Geethanjali

Story: The movie moves around the life of a young couple who encounter strange events in their mansion and famous psychiatrist Sunny Joseph is summoned to help them.

Review: Geethanjali, though mostly built around the quirky psychiatrist Sunny Joseph, draws heavily from Manichithrathazhu where intrigue springs from a frighteningly gothic air and psychological frailties. A young couple - Anoop and Geetha - return home from Mumbai to take care of Geetha’s sick mother. It’s a giant mansion flaunting a splendid rocky architecture, wooden staircases and broodingly dark interiors with a sea raging behind. The inmates in the house are beset by a wave of ominous events and mystery has to be unravelled by Sunny Joseph, the bearded, bespectacled doctor played by Mohanlal.

For most part, Geethanjali is weighed down by the stature of Sunny who could define the success of Manichithrathazhu with an affable eccentricity bordering on sharp intellect. In Geethanjali, Sunny Joseph’s joviality is shorn of playful innocence. His verve for humour appears jaded, sometimes stooping into a tiring stutter. His antics never formed a subplot in his earlier outing, it was indiscernibly hidden in the narrative. In Geethanjali, Sunny Joseph spends considerable time with a curious young girl so that he can give vent to his jeering self, something that never goes right in the film.

There is a palpable effort to terrify as the cinematographer goes much beyond the creaking windows or looming shadows. Priyadarshan even employs fleeting moments of silence to heighten the effect of terror that is ready to strike. Not for once do they click for the scenes - despite being packed with elaborately choreographed shots - fritter away hardly leaving behind even the faintest chill.

Geethanjali plays around a script that is constantly unsteady, giving away hints far too quickly or getting immersed in trifles just for the purpose of stretching the narrative. Even without comparisons, the movie never attains the arresting enigma of a psychological narrative. Priyadarshan as usual works with a huge building populated by a host of characters who are waiting for a marriage. Stricken by deaths, he would still have his characters break into a colourful and collective jig prior to the marriage. He tries hard to balance a good-humoured character with a blood-drenched narrative. The effort does not yield fruitful results.

Keerthi Suresh is seldom nervous as she makes a notable debut handling double roles. Mohanlal is left with almost no options to evoke either a decent laughter or riveting thrill.