Helen Malayalam Movie Review
Helen (2019)
Language: Malayalam
Run-time: 117 minutes
Cast: Anna Ben, Lal Noble Babu Thomas, Aju Varghese, a cameo by Vineeth Sreenivasan
Music: Shaan Rahman
Director: Mathukutty Xavier
Helen is one of those Malayalam movies of 2019 that gave more reason for the increasing popularity of Mollywood. It was released under the banner of Vineeth Sreenivasan who is famous for his feel-good movies. This is one of them too.
Anna Ben, the promising actor who debuted in Kumbalangi Nights which is another big hit of last year, continues to charm us with her brilliant smile through the first half an hour of the movie and shocks us with her mature expressions for the rest of the movie.
Helen Paul, 25, is the single daughter of her single father, who lost her mother to prolonged sickness. Perhaps, with that loss as the driving force, Helen is a graduate of nursing. She is eager to shift to Canada so she can relieve her father of their financial burden, trying hard to clear her IELTS. She also works part-time at Chicken Hub outlet in a mall.
She is dedicated as a daughter and as a student, friendly and cheerful and just loves the idea of living, a reason of joy to everyone she knows.
Azhar, played by Noble Babu, is Helen's love interest, unknown to her father. He is on the job hunt and lands one in Chennai. Just then…
The couple get caught by policemen on their drive back home. What could have been sorted with petty fine becomes a humiliating enquiry of Helen and her father as a result of officer Ratheesh Kumar's ( Aju Varghese) twisted sense. The clean shaven Aju Varghese pulls of the role, unlike previous comical ones, of a villain with menacing accuracy that in a later scene, you will find yourself cursing for his apathy, just as his senior does.
The next night, she is reluctant to go home and face her dad, who has been giving her the cold shoulder. She stays beyond her shift timings and finally when she prepares to leave, in a moment of confusion and lack of communication, her manager locks her inside the freezer of the eatery where she works.
She doesn't get home that night.
Due recent events and preconceived notions of corrupt policemen, her father and Azhar lose precious minutes before finding her whereabouts.
The rest of the movie portrays Anna's effortless acting, the emotional upheavals in the dear ones- bringing them closer despite differences. Excellent cinematography by Anend Chandran captures the terror and cold of the freezer sending chills and shivers in the audience. Helen's skills as a nurse and her staunch determination to live are key factors that keep her from dozing off in the cold. A lay rat, her mate during the struggle, though a cliché in survival stories ( Rajkumar Rao starrer Trapped, 2016 ) comes as a ray of living hope for Helen. Watch out! Another dose of excitement comes as Vineeth Sreenivasan pops up as a surprise cameo at a critical part in the movie. The music is a strong point in the movie, conveying the essence of the story through Shaan Rahman's chords.The last scene will bring happy tears to your eyes, for sure. ( Wait! The whole movie was inspired by a much forwarded WhatsApp Message? ) This one is a must-watch for all those who want your hearts to be touched by the gentle yet strong girl, Helen. Helen is a “chilly” survival thriller woven with the intense dad-daughter relationship. It is a common theme in Hollywood but Desi audience can feel a freshness about the movie.
The rest of the movie portrays Anna's effortless acting, the emotional upheavals in the dear ones- bringing them closer despite differences. Excellent cinematography by Anend Chandran captures the terror and cold of the freezer sending chills and shivers in the audience. Helen's skills as a nurse and her staunch determination to live are key factors that keep her from dozing off in the cold. A lay rat, her mate during the struggle, though a cliché in survival stories ( Rajkumar Rao starrer Trapped, 2016 ) comes as a ray of living hope for Helen. Watch out! Another dose of excitement comes as Vineeth Sreenivasan pops up as a surprise cameo at a critical part in the movie. The music is a strong point in the movie, conveying the essence of the story through Shaan Rahman's chords.The last scene will bring happy tears to your eyes, for sure. ( Wait! The whole movie was inspired by a much forwarded WhatsApp Message? ) This one is a must-watch for all those who want your hearts to be touched by the gentle yet strong girl, Helen. Helen is a “chilly” survival thriller woven with the intense dad-daughter relationship. It is a common theme in Hollywood but Desi audience can feel a freshness about the movie.
You May Like : Trance Malayalam Movie Review 2020
About The Author
Post a Comment