Uncle (2018) Review

(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.