2 Penkuttikal

2 Penkuttikal was in my hard disk for more than a year before I watched it. The reason is that I couldn't find a time to watch it because there were many promising movies to watch. And that says it. Does this movie have nothing promising in it?

I don't remember the exact reason for why I downloaded it because it was about a year ago and yet I like to assume it was Amala Paul. But I'm sure it came as a suggestion after I put my ratings for 5 sundarikal.

However, the reason I started watching this is nothing other than the need to cleanup the hard drive despite of the mediocre, probably bad reviews of it in IMDb.

First thing was the subtitles. It's been always a burden in considering Malayalam movies. They make quality movies yet not much interested in doing good subs for it. However by adjusting about 90 seconds, I could get the it to sync properly. It was smooth after that for the most part.

The very start made me think suspiciously because it was clearly understood that this is a low budget movie. And the intro wasn't appealing enough. The opening credits were in black background with small cuts to some events of the life of a small girl. And the repeating opening bgm wasn't welcoming because it was the same repeating clip. And opening credits were too slow and long. Since this is a one and half hour movie other than typical over two and half hour Malayalam movie, I thought it was necessary to make the credits roll more in order to stretch it a little bit.

Once the movie started, and after few minutes, I felt that this is a well directed and we'll edited movie. Thought it is a simple script, the actors make it reliable. Specially the perfectly tuned Anna Fathima as Achu is doing the character perfectly. And she we'll deserve the recognition she had. Amazing job.

The movie was interesting to watch, not boring as some of the reviewers have mentioned. But it's after all the choice of the viewer. This is not a children's movie but you have to adjust yourself to it because it almost is a children's movie. But with a strong messages for the whole society. And what I'm impressed is how they managed to incorporate it so naturally by building a character with those attitudes of a rebellion.

I like to conclude this saying this is a really good movie to watch. Not the typical Malayalam movie but it is filled with beat quality material. Well directed. After all Jeo Baby is a director to watch. Hope he'll do amazing work.

The only regret I had was casting Amala Paul as the elder Achu because she doesn't match with Achu's profile. At least she should have given a darker facial makeup. But yet again who knows? Maybe Achu's mother's remedy to make her a fair lady finally worked.

Indie Malayalam films are the shiz right now; why that is is evident from this delightful little drama focusing on two girls and their perspective about living in a man's world.

Achu (Anna Fathima) and Anagha (Shyam Bhavi) are two close friends and schoolmates studying in grade six. While Achu hails from a financially weak background, Anagha is torn between her parents' rough divorce. However, they are worried about neither of these things. There is something else that is bothering them. Each one of their classmates have visited a shopping mall and a beach, except for them, and the need of the forced action to raise their hands lest they be the only minority when a teacher asks the class about the fun existential trivia as to who all have casually visited these two places makes these two young girls to take the decision. The decision to bunk off from school one day and visit these places with the money they have stashed in their piggies.

Achu is a naturally inquisitive girl while Anagha partially shares her friend's interests and beliefs. Achu is confused why there is a seemingly huge inequality between how men and women behave in the world, and is frustrated when her uneducated parents fail to make her understand the reality and their whys. The bunking of classes to visit the mall and the beach is, therefore, a way of not accepting the usual norms of lifestyle for women laid out by the society. Achu knows this when she suggests this idea to her friend as Anagha tags along, happy to be away from her mother's incessant nagging.

The first half is a brilliant essay about the innocent mind of the young. The second half goes periodic and takes us two decades later relative to the aftermath of their unguided excursion. And then things take a clichéd and preachy turn. While the thought behind making such a film is justified, a preachy climax plays with its overall appeal, making the audience get unenthusiastic. Nevertheless, the film has enough credit to make it an enjoyable watch about a social theme.

The child artistes, especially Fathima, are brilliant in their acts. It is the elder actors who play the adult versions who look like amateurs in front of these talented girls. Even the supporting cast do a fine job at making this film realistic and to the point. There is no stray humor or cheap jokes that deviate from the primary subject. The dialogues, the writing, the setup, and the performance are all lined to make it an enticing watch that will touch your heart.

BOTTOM LINE: Debutante Jeo Baby's "2 Penkuttikal" is an enjoyable watch about two curious young girls portrayed by two talented young girls as they set out finding the course which shaped their feminine lives the way it is. Rent a DVD.

Can be watched with a typical Indian family? YES

I'll go full offensive against the "learned" people who rated this movie so low. Probably, the people who rated the movie low are the ones who still think that women should be confined to kitchen. While respecting their freedom to express what one think, pity is the least parliamentary word I could imagine to describe the emotion I have about them.

Coming to the movie, it's a well made with just one glitch. The performance of Amala Paul as elder Achu is disappointing and not in par with the realistic mood of the movie. Else the movie is realistically stupendous.

Can sum up this entire movie with the one word- boring. Yes it mentioned some differences between boy and girl in a completely flat tone; differences that every one knows. But right from the start the dialogues and the constant 'Achu' and the friendship between the two girls in school and the end.. everything is portrayed in the most boring manner possible. And Anju Kurian has a totally unnatural pouting face all the time, not pleasant to see on screen. Tovino Thomas is completely insignificant in the movie. Overall would not recommend watching this movie even by mistake.