ED Movie Review
ED: A Comic Take on Family Dynamics and Mental Trauma
A comedy drama with subtle dark shades driven by Suraj Venjaramoodu's stellar performance, ED-Extra Decent explores strained familial relationships, toxic parenting, and the haunting impact of childhood trauma, but falters in its uneven latter half.What is the secret behind all relationships? The batty hero in 'ED-Extra Decent' will give the answer: fear. His shrewd leveraging of this factor forces his parents to dance according to his tunes. Binu, delightfully portrayed by Suraj Venjaramoodu, holds up his parents in a sort of emotional blackmail to enjoy life in his own manner. The fresh content gradually gathers pace and springs a surprise evolving from the exhilarating performance by Suraj, who is also one of the producers of this flick. Suraj has supremely absorbed the protagonist's peculiar demeanour and the habit of using chewing gum that plays a vital role in the movie. With a sublime performance, Suraj shoulders the film in its tottering stages and his transformation is nothing short of excitement.
A comedy drama with subtle dark shades, this film, helmed by Aamir Pallikkal, touches upon issues like parenting and haunting mental trauma of a man post witnessing the death of his brother in childhood. The tenuous but a bizarre conflict keeps the proceedings rolling rivetingly but after a saturation point, the film apparently slouches. The script penned by Aamir Pallikkal and Ashif Kakkodi has ample potential to burgeon, had it been bolstered further in the latter half; instead of focusing on the repeated panic situations among the family members.
The opening scene is a curious affair when Binu is hit by the security staff of his flat using a hammer. From the narration of his sister Nishima (Grace Antony), working in the US, the mysterious character of Binu is revealed. The panicked faces of his family members, including parents Dasan (Sudhir Karamana) and Lakshmi (Vinaya Prasad), throw light on the bizarre conflict in the family and how they are made to toe the line as per Binu's whims and fancies. The dark comedy elements convey the essence of the script but after a certain point, the purpose of the film remains to be a baffled comedy caper with the real soul of the theme wilting away.
Lakshmi's depth of motherhood is questionable when we get innuendos of her toxic intentions. The tale also lambasts concepts of parenting and the expected filial duties from children. Dasan had treated unemployed Binu badly as he grew up. Binu works in his father's computer centre by putting up with the insult being cast on him by his father. The bad parenting method is evident when Binu is kept away from enjoying his privilege as Dasan's son. Meanwhile, Nishima is fond of Binu, who quite often wistfully recalls his school days with his brother. Binu's approach to Nishima's relationship with his friend Sanjay (Shyam Mohan) gives anxious moments to the family.
The hero's one question ruins the peaceful milieu of the house and his parents obey his commands. Sudhir Karamana gives life to the character with realistic expressions and he effortlessly handles the various emotions demanded by the role. The inner conflict of Binu, who was denied even riding scooter and car by his father, transforms him into a man with psycho traits. His eccentricities shape up 'ED' as a different comedy drama and the ad nauseam feel increases due the uneventful latter half. The script is panting for more powerful add-ons towards the climax of the movie that struggles to grab your attention consistently. A delightful performance by Suraj enhances this intriguing tale of a mentally-disturbed youth till the hiccups pop up after a saturation point.
