Masterpiece

"Masterpiece," starring Mammootty, is an action thriller that, despite its grand title, falls short of delivering a compelling cinematic experience. Directed by Ajai Vasudev, the film revolves around Edward Livingston (Mammootty), a college professor with a tough, no-nonsense attitude, who is drawn into a murder investigation that takes place within the campus. Unfortunately, the film doesn't live up to its potential, earning it a low 3/10 rating.

One of the biggest drawbacks of "Masterpiece" is its predictable storyline. The plot follows the usual template of a campus action drama, where a heroic figure steps in to bring justice and order. The murder mystery at the center of the film lacks depth and intrigue, with most of the twists feeling forced and unconvincing. There's little in terms of innovation or fresh ideas, and the audience can often see what's coming from a mile away.

Mammootty's screen presence is, as always, commendable, and he delivers his role with the expected intensity. However, even his strong performance cannot save the film from its weak script. Edward Livingston is a one-dimensional character, defined by his swagger and strength, but lacking any real emotional depth. The film tries to project him as an invincible hero, but this over-the-top portrayal becomes monotonous after a point, leaving little room for character development or nuance.

The supporting cast, which includes actors like Varalaxmi Sarathkumar, Unni Mukundan, and Poonam Bajwa, is underutilized. Many of their roles feel like mere fillers, with little contribution to the main plot. The characters often appear in the background, without much significance, which makes it hard for the audience to connect with or care about them.

Another issue with "Masterpiece" is its excessive reliance on action sequences. While action can certainly elevate a film, here it feels overdone and unnecessary. The fight scenes, though choreographed decently, are repetitive and take up too much screen time, detracting from the storyline. Instead of adding excitement, the overemphasis on action makes the film feel longer and more tedious than it actually is.

The film's pacing is also problematic. The narrative drags in several places, particularly during the second half, where the story loses momentum. Scenes that could have been trimmed or left out entirely are stretched out, making the film feel bloated. Combined with the lack of a gripping plot, this leads to a viewing experience that can feel more exhausting than entertaining.

The technical aspects of the film, such as cinematography and music, are average. While the college campus setting is visually appealing, the film doesn't make full use of it to create any real atmosphere or tension. The background score is loud and overpowering in some scenes, which further reduces the impact of key moments.

In conclusion, "Masterpiece" is a film that promises much but delivers little. It attempts to be a larger-than-life action thriller, but the weak script, lack of character depth, and excessive reliance on action sequences ultimately let it down. Even Mammootty's star power can't redeem the film, which fails to engage the audience on an emotional or intellectual level. While there are a few entertaining moments, they are too few and far between to make a lasting impression, leading to a disappointing overall experience.

One can complete watching Ajai Vasudev's latest feature with only agitation in mind. There's no way else one can endure 155 minutes of mindless sequences that cross all levels of logic or sense. Mammootty plays a dashing English professor in a government college currently embroiled in a crime thriller saga of its own. The students come to college not to study but to engage in gang rivalries and eve-teasing. Despite having poor knolwedge in phonetics, the professor plays an intelligent detective-cum-good Samaritan-cum-angel guardian-cum-loverboy who helps a group of students in a murder case that has put the studies of the college in hold for the time being. Nothing is logical in the film as one can easily predict in a Vasudev film. Moreover, the mass entertainment that it promises is only restricted to people who love watching human bodies flying in the air for minutes long and characters walking in slow motion. I even have this theory that if they had made Mammootty's character not walk in slow motion but in regular fashion, the film would have been 30 minutes shorter. And talking about editing, the first 20 minutes look like the makers forgot to hire an editor as random sequences play in front of you. With Poonam Bajwa as the eye candy and Unni Mukundan as this superhero cop, Masterpiece again tries to define heroism by giving power and convenience to the protagonist who seems to be more interested in crime than Chaucer. All in all, other than a captivating death sequence at the end, there is nothing worth watching in Masterpiece, easily one of the worst films of 2017. TN.

Masterpiece directed by Ajai Vasudev (after Rajadhiraja), is a mass action entertainer which actually works even though it has its share of flaws. The film has its star cast consisting of Mammootty, Uni mukundan, Varalaxmi, Mukesh, Shajohn, Goulding Suresh, Maqbool Salman and so on.. The story of the film is set in a campus where we have 2 rival groups (as seen in most movies) and some incidents that take place. In between a new professor joins and tries to make peace with the groups. Even though we have seen a similar movie (Velipadinte Pusthakam) with the same theme this year, Masterpiece, I shall say is far better because the screenplay is racy and never bores you. After writting a blockbuster hit last year, Udayakrishna returns yet again and the dialogues are the one that suit a mass movie. But this film is not with its share of flaws because the film could have been done with a little more shorter lenght as some scenes were not up to mark. Also even though the songs sounded good to the ears, the placement of 3 songs in the second half seemed not to well. Despite its flaws the movie keeps us engaged as it is also treated as anew investigation thriller coupled with some well performed action and some humour. Mammootty shine as Edward Livingston. This role seemed tailor made for him. Uni Mukundan too shined in his role especially in action sequences. Rest of the cast did a good job but the character of Captain Raju seemed totally out of sync with the movie. So all in all this might not be a must watch but surely it gives a bang for your buck. My rating: 3/5

I don't understand why this director is always make this kinda action scenes .. it's very awful .. come on .. the time is over .. make some realistic actions .. let this Malayalam industry grow in standard!!

A movie which is intended just for mass. There were mass movies released in Malayalam in the past. Narasimham, Araam Thamburaan, The King, Raavanaprabu, etc. are few of them. But what makes 'Masterpiece' different from them is, this one is just 'mass' without any class.

The director relied mainly on the charisma of Mammootty to take this movie forward. There were many glitches in the script of Uday Krishna. There are so many unnecessary irrelevant scenes scripted to this entertainer which takes away the class of this movie. For example, all scenes of Captain Raju, a scene of script-writer Uday, too many fights, etc were unnecessary and atrocious. Also, the way college life is portrayed in the movie seems highly artificial as it gave you a feeling that the college is just for fighting and showoffs. The climax of the movie and the last minute revelation about the hero character sounds kiddish and not credible at all.

Now coming to the performance, Mammootty looks young and energetic, and easily credited with the star of the show. Unni Mukundhan and Varalaksmi gave a stellar performance, Mahima Nambiar was underutilized ( as a young talented actress, she could have rejected this silly role), whereas Poonam Bajwa gave us a mockery.

This is an honest review from the heart of a Mammotty fan. There are some mass scenes for a Mammootty fan to cheer, but at the end once you are done with the movie, you will feel an emptiness and a sigh that this movie could have been made better.