(Spoilers?...conceptually
yes)
I could
hear my heart beat while watching ‘Shutter’ (the Malayalam movie). ‘Uncle’ didn’t
perform the same feat on me. Why? How could an otherwise perfect and neatly
crafted socially relevant marvel like Uncle be ‘gentle’ on me? Well, it’s my
fault. My subconscious mind kept on
reassuring me, that Mammootty wouldn’t do anything bad on screen. So the
word ‘stereotype’ is the villain. It’s high time that versatile legends like
Mammooty or Mohan Lal break all stereotypes and play villains (which they have
already proven to excel in). See those Hollywood movies, they don’t allow the
viewer to be prejudistic about an actor.
Is a womanizer
choosy? A difficult question to answer. Decoding the mindset of Krishnakumar
Menon (KK/ Mammootty) would be tough. There, indeed, is a KK in most of us. ‘Lust’
is a complex entity. Emotions are highly malleable, and change with situations.
Vijayan (Joy Mathew) knows his close friend KK very well, likes him a lot,
supports his personal life very well (the illicit affairs etc.). Despite all
that, is his fear justified? Does he really trust his friend when it comes to
the safety of his daughter? Personally, I don’t know! Only a father can answer
that.
So how is ‘Uncle’?
I would simply say, go for it. The movie points a finger at you and the rest of
the society. Felt so happy to see
Mammukka back in a good movie. Hats off to Joy Mathew for a super script and a class
act on screen. The way he (Vijayan) carries the pressure and secrets away from
his wife in the movie is…awesome. The movie does break the tradition where
punch dialogues are uttered chiefly by the male protagonist. Muthumani, makes
us clap for her honest and live portrayal of a wonderful mother. Karthika is convincing
in her role. Kudos to Girish Damodar. He has surely taken a lot of care in
inserting subtle messages into the movie (the innocence of the tribal, the
scene where Lakshmi asks her husband if it’s okay for him to drive etc).
Overall, ‘Uncle’
is a nice watch.
