2018: Everyone Is A Hero
In August of 2018, a usually high rainfall during the monsoon season unleashed a devastating flood in the southern state of Kerala. Written and directed by Jude Anthony Joseph, his film is at once touching, inspiring and frightening. The focus of the movie is on the personal lives of ordinary people immediately before the disaster strikes. Some have marital problems, some are falling in love, some are desperate to make money, some are disabled, etc. Anoop (Tovino Thomas) is a soldier who left the Army by faking a medical certificate. Back in his hometown, he is mocked, and he yearns to get a visa to get employment in Dubai. In the meantime, he works at a small shop, where he often describes the surrounding activity to Bhasi (Indrans) the blind owner. The ensemble cast has many familiar actors from the Malayalam film industry. Taken from true occurrences, the film uses actual footage to great effect. The film had many moving parts, and the editing was top-notch. ‘2018’ is a testament to the way people quickly put aside differences and pitch in when disasters happen. Released May 2023.
Thankam
Muthu (Biju Menon) is an artisan who makes gold jewelry working out of Thrissur, Kerela, the gold capital of India. His friend Kannan and partner (Vineeth Sreenivasan), promote the business and deliver the finished product to various destinations. Because of the risks, Kannan doesn’t disclose his exact route on these journeys. One night the journey he takes from Thrissur to Mumbai by way of Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, unravels and he is found hanging from a ceiling fan in a hotel room. Muthu hires a police inspector to investigate the murder. From here, a quiet investigation, some unusual twists and turns, and we discover Muthu didn’t really know Kannan at all. No fights and no music, but Director Saheed Arafath and writer Syam Pushkaran kept me interested throughout. Released in January 2023.
Antony
