Bougainvillea

Had a great expectations after the trailer , and saw FAHAD in it and AMAL NEERAD the director ... But this turned out disappointing thriller sans any proper logic and the crux was not at all clear and was hurried at the end ... Though the initial buildup to story was slow burning and looked interesting... Acting was best level from the leads but FAHAD role was a damp squib and not sure why he accepted such a role unless he owes a movie to the director .... While the main was to take a thriller u cannot do any nonsense and something which does not make any sense showing some 20% and leaving 80% for audience imagination which is illogical... Overall a highly boring thriller movie from a good crew.

I watched the movie on its release day, and the first half was absolutely gripping. It's a slow-burner, but if you're invested, you'll feel the anticipation and excitement building as the story unfolds. The film keeps you on the edge of your seat, with a narrative path reminiscent of movies like The Sixth Sense or The Prestige-constantly surprising you with twists you can't predict.

However, the second half didn't quite live up to the expectations set by the first. The suspense, while intriguing, missed the mark it was aiming for. Still, it's a great watch overall. The cinematography, background score, music, and acting are all top-notch. I just wish the second half had delivered more impact. Nevertheless, it's definitely a must-see.

When Amal Neerad announced a new movie with Fahadh Faasil, I was excited to see what they'd have in store for us. Their combination in Iyobinte Pusthakam and Varathan produced some cinematic fireworks. This time they teamed up in a new psychological thriller Bougainvillea. Bougainvillea is thriller involving David Koshy, played by Fahadh Faasil, who is sets out to investigate missing girls and women from a town in Kerala where Reethu, played by Jyothirmayi, and her husband Dr. Royce Thomas, played by Kunchacko Boban live. Reethu and Royce meet with a car accident 8 years ago and as a result Reethu loses her memory. How is she related to the missing girls and why is David Koshy investigating Reethu despite her memory loss forms the rest of the story.

In typical Amal Neerad style, the movie is packed with technical brilliance. Be it the screenplay, cinematography, editing or sound. Amal leaves us enough breadcrumbs throughout the plot for us to guess what might be going on and we will be able to. As this is a psychological thriller and not a suspense thriller. The thrill comes from the "howdunnit?" instead of the "whodunnit?" aspect. I must say that Amal was successful in generating that interest till the climax.

This story is based on a novel called "Ruthinte Lokam" (Ruth's World) written by Lijo Jose, who co-wrote this movie with Amal Neerad. Jyothirmayi delivers a solid performance as ailing Reethu who is struggling to make sense of the happenings around her. So was Kunchacko Boban as Royce Thomas who stands support to her wife. Fahadh Faasil delivers an ok performance in a character that had barely any scope to perform.

While the movie keeps you engaging, it needed a better act 3 and climax to deliver that thrill. But unfortunately, this ended up being an average and unsatisfying watch.

The film Bougainvillea, directed by Amal Neerad, can be classified as a cinematic work belonging to the crime thriller action drama genres.

The narrative is focused on the family of Reethu and Dr. Royce, with Reethu, a character afflicted with retrograde amnesia, experiencing frequent memory loss. She also encounters hallucinations and other psychological disturbances. Her husband is depicted as providing her with excellent care, and she has a domestic servant named Rema who assists her. Reethu creates a world of her own through her possessions and engages in painting Bougainvillea flowers regularly. She also had two children, who appeared in her hallucinations. The film then transitions to a police officer named David Koshy, who arrives to investigate the disappearance of a young girl. During the time of disappearance, Reethu was present there, and the police questioned her on several occasions. She exhibited some unclear memories regarding the girl, but she was uncertain. The police suspected that Reethu might have connections with the disappearance. Royce's persistent efforts to extricate her from this predicament are noteworthy. As the film reaches its culmination, a significant twist emerges: Royce is revealed to be the perpetrator of the girl's abduction and subsequent murder. This revelation is further compounded by the fact that Royce had previously kidnapped several other girls. He manipulates Reethu's forgetfulness as a strategic advantage, creating a facade of reality that obscures her true surroundings. As Reethu's memory gradually returns, she comes to understand the full extent of Royce's transgressions. In the culminating act, a confrontation ensues between Reethu, Rema and a criminologist, ultimately leading to the vanquishing of Royce.

The narrative was of mediocre quality, exhibiting significant pacing issues, which rendered it challenging to establish a connection with the preceding narrative. In the culminating scenes, a women's empowerment programme appeared to be manipulated, seemingly unnecessarily. The performances were commendable, though not universally so. The inclusion of Fahad Fazil and Sharfuddin in their respective roles appeared superfluous, as their absence would not have significantly impacted the narrative. The direction was consistent with Amal Neerad's typical style, and the musical scores were noteworthy. In conclusion, this film stands as a notable example of Amal Neerad's directorial style, though it is perhaps his least successful work. It is recommended for one time watching, albeit with the caveat that it is not his most essential cinematic work.

Bunch of Talented actors and still had to drag to finish.

Dont get me wrong. It was okay but being a thriller which had so much potential it lacked the omphs which usual thriller of this sort have.

All actors were like under performing of their usual calibre. Felt like FAFA too.

Disappearance of girls were the highlight and investigation rolled out, we were moving along the story. The story should have paced up a bit in my opinion then only we could feel the thrill it was meant to be.

The main twist was fed to us just like that which no extra drama that it deserved. All for what? Somethings is missing. Anyways one time watch.