Falimy

Story: A middle-class family goes on a trip to Varanasi, but can they survive ego clashes

Review: Basil Joseph starrer Falimy turned out to be a pleasant surprise with an apt picturisation of middle-class life with a touch of natural humour. Director Nithish Sahadev's debut work hit theatres after a long struggle and it seems to be worth it with a good cast that didn't let the story and script down. The mode of presentation makes it very entertaining and the first half had the viewers in splits.

The story focuses on a middle class family, consisting of a father, mother, their two sons and the grandfather, played respectively by Jagadeesh, Manju Pillai, Basil Joseph, Sandeep Pradeep and Meenaraj Raghavan. Jagadeesh is phenomenal as a typical middle-aged head of the family who is always right and refuses to budge at all even on small things. Basil plays the son whose conflict with his father is a clash of egos, also intensified by the fact that he and his mother are the breadwinner.

Sandeep is good as the carefree brother and has used his moments on screen well. Manju has delivered a wonderful performance as the mother struck between the egos in a family and often has to play peacemaker. The snarky dialogues between the family members are well-written making it a more interesting watch. The father's detached attitude and lack of joy is something many may find relatable as often they are also slaves of their habits and weighed down by it.

The trip to Varanasi drags a bit towards the end especially after they get stranded but it's still enjoyable to an extent. The frustrations during a family trip, the emotional conflicts as well as how age affects people, aspirations of the older generation are all explored in a relatable way which makes the film stand out. However, the film's pace doesn't hold well towards the end.

The music by Vishnu Vijay adds to the charm of the movie and keeps the energy level up. Basil is his natural self with his usual mannerisms which turned out to be what was needed.