Nayattu - Movie Review (Spoilers)

Director: Martin Prakkat

Cast: Kunchacko Boban, Joju George, Nimisha Sajayan

Duration: 1hr 55mins

Streaming on: Netflix 

I've got to say, I really like this film. 

The first act of this film is good. Although I wish it wasn't too slow. We see Officer Praveen (Boban) participating in a tug of war competition, and see that he's unmarried and his family, consisting of his sister and mother. 

We see Officer Maniyan's life. He can be fun, and rough when needed. And we see his family life as well, and his love for his daughter, making us empathize with him.

I wished we saw some more of Sunitha's life. We know that she has connections with some ruffians, and that she lives with her mother and runs the house. But we don't see much of it. 

Maybe showing some more of the characters, their connections, beliefs and personalities would've been a better introduction, in my opinion, because then they feel like real people with their own beliefs and ideologies. 

Even the world of the outlaws, elections, police and the misleading media is well set up. We later see how all this plays a role in the storytelling. 

Then, what's called the "inciting incident" in writing, occurs in the film. An accident. 

An inciting accident is when an event thrusts the protagonist into the main action of the story. They bump into a person who's friend they earlier fought with. 

The film then becomes a thriller about the government finding their own people who worked for them. About a government that is ready to turn on it's own people to impress the media and public. 

It's very reminiscent of a Hitchcock film because it follows a character that has been framed for a crime. The film is a first person narrative, which is why we end up rooting for the three cops. We know that they've been framed, and we follow their journey. 

The film does shift perspectives sometimes, as it shows us the perspective of the team that's trying to catch the three cops, as well as the political situation. But it works because it lets us know what's at stake, which makes us worry for the characters. 

The police force isn't shown to be just "morally corrupt." Many cops trust Praveen, Maniyan and Sunitha, and let them go in many situations. But many cops stab their people in the back without question. 

It shows us how the government feels no shame in ruining the lives of the people who worked for them. Really made me think and reflect upon the real world. 

Despite the film being a chase film, the film isn't afraid to get slow. Many of my favourite scenes are the ones where the characters are just, experiencing life. Small moments of compassion is the heart of the film. 

Example: As the characters sleep in the back of a vehicle, Praveen notices that his fellow friends were feeling cold, and so he puts blankets for both. 

Another scene is when Praveen casually buys sanitary pads for Sunitha. The sheer simplicity of the scene was just beautiful. 

Later in the film, when we find Maniyan (spoilers I told you) hang himself, it's a shocker (although I predicted it) and it makes sense. We understand why he did what he did. It's not tragic that he took his life. It's tragic because we know why. He never got to do anything with his daughter. And the one day where he could attend her dance function, he got framed for a crime he didn't commit, and she never got a chance to participate. This was too much for him to bear. It escalated my feeling for the character, and shows us what the 'backstabbing nature' of the government can lead people to do. 

I love the technical aspects of the film as well. The lighting and cinematography add to the grittiness of the film, as it takes place within the span of two days. The production design adds an organic feel to the situation, while also making it feel ominous. 

The backwaters of Kerala as well as the plantations and mist shown to us, provide a sense of peace, and warmth. 

The camera movements is reminiscent of Alejandro Innaritu's films, where the camera becomes an active character, as it moves along locations, almost as if it's searching for answers.

The performances are brilliant. It was nice seeing Boban in a good role, after the debacle that was "Nizhal." Nimisha was also really good, although I wish she spoke more, and had more of an active role. But Jojo George was the star. He easily gave the best performance, transitioning between angry and tensed, to sad and vulnerable.

The film ends tragically. Our main characters, Praveen and Sunitha maintain their respect to Maniyan. But the government takes it a notch further, and destroys all evidence of the both of them being innocent. 

It shows us how they aren't afraid to tamper with facts, to have a presentable lie shown to the public, from the intention of maintaining their integrity. 

And how the media blindly continues to spread false news for the sake of ratings, higher viewership, and how they weaponize caste. My trust from media and the government has now been lifted. It really made me think of us, when we judge and accuse others, who're being shown on news channels, and newspapers; while their could be more going on, that is being kept from us.

The reason for the downbeat conclusion makes sense, as it's a warning. A warning of us being given limited perspective. Warning that people can be corrupt and manipulative. And that we can find hope in the little things. 

Nayattu is a well made thriller, that questions and critiques a flawed government, that is ready to support injustice in private, and put on a false facade for the public. 

Thank Your for Reading

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