Oppam Movie Review By Afsal
"A Decent Comeback For The Combo Of Lal & Priyan "
Rating - 8/10 [★★★★☆]
Detailed Analysis
The initial expectations from 'Oppam' was very low as the combination of Mohanlal and Priyadarshan which produced numerous hits in the 80s and 90s lost its gloss as the time passed by,with the last endeavor,'Geethanjali' being a box-office dud receiving unanimous negative response from the audience and critics alike.Fortunately,the trailer of the film edited by Alphonse Puthren succeeded in lifting the hopes on the movie that marked Priyan trying his luck with a crime thriller which he haven't done before in his illustrious career spanning to 35 years.
The movie went in a lethargic pace for the initial hour,taking ample time to establish different characters in the narration.The screenplay by Priyan based on story penned by Govind Vijayan was rather predictable and had its share of ups and downs with quiet a few predictable Priyan cliches that could have been better trimmed of while in the editing table.
The pre-interval block broke the suspense about the villain and shifted the gear from a slow-paced thriller to an intriguing cat and mouse chase between the character played by Mohanlal and the dangerous villain who's after Nandini,portrayed brilliantly by Baby Meenakshi.
The second half started with a humor sequence reminding of the famous dialogue comedy from Kakkakuyil with Mamukkoya stealing the show with his brilliant comic timing.D.O.P and narrative style,particularly in the second half was totally different from the usual trademark Priyan style and there were a countable number of goosebump sequences and stellar frames that increased the overall geniality of the movie.
The background score by 'Maya' fame Ron Yohann was notable.The minimal use of BGM for few important sequences reminded of Hollywood films and lifted the mood of the narration.Songs by the music band '4 Musics' was very impressive and it was soothing to hear M.G.Sreekumar lending voice for Lalettan after a brief hiatus.
References and sequences reminding of 2013 industry hit 'Drishyam' was aplenty and received decent applause from the crowd,eventhough I felt it as a desperate attempt by Priyan and team to cash upon th fame of the movie.Eventhough the climax was just satisfactory it could boast of some brilliant frames by Ekambaram and thrilling score by Ron.The post-climax part was presented well.
Mohanlal stood as a saving grace throughout the narration and did the role of blind 'Jayaraman' convincingly with ease.Baby Meenakshi was a treat to watch on big screen after her lovable performance in Amar Akbar Anthony.Vimala Raman and Manikuttan were disappointing.Aju Vargheese did his part well.Mammookkaya was impressive with his trademark style of humor.Samuthirakani was impressive.Antony Perumbavoor's cameo as usual received good applause from the crowd.
Overall,Oppam is a satisfactory thriller that's neatly presented by Priyan and the team.
Some +Ves
________
|| Mohanlal || Songs & BGM || Energetic Second Half ||
Some -Ves::
___________
|| Predictability || Cliched Sequences In First Half ||
Verdict::The fact remains that Oppam couldn't match the brilliance of films from the combo of Mohanlal and Priyan during their heydays,but nevertheless it can boast of ample content to be labelled a decent thriller that deserves a watch from the theaters this festival season.A decent comeback for Mohanlal and Priyadarshan after an array of disappointments in the recent past!