Drishyam, an ongoing franchise with numerous remakes and even a sequel, finds its start here. In case you don't know, Drishyam is a hugely influential film that is about a middle class family covering up a murder. For a Western Viewer, this movie is worth the watch but there's a few caveats:
Cons:
Pros:
Cons:
- The structure is quite slow compared to Hollywood movies. In screenwriting vernacular, the catalyst - or the event that starts the day plot - always occur within the first ten minutes of the film. I would argue, the catalyst here doesn't happen until almost an hour into the movie. After this, the movie speeds up and becomes a lot more engaging.
- The editing tries to create a sense of high energy and movement throughout the film. However, There's a few instances where it is chuckle worthy.
- The third act begins to unravel and there is no nuance as the cast begins to be seen in terms of white and black when it should be grey.
Pros:
- Mohanlal is terrific in the role of a man who watched way too much TV, and has a 4th grade education.
- The plot, itself, isn't something you haven't seen before. Movies such as Fincher's Gone Girl and Clouzot's Diabolique and books like Dostoyevsky's Crime and Punishment both have similar ideas and themes as this film. That being said, there is enough twists and turns to keep this engaging in the moment to moment.
- The overall direction and cinematography of the film is satisfactory. There isn't a moment of really clever direction that'll really shake a person about a third of the way in. But outside of that, this film maintains a standard level of quality. If you are looking for a foreign thriller to watch. This isn't a poor choice, but it wouldn't be my first pick.