In the climax of the movie Adios Amigo, Suraj Venjaramood’s character hugs the character played by Asif Ali as a token of gratitude. The realness in the performance of Suraj was so moving that I hoped the second half of this movie written by Thankam had more juice in it to make us root for these characters. With a breezy and interesting first half and a dragged-out second half, Nahas Nazar’s debut directorial is a flawed yet watchable, feel-good film.
I am not revealing the character names since the movie keeps it as suspense till the end. The movie is about two men. One is struggling in life with all the financial liabilities, and right now, he is in dire need of Rs 25,000 for his mother’s medical expenses. Then we have the other guy who belongs to a wealthy family, and the man is lavishly giving money to everyone who is in need of it. He has come to Kochi without informing his family. The events that unfold when these two met at the Vytilla hub are what we see in Adios Amigo.
In a recent interview, Suraj Venjaramood revealed that the story is based on a real incident that happened in the life of the writer, Thankam, and the character he plays in this film is based on Thankam. So, if something of this sort happens in one’s life, it is pretty obvious that, as a writer, you would be able to see the drama and irony in those moments. In the initial areas of the film, where the interactions are funnier for us as the audience, and the rich guy is still a mystery for us and the other person, the humor works in favor of the film. The fizzling happens in the second half as we, as the audience, now have a better picture of who these people are. Even though the poor guy’s empathy is admirable, his decision to refrain from expressing his need felt like the typical movie trope of delaying the obvious solution to increase the drama. Many of the events, which were designed to make us empathize with the clueless rich man, were struggling to achieve that purpose.
Asif Ali has tried a different slang in the film. Even though he was handling the body language and expressions of the character flawlessly, the slang wasn’t that consistent, and at times, the loud nature of the character was making it a little too obvious. My favorite performance came from Suraj Venjaramood, who played the part of the underprivileged man. Even in those dragged bits in the second half, Suraj makes us empathize with that helpless and humane man with a very nuanced performance. And like I already said, his dialogue delivery in the very last scene of the film will touch your heart. Other than these two, Anagha and Vineeth Thattil are the only two major performers, along with cameo-like appearances from Althaf Salim, Raffi, and Shine Tom Chacko, and the voice presence of Aparna Balamurali, Rajisha Vijayan, Aju Varghese and Jaffar Idukki.
Nahas Nazar has managed to crack the humor convincingly, in my opinion. The movie has certain less verbal comical instances, and everyone sort of got the intended humor. It is the emotional shift that happens in the mid-way that causes issues to the film. For instance, the interval block feels somewhat forceful just to create a sense of rift, which fades off instantly in the second half. Then, in the second half, they are making it a different journey, and like I already said, Suraj’s character’s hesitation to tell his situation doesn’t make much sense. For the movie to work wholesomely on an emotional level, empathizing with the loneliness of the rich person was somewhat essential, and I think that was one of the shortcomings of Thankam’s script. The background score by Jakes Bejoy was really good.
The backdrop and struggles of the character played by Suraj Venjaramood can definitely create a connection with a commoner. Adios Amigo is trying to place that escapist feel-good element into the story of a relatable character. While the humor is enjoyable and the struggles are somewhat relatable, the stretched-out drama diminishes the charm of this movie that had the potential to put a bright smile on your face.
While the humor is enjoyable and the struggles are somewhat relatable, the stretched-out drama diminishes the charm of this movie that had the potential to put a bright smile on your face.
Green: Recommended Content
Orange: The In-Between Ones
Red: Not Recommended
