Jallikattu (2019) {Regional Film}

            Jallikattu is a 2019 Malayalam action/drama film, directed by Lijo Jose Pellissery, produced by  O. Thomas Panicker, with Antony Varghese playing the lead role. The story of the film is rather simple, A buffalo who was supposed to be butchered in the morning for its meat to be sold is let loose, not long after, the animal goes on a rampage terrorizing the village. The butcher who brought in the buffalo faces the heat.

            Right off the bat, the film is visually very appealing. The colour grading depicts the tone of the film perfectly, adding to that the score of the film is done excellently as well. Both of these aspects add to the thrill of the movie. And one can't help but notice the incredible camera work! The cuts are snappy and the pacing is done well. The place where the movie lacks is, character development. There are a lot of characters in this movie, each character has their own subplot but the film just doesn't seem to care about it at all. Whenever the film is even remotely near to giving us some context about the characters, the focus again shifts to the threat. This in itself isn't wrong. There are a lot of plot driven films that lack character development, one prime example is Christopher Nolan's Tenet. The problem here is that the threat is MADE to feel dangerous but from an outsider perspective it isn't much of the threat at all! It's a Buffalo that's on the loose not a Leopard. Buffalos are domesticated animals that a lot of people in Indian villages have at home. So to have over 200 people running after it to take its life feels forced. The acting is very stylized and loud. It kind of makes one stray away from the realism of the film but then again, the film pulls one in with the realistic action sequences and long shots. Another aspect that makes one stray away from realism is how the people in the film have been portrayed, for example, there is a scene in the film where a man is preparing for his daughter's wedding, and how do you think he's prepping for that? By rigorously describing how he wants the beef dish to be during the feast. This subplot of his, is prevalent THROUGHOUT the film.

             The climax of the film is the most daunting. 'Jallikattu' title which is used metaphorically for the film is justified here. The chaotic atmosphere builds up your anxiety & holds your attention through out. This was a breakthrough film for the Malayalam film industry. One which teaches a lot of lessons on human nature and raises questions on the human evolution. The film doesn't contain scenes with sex/nudity but has a lot of gore. All in all, I would say Jallikattu is a good one time watch, and I would rate it 6.5/10. Fun fact, Jallikattu was India's official entry for the Oscars 2021.