Take Off

I was in for a surprise. I found the trailer good but the movie just blew my mind. From the initial scenes of character nurse Sameera's pain as she struggles between motherhood, a divorce, night shifts and also the tension to get a job in Iraq to the later scenes where she witnesses horribly injured patients at an Iraqi hospital and then the nightmare of ISIS terrorists who hold her & her colleagues hostage are shown brilliantly. Parvathy is near flawless as Sameera and hope she gets another state award for her performance. Kunchacko Boban as her husband and Fahadh Fasil as an Indian Embassy officer are the other major characters in the movie and they both deliver very well. This movie may draw comparisons with the Bollywood movie Airlift released last year due to similar theme of Indians caught in a war zone in Middle East. I'd say both are very good in their own way although each has some flaws too. What I'd remember Take Off for is Parvathy's performance and also many of the tense scenes that involve the terrorists. They get seared into your brain long after the movie is over. But as this movie is only inspired by true events, some of the liberties taken with the story fail to convince in few scenes. Also, the reaction of Fahadh's character to the news that his decision saved some of the Indians from an explosion on a road is quite cinematic, it almost mocks the deaths of the other nationalities caught in that tragedy. But these are somewhat minor flaws in an otherwise masterfully made movie of hope and the will to endure any crisis. I think it's a must see.

While watching this movie, I realized that it really does suck to be an Indian. We have to stand in queues to get jobs, to emigrate to other countries or even to buy a bottle of alcohol. Our lives are a series of application forms to be filled and photostats to be submitted. I had tears in my eyes during the first scene and even the scenes at the end with the pictures of the nurses meeting their families after. Why are we always at the mercy of governments and dictators?

I loved the account of the Muslim lady's personal life. But hated the scene where she dons the burqa with glee. Would one Indian filmmaker have the guts to feature a scene where a Muslim lady tears off her burqa? The patriotic scenes towards the end were also a bit cringe-worthy. I mean, these ladies left the country for Iraq because they could not make ends meet with their meager salaries in the so called fastest growing economy in the world. Take Off must also be one of the first films in the world about the ISIS menace.

Parvathi pretty much carries this film on her shoulders. She towers over the three other leading men. She completely owned this film. I was not too impressed by her in Bangalore Days. But she really impressed me in this. I liked the film because it accurately portrays the sense of anomie and constant uncertainty that characterizes most Indian lives.

After watching trailer and reviews with lot of exceptions i gone for movie in the 2nd day, Superb movie, Parvathy is really awesome. Storyline is similar to many movies but the acting and direction makes the movie perfect and to the next level. Parvathy got the exact role to show her acting talent.all other actor done their job very well. Camera and direction is also superb. In short a must watch Malayalam movie of 2017.

Take Off (2017) : Brief Review -

A Classic Evacuation Drama with Emotional Intelligence. What Bollywood's 'Airlift' missed, Take Off has got it alright. Since Hollywood's 'Argo' won Oscars, this evacuation theme got rolling. Bollywood made a spy thriller 'Baby' which had lots of similarities with that and then Raja Menon's evacuation drama 'Airlift' staged it in decent manners. However, the actual potential of emotional and patriotic quotient was not matched by Airlift and it has really bothered me since then. Now, i am very glad to have seen Malayalam Drama 'Take Off' which has matched a certain level of potential and expectations with engrossing human elements. In 2014, a group of Malayali nurses was captured when terrorists took over the city of Tikrit in Iraq. This movie recounts the ordeal suffered by the nurses following their capture. The film looks little offtrack in the begining, not just the beginning but the entire first half is used just to set the things up before the capture. I still think that was not needed but then i have to give a credit for creating a bond between those 3 characters of Husband, his pregnant wife and her son. So, it's like you get to see a family drama in the first half and then thrilling evacuation drama in the second half. The film is powered by the incredible performances of Parvathy Thiruvothu, Kunchacko Boban and Fahadh Faasil. The screenplay is terrific in the second half, the dialogue are fine, cinematography is excellent and Mahesh Narayan's direction is super nice. He crafts a good story with smart conflicts, that's the only thing Airlift missed after directorial genius. Overall, Take Off is a must watch experience. It's high on emotions, passion, reliability and most importantly it has those much needed goosebumps moments coming at right time in right form. Don't miss it.

RATING - 8/10*

By - #samthebestest.

Take Off is inspired from a true story in which a group of Malayali nurses was captured when terrorists took over the city of Tikrit in Iraq. This movie recounts the ordeals suffered by the nurses following their capture. But it's all in the 2nd half. The 1st half is about a woman and her family, career & her patience.

The more I am seeing Parvathy, my love and respect for her is increasing. She is one of the best actors right now. She became the first ever Malayalam film actor to win Best Female Actor in 48th International Film Festival of India. Mahesh Narayan with his superb vision did great work in his 1st directorial venture.

It's a Must Watch.

Available on Disney+ Hotstar Free.

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