Mollywood Times Review: The filmmaker who wowed the viewers with Mukundan Unni Associates is back with Mollywood Times, a movie that stars Naslen K. Gafoor in the most raw and authentic struggle of the Malayalam film industry. It’s one of his best performances working with Naslen, who is one of the most convincing young dreamers with the hopes, desperations and determination of the youngest director in the horror film industry. Sharaf U Dheen, Sangeeth Prathap and Vineeth Sreenivasan’s sure turns help the movie make the hidden politics, insecurities and survival instincts of cinema apparent. Its insights into writers and the creative act are especially interesting. But the film’s positives are marred by its length, the too-over-dominant verbal narration and the second half, where its main character gets buried by the relentless flow of misfortune. Insightful and well enacted, but at times tiring, Mollywood Times is a valuable, but imperfect, examination of the truth behind the movies.
Pre-viewing the film, I read the reviews which were good, like the one from Deccan Reviews, which urged me to watch it. It’s about a young man (played impressively by Naslen K. Gafoor) who has the ambition to make his debut as the first and youngest Malayalam horror movie director. His path, what he encounters, and whether he succeeds in attaining that goal are the heart of the story. It sounds like a boils down to a classic ‘underdog’ story on paper. But in execution, the movie takes a much darker and more negative turn.
The industry was the one thing that immediately caught my eye. The film is billed as “A Hate Letter to Cinema,” and strips away the glamorous image that people perceive when they watch a movie, revealing a world having to do with survival, business interests, and relentless politics. The narration is grounded in the context of the Malayalam film industry, but the reflections seem relevant to the wider context. From Malayalam, to Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Hindi or any other film industry in the world, the typical situation of trying to earn money, recognition and power is all too familiar. The film knows that cinema can be a form of entertainment to the audience, but for those in the trade, it is a profession in which careers and livelihoods are always on the balance.
I really liked one thing about the script, it made it clear that writers are important. Malayalam films have been known for their good story-telling since ages now and Mollywood Times is no exception to that and gives due credit to those who are the storytellers in the film. The film demonstrates the art of writing scenes, enhancing emotions and elevating narratives, and is a refreshing testament to a profession which is not as publicised as directors or actors.
The film is also filled with subtle references that film connoisseurs will sure detect. Some scenes made me think of the iconic Cinema Paradiso and some of the other episodes were close to the notorious Burari tragedy or Karthik Subbaraj’s Pizza. The nods add interest but do not take the spotlight away from the main story.
The film hangs its head on Naslen’s shoulders. He is believable as he is unafraid to be innocent, determined, frustrated and exhausted, fitting the role of a young man who is trying to achieve the impossible. The supporting cast of Sharaf U Dheen, Sangeeth Prathap and Vineeth Sreenivasan are equally reliable. The supporting cast does a great job of getting into the roles and making an impact even for the smaller characters. It’s also a nice cameo appearance for something that brings a little fun into the proceedings.
Sadly, my enjoyment of the movie started to wane into the second half. The first half, which concentrates on the protagonist’s preparations, networking and the incremental progress towards becoming a filmmaker, keeps a fairly good pace and provides some fun moments. It’s not unusual nor disappointing. It simply works.
The problems begin when the story wants to sink the main character into a sea of misfortune. One problem after the other comes in like clockwork. While these repeated hardships are emotionally devastating to us, in the end all of them become exhausting. I asked myself how one person could come across so many problems in such a brief amount of time? The emotional response is diminished because the anguish is constant.
One of the things that I find is that there is too much negativity. Nearly all the main characters have selfish motives and unscrupulous ethics. This could be a deliberate aesthetic decision, but it’s exhausting. The film has little in the way of emotional relief and it remains a very bleak experience overall.
But the biggest problem is that the movie is too reliant on voiceover text. Some scenes from the POV of the protagonist could work. Larger lapses can be okay if the narrative requires them. However, Mollywood Times takes this a step further. The narration is so pervasive that it’s like the film isn’t sure its images can do the job. I came to a point in time when the constant commentary was not interesting to me but rather distracting.
This problem is only compounded by the runtime. The film is long at almost two hours and forty-seven minutes and is much too long for the story. There are many scenes that are stretched out, and the story is constantly accessing ideas that have already been developed. The edit could have been tighter, and the viewing experience would have been much enhanced. The material doesn’t have the gravitas to justify such a long runtime.
Ultimately, Mollywood Times is a movie that could certainly resound with aspiring filmmakers, industry folk or anyone who has been yearning for a tough dream for years. They might be able to identify with some of the struggles of the protagonist. The appeal to general audiences is not as clear, however. The film is informative about the truth of filmmaking but a bit too long, as are the scenes that are too negative and too much narration.
But the film is still enjoyable for those of all ages and nothing is objectionable. If that’s not the case, it might still be worth watching for those interested in behind-the-scenes tales of filmmaking and the hidden struggles that lead to great successes.
Rating: 3/5
