Neerali Malayalam Movie
At a glance, "Neerali" reminds me of the survival thriller "127 Hours (2010)," directed by Danny Boyle, in which James Franco desperately tries to extricate from a horrendous situation. Albeit the level of desperation for survival is somewhat equal in both these films, "Neerali" is deprived of the 'laborious' task of creating a brilliant solution. Yet newbie director Ajoy Varma shows good temperament in the narration and treatment as well, keeping the suspense element high all the time.
Ajoy, who also handles editing along with Sajit Unnikrishnan, neatly trims the proceedings by interspersing the scenes to establish the characters and incidents. He sets the platform for suspense right from the off, creating the room for audience to ponder on the alternatives to escape from the crisis.
Gemologist Sunny George, played by Mohanlal, sets out a journey from Bengaluru along with his friend Veerappan (Suraj Venjaramoodu) in his old truck, which has a load of furniture. Sunny is in a hurry to be with his pregnant wife Mollykutty, essayed by Nadhiya, on her delivery day (why did not Sunny take a flight to Kozhikode remains a puzzle!)
On their way to Kozhikode, the truck meets with an accident, and it precariously dangles from the edge of a steep valley after being blocked by an uprooted tree. In another part of the story, we see a gang led by Rajan (Dileesh Pothen) is chasing this truck for a valid reason. The tension and suspense begin here. Now Sunny and Veerappan stand on the borderline of life and death. Since nobody comes to their rescue, Sunny relies on his own methods to extricate from the dangled vehicle. This is perfect till the emotional equations intrude into the tale giving it the colour of sentiments.
Mohanlal effectively retains his charisma in entire part of "Neerali." As the protagonist traverses through the different phases of dismay, fear and anxiety, Mohanlal accomplishes the task with ease and perfection.
Parvatii Nair appears as Naina, who has a crush on Sunny but the latter takes her as his best friend. Nadhiya creates the necessary impact as the eloquent and caring wife. Meanwhile, Suraj shines all the way as an indulgent father. The character laps up the right amount of sympathy from viewers, with regards to the conflict and the fate he faces.
"Neerali" is written by Saju Thomas and the crispy dialogues are natural and apt to the premise. Cinematographer Santosh Thundiyil has a tremendous effort behind the camera so the visuals are delightful and yield the best results. The background music scored by Ronny Raphael is good in parts and at some places it lacks originality.
If you ignore the tottering tale, the tentacles of this "Neerali" are strong enough to offer consistent gripping moments. The much-awaited suspense leaves you panting for more though Mohanlal hogs the limelight with his smart performance. It could have been a better survival thriller had the creative wings attained more supremacy.