Oozham (2016) User Reviews

oozham works out well as a revenge drama only because of jeethu josephs spectacular direction

[ridinbal · 7/10 · 18 January 2017]

"performance from main actors were also good but the story was average just like normal revenge story's. overall its a well packaged movie." my rating- 3.3/5 (a good revenge drama)

positives- 1.) direction- direction by Jeethu Joseph was damn good. i liked the way he presented this clichéd story through flashback and present style. only because of his direction this movie dint become a bore one. well in most of his movies one can see his craziness in montages and visual effects driven narrative pattern in his past movies. here also director has shown no compromise in using these.

2.) Prithviraj ,Pasupathy and Neeraj - they nailed it!! they all did their parts well but i can not say that this is the best from them (its mainly because of screenplay as it dint give them much opportunities to showcase their skills.)but if you compare with rest all actors then yes these 3 have done it better.

3.)songs and background score- background score was thrilling and out of 2 songs only one song was good. the party song was boring and i felt they could have done it better to make it an interesting one. and using of the first song in some areas as background score was good. background score as i said it was thrilling but then you have heard this type somewhere else(i guess it is copied or inspired from some other thriller movies.) but then it was good and it helped the narration as well so i wont blame it.

4.) edits and Vfx- edits was good but vfx could have been better. why i mentioned vfx in positives is because it wasn't that bad and it made the narration interesting but if they could have edited that vfx slightly then it would have been a best but since its a Malayalam movie and we cant expect that much so its fine.

negatives- 1.)screenplay ,script and story- screenplay and script dint have nothing much to offer but story was repeated and clichéd. well we have seen many similar types of movies in Malayalam and some came into my mind where- chess (Dileep movie) , Avatharam (Dileep movie) and crazy gopalan (dileep movie).(all were Dileep movies ) there are many more but these were the ones that striked in my mind and its only because of that the story looked similar. screenplay dint give much chance to some actors and this effected in a bad way. like for example for Divya pillai's role was short in first half but in second half it was stretched and it dint make any relevance for that character. makers could have detailed her role in first half so that viewers could have digested her part well in second half.if they could have improvised the screenplay and script then it would have been excellent product.

2.) failed to convey thrill- yes you heard it right because the thrill factor wasn't there. jeethu tried his best to add thrill through back and forth narration style and i am not saying that was a bad idea but then though it dint work out properly. i think screenplay was responsible for this because it dint have elements that are required for thriller movies.

3.)party song- it was boring is it a must watch? not a must watch but yes you can watch it with your family for time pass and i guarantee it wont bore you because of Jeethu's direction ,some actors performance and background score for sure.

overall- i know i have been repeatedly praising Jeethu Joseph's direction in this review and its only because he has done it neatly and i don't want you to forget that (that was the main reason for repeating it ). so in short Oozham is a good watch or maybe a time pass watch for some but don't expect this to be a suspense thriller as this movie works only because of minimal twists Jeethu Joseph has enclosed at major plot points.

my rating- 3.3/5( a good revenge drama ) (time pass for some)

Oozham : A Retrospect

[nidheeshnarayanan · 7/10 · 5 October 2016]

Synopsis - As the name implies it's the story of Surya who takes revenge against the murderer of his entire family as he lost hope for lawful justice.

When Drishyam director Jeethu Joseph is back with yet another thriller pairing with Prathviraj, the expectation was very high. Except for the dramatic narration, I thoroughly enjoyed watching Oozham on big screen. Jeethu introduced us a new genre called "Family Thriller" through Drishyam and he continues to do so through Oozham as well. Unlike his previous ventures (Memories & Drishyam), Jeethu eliminated the element of suspense and demanding the audience to sit back and watch – how he executes the revenge. This time Jeethu has chosen a non-linear narrative were in the movie begins with the climax chase by injecting the events leading up to it, which is completely new to the Malayalam audience. Oozham does have few negative points too - The Script. The plot was excellent, however that is travelling through a weak tread of script which failed to manage the tempo / pace in the first half. Another one is the overflow of English dialogues.

As far as the acting department goes, Prathviraj & Neeraj Madhav stands out among all. Thanks to Jeethu for making the family moments quite memorable. Divya Pillai, Balachandra menon & debut-ant Rasna Pavithran excelled in essaying their characters on screen. Though Pasupathi rendered quite impressive performance as Captain its V Jayaprakash (The main Antagonist) could have been more energetic.

Viswaroopam fame Shamdat's Cinematography was decent enough for Oozham. The innovative explode scenes reminded me of 360 angle sequences in Viswaroopam. Editing was excellent along with its VFX.

Bottom Line - This is strictly not for popcorn movie lovers, but for those who loves watching a thriller in all new way. Oozham is such a refreshing thriller to be enjoyed with family in this festive season.

"It's Just A Matter Of Clichés." ♦ Grade F

[nairtejas · 2/10 · 26 November 2016]

Crime thrillers are not that easy to construct, and in here, the makers just garnish the product with plot holes so as to make their job convenient and ours cumbersome.

Surya (Prithviraj) is a controlled explosion specialist working in the States. His family lives in Kerala and are currently trying to arrange a marriage for his kid sister. Call it fate, but Surya is forced to witness a heinous crime done to his family, through Skype. A livid Surya flies to India immediately and lays a plan with his survived step-brother Ajmal (Neeraj Madhav) and wife-hopeful Gayathri (Divya Pillai) to avenge the death of his family. But, who killed them? And why?

These are the questions Surya asks himself, but we as an audience know the answers already. So, the screenplay is sort of an anti-climax where things fall in place at the right time without space for mystery. The screenplay is experimentally non-linear where at one side, we have Surya running for his life, and on the other side, his flashbacks of a happy familial life. Director Joseph should be lauded for trying something new here, but should be condemned for serving such a cold recipe. The drama sequences in the first half look contrived, comedy is poorly written and enacted without diligence or intention, and the action sequences are like those roadside dogfights we see where barks is louder than the actual blows. The scenes are stitched together well, but are still ennui-inducing.

Viewers will have a "been there, done that" attitude while watching the second half as Surya goes from target A to target B, all in controlled planning. Reminds one of Raj Babu's intense thriller, Chess (2006) starring Kava Madhavan's second husband. One will recall scenes in other films as you continue watching the charade that happens on-screen. The cast is largely average in their portrayal. Prithviraj definitely needs to buck up in terms of acting as he is slowly going the typecast route. Menon is irritating in the same way he was in his own film which came out in 2015. Madhav and Pashupathi are fine, although the latter tried to look like a 20-year old hit-man when in reality he is 80.

Furthermore, the biggest turnoff that the film offers is the English dialogues. Atrocious is an understatement for the diction and delivery by the cast members as they use the world's universal language to converse with tepid control. Laughs are sure to come out when one hears the absurd sentences spoken by people like Balachandra Menon and V Jayaprakash. I'm not interested in why Joseph made them talk like that or who wrote those dialogues, but the fact is that Malayalam films have always been zero in this field. And if films expect to use this language considerably, they should learn to say it right.

All in all, playing ripoffs of Hans Zimmer in the background and showing close-ups of the lead actor so that we can see his teeth cavity as he jumps from walls and triggers explosions is not the best way to make a film. Makes one wonder whom to give credit for the 2013 hit film, Drishyam: Jeethu Joseph or Keigo Higashino.

BOTTOM LINE: Jeethu Joseph's "Oozham" is a shoddy creation made to cash in on the growing fame of the lead actor. It's just a collection of tidbits extracted from popular revenge dramas. Skim through when it airs on TV.

Can be watched with a typical Indian family? YES

Worst Revenge drama

[soumyaaym · 1/10 · 17 October 2016]

This film was the most worst revenge drama. It was with out any great plot. It neither shows family feelings. It shows very older method to showcase great revenge. But it was awful.Killing the people with Bombs. It was a below average bomb story. The hero was the only positive thing in this film. But he was also helpless since the scripting was pure low. The dual story telling was worst of its kind. Pathetic direction with a below average script. The montage used in this film was worst of its kind.Killing the people with Bombs. It was a below average bomb story. The hero was the only positive thing in this film. But he was also helpless since the scripting was pure low. The dual story telling was worst of its kind. Pathetic direction with a below average script. The montage used in this film was worst of its kind.

Why did Prithiviraj Sukumaran get involved in this sorry excuse of a movie? (Spoilers)

[shinigami_ichigo · 4/10 · 17 December 2016]

Perhaps because Jeethu Joseph who gave us one of the best thriller's in malayalam movie history with Drishyam(2013) was at it's helm? Still, a shocker of a movie from an actor who is infamous in the industry for insisting on a fully finished script before signing on. Was it a loss in translation, I wonder because this movie was just atrocious and a pain to sit through. One of the worst movies I've seen from Prithviraj in a long while.

The characters were poorly written. The dialogues were below par, especially the English ones. Seriously, when you make a movie spending crores of rupees you should try finding a screenwriter with a good command over the language and ensure that the actors get the diction correct unless bad diction is part of a character. Neither the villain nor the two guys who played his son's (who were hamming for the most part) came off as even remotely menacing or posing a threat to our hero. Pashupathi was wasted and was that Samuthirakani? The way Jeethu writes police character's is criminal. There was not one cop in this movie who had any clue as to what was happening until it was too late, especially when neither the hero nor the villain were doing anything remotely smart in my opinion. The hero in Drishyam who used his street smarts and the knowledge he accumulated over the years from the umpteen number of movies he's seen to outsmart the cops felt more realistic than the IITian cum controlled explosive specialist protagonist eliminating his targets using explosive devices in this movie.

The background score was underwhelming. Unnecessarily loud sometimes (Conversation between Captain, Marques and his son's inside their car) and goes mute at other times (When Marques gets emotional with Captain over his son's murder)and fails to accentuate the feel of the film at times and working against it at others.

The viewers are well aware of the motive's behind the hero's journey for revenge and they also know everything there is about the villains, well before the movie hit's it's half time mark. The only thing that remained to keep the proceedings exciting was the journey itself. The movie fails in this regard mostly dues to the things that I've mentioned above. In conclusion this film fails as a mystery, crime, thriller or drama.

I am glad that I waited to watch this on DVD.

Oozham Review: It's just a matter of entertainment!

[Achyut_Prashast_Singh · 8/10 · 2 June 2017]

Movie: Oozham - It's just a matter of time (UA)

Rating: 4/5

I still haven't seen director Jeethu Joseph's previous movies, but I could successfully watch his new action-thriller OOZHAM. Once I started watching, I couldn't realize how time passed.

Of course, it's just a matter of time.

Without revealing what the film is actually about, it's better to talk how good the film is. The storyline might seem wafer-thin when you read it in just two lines but finding what's hidden inside is not just amazing but intriguing too.

OOZHAM belongs to the lead actor Prithviraj and team. Prithviraj Sukumaran has been amazing in most of his films, and here too, he gives an excellent performance. Neeraj Madhav and Divya Pillai play their parts well. Neeraj's look kept me reminding of Tovino Thomas. Pasupathy was decent. So were the rest of the cast members.

The best part about OOZHAM is that tension is built very well. Dialogues are good. You feel the pain in dramatic scenes too. Visually the film is much more than engaging. The action scenes of the film are very well and realistically filmed. The music is good and the BGM is powerful. The interval card was flashed in a different way and on an interesting frame I liked a lot.

Yes, it's just a matter of time.

One can easily say that OOZHAM is a chance well utilized by everyone. There are not much flaws to list here since the screenplay is watertight and the execution, top notch. The VFX and sound effects are of a good standard. Despite of a UA certificate, the film doesn't have excessive gore or violence, thus making it a perfect watch with the family.

Overall, OOZHAM is a gripping action thriller that though takes some time to build up, yet surprises when it's just done with introducing us to the characters and story. If you are a Prithviraj or Jeethu Joseph fan, you won't like to miss it. For others too, this is a no-nonsense film that is bound to impress. Just make sure you don't read any unnecessarily negative reviews before watching this movie or any movie, to avoid the fun getting spoiled and better judging the film on own.

Yes, since it's also a matter of entertainment!

This was quite a disappointment

[shibinasks · 3/10 · 13 December 2016]

There is nothing interesting in this movie. Everyone will expect a lot from the director and thus this movie is a failure from his side. Unnecessary wastage of potential. Not up to the mark.The story line implies a revenge, that everyone will understand from the teaser itself. I couldn't find anything that holds us down to watch this movie. Everything found a little artificial to digest. If we take this director's previous attempts into consideration, then he did waste a lot of potential for this movie. Found a lot of scenes were i got embarrassed. Just watch it if you don't have any other work to do.May feel your two hours got wasted sitting in front of the screen. Thank God i didn't watched it in the theater. So i felt i just wasted two hours and not money. So even if you are watching this one, keep out all your expectations and then proceed. I found nothing interesting in this movie(may be because I expected a lot for Jeethu Joseph). All the best with watching this movie folks. I gave 3 out of 10.

Ho-hum Specialist

[sesht · 15 September 2016]

Jeetu Joseph, the director of this one, made a decent movie with Mohanlal and Meena a few years previously, a blockbuster that is supposed to have broken many records - Drishyam. It was not perfect by any means, but it engaged everyone from beginning to end, especially by having an everyday Joe as the one who finally turns tables on what typically bogs today's everyday Joe down.

The telling of the take was gripping, especially towards the end, when one begins to feel that every move and counter-move that our Joe has made is being outmaneuvered, he simbly does not give up, and keeps adapting himself to the situation.

In spite of the fact that it was loosely inspired by 'The devotion of Suspect X', the telling of that tale was riveting. Jeetu Joseph directing the Tamil remake also was a good thing, with that being a decent adaptation as well.

Now, for this.

What I liked:

+ The relationship between the main leads, played by Prithviraj, Neeraj Madhav, Divya Pillai on one end, and also Rasna at the other end.

+ Sticking close to the characterization of the main lead, who uses prepped bombs for exacting his revenge.

+ Virumandi's Pasupathy is the JamesWoods-like foil to Prithviraj's Stallone-proxy (keeping with the 'Specialist' comparison, which also used the motif of controlled explosions for exacting revenge, albeit more engagingly, and with better effects, a couple of decades ago) is perhaps one of the best things about the movie. Not completely menacing, but almost being in-step and in-sync with the hero's machinations, makes the cat-and-mouse game a little more riveting that the pedestrian script allows for both characters to play with. Bang- on casting, and an amazing performance, but Pasupathy's always been that way in each and every role he's performed.

+ Tackling the issue of bio-terrorism in an almost-meaningful way, and the attempts made to make it seem topical and relevant, which it surely is.

What, imho, ultimately let the movie down, ultimately:

• The pathetic CGI/VFX. I'm sure they were visualized greatly, but nothing was spent in trying to bring them to life. Good CGI is when you don't even know its been used. Here, you know every-time, in every scene, and its also unintentionally funny. We get to watch better CGI in international TV shows.

• Love Jayaprakash's acting, most of the time. Right since his fantastic performance in 'Pannaiyaarum Padminiyuum', with Vijay Sethupathi. Even his performance in 'Run Raja Run' as well as 'Thegidi' elevated the material. Here though, while he's wasted by both the writing as well as the directing, he also fails to bring anything special, leaving the heavy-lifting to Pasupathy (thankfully).

• Pathetic detailing of the overall medical/bio-terrorism plot. Made the half-baked Organ-smuggling plots of both 'Yennai Arindhaal' and 'Thani oruvan' seem better etched in an epic fashion, in comparison.

• Short shrift given to the cops conducting the investigation (contrast this with how even inept cops and mortuary owners are given to do in 'Oppam'). A movie's as good as it allows its supporting characters to be. This one fails in that department.

• The (gripping-in-the-beginning, to be fair) narrative technique, unfolding the tale while a penultimate action sequence is playing out, all the way till the mandated intermission, seemed novel for all of 15 minutes, and then proceeded to become a very tired exercise in pretentiousness. It also did not help that the action sequences with the uniformed bouncers was artificial (except for a couple of moments, which looked sincere, raising my hopes for those moments), and devolved into something predictable and boring.

Overall, this was a missed opportunity for all involved. Yet, worth one watch.

Review – Oozham (2016).. This revenge drama is full of clichés n' plot holes (2/5)!

[arungeorge13 · 4/10 · 5 June 2017]

I didn't exactly expect a 'Drishyam' or 'Memories' when I went to watch Jeethu Joseph's latest crime drama 'Oozham' starring Prithviraj Sukumaran. However, when the thrill quotient is abysmally low and predictability is on the rise with each successive sequence, the movie tends to leave absolutely zero impact by the time the end credits roll. This is exactly what happens in the case of 'Oozham'. It's a clear- cut hero vs. villain revenge drama that has been done to death in the history of cinema itself. What makes these flicks engrossing are the innovative methods deployed by the protagonist to seek vengeance against the ones who wronged him. Here, even the methods stick out like a sore thumb. The leads converse with each other as if they're trying to pull off a 'Thani Oruvan'esque style cat and mouse thriller but one can't help getting reminded of Prithviraj's earlier crime thrillers 'Anwar' for the similar light shades used and the feel-good family portions (in Oozham's initial half), '7th Day' for its smooth talking criminal who gets the job done without much hassle, and 'Robin Hood' where the Tam-brahm dude gets wronged by a businessman and ultimately conjures up his own ways to seek redemption. The quick transitions from past to present looks effective initially but gets repetitive after a while.

Cardboard villains who wreak havoc for their own benefit and sporadically speak in English (for a good part of their screen time) take away a sizeable portion of our patience. Jayaprakash is definitely a good actor but the script reduces him to a mere buffoon. The same can be said about Pasupathy's character who at times even seemed unintentionally funny. Balachandra Menon and Neeraj Madhav are alright, but the actress who played Prithviraj's sister in the movie leaves a lot be desired. The cop characters and angles are underdeveloped and ultimately do very little but add to the run-time.

The less said about the plot the better. And I'm not saying that in a positive sense. The kind of screenplay that the viewer is subjected to, appears nothing short of disappointing. You very well know that it doesn't do one bit of good for a movie when people are staring into their phones way too often. Looking at the few positives, the BGM is pretty good and helps amp up the proceedings to a certain extent. I liked the director's idea of cutting a full length and quite well-executed action sequence into itsy-bitsy pieces to intensify the brawny element. However the reasons for all what unfolds on the screen is unquestionably hackneyed and predictability further plays spoilsport.

Quite frankly, the revenge drama (Jeethu claims 'Oozham' isn't a thriller but all signs point to yes!) requires some serious re-work in the editing department. Even then, I'm not sure the movie would be able to grasp the viewer's attention. To top it all, the climax is a complete bummer. This one gets a generous 2 out of five stars.

Oozham

[santhosh-10290 · 1/10 · 4 July 2019]

Worst Movie. Nobody acting was good in the movie. The movie lagged a lot and the movie was so boring. The movie was an ordinary revenge story. The movie was not at all interesting and thrilling. Nothing was good in the movie.

good movie with controlled explosion

[vinu_ks133 · 8/10 · 21 December 2016]

Hi guys just completed watching this movie, don't compare with drishyam, it is a revenge drama and the execution is unique. Destroying your enemies one by one with 'controlled explosion' that is the tag line. For that you have to appreciate the director. The movie is entertaining and keeps u glued for the entire length.

Not all revenge dramas are well made from start to end, the plot is common i agree. But its execution to the climax is novel at least in malayalam cinema.

The director has attempted a new way of picturization by running two sequences one in present and other in flashback. Explosions have been created in close up with good vfx showing the movement of shock waves.

An element of surprise at the climax.

In my view the movie should get an rating of 8/10

Thrilling.... Underrated.....

[hakitd · 9/10 · 3 February 2020]

What's wrong with these people, why they all criticising this movie it's a different kind of movie which isn't seen in malayam movies and it's a nice idea too from the director... Why the mallu fans always wants some stupid mass type of stuff like mamooty and mohanlal so often does, the movies are changing now a days and this movie is not a bad one at all... If u like thrillers just go for these kind of movies don't ask others about it

My opinion

[mspanish · 10/10 · 24 May 2021]

Just another master piece of jeethu joshep. Everyones acting was realistic. Also Neeraj nailed his character . As you know it's JUST A MATTER OF TIME.

fantastic drama

[vivekvbalan · 10/10 · 16 September 2016]

i just saw the movie oozham. this a fantastic movie for action drama lovers.the simple plot told in a gripping and interesting way.the casting was so great in this movie.again prithviraj proved he is the leader for young malayalam cinema.the visual and sound quality of this movie making standards for malayalam cinema.the way jeethu improved in his directorial skills very evidentical in this movie.the movie follows a fight in to the climax that is superb concept.the editing done great work for that.you cannot take eyes from the screen when the movie begans .i want to watch this movie again and again.the bombing techniques and the small cartton appear on the screen give a different feel .i think this is the best revenge movie ever in malayam not in it's story but the way he take the revenge.

Oozham (ഊഴം) never drifts from its core i.e. revenge and the reasons behind it.

[binducherungath · 8/10 · 11 September 2016]

Oozham (ഊഴം) is a Malayalam Revenge Drama film by Jeethu Joseph (Drishyam fame). This film once again brings Jeethu Joseph and Prithviraj together on board after 'Memories'. The storytelling in this revenge drama is gripping and executed with finesse. It succeeds in engaging the audience. Although the suspense element is missing in the film, how the revenge is executed keeps the audience hooked on to the screen.

The first shots of the film do give the feel that Surya (Prthviraj) is a target, who is to be caught alive. Surya is able to run away, but there are too many people following him. Flashback unwinds. Surya comes home after a period of two years from USA, who is an expert in controlled explosion. Surya has a happy family – father Krishnamoorthy (Balachandra Menon- a sincere Health Inspector), mother Subhalakshmi (Seetha), sister Aishwarya (Rasna Pavithran), and adopted brother Ajmal (Neeraj Madhav). Surya is in town for Aishwarya's engagement. Ajmal is an IT expert, an ex-Microsoft employee, who loves taking challenges, and intends to be a white hat hacker (i.e. to hack the hackers). Lot of light family moments, strong family bonds are shown. Another two characters who are introduced in the initial scenes are SP Parthasarthy (Kishor Satya) and his sister Gayathri (Divya Pillai). After holidays, Surya goes back to USA. Unfortunate events happen back home and Surya loses people whom he loves (not revealing here, whom all Surya lost). Rest of the film is about how Surya takes revenge for his loss. Surya knows the culprits, but how he manages to weave the thread to know the motive behind the unfortunate incidents makes the film an interesting watch. As the punch line goes 'it is just a matter of time ' that Surya is able to trap the culprits in the cobweb.

What were those unfortunate incidents which resulted in a big loss to Surya ? Who were behind this tragedy ? Why were Surya's people harmed? How does the antagonist Marques (Jayaprakash), a well- renowned businessman and his two sons Edward and Andrew form the part of this thread ? How Surya takes revenge and who all help him ? Pasupathy, who plays the role of a hit-man Captain forms an integral part of the script.

The suspense element is definitely missing but the director sticks to the core of the film i.e. revenge. The focus never drifts from the core neither to the romance between Surya and Gayathri nor to any other filler scenes. As the punch line goes 'it is just a matter of time ', how the culprits are finished one by one.

One aspect which is not very convincingly portrayed in the film is the justification of the character Captain played by Pasupati. He is introduced as the bomb squad expert, but the script surrounding him appeared a bit weak. Script does not include any extraordinary steps from his end.

Prithviraj has given a great performance as Surya. Neeraj Madhav as Ajmal is cool. Divya's acting seemed a bit weak. Rest of the cast has done justice to their roles.

Oozham (ഊഴം) never drifts from its core i.e. revenge and the reasons behind it. The storytelling is gripping and executed with finesse. Although the suspense element is missing in the film, how the revenge is executed keeps the audience hooked on to the screen. It succeeds in engaging the audience.