The Rainmaker

Movie : Red Chellis
Language : Malayalam
Date : 17th Feb, 2009

Review : Shaji Kailas has come up with good so called hero worship movies (Narasimham, The King) and taut thrillers (Tiger, Chintamani). Red Chilleis tries to be both of these jounres reaches no where in doing so.
Usually you say while reviewing a movie that 'script has some gaping holes'. But well in to second half, you understand that RC's script has so many holes that it looks like a completely torn cloth for that matter.
First half progresses with some suspense along with some dialogues and situations that are really 'funny' to say the least. Factor the ones below:
* OMR (Mohanlal) arrives at a massage parlor in Singapore to meet his killer. The blonde women massaging the villain gasps after seeing Mohanlal and says "Welcome back, My dear Brad Pitt".!! (edited after confirmation)
* The police reach some village in Tamil Nadu searching for the Red Chillies gang. There is an inhaler that was dropped by one of the girls during the run. I thought that the predictability of that inhaler being taken as trace would stop there. But Sorry, it goes one step ahead. The police finds a bubble gum on the ground nearby and he goes " Ee pattikaattil aara bubble gum thinnunne. It has to be Anna Bella from Red Chillies". !!!
*Red Chellis trying to escape after a hit and run. They reach their 'head mistress'. She says asking them to escape quickly - "Police Eastilekku pokumbol, Red Chillies Westilekku pokanam". !!!

I was laughing for a good portion of the first half because the silliness of the script, dialogues made me do that.

Mohanlal has nothing to do in the first half. He keeps making calls from Singapore. Roaming around in some expensive cars and walking around with Chinese body guards who fill up the screen in large numbers with black shades on.
Yet there is some amount of suspense in the first half to be frank.

The second half descends and all hell breaks loose. It turns in to a super human, super hero tale where OMR takes the lead and he does everything from there on. He is the advocate out to save the girls (aka LK in Chintamani). The police quartet who were chasing the case on a break neck speed in the first half, are no where to be seen.
OMR is presented as God. People worship him in their prayer rooms at home. He carries a blank visiting card. Is he Osho or is he something else? He is the unknown. The space. More and beyond. (Oh My God!!!!!!)

And if you thought that you have seen all the flashbacks from hero's past lives, you are wrong. OMR has one instore for you. Lal and Shaji return to some different Mana (Tharavadu) this time and show a troubled past for the hero. Betrayed father who was a ISRO scientist (Just that they show a microscope on screen when they mention a telescope!!!!! ).

Finally, there is a twist in the tale. But let me tell you. I completely lost interest in the movie by the time the twist arrived. ‘Who damn cares what happens to the movie’ was my thinking by the time the twist came.

There are so many questions left unanswered.1. Headmistress gets arrested in the first half by police. She is shown as free and in OMR's company when the second half starts.2. OMR asks the girls to be put behind bars at the court. What happens to them after that? They completely vanish from the scheme of things and are shown only in flashbacks.

The whole timing of sequence (7pm , 12:01) and Red Chillies shown on the road in Thilakan – Jagadish scene when night has fallen is all unrealistic.
There are so many more but one final one. How on earth does a nun become a radio jockey and roam around in designer wear.? Completely defies my sensibilities.

To wrap it up. There are freeze shots. Slick editing and all of that. But who cares.
The only saving grace is a good performance from Thilakan. Note worthy among girls are Renjini.
Finally, its sad. Sad to see a great actor wasted in such rubbish. Shaji is in awe of Lal's stardom and that makes him blind. Its really sad to see recent movies like RC and CG. I was saved from LIS, I guess.

The one +ve thing I thought is that I felt that Thandavam was worse than this. But is that a way to judge a movie? No, I guess.
A disappointed fan of the 3 Ms - Mammotty, Mohanlal and Malayalam Cinema.
Rating - 1/5 Verdict - Exhausting & Lackluster.