Attention Please (I) (2021) User Reviews

IFFK Review: Arresting, Prickly, Fantastic Debut / Grade B

[nairtejas · 7/10 · 22 February 2021]

There's a lot of unfiltered energy in Attention Please, a social thriller which takes place entirely in an apartment and adjoining terrace where five cinema-loving bachelors live while trying to make ends meet doing menial jobs. One of them is an aspiring and luckless screenwriter (Vishnu Govind) who one evening decides to narrate few of his original stories to his mates so that they can finally see his talent (which they claim does not exist through their frequent jibes). Things take a wild turn as the evening passes, thereby highlighting an array of social causes prevalent in modern-day Kerala and elsewhere in India. Attention Please thus uses an ordinary setting to throw arrows at you and show how systemic caste prejudice and politics are. And yet some of us do not realize it. A very good and arresting watch. Grade B.

(Watched at the 25th International Film Festival of Kerala (IFFK).)

Attention Please (Malayalam) Review: Vishnu Govindhan stuns in this chilling, twisted atmospheric indie thriller

[nidhunmoviebuff · 8/10 · 22 September 2022]

Indie experiments have always shaken up the status quo in Malayalam, be it Lijo Jose Pellissery's "Angamaly Diaries (2017)" or more recently, Senna Hegde's "Thinkalazcha Nischayam (2021)" and Krishand's "Avasa Vyooham (2022)". After having impressed all with his devastating short titled "Pra. Thoo. Mu" in the anthology "Freedom Fight (2022)", director Jithin Issac Thomas delivers a stunningly original atmospheric thriller in "Attention Please", which is easily one of the most eye-catching experimental Malayalam films of 2022.

Vishnu Govindhan stars as "Hari", a disgruntled, down-on-his-luck aspiring screenwriter whose twisted scripts are never taken seriously by his flatmates, played by Jithin and Anand Manmadhan. One fine evening, when the friends set out to enjoy a night of drinks, Hari starts narrating his most ingenious script so far, only for things to take a gruesome turn as the ensuing arguments amongst the gang reach a breaking point. The director builds up the tension with consummate ease, immersing the audience into the predicaments of our lead character and making us empathize with his sensibilities and insecurities.

Vishnu Govindhan is devastating as the bitter, under-appreciated writer and instantly hooks you into his engaging way of narrating tales and his expressive eyes give a hypnotic effect to proceedings. The entire supporting cast play their part in matching their talented lead, with Anand Manmadhan standing out with his prickly, irascible mannerisms and body language. The moody atmosphere built up by the director and the unexpected twists hold your attention for the entire crisply edited run time of just under two hours.

"Attention Please" is a terrifically enacted, painstakingly built psychological thriller that provided much-needed innovation to the genre that has been plagued by boilerplate projects off late in Malayalam like "Heaven (2022)" and "John Luther (2022)". Vishnu Govindhan has proved himself to be a bankable character actor and one wishes that he gets meatier roles in mainstream projects going forward. "Attention Please" is now streaming on Netflix and is a definite must-watch!

With a little patience, you can enjoy this film

[ngandacinema · 8/10 · 26 September 2022]

You have to be a little patient to appreciate this film because it's presented in an unorthodox manner. There are only 6 characters and the entire narrative is situated in a house over the course of a few hours; the movie heavily relies on sound effects in order to vivify Hari's stories

THE SET: The majority of the scenes take place at the terrace during nighttime when we could barely see faces due to the electricity going on and off. At first, it was a bit distracting as we wanted to clearly see facial expressions but then we came to understand that the dark setting changed into a court area where attention was directed on Hari (rather than his friends) acting like a judge who spotlighted the rights and wrongs of society and tried people's conduct

ACTING: The entire cast truly crowned the movie with a formidable performance. Vishnu Govindhan took charge as the captain of the ship carrying us along the narrative. Hari was passionate about his work, yet also creepy, pitiful, and entertaining. We loved Anand Manmadhan, he was the man of the day 😊

TAKEAWAY LESSON: Hari's stories were uniquely bizarre inspired by the world around; but to his friends, the tales appeared copied making it an excuse to taunt him. If we can defend Hari for a moment, all scriptwriters draw inspiration from their surroundings, thus, there'll always be a little similarity to other stories. That being said, Hari had his share of responsibility; yes, you're a cinephile but concurrently, find a job to support and respect yourself

SIDE NOTE: The cinematography in the living room and kitchen locations was quite torturing with the great number of still shots. We wanted to see so much but the camera was withholding a lot of details.

Don't pay heed to the negative reviews

[alphadude007 · 7/10 · 25 September 2022]

This is definitely an interesting attempt. The movie kept me engaged throughout. The movie only has 6 characters, but the narration of the stories, the setup and acting keeps you hooked throughout. Obviously, the movie does not have a regular story telling pattern, it is basically the rant of a person fed up with being neglected all his life. How this comes out and what transpires as a result is what the movie is about. Vishnu was very convincing as the lead. He shows the required vulnerability, madness and hate required for the role. The supporting characters were also good, and blended in. A good left field attempt and interesting watch.

A WRITERS FRUSTRATION....

[gangeshgnair · 7/10 · 25 September 2022]

The protagonist of the movie is a struggling writer trying to find audience to listen to his stories. The plot developes as the writer played by vishnu govind narates his stories to his roomates and the developing incidents is the movies story.

What I liked most about the movie is performance of vishnu govind. He is just mesmerizing, he holds our attention to him throughout the movie. He single handedly takes the movie in his shoulder. The sound design plays a big part in the movie, it makes the story narration scenes very interesting and effective. The cinematography was really nice, even though the whole movie was shot in a flat and it's terrace, the camera angles never feel repeated or boring. Background music was nice elevating the tension and thrill in the scenes. The filim also refrences a lot of movies in malayalam and also world cinema like kumbalangi nights, pavitram, munariyip, psycho and a few more, Cinephiles will enjoy it

The issue I had with the movie is the second half, it feels a bit more streached and packed too much with the social Messaging. I felt they could have focused a bit more in the writing in second half and also made the other actors a little more active in the second half rather than just being passive.

A good experimental filim with amazing performance by vishnu govind 7/10.

Incredible Performance, Brilliant Direction.

[johnjasiet · 9/10 · 27 August 2022]

It's political, it's realistic, it's entertaining, and thought-provoking. It's one of those films that prove content is king. This movie keeps the audience engaged throughout. After the inciting incident, the story takes the route of a thriller. And it thrills a lot.

The performance of Vishnu Govindan is one of the best in Malayalam cinema in recent times. I'm sure he will receive lots of acclaim once the movie gets released on Netflix.

This setting of the movie is so realistic to how Indian twenty-somethings live in bachelor homes. One of the best things about Attention Please is that it starts with a very normal setting and progresses to narrate a brilliant thriller.

Another strong point is the dialogue. I'm not sure whether it's improvised or pre-written. It finds the perfect balance between being realistic and dramatic at the same time.

In my opinion, there should be more independent movies like Attention Please which can hold an audience engaged throughout. It's good for cinema.

I also like the fact that the caste commentry rarely becomes preachy in this film. The upper caste are portrayed in a realistic way where the caste notions are buried within them two layers under their psyche.

A notable work from Jithin

[toby_philips · 7/10 · 26 September 2022]

Jithin Thomas penned a terrific screenplay again after Freedom Fight and with a whole new plot that mollywoood has never tested. At many junctures I could feel Darren Arnofosky touch but in a totally good way. The storyline is lit. It underscores a lot of social issues. Well I have never been convinced and never wanted to watch Gishnu Govindhan because of his uncinematic looks and acting, but he just storms the audience with the exact same traits. Excellent script, story telling, scene development, no over the top scores or unnecessary camera show offs, perfect casting are the take aways.......

Excellent movie about caste issues in India. Misunderstood by idiots.

[arunjohnplackka · 9/10 · 16 December 2022]

Most of the viewers think this movie is about a script writer's struggle. They are wrong. This is all about caste issues in India. Uneducated Indians couldn't figure that out, or they are trying to act like that's not the case. This movie is about caste issues in India. Also most of the viewers don't have the experience of watching movies with substance. Best movie to watch when you are high. Must watch if you like quality movies. Strictly regional. Not recommended for non-Indians. The caste issue only exists in tribal communities like India. I don't understand this character limit for reviews. That's just nonsense.

Decent start but it ends up becoming a long-winded rant

[bhavyablair · 2/10 · 23 September 2022]

I was interested in the premise of the movie when I first tuned in. You could see the central theme from a mile away based on how everyone picks on the "protagonist" while he sits there and takes it. It was obvious that he was going to reach his breaking point during the course of the film.

Initially the story was interesting with Hari narrating various scripts that were eerily disturbing and violent with no context whatsoever. They also did this intriguing piece where they would shoot a leech wriggling around in various locations of the house, I really thought it would go somewhere but it just ended up being a random part of the story. I could managed to stay engrossed for about 1h 30m out of the total 2 hours of the film. At the point I realized the plot was going nowhere and the rest of the movie is just Hari rambling on and on endlessly. Having stabbed one of his friends and holding the rest of them hostage, he just continues venting and complaining about how no one appreciates his talent and artistry. Also, the screenplay and cinematography was praise-worthy until he finished narrating his "horror story". The rest of the movie is shot is almost pitch darkness - not that you'd need to see what's occurring on the screen because of the weird choice of keeping a blurred shot of somebody's head, foot or face in frame while Hari continuing his rant in the background. It was a complete waste of my time.

Catharsis!!

[sriramthestranger · 9/10 · 8 October 2022]

The film is not a film actually. Its the great catharsis of a writer. The making is indie, static and happens in the same location. This is truly an indie film and an attempt at awards festivals. The plot is narration of stories one after the other and ending up with a bang.

Yes it gets a bit boring after sometime but the suspense of what is gonna happen at the end keeps the time ticking. You have to say - "the writing is good" after watching this movie.

This movie is for cinephiles and not everyone's cup of tea. There are nice meta elements and references in the story that greatly works in the monologue.

It's a podcast not movie

[lgmilotv · 1/10 · 18 September 2022]

The director seems to have confused about film and podcast. This is a video format of podcast. 90% of the movie is one person telling stories. That's it. He keeps telling stories and we see him talking only. There are about 5 characters and all listen and give some comments.

The director kept 3-4 cameras and recorded the conversation. There is nothing to watch in this. You can just listen to the stories. There might be some thrill but that doesn't mean film is watchable. Also the person speaks fast and those who rely on subtitles will have hard time reading the subtitles. This is not even worth listening for 1 time.

Never do such negative movies! When you are into the movie, you feel yourself negative!!! Movie did a great impression. Not everyone's cup of tea!

[jikkujoselal-48462 · 8/10 · 11 November 2022]

Never do such negative movies! When you are into the movie, you feel yourself negative!!! Movie did a great impression. Not everyone's cup of tea! Watch the movie like that. A psychopath movie . Literally a short film, but actor did their part. Not much recommend for common people. Not much good in finishing .But the way the actor( narrator) did was worth watching!!! . Definitely a good movie for a specific viewers i don't know what they are called. But being new actors ( they did some thing in YouTube short films), it's such a piece of some kind of art. I do like the movie in some manner , but not recommended for every one.

Long live the screen writers!

[nimiltom · 9/10 · 1 October 2022]

Attention Please is highly political, dark and a situational thriller. There is a shift from conversational drama and humour to this gripping thriller and the stellar performance from vishnu govindan helps the movie stay consistent. He showed the frustrstation, desperation and the transition with ease. I am not sure if the further writing can progress without spoilers, so better to avoid the rest of the para if you haven't seen it yet.. The movie addresses casteism and the importance and the reason why such stories are being told and retold repeatedly. The screen play progresses through the narration of few scripts written by vishnu's character and the sound design for the same is too good and it elevates the experience. These stories has something in common and gives us an idea about the character and what he had gone through or what made him and his stories. The movie as a whole also utilizes this approach and open ended climax add more beauty as it allows us to rethink and revisits through the incidents and make us see through the stories in a different and deeper way. Its dark, thought provoking and ambiguous.

I have seen only work from.jithin issac before and that's the praa.thu.mu segment from freedom fight. Both his movies blends politics naturally and he was successful in conveying his politics without affecting the drama. Looking forward to his future works. This movie utilities its minimal set up to the fullest. It has only single location and 5-6 actors and every single one was convincing and performed well especially Anand and Sreejith. The acceptance they are getting. The movie is also a letter to the screen writers.it discusses their role, their problems, the restrictions they are facing and the acceptance they get for their work and the movie as a whole has this connection as well. Long live the screen writers.

Boring and lacks meaning

[ahamedzaid-86221 · 1/10 · 8 October 2022]

I don't have a film background, love stories that move me and that have meaning. This story is a portrayal of daily life gone wrong, the acting and performances thats chefs kiss, main character who is able to transcend is bravo, one point he was the shy-introvert and all of a sudden he is the energized sociopath. Everyone did a great Job. Screenplay, artistic story telling are top notch but the story doesn't really have a start or end, no meaning to why he did what he did. Ends bizarre. I feel this is cz the character said every story is the same, there is a protoganist with isues and finds a solution with a happy ending. In that sense this story surely wanted to be out of the normality, different. To me it's a waste of time though.

A plate full of delicious horror with a dash of humour and quirk

[geomariageorge · 10/10 · 30 September 2022]

This was a movie that I keep reminscing every few hours. It also felt like the movie had Jordan Peele working on it from somewhere.

It had the kinda spine-stabbing, quirky, and brain-teasing writing, performance, wit, and humor with a Malayali garnish.

Vishnu Govind was beyond mesmerizing but the direction, other actors, story, and sounds were incredibly great too. All of you, AMAZING!!!!!!

My non-Malayali husband found it gripping too. I say this because he doesn't understand the language but even with subtitles, Vishnu Govind's long stories and monologues were so well potrayed, written, and captured that we couldn't look away.

The story was refreshing, relatable, and very crisply portrayed without lags, distractions, and stuffed agendas. I could almost see how it could fit into my TGIF parties and end them with a murdered lot.

I hope we get to see the whole crew and Vishnu Govind (LJP please think about him when you're writing/casting) bringing buffets of horror dishes with the same love, attention to detail, and freshness as Attention Please.

And the clever thing is the movie showed a lot of horror in facets without using magic realism, paranormal, or the devil.

What a movie!

Also, I would love to listen to Vishnu Govind telling stories. There's so many layers to this guy!

don't bother

[VishnuDevoBhavA · 2/10 · 18 September 2022]

The movie started with a promising premise ..and this is all the movie has, a good idea to start with ..the writer just did not know how to carry the premise forward, and ends with a total failure that the movie is ..the development of the plot is not organic at at all ..then the writers seems to be trying to give attention to some genuine social issues ..but ends up sounding only like a rand from an entitled loser ..and it ends up being a mockery of those genuine social issues.. how the antagonist gets away with whatever he does in the movie is just unbelievable and inorganic.. this is a stretch for a feature film and should have closed it as a short film..

Terrific narration, music, screenplay

[codenamebigb · 8/10 · 7 January 2023]

A movie that excels in its script, making and narration. Movie shows an evening of a group of bachelors sharing a house, boozing and has common interest in movies. One of them starts narrating his movie scripts. Each one so dark, intense and haunting by itself. The movie subtly touches upon a lot of issues like castism, freedom of artist, giving due credit to artist, dream of kovie making. There is no spoon feeding in the movie. Location is just a house and the terrace with 5 characters. The long sequences will pierce through to you. Brilliant camera and sound. Vishnu Govindhan gives an excellent performance. All in a gripping plot. Serious watch requested.

How did this come to Netflix?

[opotraining · 1/10 · 16 September 2022]

This is not a movie. This is just a guy narrating story. I was waiting for the moment where they will show the narration of the story but it never happens. The movie starts with handheld camera moving across the room. After 5 mins it just still camera shots in different angle for 10 mins. Then they sit on the floor and start drinking and the narration starts. The big guy keeps telling, telling the story over drinks and it becomes very boring after some time. The entire movie is shot on few still cameras in a house, kitchen, stove And 5 guys.

How did this movie end up in Netflix is still a mystery? Avoidable movie.

Extremely disturbing movie

[aswinssoman · 1/10 · 22 September 2022]

This movie started of nice and organic, but then it turned out to be extremely unsettling and disturbing. I wonder why they made such movie and why did it came on a platform like Netflix.

I wouldn't say that a movie must end with a happy ending, however it shouldn't leave the audience with this kind of mental state. It feels like this film maker wants to hurt or torture the ones who watched it. There isn't a single positive thing in this movie! May be this movie can be an example of how a story shouldn't be written!

I strongly recommend not to watch this movie if you want peace of mind!!!!!!