After 2 failed attempts to get tickets, I managed to watch Premam last week It was running (and continues to do so) to full theatres within and outside Kerala, and the rave reviews I’d been hearing made me determined to watch it at any cost.
I sat through the movie, smirked a few times, sniggered a little, and came out. Next to me, SR was raving.
“How much would you rate it?” I asked.
“4.5!” he said, happily. I remained quiet.
“What, you didn’t like it?”
“It was okay.”
That was it. Premam was just okay – funny and sweet in parts, but not mind blowingly awesome as I had been led to believe. And I am part of a target group who should have been predisposed to liking Premam. I fulfill both the essential criteria:
(1) I am a fan of Nivin Pauly
(2) I generally like coming-of-age and friend circle movies
Yet, the movie is exactly what its poster claims: it has nothing new!
But I am not going to dish it on that argument alone. Here are some of the other things that are off in Premam.
Mary
For me, the Mary story line dragged. It had one too many songs and one too many weird shots of the road in front of the tea shop, and one too many scenes of the angry dad chasing various boys away. (They could have cut this short by 15 minutes-at least-and used it to develop the Celine story. But more on that later) And if they had shown one more shot of Mary stroking her vaikol thuru hair, I would have had to rip my own out (whatever is left of it!)
Cafe Agape
I’m not saying that all of us have to display signs of our calling in life from a young age. But really, for 60% of the movie -in fact, until George graduates from college – would you have guessed that he would become a pastry chef running a posh upmarket cafe?
To me, the cafe setting seemed like something fit in forcefully just to provide a beautiful meet-cute for Celine and George. The George we had seen so far had been genuine and ordinary – this suave pastry chef, with his perpetually frowning eyebrows and orders barked at his staff, felt like a complete stranger.
Celine
You would expect a 30 year old man -who’s already been scarred once in a love affair- to be a little more cautious when falling in love with a girl he had last seen as a kid, and for all intents and purposes, as a kid sister. Wouldn’t you expect him to take some time to get to know Celine, and then slowly realize that she’s no longer a kid, but a woman he’s fascinated by?
But no – the director’s already given too much reel time to George’s first love, and is in a hurry to wrap up the movie. So, the Celine plot line is lazily developed, and too much happens in too little time. The treatment is shallow, and therefore, this relationship – the supposedly perennial one in George’s life – feels the most hollow. Quite unfortunate.
There were other little touches that could have made a difference, but were missing in the movie -for instance, Mary and her dad are conspicuously absent at George and Celine’s wedding; What happens to Vimal sir? I always thought he would end up proposing to Anjali, the girl he used to keep telling “Doubt undengil parayanam!”
But I can live without these.
What works for me in Premam is Nivin Pauly’s acting – the man definitely has screen presence, and how he can pull off any look and age is just amazing. 1983, OSO, Bangalore Days, and now this… he is certainly here to stay.
Sai Pallavi is well worth all the raving – she has screen presence and her simple charm is thankfully unmasked by layers of makeup. The chemistry between the duo also certainly works.
The boyhood friendship that grows (without maturing!) over time is also done brilliantly. The actors, the banter, the songs… all of it work.
By itself, Premam isn’t a bad movie at all. But like all things overhyped, it falters under the weight of expectation.
And while we are making controversial statements, let me add a few more I’ve been bottling up inside.
Manju Warrier’s best role is not Unnimaya in Aaram Thampuran. (If anyone’s interested, it is Aami in Summer in Bethlehem. More on that in another post)
ARR’s music in OK Kanmani is just about average. The songs don’t grate on your ears, but they are eminently forgettable.
Drishyam is a good thriller and worth a watch, but I don’t see what the bruhaha is about. (And Meena did a terrible job, just as she did in Katha Parayumbol.)
There, I said it!
The Rustle of Words 
Manju Warrier’s best role is definitely Aami in Summer in Bethlehem! Thank you for that!. Ive been in endless debates regarding this. For me ,it is the movie which has explored the full range of Manju on both sides of the emotional scale. Eagerly waiting for your post!
Completely agree! The ease with which she gets into Aami’s skin in SIB is what I sorely miss in her recent performances. When I watch her in Rani Padmini or How Old Are You or Ennum Eppozhum, I am aware that this is *Manju Warrier* on the screen – not the character she is playing. But when I think back on SIB, I think of Aami, never Manju. Do you feel the same way?
So far I have watched Drishyam, Kali, Premam, OSO, oru vadakkan selfie.
Ennu ninte mohideen is in my to watch list.
Can you recommend any good malayalam movies.
Thanks
Hi
I agree all your points on premam except about the cafe agape. Saw the movie recently. It is just above average movie. Soo much hype killed it. I enjoyed OSO more. I think guys will like premam and girls will prefer OSO.
I have watched only 5 Malayalam movies in my life and just love the simplicity of Malayalam movies, no fake makeup and too much show off like tamill movies.
Hello! Nicely written review! I started to watch the movie, with great expectations, mainly because of all the hype surrounding it. I enjoyed the movie. While it was a good entertainer, I have to say I was disappointed it didn’t live up to the hype. The only memorable bit for me was the one with Malar. Honestly, I had a bit of trouble accepting a relationship between a student and a teacher, but I made peace with it eventually. Mary was too long and Celine was too short – just like you said! Personally I would rate Bangalore Days higher on my entertainment meter.
But I think I will have to disagree with you about Drishyam. In fact, I saw the movie only after a year of its release. By then I had huge expectations. I watched the movie, and I loved the plot and Mohanlal’s and the little girl’s performances immensely. Rarely has any recent movie met all my expectations. It did kinda blow me away, I was so involved in the movie, I couldn’t take my eyes off for a second! And i have watched it umpteen times after, analysing every frame and emotion 🙂
Glad you enjoyed both Drishyam and Bangalore Days! I agree: when I first heard that Malar-George are a teacher -student couple, I thought it might be weird. But it wasn’t that way at all. In fact, it was one of the sections of Premam that was well written, well directed, and well acted. 🙂
ALAS! What do you think about Malar’s Part…..Did she loved George or was that accident as they say she lost her memory was actual or did she treated George as she wanted to get rid of him or she wanted to marry her cousin brother to avoid george
Oh, wow… that’s an angle I hadn’t thought of! 😀
Totally agree with this review. Its an ok movie. not worth the hype. Frankly speaking all that chatting between friends felt like seeing a film-shoot , rather than an actual film. Its a new style and i didn’t like it at all……..It gives the scene a very ”real life'” feeling (as i mentioned; felt like seeing a movie shoot) but as a side effect most of the comedy (within the chats) could not be appreciated.
i don’t know how to describe it……for eg the father character (father of mary)……i felt like seeing films like ‘Gods must be crazy’; ie like a documentary……as if someone is narrating the events of that village….”In this village, there was a girl called Mary around whom lot of boys had sights and Mary’s father would drive all of them away…..these boys were of various type some drove a cycle, some spoke in Arabic etc etc”
Haha!
Thanks for sharing your views, Jyotish! 🙂
mary- best part of the movie; innocent, pristine love n’ fun. who wouldn’t want more of it than the celine episode, which is honestly more of a wrap up?
cafe agape- guy flunks pre-degree, is an academic disaster (although cool looking with awesome antics) in college… does it look like he has a lot of career choices??
celine- does anyone believe in love at first sight anymore? i do…
p.s. there wasn’t any reference to mary george being celin’s biological sister in the first episode, hence the lack of need for her or her grumpy dad to be there for celin’s wedding, duh!
case closed
Well, looks like you enjoyed the movie thoroughly, Antony!
Thanks for stopping by. 🙂
Refreshing to see someone calling a spade a spade. Premam is enjoyable, yes. But ample scope for shortening the runtime. There were moments, fleeting but present all the same, when you felt the movie was dragging out for no apparent reason.
Agree with you totally on Drishyam. That first half was quite boring though I really enjoyed the second half.
Have to disagree with you on the Manju Warrier bit. Her protrayal of Devika Sekhar in Pathram is the best performance I have seen by a leading actress in malayalam cinema. Aamy comes a close second.
Looking forward to more write ups from you on malayalam cinema.
Cheers
Yes, Devika Shekhar is also a role she’s done very well, although I don’t like how they have made her go all soft and mushy when Suresh Gopi makes his manly appearance. That is such a covert male chauvinistic messaging!
Agree with you on all points on Premam , but Manju Warrier s best role is not Aami , but Bhadra from Kannezhuthi Pottum thottu and even Bhanu from Kanmadham. 🙂
I agree that these 2 are great roles, Sonia – but they also had a powerful story/script behind them. To bring a character like Aami to life, in a relatively light-hearted movie, without losing the intensity or the nuances required for the role is something I think only Manju Warrier could do. Hence, the thought. 🙂
Thanks for commenting, and do keep stopping by!
Too bad Manju is pretty bad in most of her recent films. Her acting seems artificial. I guess being absent from acting for over a decade might have made her lose her touch w acting.
PS. Yes, I agree with the Mary part. It was too long. Almost 40 minutes. And placing the camera on the side of road or on top of the store was very distracting for me.
Completely agree! I recently had the misfortune of watching Vetta, and if I ever write an end-of-the-year post on the epic fails of 2016, this is sure to be on the list.
What we loved Manju Warrier for was the naturalness of her acting, the graceful, effortless way in which she could get into the skin of her characters. This is a far cry from the stiff actor we see today. I don’t know whether she’s just rusty (frankly, I don’t buy that argument. Once an actor, always an actor) or she’s trying to conform to a new image. Whatever it is, it is a huge loss to Malayalam cinema.
I suppose the strength of a story is also very important when one enacts a character. An actor must connect with the character and I quite doubt if Manju connects to the modern characters that are meted out to her!
Good point, Vidya. Sometimes I wonder whether in her zeal to make up for all the years she’s lost, she is losing sight of the truly important things. Like really getting into the skin of a character before donning the role.
I remember Mohan Lal’s statement in reaction to his current roles: ‘I am only an actor. I am what my directors make of me. So if I have deteriorated as an actor, there are a lot of factors that have gone into it.’ I suppose this is the tragedy of the true artist. As art enters a commercial domain, stories and characters take a backseat. Some artists resign from these roles while others adapt to these roles in order to survive in the field. While I love those artists who find the courage to resign, demonstrating a true commitment to art, one cannot blame the others who subscribe to new roles because there are often reasons driving these decisions. I wish society would redefine standards, causing filmmakers to redefine standards. Only then can the true potential of an artist be put to use!
I agree more or less to the statement that there are factors beyond an actor’s ability. However, I immediately thought of Paambu Joy in Paavada. Now, I don’t think that movie was particularly different or brilliant or even well-directed. True, the characters were quirky and had potential. But in the hands of anyone else, Paambu Joy could have become a ridiculous, even crass, creation that arouses only irritation or disgust. What Prithviraj has done is to take that two-dimensional character that someone had written and breathed life into it. Given it depth and mannerism and feeling, so that long after you’ve forgotten the movie, the wide-eyed, oddly childlike Joy remains in your mind.
You may disagree with this, but my perspective of Prithviraj: https://vchathoth.wordpress.com/2013/01/29/the-prithviraj-versus-mohanlal-debate/. I haven’t watched ‘Pavada’ or any of his more recent films. Somehow, I am one of those people who loves to hold on to all that once was, and now isn’t 🙂
To my mind, comparing Prithviraj and Lalettan is akin to comparing apples and blue whales! 😀 They are both actors in their own right, with strengths and limitations, but occupy realms so drastically different that a comparison is meaningless. Unless you want to compare Prithvi’s contemporary-young-man roles with those enacted by Lalettan in the 80s. For instance, Jayaprakash in Indian Rupee and TP Balagopalan in TP Balagopalan, MA. Both educated, middle-class young men who are struggling to make it big in a hostile world, while dealing with personal desires and familial responsibilities.
Maybe you are right, Gowri. Like I said, I fail to be awakened by Prithvi’s characters and performances. It may be to do with the kind of cinematic experience I expect. Like I said, I am more of an old world person. So somehow, I fail to relate to his performance.
You know what i was thinking, What if the movie ‘premam’ had a female lead, instead of Nivin lets put an extremely talented young girl there.Her series of love affairs or crushes through her teenage years till she gets married to a guy who was in the circle before and maybe whome she must have thought of as a big brother or good friend. I wonder how all these Premam crazed malayalee boys would react to it.
That’s sort of the story line in Emma, one of Jan Austen’s most famous works. Interesting thought! 🙂
an interesting write-up, enjoyed 🙂
am no fan of Nivin Polly, but rather a fan of good films and new ideas in moviemaking.
Premam is not an exceptionally brilliant movie (not even close) but even then, I thoroughly enjoyed every second of the 3hrs I spend watching.
What worked for me is that almost all the scenes starting from the credits to the end I could always relate those moments to someone I know and many at times Me – Myself.
I think all the boys/guys born beteween 1983 – 86 could easily relate to the all the craziness in the movie…But I do have my doubts whether all of the KV students and a few of the CBSE good boys could relate to what they see on screen 😉 …
[PS-Notice when Mary introduces her boyfriend, he says SBOA with a chip on his shoulder]
I was among those easy going lucky guys who with a set of best buds rode their BSA SLRs and MTBs (only the 80s kids will know what these are 😉 ) through the city streets chasing and goofing around pretty gals.
I even watched the movie with my +2 friends (the Shambus and Koyas) and we are still the best of best friends even though we are poles apart in careers and life.
Like Ranjini Menon has said there were so many one-liners through-out the movie and some sutle moments (like the one when they all are watching TV together, and Koya asks to re-wind a bit…Classic Old School ( hope you got what I meant 😉 ) , which was thrown almost all time and for many we would need to read between the lines.
The entire movie was reliving those old fond memories – friends , crushes, love – breakup…..
I was able to relate Premam and for those many like me who was able to relate the instances are the ardent Fans of Premam.
I say this because my cousin brother who is almost 10years younger to me said
“Chettayi, theres nothing new, its just a comedy film, what’s with all the hype?? ”
NB – even my wife had the same thing to say….shhh…..
Thanks for sharing your perspective, James!
Suffice to say that Premam has resonated – with justifiable reason – with a large proportion of the audience who could relate to it. And no doubt, it has its moments.
Unfortunately, I couldn’t feel its magic. My loss!
Yeah..dats it
People born in 80s would enjoy as we could correlate each n every moment
Even after film…I was thinking aa school evide poyi..aa sboa…
Then gowrink…the seriousness about life in third part…the most carefree people became damn serious abt life later…that v have seen among ourselves..
Then abt falling in love for selene.
.30 years guys fall in love most easily…bcose they are already under pressure and marriage is d only pending affair for them to get settle down..
Pinne premathinu praayam onnumilla..that makes u a little bit painkili at any age..
BTW my husband didn’t like d film..of course he s not able to correlate..he belong to the late 70s
Pakshe ente arivil 2000l pre degree first year illaaa…1999-2000 was d last pre degree batch
I was born in the 80s, but studied 11th & 12th in a school. I completely relate to Nazriya’s character in OSO because ente teenage-inte nalla oru bhaagam njaan ingane oralde purake nadannirunnu!
😉
So, I am glad you could relate to Premam & enjoyed it. Thanks for sharing your views!
Exactly !! The exact same thoughts that hovered my head – the movie got over. Good movie, but the Hype – nahh not there.. Yes, the initial part of the movie was lagging – The end part, lacked good scripting.
Thanks for sharing your views, RD! Needless to say, I agree. 🙂
Hai Gowri,
Am with you… I’m Saumya, who goes more on air………. Mmm….…also being an RJ, among some other areas I handle as part of my pursuits- more in my capacity as a social being, my reflections mostly goes on air, it never gets solidified on print or page. But today morning, my husband has brought to my notice, ur reflections on the movie ‘Premam’ ( Nivin Pauly block buster as people call it!!!). U were desperately expressing ur alienated feel about the disappointment you had about the movie irrespective of the fact that u are a Nivin Pauly fan and u r an admirer of friend circle movies.
I am not a die hard fan of Nivin Pauly. But I do share high level of expectation, an average Malayali layman has about the hardworking and talented youngster. That too when we are desperately waiting for fresh faces and young blood to come out with fresh themes, new approaches and inspiring initiatives.
True that ‘Premam’ had been ruling the screens all over Kerala. Thanks to the fresh faces??? Sync sound mixing??? Instant layman comedies??? Nostaljic green canvas… whatever it may be, the drag which I felt in the first quarter (predegree period of hero), got itself a bit alleviated towards the second quarter… though I saw myself watching Nivin Pauly and his friends on screen reminding me of some of my friends at Law College, who used to walk around the college imitating Mohanlals feudal characters which has ruled the screens in the nineties…. At the very same time getting excited about the rendering skills of Vinay Fort, and the actors who did the PT Sir and Jojo. True that I was also finding the performance of all the youngsters in the movie, including Nivin Pauly, quite natural and Yes!!, they were ‘behaving’ rather than acting, which in turn kept us connected with them, though we never preferred to remain connected with such ‘loose and lazy’ characters, when in campus.
And now, once out of the cozy, comfortable ambience of Cinemax…, I was feeling dispirited, leftout and disappointed. Why???!! Ai, am I getting aged- Oh!! Premature ageing !!!?? No!!! Am very much tuned in tune with the pulse of the youth… Apart from my peers, my friends and colleagues are more of teenagers- I get perfectly well with them, their attitudes, reflections and initiatives and its with them I can relate more and communicate more effectively. Inspiring initiatives from the part of youngsters excite me to a great extend and I never miss an opportunity to promote such initiatives personally and also in my capacity as a media person.Then why???!!!!Why am I feeling so dispirited after spending almost two and a half hours with youngsters…???!! I slept with heavy feelings….Woke up tired …but with the answer which was as simple as that…..,I felt….!There was nothing in the movie ‘inspiring’ us at any level of experience….Ofcourse, it was an ‘enjoyable entertainer’at many levels, but, not an ‘inspiring entertainer ‘at any level…
To communicate my feeling to my husband and also to a very close friend of mine who is a youngster ,very passionate about entering into the world of movies, I sought the help of a similie, which,I would like to share with you also dear Gowri….:::”A couple of years back, we had a ‘get together’ of our lawcollege batchmates…A get together of classmates with family…..Lots of expectations, nostalgia, excitement…drove us all into the venue…But, right from hour one, our friends, allowed alcoholic drinks to take charge of all the finer feelings , which were getting stumbled in the obstacles created in their consciousness by the ‘alcoholic kick’…. But to be honest, I should admit, a few of us-which included both males and females, who were remaining live with the nostalgic greens of the campus, were also having real fun, watching our classmates repeating the very same ‘drunk comedies’ we had in the campus……!……Gigglings, blablaings, fooding, singing, dancing…..’bye bye’, nice meeting you all- ‘Au revoir’ – we parted….-Back in my car, I was tired, dispirited, disappointed…… Next day, feedback chats, calls…. Almost all of us- yes, 99% of us shared the same feeling…. ‘Disappointed’….!! Why !!?? Intelligent review by lawmen – there was nothing “inspiring”.
Lawmen or Laymen…- may be, the basic instinct of a normal human being is to “get inspired”.
And Gowri, your disappointed reflection over the much glorified ‘ Premam’ inspired me to do away with my laziness to put my reflections on page. And here I join you dear Gowri, Remaining obliged for the inspiration.
Saumya Biju
Hi Saumya, nice to e-meet you!
How well I understand this aftertaste of disappointment! It has happened to me after many an event I had been looking forward to before it happened.
In the case of Premam, it was less a sense of disappointment and more a sense of… nothing.
I felt nothing when I walked out of the theatre, whereas people around me were raving, repeating one liners, and reliving the moments from the movie. And I stood there wondering why I didn’t feel the same.
After reading so many views in these comments, I am realizing that Premam’s magic is that the events it showcases have connected powerfully with a large section of the audience who have had similar experiences. Unfortunately, I do not belong to that group. Hence, I am not enamored by the movie, and am probably noticing the small stuff or nitpicking where a fan would not even notice it!
Thanks for stopping by, and pl do so again! 🙂
Yes.. you do have valid points, I would say, might be from your life experiences..
I am living with one, who had the first (several) longer episodes of Mary(s) and proposed me in 10 days and we got married in 6 months.. and I had a broken engagementjust before that (no we didn’t had the perumaaral episode on Roney) 😀
So apart from the technical brilliance of the way the movie is taken, I loved the feel of each relationships George had.
Lets agree to disagree..
Haha, very interesting Celine!
Let’s agree to disagree.
😉
I do agree that story has its falling quite a number of time, but I guess the reason people were raving about the movie was because of the way the movie way directed. It’s undeniable that few songs could have been done away with, mainly because story hardly progressed through it. People connected to the movie because they did a splendid work in recreating ideal friendships which we all cherish. And Malar’s story in the movie does deserve a special mention as everything was done perfectly, including the story. It’s little unjust to avoid that part in your review. But your review is a welcome change in a sea of blind praises.
Thanks Harshavardhan!
I’m sorry if you feel I have ignored the Malar storyline – I have mentioned that there is some undeniable chemistry there and both Nivin and Sai Pallavi deserve kudos for bringing those characters to life. This is certainly a part of the movie I enjoyed. 🙂
Well for one, I and my friends could relate one character or the other to our school and college days. This connect is that worked the charm, me feels. Even the friendship. The kind of friendship I have with my friends are as you mentioned has ‘not matured’ even after 20 years. The differences from then and now are the added ‘purse-onality’ and graduating from 2 to 4 wheels. We have taken care to keep away from the ‘I have grown up’ types.
I agree with you – the Celine plot has been a bummer due to the short timeline there. Marys time line – Not sure if it dragged. I did not time it. But it shows a lot of traits from a teenagers teenage time. Like consulting friends over the phone (while dragging it to the room) among others ;).
Yes, I watched it twice. The second time, i enjoyed it a bit more!
Glad you enjoyed it, Glen!
As I said, it is definitely not a bad movie – but it didn’t work its magic on me. Possibly because my life experiences are quite diff. Btw, I felt that magic with OSO. 😀
I believe ‘Premam’ was a commercial movie, targetted at a set audience. As for me, the movie has definetly gone beyond its targets and created success. What is different about the movie is the fact that it reached its greater heights and success in the history of malayalam cinema at a faster rate than any other movie so far, hence you explaining your failed attempts to get tickets. I believe its the director’s brilliance that owes to this success. To find something new ; I find it in the direction and screenplay! its a visual beauty… (my thoughts). This is not to say you are wrong at all but to make it clear that its a special movie.
Sure Felix – I agree with you that it has created a new record in Malayalam cinema, and I would be more than happy if it results in more people starting to watch Malayalam movies. 🙂
Hype is created by whom..???
Never go watch a movie on hearing. See, feel it. Even the best ones may have lotsa flows.
A movie tat is fun, entertaining, can make u laugh, can bring u memories….is an Awesome one. At least for me. So I loved PREMAM.
Glad you enjoyed the movie, Charles! 🙂
I am glad that you mentioned the Celine plot. While it was fun to watch, it was somehow incomplete. However overall the movie was fun and not boring. The review is also interesting. Thanks.
Thanks for sharing your views, Krishna! 🙂
So, I had to comment here.
First things first! It was not for no reason that the director claimed that the film has nothing new to offer. Premam is an out and out director’s movie and the terrific rapport between the friends and all the other actors makes this more than a one time watch. Let me get to the points discussed here.
Mary’s storyline
Almost every scene in this storyline has hilarious one liners. There are a lot of conversations going on simultaneously in every scene, and each of them being really funny draw us in and demands our complete attention. Its as real as it can get. The “weird road shots” too have conversations going on in the background! You would have to watch the film more than once to discover all of them. George, Shambu and Koya and their chemistry shines here. The concept of Premam or Love is never complete without “Kozhis” and we have a quite a big bunch here! Teenage gimmickry is just spot on!
Cafe Agape
How many of the present generation chooses a profession for which they have studied their whole student life? Especially in Kerala, an electrical engineer ends up almost always in a software company! I am sure the director has thought this through when it came to George’s life… The argument here doesn’t hold enough substance, according to me. And here, George seems quite the desperate loner!
Celine
Probably not the happily ever after we would have wanted for George, but I feel, the plot seems realistic in various aspects. Haven’t we seen a lot of people around us who are tired of waiting and who jump at the first opportunity thrown at them? Especially after what George has been through, I think, he just got desperate! As simple as that!
And by the way, Mary is in Canada. Quite a good reason for her absence. And Vimal sir, what about him? Not an absolute necessity that his story be completed!
P.S. Manju Warrier’s best performance is not Unnimaya or Aami for that matter. Its Bhanu from Kanmadam and Bhadra from Kannezhuthi Pottum Thottu! Far more powerful roles, I say! 🙂
Thank you for sharing your thoughts Ranjani. Your arguments are definitely thought provoking – perhaps, when Premam comes on TV for Onam or Christmas, I will watch it again, specifically for the one liners I may have missed. 🙂
I agree with all the points you said gowri.. and i really like how you handle the negative comments gracefully! Keep up the good reviews! 🙂
Thanks Nella!
The way I see it, I voiced an opinion on my blog. A lot of people have been kind enough to read that and tell me their thoughts. The least I can do is listen with an open mind and thank them for their time! 🙂
Do stop by again!
Are you kidding me? Mary is in Canada and can’t make it to her sister’s wedding?! Lmao.
As an NRI, in real life, missing out on your siblings or close relatives wedding is horrible. Especially a sibling. That would look so bad. Accept the fact that this movie has plenty of plot holes.
I think students who have underwent pre degree in mainstream colleges will easily have a liking for this movie those who have done Plus two in schools won’t have a inkling with this movie they might find it bore
You know what, that could be true! 🙂
Thanks for commenting.
so happy to realise dat der r odrs also who didnt like d movie as much.. d movie was definitely a clean lighthearted entertainer worth a one time watch.. but it is overhyped and doesnt live upto d expectations.. i actually felt dat it was inspired too much from “vaaranam ayiram”( same 3 love stories.. first – a crush in school, second- in love with a more mature and accomplished lady.. and ends in a tragedy, third- finally settles down with a girl whom he knew since childhood..).. but d cast was awesome..every actor did his part too well.. nd d songs are really good…
Oh, good spotting. I didn’t notice the Vaaranam Aayiram parallel, Anju. Some people were telling me that it reminded them of Autograph, the Cheran movie. I haven’t watched that – so I wouldn’t know. I agree with you – Premam is quite a good movie. But I probably went in with too many expectations! 🙂
Yeah I do agree with the fact that the movie is over hyped…. bt if u leave out all those excitement around the film nd watch it like an other normal movie u vl njoy it more I feel… wat kept me interested in dat whole movie; evn though the thngs u said r true to an xtend, is that it reminded me of my colg days…. I cud relate to many of the scns in it… it took me back in time nd that good old days really made me happy… i feel dats wat made this movie run houseful for so lng…
I agree, Arun!
In any case, I did enjoy the movie. Just that I couldn’t understand the hype. Perhaps it is because I could relate to fewer things in the movie than a lot of others. Thanks for commenting! 🙂
I think I became your fan after reading this review 🙂
Haha, thank you!
This is exactly what I wanted to tell the world who shouts “premam !! Premam”..
Superb review..
Thanks Poornima!
I hardly think of putting efforts in filling such columns wit my comments ( evn aftr a gud read!) But u made me so! Actually it was lyk i met sm1 frm my species in an alirn world! I was left alone wit similar perspectives lyk u among d crowd praising Premam! Its a cute movie to hangout wit ur dear ones but certainly not a muvi u cud crave again n again until one pukes! 🙂
N d Mary part u mentioned s imdeed hilarious. I too tht f pulling out mine watching her hairs covering a genuine space on screen! 😀
Haha! Thanks Nidhi, I’m glad you agree. 🙂
I totally agree….Premam is okay, nothing more.
Thanks for commenting! 🙂
Your articles are really worth reading, sensible sort. And I too never felt the Premam effect.
Thanks David – I’m glad you enjoyed the read. If you’re a Malayalam movie fan, do keep stopping by. 🙂
First of all, I would want to say I liked your review and the way you felt the movie could have gone in your perspective. Like people had shared earlier, the scenes surrounding Mary was all clearly done to show how would teenage boys react to a beautiful girl in town and I believe all of it was worth it, but I would say more than the love story, it was the bond between the 3 friends that made me like it all the more. Yes, Celine’s story could have been given more time to create but yea, we got lost in Malar! Its a sheer team effort, like the director did share the fact that this movie didn’t have anything new, but he did take the effort to show us all how a movie such as this can be taken to a whole new level, in terms of camera work, acting, BG score, well crafted songs to take the movie further and not to forget the witty dialogues which connect to the common man, bringing us back to good all memories. For sure this movie is telling the story of How george found true love, so obviously the male-oriented generation will have a lot to connect to, for the rest of the population can sit back and enjoy the effort put in every frame! 🙂 Cheers!
Not undermining the effort & the thought gone into making the film at all, Mathew. I am glad you, like many others, have enjoyed this movie so much! As I have been saying, it is probably because I could not relate to it so much that I am not swept away by its magic. Thanks for stopping by!