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Movie Review- Casanovva (Malayalam) - Cannot Fall In Love With This!
The film has an above-average first half, which is somewhat racy while the second half disappoints big time and is poor says Hari Prasad
On Feb 28, 2012

 

After the highly successful Udayanaanu Thaaram and the moderately successful Ividam Swargamaanu, director Rosshan Andrrews comes up with his new offering, Casanovva. The script was penned by Bobby-Sanjay, who had always made compact scripts with the very recent Traffic being the best example. Since it starred one of the reigning Superstars Mohanlal, the hype just kept getting higher. Finally, the film has hit the screens and amidst a lot of struggle, I managed to grab a ticket for the noon show on the first day of its release.

 

 

 

The film starts off with a 4-member gang of thieves executing several robberies. Their next target is to rob priceless treasures from some millionaires who would be attending a big celebrity wedding in the coming weekend. Due to the high security at the wedding, the only way for the robbers to sneak in is by pretending to be a part of a big group of guests. That is when they come to know that a big businessman Casanovva (Mohanlal) is set to arrive with his huge staff. Casanovva is the owner of Casanovva’s Eternal Spring, an International chain of flower boutiques. The gang manages to sneak in with Casanovva’s group but what they do not realise is that there is more to the man Casanovva than they had realised. What happens from then on forms the crux of the film.

In one word, Casanovva is a disappointment!! The film fails to live up to its hype. Rosshan Andrrews fails to deliver as he is let down by the script. There are too many loopholes in the storyline. Script has always been a strong point of his films but Casanovva is a mess in terms of storyline. A lot of foreign locations, hi-fi cinematography and loads of style cannot save a film. The Bobby-Sanjay duo have come up with some amazing scripts, but fail miserably to deliver here. Casanovva ends up as all style and no substance. The cinematography is top notch and is one of the few highlights of the film. The editing could have been tighter as the film is too long at 2 hours 50 minutes. Gopi Sundar rocks with his music and background score. ‘Hey Manoharatheerame’ and ‘Omanichumma’ are the pick among the songs.

 

Coming to the performances, Mohanlal looks stylish but has no scope for showcasing his craft in this film. For an actor of his calibre, this role is a walkover. He carries the film on his shoulders and dominates with his charisma and screen-presence. Jagathy is totally wasted in his role, which seems similar to the one he did in Sagar Alias Jacky.

 

 

The film has an ensemble female cast but most of them have very little to do. Shreya comes up with a fine performance. The four youngsters who play the thieves are good. Lakshmi Rai, Sanjanna and Roma have very little to do in the film except adding a glamour quotient and they succeed in doing that.  

 

Casanovva boasts of superb visuals but apart from that, there is hardly anything to write home about. The first half is good with an intro that would keep Mohanlal’s fans happy. Thereafter, the film moves forward with some good songs, fights and chase sequences till the interval. Post-interval, things go awry. The flashback sequences are too long and poorly scripted. A lot of unwanted scenes are also dragged in, making it a boring period in the film. The romance between Mohanlal and Shreya fails to ignite a spark, as they have zero chemistry on-screen. The film meanders towards a predictable climax. The screenplay of the film is the biggest drawback of the film as there is nothing convincing about it.  

On the whole, the film has an above-average first half, which is somewhat racy while the second half disappoints big time and is poor. If you have nothing much to do to pass your time, then, and only then, try Casanovva but watch it at your own risk as chances are that you might be disappointed.

Verdict- Average

 

Image Courtesy: www.indiancinemagallery.com

 
 
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