Momo in Dubai, the new movie by debutant Ameen Aslam, is strictly for its targeted audience, the kids. With predictable conflicts and an emotionally overwhelming climax narrated in a non-boring way, this comedy, written by Zakariya and Ayisha fame Ashif Kakkodi manages to be a passable entertainer.
Mohammed, aka Momo, is our title protagonist. He is this young kid who has this sleeping problem. No matter where he is, at around 7 PM, he will fall asleep. Momo’s father, who works in Dubai, has not been able to visit his family for a long time. And for a change, he invited the family to Dubai for a vacation as he couldn’t get leave. We get to see how that vacation goes for Momo in this film.
As I said, the craft aspect of the writing of this movie isn’t that spectacular. Since the kids are the film’s primary audience, a little bit of loudness and spoon-feeding are there in the treatment. But the Malappuram backdrop and slang create a natural humor that makes the peculiar character of Momo likable even for adults. The struggles and hardships of the Gulf NRI are also shown more practically than through lengthy dialogues. I liked how Johny Antony’s character behaves in the Burj Khalifa sequence, as it gives you an idea about that character’s struggle.
Athrey as Momo is very entertaining. The characteristics associated with Momo can easily result in a performance that can look annoying to the viewer. But, Athrey succeeds in keeping it in that fun zone. The two kids who performed the roles of Momo’s siblings, Najin and Arafa, were also quite natural. Aneesh G Menon, Johny Antony, and Anu Sithara are the other major names in the film.
The film’s writing never really enters a cheesy space, and yet it manages to have that message-driven style. Ameen Aslam captures the moments in Momo’s and his parent’s lives in a less staged way. The sleeping habit of Momo is not a quirk that gets forgotten after a while. Sajith Purushan’s cinematography in certain moments, like that frame before scuba diving, conveyed the emotional depth of the moment.
With a climax that puts a smile on your face despite being guessable and slightly on the over-the-top side, I found Momo in Dubai as a harmless feel-good film that will definitely work for children. With the dialect, dialogues, and attitude of Momo making him a peculiar character, Momo in Dubai is an easy watch with a runtime of 102 minutes.
With a climax that puts a smile on your face despite being guessable and slightly on the over-the-top side, I found Momo in Dubai as a harmless feel-good film that will definitely work for children.
Green: Recommended Content
Orange: The In-Between Ones
Red: Not Recommended
