AATTAM

I have been an avid watcher for movies, the intense drama genre does keep me hooked to it. I saw a national award winner recently and there was an example of a masterpiece in front of me.

What stands out for me are as follows:

Dialogues

They expose many layers of a simple conversation and premise associated, which shows how important dialogues are especially for movies like these, by the way, if you have seen the cult ‘ 12 Angry Men’, the setting for Attam is also the same and that is where the similarity ends because Attam has so much originality in it. Attam is not about proving the accused as innocent but the victim as accused. That is where strong writing comes into play, writing made sure that it looked as if everyone is finding the accused and getting the justice done, but as the movie moves forward you get to know that it was never about the justice or finding the who dunnit, it was always about peeling the characters of the characters, the greed, the prejudices, the judgments and mind you each one of them within 150 minutes.

Acting which was not acting

The performances are so genuine and effortless that the characters feel like real people, not scripted roles. Each actor brings a quiet authenticity to their role, making even the smallest gestures or expressions carry emotional weight. There were only a few established actors, all others were newcomers and voila they were acting as if they were not. Their interactions are fluid as if we're eavesdropping on real-life conversations rather than watching rehearsed lines. This natural acting transformed the movie into a lived experience, grounding the narrative in human truth.

Direction

The first-time director brings a fresh breath of air to direction. There are just people talking to each other in most of the movie, which might bring a sense to you how important direction was, there were more than 10 people sitting in a room and each of them was given a space. Each of them had a character that was brought forward beautifully. The director's ability to guide the actors into delivering nuanced, authentic performances is matched by their skill in using the camera to create an immersive world. Through carefully crafted shots and seamless transitions, the direction breathes life into the film, making every moment feel organic, grounded to reality, and deeply connected to the story’s core themes. The placement of some of the dialogues is so chilling at some of the times.

Metaphorical

There is this thing about great directors using metaphors in the storytelling, there are plenty of them in this movie. Whether it is regarding the masks characters wear in everyday lives and the ones shown in the plays shown in the movie or the dropping of a coconut when the discussion starts to happen between all the characters in the house as if the court is in session now. Metaphors leave the interpretation open which helps people create their perspective and create many layers to the story.

Force to think 

I am not saying that people should come out scratching their heads when coming out of the movie theater but there have to be some of these coming in time and between which show a mirror to us as a society. This movie does the same, it shows us the mirror. It begs the question that as us men who show progressiveness are just wearing a mask, as the writer does not judge the characters, I will also not dare to. But it leaves thinking in mind that while one way we might be progressive given the circumstances our stance might also change.

I will leave this here and you can watch the movie if you want to. It will leave an impression which some of us like and some don't. 

#nationalawardwinner#Vinayforrt#zarinshihab#greatmoviestowatch#malyalammovies#ananekarshi

 Image credits to official poster of the movie