HERE I'M LENDING A WORD MY BROTHER SAID AFTER WATCHING THIS
FILM, THAT "MALAIKOTTAI VAALIBAN IS THE MOST ORIGINAL PIECE OF
WORK THAT HAS HAPPENED IN MALAYALAM CINEMA IN RECENT
TIMES". AND OFCOURSE I WAS SCEPTICAL OF IT UNTIL I FINISHED IT.
BECAUSE YES THIS INDEED IS AS ORIGINAL AS IT CAN GET. WITHOUT
ANY PRIOR NOTICE THE FILM JUST STARTS & ON IT GOES ON A
COMPLETE LINEAR LINE WITH SOME BRILLIANT FRAMES & SHOTS I'VE
SEEN FROM OUR INDUSTRY OF LATER TIMES, OFCOURSE IT DOES GETS
SLOW AT CERTAIN POINTS, THERE WERE A FEW AREAS I THOUGHT, '
MAYBE THEY COULD'VE TRIMMED THIS UP". BUT THEN AGAIN, THIS WAS
HOW THE STORY WAS INTENDED TO MOVE, LIKE A NARRATIVE, I
TRAVELED WHOLEHEARTEDLY WITH THE FILM, & WITH THE TWIST
REVEAL & GENRE BENDING, LJP PROVED THAT YES HE IS INDEED A
CRAFTSMAN HELLBENT ON TRYING WHATEVER HE DEEMS TO FIT &
HOWEVER, THE WESTERN INSPIRATION, THE WHOLE JAPANESE
SAMURAI-ESQUE FIGHT SCENE THAT CAME IN THE 2ND HALF WERE
ALL A JOY TO WATCH FOR ME. MOHANLAL WAS SIMPLY JUST
MOHANLAL AS IT WAS A JOY FOR ME TO JUST WITNESS HIM TAKING
THIS UP WITH ALL HE COULD & CARRYING IT THE BEST HE CAN, MAN
STILL OOZES THAT CHARM & CARRIES THE FLEXIBILITY EVEN AT THIS
AGE. THIS WAS INDEED LIJO'S ODE TO CERTAIN OF HIS FAVOURITE NO
DOUBT & YES I FOR ONE AM WAITING TO SEE THAT FINAL SHOWDOWN
NO MATTER WHAT OR HOW...