Chaaver

Chaaver had good intentions and a great message to pass along, but the tedious storytelling sadly punctured the beauty of this film

DELICIOUS

-One thing that Chaaver is extremely rich in is symbols!

From the opening scene that zoomed in on a mouse getting ready to eat a roach to Pablo Neruda's poem

-It was encouraging to see the theme of loyalty present across characters

-The photography added a plus to the storytelling with engaging camera movements and placements that were as curious as we were.

-It was quite interesting that the four goons all came from different faiths. Without being a spoiler, when you understand the intent of their murder, it kinda makes sense why they were selected

BLAND

-The storytelling was regrettably slooow and unengaging😭 The movie only got a boost toward the last 20 minutes, this was obviously too late.

The scene sequences seemed detached: one moment we were introduced to Ashokan and his partners and another one we were taken to Arun and his mom who appeared cold toward each other.

The lack of a parallel plot made the scenario redundant and the long scenes impaired the beauty of this film

-The everpresent ominous score made it look as if something gripping was going to happen but nope, we only saw Ashokan and his partners driving and driving in their car😔

-As Chaaver carried an important message, inspirational and thought-provoking dialogues could have been crafted to make it memorable

Joy Mathew has a tendency to make his scenarios tedious as he did with 'Uncle', so sad that we witnessed the same pattern with Chaaver...

It's a film that makes you realise, how you have a different taste in films. Chaver is a " Slow burner " by Tinu Pappachan which has not been explored in Malayalam cinema much often.. rather than the story movies highlight is it's masterfully done cinematography and background scoring.. that just gifts us with these heart breaking moments. The film request it's audience to ease in to the fate awaiting it's characters.. Arjun Ashokans character felt like a representative of the audience who are also innocent to the world of "Chavers " and as he is dragged into it so are we into a reality we have been unaware of or ignored. Oppose to public opinion Pepe's Character was perfection and it was awesome to see the actor in a new light.. the climax reminds us of " Varathan " movie but different. Over all its a film for the stoners, lonely people and those minds that love to get lost in simple things...

I could sense the enthusiasm with which Tinu Pappachan wanted to deliver this film - it was evident throughout, maybe a tad too much. As a one-liner, I feel Chaaver is a film with potential. But whatever I saw in the film scene-by-scene, the excitement fizzled out early on. The route the screenplay chooses to take is treading the beaten path, with negligible attempts at character development and building emotional depth.

There are feeble efforts to make a character's death feel sad and remorseful, and the thematic use of Theyyam (as an art form) to amplify these feelings unfortunately doesn't hit the mark. On the other hand, there are commendable efforts made on the visual front and the cinematographer (Jinto George) seems to have worked overtime to capture those incredible night shots. However, the excessive use of slo-mo proves to be a dampener. None of the characters stick, and even when Kunchacko Boban manages to look the part (of a no-nonsense ruffian ready to spill blood for his political party), the writing renders him just as inconsequential as the rest.

Arjun Ashokan's character is one that involuntarily gets embroiled in this mess, though I couldn't find one solid reason for him to be tagged along with this motley crew. He could've just been dropped at the next junction for all I care (after the ruckus we see), and nothing in the film would've changed. The political backstabbing and casteist angles are predictably weak, and they don't add much to a film that already appears worn-out while getting to its finish line. Justin Varghese's score is fantastic though, and without it, I'm guessing this would've been an absolute snoozer.

P. S. I'm pretty sure Tinu Pappachan will bounce back from this. This wasn't his comfort zone, and unfortunately, Joy Mathew's writing failed to back him up.

"The movie started off with great promise, building up the hype and excitement within the first 15 minutes. However, the momentum dipped as the plot slowed down, leaving the audience waiting for the suspense to pick up. This lag continued into the second half, sapping the initial energy. Disappointingly, the film didn't deliver on the expectations set by its trailer. Kunchacko Boban showcased his acting prowess with a commendable role, but Arjun Ashokan's character felt somewhat out of place. Despite the flaws, the movie is worth a single watch for fans of the actors and the genre.".............................

This movie had a strong story but sadly the screenplay was not up to the mark. The creators forgot to execute the movie properly. The director attempted to convey more through the imagery shown throughout the film, but even that couldn't save the sinking ship.

The technical side was brilliant in this movie and that combined with the cinematography was top-notch. Locations were carefully selected and that's another positive in the movie.

Rather than going into taking sides and going into politics, people should try to constructively criticize a piece of art. Sadly that's not happening in our contemporary times.

Kunchacko Boban has been involved in some weak script films recently, and this one will also be remembered as one of his poor choices. Arjun Ashokan and Manoj K. U were superb in their respective roles.