NEENA, MALAYALAM MOVIE REVIEW.

Malayalam movie NEENA is a diverse attempt by Lal jose, released in theaters on may 15, 2015 under the banner of LJ productions own by Lal jose himself..

Its written by R.Venugopal, giving a story of two females Neena and Nalini played by 2012 miss kerala winner Deepthi sathi, and Ann augustin respectively. The movie wiped into the films by Jomon .T.John. 

PLOT 

The film starts with an english song showing Neena simply walks on a snow-land in St. Petersburg, Russia. As the song finishes, the film cut to Mumbai where Vinay Panicker  played  by Vijay babu , is preparing to leave the city to their native cochin with a ‘promotion transfer’ as a manager in an advertising company. He moves along with his family, his wife Nalini played by Ann augustin , with their  son.

When he arrange a get-together function for his collides at night, he see Neena throwing vodka - shot glass backwards to a swimming pool as she finishes her each drink.Vinay already knew that She is working in the same company as a creative editor credited as the most talented and brilliant artist. She is weird with absurd mannerisms and has a typical boyish behavior. She used to adopt the way of life more like a boy ,that she think, comforts her. She drinks, smokes, drives bike and more over she used to make  friendship with men living in a slum aside her apartment.

Neena and Vinu meet at first when he saves Neena when after she slips down to swimming pool in booz. Vinu drives her to  home and enjoys watching such a different personality. Gradually Neena and Vinu became good friends. Vinu automatically involved in so many personal things of Neena as they both give lots of freedom mutually. Vinus wife, Nalini is a symbolic representation of an urban house wife who spends her time in shopping, cooking and other household activities.  She is a lovely wife but eventually develops an eye of suspicion as Vinu spokes about Veena when ever he says on-goings in his office. Nalini, a possessive wife as usual meet Neena in person and offers a hand of friendship. But Neena rejects it by saying that Nalini and she have nothing in common. Standing up-straight she says –“ yes, we don’t have anything in common, and we should never have nothing in common.”

The movie gets too coiled when Neena approaches Vinu more like a lover. She calls him for every help, she wish to be with him always and finally reveals about her flash back that shows  how she became like this.

                                         “ I became like this because of my unseen brother. He passed away before I was born. As my parents wish to have a boy, and to compensate the loss of their loved son, they brought me up like a boy. I used to be one among my friends living in near aside a slum of our apartment. It was fun being with boys.    But when I was 14 year old, I still remember the day my body warned me that I am a girls. The day I heavily bleed in bathroom. I was so desperate, helplessly cried thinking about my fate. It was the day I started loving alcohol. My parents scolded me, a lot. But gradually they stopped  as I didn’t obey anything they said. They left me to fate, they left me to choose my way, the way I like………the way like to be……”                                                                                                                                                                                                 -Neena.

Neena call vinu for coming with her for a party and she open up her love to him. He totally collapsed on hearing her proposal and walked out from the club. Coming back to his home, I attends Neenas call in presence of Nalini.Switching on its loudspeaker he  says –“ I have a family. i have a good wife and a son. I don’t have anything above that…”

The second part of the movie starts when Vinu gets information from a hospital saying that Neena is in a critical condition after a suicide attempt. Hospital authorities traced Vinus number from Neenas mobile phone in which Vinus number saved as my man.He droves to the hospital and appeases Neena. Hearing advice from doctor, Neena need to under go De-addiction or else her life will be more danger. Calling to her home Vinu knows that her father is severely ill with pneumonia so that he cannot escort her daughter. As neena don’t have anyone to care , Vinu acts like her husband and they both go to  a residential De-addiction center as couples with the permission from Nalini. Nalini accepts all this mindlessly. Living together in the Deaddiction centre Vinu develops an kind of affection to wards Neena but Neena rejects all that contrary to his expectation. The doctor(Lena) working there  caught their fake relationship but did not report to the higher authorities. She makes Vinu understands that Neenas love was just an obsession of her alcoholism. Now she is relieved from it and she doesn’t have any soft corner to Vinu. Nalini came to see Vnu breaking all her chains of dubious thoughts , hears all this situationally. Doctor advice Nalini to consider Vinu as a man who has all the physical and mental attributes and counsel her to forgive him for a moment of emotional instability.

Returning from the Deaddiction centre, neena tells Vinu to drop her in the center. She again refuses his coffee offer and says that a guy named karthik will come to pick her from there. After getting shattered on Neenas refusal, Vinu goes to a Bar and drinks .

Waiting for Karthik, a car came to pick her up. It was not Karthik but her parents. She cries holding her parents shoulders and says “ my love never ends… but I am not the one who deserves it from him.”      As the car moves. Neena deletes her memorable images from her phone, symbolizing as its from her heart.

 Vinu came back to his home and holds Nalinis hands as he weeps……..

POSITIVES

It’s a different story that we did not watch before. Script well penned by R.Venugopal and the scenes were admirably captured  by Jomon.T.John. Lal jose once again proved that he is one among the most promising Director of Malayalam film industry. Music from Nikhil.J.Menon can have an average applause and background score from Biji pal is also good. The best part of the movie is the compelling performance by the debut actress Deepti sati. Her drunken gestures and talks, will offers a couple of moments to laugh. Although most of the scenes are focused on her, she offered something different for us to judge her ahead than other actress in the industry. Ann augustin doesn’t have much screen time, but did her character well. Vijay babu also gave something cool to watch.

NEAGATIVES

The movie may not be enjoyable for every one as it lacks general entertaining elements. It don’t have much abs-paining jokes, ear soothing songs and thrilling suspense. When the director tried to stick more into the script and the gravity of the plot, he some way forgot to satisfy the audience. In simple words, the movie tells the story of a lady named Neena very commendably, but whether the audience like her story or not is not, is considered to be an unanswered question. It was too bore Vinu sings to help neena for relieving from her withdrawal symptoms’ like muscle cramps and cold sensations.

RATING.

I think there is something different in Neena. Even though she is extremely weird, an alcoholic, a chain smoker, a bad lover, a wayward lady, we all will like her. We all will start loving her at the end. So there she go with 3.5 marks out of 5.