Swathanthryam Ardharathriyil

Yes, of-course when I'm talking about this movie which hit on theaters recently I'm very much fascinated about the technical aspects rather more than the plot engaged in it. As I'm pointed the new auspicious entity which embarks me it's a new kind of output came from malayalam film industry and a varied path of cinematic technique followed by Lijo jose Pelliserry through out his film. It's not an imitation or a copying but it was an enigma of inspiration that he carried when he was with Lijo. Tinu Pappachan, the director along with the Cinematographer Girish Gangadharan he just bombarded each visuals into the utmost level that we were witnessed in Angamaly Dairies. Colloquially, this movie amazed me with the visuals.

Swathanthryam Ardharathriyil is definitely worth a watch. It might lack the finesse of Angamali Diaries. The film is too over the top. The catchy background score is overused. Some of the twists are a bit hard to believe. The acting is unremarkable in places. Issues with sound recording made some dialogs indecipherable. There are a few loose ends - like how did Anthony Varghese's character become such an expert on jail breaks and lay out of the jail compound?

But the continued entry of new characters and the changing line up of prisoners in the jail cell is entertaining. The interactions (sometimes deadly) between the prisoners is often quite amusing. A line up of mean looking actors has been assembled and they make this film one of the most belligerent in recent times.

The scene in the car wash reminded me of The Seven-Ups (1973).

Nearly 60% of the Angamali Diaries cast makes an appearance. Vinayakan and Chemban Vinod Jose standout among the supporting cast.

Also, I do not think many people grasped the provocative subject matter. The title is borrowed from a famous non-fiction book about India's partition. In the movie, the protagonist longs to escape not just from jail, but also from India which has turned into a communal hellhole.

It is a relentlessly entertaining prison escape film. Tinnu Pappachan is a director whose next film I will definitely watch.

(7/10)

Top class cinematography. Top class editing. Awesome cast. Top class performances even by the junior artists. Entertaining. Value for money.

The raw and edgy surface of Tinu Pappachan's Swathanthryam Ardharathriyil takes the front seat in his attempt to describe a classic jailbreak recreated using elements that we have seen before. It is not Anthony Varghese, who plays a patient convict eager to escape prison, nor his co-stars who shine throughout the film, but the gritty actions and stunts that fill this envelope made of superficial aspiration. I understand what the makers wanted to develop here, and considering that I finished it with some interesting takeaways, I can say they succeeded. Coupled with hitting rock music, unconventional cinematography, and a basic non-linear narrative, director Pappachan etches a story that is run of the mill but does it in a way that will entertain the hell out of you. I was enthralled by the way the characters talk, using slangs and deadpan expressions like they are talking at a tea stall on a Sunday evening talking shop, or rather how they were made to talk by Pappachan. Which is why I have given at least one extra star here for the brilliant effort. I was hooked for more than two hours in the film, but then was a bit disappointed in how the thriller ends. Even if I do not talk about the multitude of plotholes, Swathanthryam Ardharathriyil still remains a film far from perfect. But, hey, it is a rare try at a jailbreak film in Malayalam cinema, which is why it comes highly recommended. Watch for the rawness of jail life, amazing performances by Varghese, Chemban Vinod Jose, Rajesh Sharma, Sinoj Varghese, Vinayakan, and a couple new faces, and the brilliant soundtrack. TN.

Not sure if you watched this late seventies classic. Worth watching once, just for the making skills and some good performances from Pepe, vinkayakan, and chemaban.