Movie Review — Malaikottai Vaaliban (Valiant of the hill fort)— Lijo Jose Pellissery
This movie is either a homage to many Bollywood cult movies or it is a stylized spoof with an artistic take on those. Lijo Jose Pellissery is one of the best movie makers from contemporary Indian cinema, so I am inclined to believe it is the latter. (His Ee.Ma.Yau, Ameen, Churuli (all Malayalam) are especially noteworthy). It is underwhelming in that sense that it is not a path breaking movie, but a nostalgic montage of many movies seen through a kaleidoscope of his.
You can see glimpses of 80’s cult movie — Sholay where Gabbar Singh — the great Bollywood villain character forces the damsel-in-distress into more agony by paving the dance floor with glass shards. Then, there are the recent ones like the one in Bahubali where the chained hero demolishes a gargantuan tower and a complex of huge edifices just by flexing muscles at the appropriate time summoning his emotional will power to overcome his enemies. Also the Kattappa-Bahubali like emotional drama is dangled as a puzzle at the end to lure in audiences for a sequel.
It is as if watching all those familiar movie scenes through the eyes of this film maker with a suspended sense of time with slow motion sequences for action sequences like where blood flows in Kill Bill with somewhat comical effect.
Story starts with a traveling caravan of Vaaliban the wrestler/warrior and his asan(master), and his younger brother rolling into a desert on a bullock cart like a village from many centuries ago. Though the setting is ancient, the story is very well related to human emotions and struggles which are always timeless and feels contemporary.
Sometimes, it is like watching a play which is fine, as it gives time to develop a few characters well. The bullock cart itself that moves the protagonists from place to place itself is a good metaphor for those times and the pace of the story rolls along into new territories where our hero Vaaliban beats up and vanquishes bad enemies and just prevails. The usual stuff!
Then there is the love interest where the hero is pursued by many women including the queen — no less, where as our hero is a brahmachari — practicing chastity, and built up as a model warrior with no vices. Certainly fits the mould of a superhero/superstar role made for actor Mohanlal and his fans.
The latter half of the movie the hero grows into an even larger role to take on the colonial power in Malaikottai that is the Portugese. These villains generally indulge in what villains are supposed to do. Looking menacing and torturing people for fun. Some what like the colonial villains of RRR, but without any peppy dancing. The only dancing is done by the heroines on nails forced by the villains at the perch of the fort. The height difference between the ground where Vaaliban and his common ilks are confined and the oppressors judging from above is telling and brilliant!
Another brilliant character in the movie is Chamathakan who badly lost his fight and power and prestige to Vaaliban and seeks vengeance on him and pursues him to the end that seems to elude him through fire and gore.
The story takes a few twists towards the end with the relationship between the central characters — Vaaliban, Ayyanar the master, the younger brother, his lover gets sharpened into focus, jealousy and conflicts take unexpected turns. Some of the scenes where the village festival takes place are simply out of the world, and mesmerizing with splendor of colors like the festival of holi with images also evoking Kantara like vibes with theyyam masks. It is as if one cannot tell between who is the good/bad behind the masks, which Vaaliban is trying to sort out.
Vaaliban’s transformation from a powerful hero to a fearful human is brilliant and leaves the audience wanting for more in the sequel. The coming tussle between Ayyanar and Vaaliban is tantalizing. Hopefully it takes a turn into exploring the human drama of jealousy similar to what was portrayed between Mohanlal and Nedumudi venu in Thenmavin Kompathu rather than a simplistic Bahubali-Kattappa redux in the upcoming sequel.
Poojyam Movie Score : 84/100
Storytelling : 10/10
Brilliant. Linear but fresh and unique. Master class.
Direction : 10/10
Lijo is the best Indian director at the top of his craft now. He can ease into that fast-forward montage through the entire gamut of the celebrated cult pulp of Indian cinema and mold and laugh at it and show it to us.
Cinematography: 10/10
Amazing. The mood of the movie is accentuated by the cinematography. Some crowd scenes remind me of Jellikettu, but more pleasing. Especially the explosion of colors at the festival and the temple pageantry with Kalakettu very much rooted in the time and tradition of the audience it seeks to please.
Theme: 9/10
Valiant hero fights villains and survives but struggles in human drama. But cast in the milieu of an ancient India with its myths and ways of life, with subtle subliminal references to Ayyappan(brahmachari)
Acting: 7/10
The role of Vaaliban is carried well by Mohanlal as expected widely, especially in the emotive scenes. The fighting scenes are a bit of a stretch
Music: 9/10
Background music in non-intrusive which is perfect. Music feels natural to the mood of the movie with fresh voices and breaking as sung by normal people(not fictional characters with some perfect voices). Well done!
Ending: 5/10
Somewhat cliched in the Kattappa-Bahubali tradition. Should have tried to end the movie at the last scene. No reason to prolong into a sequel other than commercial reasons.
Social Canvas: 8/10
Colonial oppressors get defeated as a side story. The main story is more about human drama. Other than the greed vs warrior ethic as in fictional good character, not much is pursued outside the narrow scope. Not sure why the transgender character is portrayed as a villain — cliched trope.
Creativity: 8/10
Weaving Chamathakan character into the story is brilliant. Also Ayyanar’s character development is great, and refreshing.
Memorable Impact: 8/10
Fight scenes are magical and dreamy as if happening in a an alternate world/space/time, which is perfect for this movie. Also the crowd/festival pageantry is colorful and out of this world!
