MOVIE REVIEWS

Gulumaal Review

Gulumaal is a film by director VK Prakash who has directed technically slick films like Mullavalliyum Thenmavum, Moonnamathoraal and Positive earlier. He is trying comedy for the first time and has Jayasurya and Kunchacko Boban in the lead. It is about two con men who make their living by conning people. The film has been shot in digital format by cinematographer Fowzia Fathima. It maybe noted that its the first Malayalam film to be released, which is shot by a lady cinematographer. (Kutty Sranku hasnt released yet). V K Prakash is one of the finest ad filmmakers in the country. Kunchacko Boban makes his return to acting after a while and has Jayasurya in tow. Mithra Kurien, the heroine, has acted in a few Tamil films and will also be seen in Siddique’s Bodyguard. Y V Rajesh, the scenarist, makes his debut.
The storyline of 'Gulumal' obviously influenced by the Argentinean film 'Nueve Reinas or Nine Queens' (the Bollywood movie Bluffmaster was in fact has traces of it as well), is a new experience for Malayali viewers. Marcos and Juan in Nueve Reinas assume Indian incarnations in the form of Jayasurya and Boban, who get to play a couple of swindlers who are on the streets to make some quick money. They are brothers in arms who outdo each other at every juncture and who having come across a whopper of an opportunity to be a millionaire in no time, go for it all tooth and nails. It’s a fun film and you don’t need to think much to enjoy this one. Watch out for Suraj Venjarammood and Bijukkuttan, who will provide some really nice gags.
Ravi (Kunchacko) and Jerry (Jayasurya) are two conmen. Ravi became a fraud to save his father from jail, while Jerry has been born as one! Their escapades begin and there are quite a few twists and turns. We won’t tell any more regarding the story and be spoilsports. Things take some surprising twists and turns in between, which makes the story interesting. A parallel track of comedy involving Suraj Venjarammood and Bijukkuttan as two stupid cops has been used pretty well. Evidently inspired from Fabian Bielinsky's Nine Queens or even from its Bollywood version Bluffmaster, the film has some nice moments, curious turnarounds and a style, which is perhaps new in Malayalam.
Among the two leads, it is Kunchacko Boban who has come up with a stronger performance while Jayasurya's style of talking is perhaps his weak point here. The heroine, Mithra Kurien, who plays Jayasurya's sister and Kunchacko's love interest, looks okay in her job. The rest of the cast have limited roles to play and they all have done it pretty well. The visuals by Fouzia Fathima are fairly good and Manu Ramesan's music is just average,the old music remixed song "Kilukilukkum" one at best. Overall a movie with brainless story and a racy comedy entertainer.
Verdict: Entertainer.