Lal Salaam

Venu Nagavalli's brilliant film that follows the birth and rise of communism in Kerala through the eyes of three party workers. Ushering the delivery of the political ideology are comrades Netturan (Mohanlal), DK (Murali) and Sethu (Geetha). Rather than focusing entirely on the political ideology, Nagavalli brings to the forefront the reality of politics in a politician's life. A trip down the vintage Malayalam movie lane that leaves you wondering where the Mohanlal of yesteryear disappeared...

Rating: * * *

Elipathayam

The scene is rural Kerala in the late 70s where only a handful of Nair families continued to live off the land bequeth to them over generations. Unni (Karamana Janardanan) is the head patriarch of once such family. A lion within his den and a sheep outside; he is completely dependent on his younger sisters Rajamma (Sharada) and Sridevi (Jalaja). As society around him changes and rats run amok in his tharavadu , Unni tries to hold to his old ways and views. A film that shows the twilight of a society with sparseness that is characteristic of Adoor.

This is a flick that sent shivers down the spines of most Malayalees during the 80s because it was an "art" film by Adoor. It was supposed to cause death by boredom. I remember watching it my teens and secretly enjoying it. The decades in between have not taken the sheen away from this movie. A brilliant film with some mind blowing acting.

Rating: * * *