MOVIE REVIEWS

Face 2 Face Review.

'Face to Face' by V. M. Vinu is a slick thriller which has Mammootty donning the role of a cop named Balachandran aka Balettan, albeit a suspended one. Touted as his comeback film, 'Face to Face' fails to evoke much response. It is interesting to note that V. M. Vinu's 'Balettan' was a sucessful comeback movie for Mohanlal, who essayed the memorable role of Balettan. But V. M. Vinu's latest Balettan scripted by Manoj Payyannoor is rather insipid.
 
The film traces the life of Balachandran ( Mammootty), a suspended police officer who refuses to become corrupt. It is his goodness that lands him in trouble. In the midst of a tumultuous life with a divorced wife, a child he has never seen growing up and with drinks for company, Balettan gets to know the murder of his long time tormenter, Thomas Kurien Punchakadan. The search for the culprit, the reason for the murder and personal revelations forms the crux of the movie. The film presents parallel investigations. One is by the police force headed by Siddique and the other is a private investigation by Mammootty himself, who takes the help of Kalabhavan Mani, a police officer himself. Halfway through we are introduced to four youngsters and their role in the mystery, as also the perversions and neurosis of the murdered man. Roma as Dr. Uma Asrani and Ragini as Balachandran's wife have forgettable roles. The film ends predictably, evoking neither suspense nor sympathy.
 
The entire weight of the movie rests on Mammootty, who has done his part well and with ease. Kalabhavan Mani and Siddique too have performed well. But the rest of the cast have not been given the scope to perform. The film's execution could have been better. The film starts and goes on with a decent first half like a thriller, but follows it with a  second half experiment to cook it as a family stuff which completely brings down the suspense.The story is ruined with too many flashbacks and unnecessay jumbling of time frame. The ensuing complications do not add anything to the suspense, but rather distracts the viewers. Music by Alphonse is mediocre. Cinematography by Ajayan Vincent is the only saving grace.  'Face to Face' is not a bad film and can be concluded as 'worth a watch', but it could have been made better.
 
 
 
 
 
'Face2Face' Review by Rajeevan.