and Alice' intends to offer a sneak peek on a marital relationship that has undoubtedly seen better days. Destabilized by a humdrum script, 'James and Alice' beats the familiar drum yet again for a while, before attempting to bring in a divine element into the narrative to make it sound a bit diverse.
James (Prithviraj) is an ad maker and a painter to boot, who had fallen in love with Alice (Vedhika) and whisked her off much to her dad's (Saikumar) disappointment. The couple sets up a haven of their own far away, and is soon blessed with a girl. As years pass by, love disappears and James and Alice grow increasingly uncomfortable in their abode with nothing but resentment and bitterness lying all around.
This is indeed one of those films that dissect marital discord in precise detail, which however falls short on several aspects, and does not succeed in keeping those genre cliches at bay. The sermonizing overtone does not strike much of a chord with the viewer either, and is bound to test one's tolerance.
There are a couple of highly imposing scenes in this melee that sadly get mislaid in the superficiality. The sappiness never does dip a bit, and with a few songs thrown in one after the other, 'James and Alice' runs for s staggering two hours and forty five minutes, that does appear far too lengthy for a sentimental saga as this!
The introduction of the fantasy factor in the latter half of the film does it no good, as it progressively slips into a vegetative state, incapable of compelling us to shed a tear for James or Alice. While there are several scenes that appear contorted, some appear tremendously loud as well, as the hospital scene when Alice shouts at an indifferent friend.
Looking back, the prime folly of the film lies in the fact that it never was able to establish on screen the kind of immortal love that the couple supposedly has, and it only very naturally follows then that their separation doesn't raise much concern. This extraordinariness is what is missing in 'James & Alice', and this fatal flaw costs it big time.
I should also specifically mention that miracle that awaits us at the climax; one that suggests an easy way out, but which leaves a lot to be desired. Given all the chestnuts that we have picked up along the way, the climax comes across as no surprise, but perhaps a bit of an attempt to stride along a divergent path could have made all the difference.
Prithviraj is remarkably good as James, but that doesn't surprise any more. What does come as a revelation is the startlingly refreshing performance that Vedhika comes up with. As Alice, she rises far above the very mundane script, and delivers a stunning feat. Parvathy Nair and Sai Kumar lend ample support, while a blue eyed Sijoy Varghese effectively brings in a divine charm. The director's frames are top notch, and the musical score by Gopi Sunder easy on the ears.
There is no denying the good intentions that 'James and Alice' has in mind, but regrettably they get lost in the meandering pathways that the narrative wanders along. Trite and a bit flimsy as a scruffily written Valentine's Day card, 'James and Alice' might be in need of a miracle to work wonders at the theatres.