Akale

Akale is a beautiful adaptation of Tennessee Williams' timeless play, The Glass Menagerie, and for the same reason there is little chance that anything could go wrong. The entire production team and actors have done their parts quite well. but it was Tennessee Williams all the way.

Its the words that touches you the most. you would be am again convinced how important it is to have a well-written screenplay to make a good movie.

Syamaprasad has done a wonderful job adapting it. And he has taken the liberty to alter it without hurting the finale sequences, and is an indicator of how he has internalized the whole theme and made it his own.

A streak of hope that he instills in the views mind is so positive in all his movies, despite how tragic the characters remain. He did the same thing with his previous film Agnisakshi, and he has done it again.

The acting of Geetu Mohandas, reminds us how she is one real true actor.

Camera by S. Kumar, and neat editing by Vinod Sukumaran have helped perfecting this film to its final form.

I am glad a director like Syamaprasad handles such sensitive themes in his movies, and i hope he comes with movies that would address and communicate directly to the world at large than a small community like Malayalam.

Akale is the best chamber drama that has happened to Malayalam cinema and one of the finest films ever made in any Indian languages.

Emotionally wrenching, the adaptation has taken us deeper into the nuances of emotional conflicts, raw sources of human feelings, untamed angst for our beloved ones, and the eternal quest of souls to seek out their destinies. I have watched Shyamaprasad's adaptation more than twenty or twenty five times by now. I have stored it on my hard disk to dip into it once in a while. It leaves you in a wretchedly truthful state of mind, in which you'd have already associated yourself with a lot of memories belonging to Neil, the protagonist. You come out, in a way cleansed and deepened, each time, after watching this film.

I have come to believe that there are many kinds of artists. Of them two that pop up in modern discourses are 'clever' and 'organic'. Shyamaprasad is an immensely intelligent artist. But what he takes to his art more is not the cleverness but his organic feeling for the subject. Akale has proved that Shayamaprasad is a rare kind of artist who can blend the organic elements of his vision into a perfect synthesis, for brilliant cathartic results. He is a truly organic artist who absorbs characters into his soul to deliver them in perfect shapes, sounds, and colours.

Akale is one of the powerful experiences that has happened in my life.

Yes, Akale which means far away, once watched comes "Aduthu" (near). In other words it comes closer to the viewers heart!! A touching movie, with just enough characters, renders reality, originality, creativity and a sense of pang in the viewers heart, all at the same time!!

The time-line from the original economic depression in the US has been captured with as much authenticity as possible within Indian setting, especially using Anglo-Indian characters to suit the original theme.

I guess the Director/Storywriter realized that it would not be agreeing to an Indian audience if a co-worker is asked to be brought home, to date his own sister, by his mother and hence it was good thinking to change the culture.

I say this with no ill bearing to the Anglo-Indian community, since I went to an Anglo-Indian school and have seen dating as a common culture, even way back in the 60's and 70's!!

Well done everyone!!!

Suresh, Miamisburg, U.S.A

An excellent adaptation of the Tennesse William's play. The localisation as well as the modernalisation of the plot is commendable. It is rare to come across such detailing and technical finesse in a regional cinema of India. The performances are the best in the movie. Geetu playing the role of Rose( Laura as in the play) brings out the rare and delicate persona of the character. The Cinematography gives the movie it's special feel and nuances it well with the central theme of parting and memory. The faded blue of the paneled windows fluttering in the foreboding thunder is an image that would linger in my mind for a long time. All in in all very good effort by the director Shyamaprasad, whose earlier film was also as evocative as this one

filmbuff-74, Bangalore