Mikhael Malayalam Movie

Feature Film | 2019 | Action, Neo-noir, Thriller
Critics:
Writer-director Haneef Adeni's style statement in the making is top-notch while the screenplay stands aloof from the creative push he imparts. 'Mikhael', which tells the tale of a saviour, shies away from giving coherent answers to the viewers regarding the exploits of the characters. The racy narration and lofty dialogues place the antagonists on top in this action thriller, outpacing a half-baked script.
Jan 19, 2019 By K. R. Rejeesh

Where To Watch:
Streaming:
   Amazon Prime

Ranging from succinct use of dialogues to stylish shots, filmmaker Haneef Adeni creates a strikingly impressive milieu in 'Mikhael'. His script is soaked in brevity but the heroic action is unbridled in the extravagant presentation. The promising substance is overlooked when he excitedly places the protagonist in a revenge mode. Right from the off, 'Mikhael' points to the realms of gang war before it swaggers into family relationships.


Indeed, Adeni's strength is revealed in his execution of shots albeit the plot format hardly moves forward from his debut film 'The Great Father', and here, the revenge becomes a pretty tiring exercise with the perfunctory climax scenes give only the effect of stapled elements. In every nuke and cranny, you get the presence of established actors sans providing any impact specifically.


The conflict arises from the family life of junior doctor Mike alias Mikhael, played by Nivin Pauly. He is living alone as his mother Ancy (Shanti Krishna) is married to Antony (Asokan) after the death of his father. His sister Jennifer (Navani Devanand) is living with her step-father and Ancy. Once an issue with Jerald Peter (Amal Shah) in school turns out to be a life-changing incident.


Jerald's father businessman George Peter, played by a stunningly impressive Siddique, is a ruthless man, who will resort to any route to avenge his opponents. There is no bottom to George's hostility towards the people whom he loathes. Once, George and his aides are killed under mysterious circumstances. Two police officers-- Muhammad Easa (JD Chakravarthy) and Issac (Suraj Venjaramoodu)-are in search of the killer of Jerald.


Unni Mukundan, as George's brother Marco, also arrives in the scene and he confronts with the gangs whom he suspects as killers of George. Nivin conveys inconsistent vigour in portraying the eponymous character throughout. Navani supremely exudes her confidence to portray Jennifer while standing as the centre of the whole action. JD Chakravarthy has a prominent influence in the tale and his characterization fails to satisfy convincingly.


Adeni's style statement in the making is top-notch while the screenplay stands aloof from the creative push he imparts. 'Mikhael' shies away from giving coherent answers to the viewers regarding the exploits of its characters. The racy narration and lofty dialogues place the antagonists on top in this action thriller, outpacing a half-baked script. It's strictly hard to overlook the new chapter in Siddique's career while watching him as George Peter. More than the villainy, it's his uncanny expressive face that plants the seeds of horror.


The vibrant visuals by Vishnu Panicker serve as the delicate accompaniments that elevate the proceedings. Action sequences only impress in parts but background score by Gopi Sunder is noticeable. The blend of sentimentalism in relationships with conflicts among drug gangs fails to dovetail properly.

K. R. Rejeesh

   

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