Arrangements in Hilarity and Subtlety, True to Life

Film: Thinkalazhcha Nishchayam
Director: Senna Hegde

Cast: Manoj K.U, Ajisha Prabhakaran, Anagha Narayanan, Unnimaya Nalppadam, Sunil Surya, Arjun Ashokan, Lachu, Ranji Kankol

We Indians claim to have given the world a lot to be thankful for, like the zero, Ayurveda, yoga, plastic surgery and what not. But I would say one of India’s most unique contributions is the concept of Arranged Marriage. The idea that unmarried adults, no matter how old they are, cannot and should not be allowed to choose their partner is not unique to the country. But in this day and age, it is unlikely to be as prevalent and common place in any other place, as it is in India. 

Thinkalazhcha Nishchayam (The Engagement is on Monday) takes a hilarious, yet heartfelt look at the practice within a household situated in Kanhangad, a small town in the north of Kerala. The slice-of-life drama happens almost completely in a small house and its compound and on one Sunday, the day before the engagement. 

Vijayan (Manoj) and Lalitha (Ajisha) are getting ready for the engagement of their younger daughter Suja (Anagha). The elder daughter Surabhi (Unnimaya) has come with her husband Santhosh (Sunil Surya), who she had married against the wishes of the family. It had been two years, but Vijayan would still not speak to his son-in-law. While the preparations were going on, Suja was frantically trying to reach her secret boyfriend, who was nowhere to be seen. The youngest son Sujith (Arpith P R) has problems of his own. 

Thinkalazhcha begins with a long and lengthy shot of a bus stop at night, the only time the action happens outside of the house or its compound. You just hear voices for a couple of minutes before seeing anyone. You realise the filmmaker is introducing you to the location through the accents of the people. Kanhangad is a town in Kasaragod, the northern-most district of Kerala. The accent is quite unique and very different from the rest of the state. 

The dialogue plays a big role in the movie. Once you get past the initial surprise and curiosity at the accent, you realise that the dialogue plays an intrinsic part in rooting the film in reality. It is funny as hell, but not at anyone. Malice doesn’t creep in. 

There is no familiar face in the cast. All of them were selected from Kanhangad after auditions. The standout performer is Manoj K U, who almost carries the film on his own. If he doesn’t have a long career, then Malayalam cinema would be the loser. Ranji Kankol plays the joker in the pack. In any other film he would be the comic relief, who invites everyone to laugh at him. Not here. Everyone, without exception, plays straight and natural. Hopefully, some of them are able to land other roles. 

While taking flight from arranged marriage, writer-director Senna Hegde ensures that Thinkalazhcha touches on other issues like migrant labourers, money-lending and the Malayali’s definition of feminism, manhood and democracy. There is an argument towards the end of the movie that leads to a fight, but it is not slapstick. It is common people screaming about inheritance, disobedient children, broken promises and shame or the lack thereof.

The movie has an ending that is bound to be divisive and talked about. I liked it. It continued the humourous tone to the end, and also showed that the makers were not going to end it all with a traditional climax. 

The pandemic, and the subsequent OTT-explosion, brought Malayalam cinema to audiences far away from Kerala. The young, fearless filmmakers who were pulling the audiences away from the Pulimurugans and Kasabas found an audience hungry for a new brand of cinema. Thinkalazhcha Nishchayam will join those ranks. We will still arrange marriages for our kids. But we cannot stop them from making the films they want!

Three Colours of Kerala

Film: Malik
Cast: Fahadh Faasil, Nimisha Sajayan, Vinay Fortt, Dileesh Pothan, Sanal Aman
Director: Mahesh Narayanan

Ambition is dangerous. 

Teachers in all walks of life preach about ambition. Self-help texts and management tomes scream the value of aiming higher and higher. Songs, stories and movies recite the lives of those who dare to dream big and achieve that dream. Magnificent ambitions have also resulted in magnificent failures. But that just added to the allure. Between the two extremes lie the also-rans, the so-sos, the efforts that are soon forgotten, the biggest danger to ambition. Let me tell you about Malik.

Ahammadali Sulaiman (Faasil) is a middle-aged Muslim man who wants to go on Hajj. Through a series of flashbacks, each told by a different person, we find who he was and why going on a pilgrimage was next to impossible for him. From a sickly child who was given up for dead and almost buried he grew to be a godfather who could not be made answerable for his crimes because his followers would not let that happen. His life is also closely connected to a local mosque.

All epics that trace the life of a don inevitably get compared to Coppola’s Godfather movies, which, in turn, owed a lot to James Cagney’s gangster movies. Actors love the scope these movies give to display their histrionics. Writers love the chance to mix grey into the hero’s persona. Audiences are more vary, though. They still want to have a good time at the movies.

Fahadh has been a director’s darling for a few years now. Being outside the star system and its trappings, he was able to portray some of the more interesting characters of recent years. Malik was a shoo-in to be his magnum opus. He was working with frequent collaborators on and off the screen, the story was interesting, and the real-life inspiration was also fresh in people’s memories. He dives headfirst into the role and showcases his talent.

Nimisha Sajayan is possibly the most polarising of young Malayali actresses. Even in our household, the opinion is split. I feel she is the anchor of the film allowing the more showy performances to take flight. Vinay Fortt probably has his strongest ever role and he does justice to it. Dileesh Pothan may be the Malayali’s favourite director at this point. But when confronted with a really complex role his acting limitations come to the fore. 

When Ali’s mother came on screen, something about her sent us straight to IMDb. Imagine our surprise when she turned out to be Jalaja, once known as the Tragedy Queen of Malayalam cinema. She was appearing on screen after almost three decades.

The actor portraying the young antagonist-to-be seemed familiar. What good is a reviewer if he can’t name-drop once in a while! My batchmate and friend Jiju made a hard-hitting movie – Eli Eli Lama Sabachthani. Sanal played the main character in that. And I had singled out his performance. Here he goes through the motions, not getting the material to really chew into.

Malik borrows liberally from a series of real-life incidents. It tries to bend circumstances to become the villain of the story. This is not new. But it also highlights the limitations of the story. Malik feels stale. It reminds you of so many other movies done the same way. It feels like a manufactured sequel rather than an original film. This is unfortunate, considering the talent at work here. The backbone of every good movie is its screenplay. This one, unfortunately, reminds me of my back. Always creaking and groaning, with one issue or other.

There is a 12-minute single take at the beginning of the film that serves no purpose other than showcase the ability to do one. This is the danger of ambition. It makes you forget your moorings. It gives you false confidence. Malik wants to soar. And tells everyone that. But the wind beneath its wings is not strong enough.

Film: Sara’s

Cast: Anna Ben, Sunny Wayne, Benny P Nayarambalam, Siddhique
Director: Jude Anthany Joseph

Family WhatsApp groups are a different beast altogether. Populated by relatives of all shapes and colours and each of them expects you to follow their viewpoint, because you are related. Blood, apparently, should bond thicker than Fevicol.  It was on one such family group that I first heard about Sara’s. The forwarded post was a video. I didn’t open it. Yet, even the title gave me enough clues about what the movie was about. The seemingly criticizing tone also made it a must-see, for me.

Sara (Ben) is an Assistant Director in Malayalam movies. She is writing a script that she hopes to direct someday. During a fact-gathering session with a doctor, she meets with the doctor’s younger brother Jeevan (Wayne). The two hit it off. Jeevan was completely supportive of her ambitions that it didn’t take much convincing for Sara to accept his proposal. Since the damn things are called ‘birth control measures’ and not “birth preventive measures”, you can guess what happened next. As is the case in most Indian homes, everyone except Sara has a say in how things would proceed.

Anna Ben is delightful in the role. She is spontaneous and effervescent. The movie begins with a prologue of Sara in school. She carries off that vibe so well that it is hard to accept her as an adult for some time. That prologue proves to be ill-advised a second time when Sunny Wayne makes his entrance. While essaying a likeable character, one cannot but keep thinking that he is too old for Sara. 

Mallika Sukumaran has a rather meaty role as Jeevan’s mother, but one is constantly reminded of something that Sheela had done before. Siddhique has a small, but critical role. Anna’s real father Benny P Nayarambalam plays her reel father, too.

Please don’t go by the ridiculous iMDb score or the negative reviews that abound. This is a delightful little film that Jude Anthany Joseph (no, I didn’t misspell the middle name!) has crafted. Both he and first-time writer Dr Akshay Hareesh are in love with the idea that is Sara and it shows in every frame. The story is simple and this could have been told well as an episode in a series. Unfortunately, the subject matter is still taboo in 21st century India, where society dictates that a woman does not own her body. That is what makes Sara’s a relevant movie.

Film: Biriyaani
Cast: Kani Kusruti, Shailaja Jala, Surjith
Director: Sajin Baabu

‘What did I just see’ is likely to be the first refrain of most people who see Biriyaani. And they cannot be faulted. The movie begins and ends with two people having sex. Nudity in Malayalam movies is not unheard of as there was a time when young males around the country would swear by Malayalam porn. But nudity in a regular movie is rare in India itself. What is more incredible was those scenes were not for the shock value, but rather very important to the story writer-director Sajin Baabu was trying to tell.

Khadeeja (Kusruthi) is a young mother in a traditional Muslim household. When her brother was outed as an ISIS agent, she is divorced by her husband via text message. She tries to take care of her mother (Jala), who is not completely connected with reality. How Khadeeja and her mother attempt to face the tough times that do not seem to leave them is the crux of the plot.

Kani Kusruti puts in an absolutely fearless performance. She does not hesitate in getting naked before the viewer, literally and otherwise. The cast is mostly unknown and do a commendable role. In a curious coincidence to the earlier movie, Kani Kusruti’s real father also plays a small role in the movie, though not as her father. 

Biriyani is a rice dish popular around the country. Primarily non-vegetarian, it is usually associated with the Muslim community. The title is a call-out to popular cliches, even though it is a major plot point. Flavours of Flesh is the sub-title. There was a really good movie waiting to be made just on the aspect of sex alone. But Biriyaani straddles multiple genres, including being a social commentary, a religious and moral examination and even a hilariously over-the-top revenge drama. 

Sajin Baabu’s previous movie was a puzzling oddity called Ayaal Sassi. With Biriyaani, he has really come to the fore. This is a polarising film that was released only due to the prevailing political climate in the country. That shouldn’t be the defining trait of a movie that dared to tread where none have before.

I’ll have a Java and two KuBos

The film industry is an indoor sport. A few families control the bulk of the business, releases and spots on the acting table. This is the case with most of the Indian regional film industries. The advent of OTT has seen a democratisation of filmmaking. If you have the means to make a film, then it gets made. If you are not picky about releasing it in theatres, then you might even make a profit or reputation off it. 

Here are a bunch I caught online.

Film: Operation Java 
Cast: Balu Varghese, Lukman Lukku, Irshad, Binu Pappu, Prasanth, Vinayakan, Shine Tom Chacko
Director: Tharun Moorthy

Java is a police procedural, specifically centred around the work of the Cyber Cell.  Operation Java is one of the three stories/operations that take place in the movie. Liberally taking inspiration from real-life incidents and then adapting them in a tight, but very accessible screenplay, writer-director Moorthy manages to hold our attention for almost two and a half hours. 

Kerala is probably the stretch of land on this planet which has the highest density of engineers per square kilometre. The high level of literacy supplemented by relatively cheap and accessible higher education has made it a junkyard for graduates and post-graduates. Our story sees two such engineers who make a living delivering parcels and food. They manage to convince the Cyber Cell to use their specific set of skills to catch criminals operating online. 

The budget of movies can usually be divided into two basic buckets – cost of the crew and equipment and the cost of the acting talent. Java hasn’t skimped on the former. The technical side is top-notch. About the actors, well, take a look at the names. You probably recognise just two of them. And neither of them would be able to fill in a theatre on their own. But this helps the movie. The attention is firmly on the story and there are no distractions. 

Balu Varghese and Lukman Lukku (it’s his real name as far as I can find out!) star as the two ‘heroes’. They are good, really good. You can believe their friendship, their frustrations, their struggles. Shine Tom Chacko has played the leading man before. But he is just here for one of the stories. And, in what might have been a masterstroke in direction or a medical compulsion, he has a bad cold throughout the screen time. This adds to the authenticity of the performance. Kuthiravattom Pappu was a famous slapstick comedian of yesteryears. His acting style and dialogue delivery was a lesson in overacting that never seemed that. His son, Binu, brings us an exercise in restraint.  

My only issue with Operation Java is it shouldn’t have been a movie. The story has three distinct chapters, and they were not intended to be a whole. If Moorthy could have added a few more stories and developed all of them equally, then this would have worked as a fantastic series. Malayalam cinema is seeing new blood. Television, though, could have done with a shot of adrenalin. That seems to be an opportunity missed.

Film: Nayattu (The Hunt)
Cast: Kunchacko Boban, Joju George, Nimisha Sajayan
Director: Martin Prakkatt

The Police in India is heavily influenced by politics. They are the weapons of the ruling party. In a state like Kerala when the government changes frequently, the cops are in a no-win situation. They have to follow the diktats of the ruling party, but face the wrath when the other party comes to power.

The events of Nayattu happens around an election. Some well-intended actions of cops turn them the targets of certain minority groups. Nothing new for policemen, until fate decides to play a bigger role. An unfortunate accident sends two policemen and a policewoman on the run. The fallout would be too big for both the ruling party and the opposition to treat it lightly. Scapegoats are needed and who better than three cops-turned-fugitives?

Kunchacko Boban (KuBo, as he is known nowadays) puts in a solid performance without ever taking the spotlight away from his co-stars. Joju George, who has been around as a bit player for over two decades, continues his recent re-invention as a character actor beloved by directors across genres. He essays the beating heart of the movie with a lot of vulnerability and decency. Nimisha Sajayan only made her debut in 2017, but her filmography has already assumed scary proportions. Having none of the trappings of a regular heroine she is able to disappear into each of her roles. Despite being the obvious supporting character here, she makes such an impact with the audience that we cannot think of her as a lesser player.

Nayattu isn’t afraid to ruffle feathers. It doesn’t hide behind political correctness while dealing with politics. More than the hunt, it is the waiting that the filmmakers are interested in. the story can be summarised in a couple of sentences, but the screenplay elevates it. The ambiguous ending was really the only one possible. 

Film: Nizhal (Shadow)
Cast: Nayantara, Kunchacko Boban
Director: Appu N Bhattathiri

The mind is a wonderful, as long as we have control over it. But there is our sub-conscious mind lurking like a shadow below. We do not have any control over it. Nizhal attempts to bring about the machinations of the subconscious mind in the form of a mystery thriller. 

Judicial Magistrate John Baby (Boban) is recovering from a terrible accident when he comes across the curious case of a kid telling stories. True stories from a bygone era that a kid has no business knowing. Taking undue advantage of his position, John tries to investigate it along with the boy’s mother. 

KuBo tries his best to adopt a serious tone. A decision to have him wear a protective mask after his surgery was a brave one. Unfortunately, it reminded everyone of a certain caped crusader from Gotham.  Kunchacko is no Batman. Or Nightwing, as the kid remarks. One cannot take the action on screen seriously as long as the mask was around. 

The other let-down was the Nayantara’s character. The makers seem to be acutely aware that they had in their movie a genuine superstar of South Indian cinema, and it shows. Minutes after she made her entrance, we started playing a game of ‘Count-her-outfits’. We lost count in the 20s.

Nizhal has a story that borders on the fantastic. And that is not a bad thing. It lacks in execution. Too much bad special effects also distract the viewer. Mental illness has been touched upon in Malayalam before. Most notably in the terribly overrated Manichitrathazhu. (Yes, I went there. You can take away my Malluhood!) Nizhal tries hard to be a play of shadows. But there are too many red herrings. But at least it interests us enough for us to hope that it could have been better. 

Film: Kala (Weed)
Cast: Tovino Thomas, Sumesh Moor, Divya Pillai, Lal
Director: Rohith V S

Kala is an experimental movie. It is not your run-of-the--mill dramas with a well-structured story. Don’t go with any expectations. Trust me, they will all get upended. 

We begin with an elaborate animated title sequence that acts both as a backstory, as well as an attempt to throw us off the track. We are in the middle of a typical landed Malayali family. The father (Lal) has worked hard to build wealth. The son Shaji (Tovino) has tried hard to lose it all through various failed ventures. They live in a house in the middle of a small estate with the daughter-in-law (Divya), grandson and a black mastiff called Blackie. That last bit of info is much more crucial to the plot than you think.

Kala is ambitious. It does not shy away from that intention. It wants to straddle genres and not be restricted. It is a social commentary, a revenge drama, a psychological thriller, a home-invasion flick, an eco fable. It even services the female gaze by repeatedly getting Tovino to take off various items of his clothing. This ambition is also the movie’s weak point. At some point the revenge aspect takes centre stage in storytelling. But one cannot shake off the feeling of being cheated in many ways.

Kudos to Tovino Thomas. A leading man giving his all in service of his craft. Throwing himself (and repeatedly getting thrown) out of his comfort zone. Sumesh Moor is an excellent foil. Screams and grunts may be his primary mode of dialogue, but his eyes speak volumes. As in the case of all two-handers, everyone else plays a supporting role. 

Kala is defined by its fights and violence. However, they are too long. The movie would have made a much more telling impact had it been 30 minutes less. There is no doubt this is a polarising movie. However, the reason I am on the side of ‘Kala should exist’ is because of how much you reflect on it. I liked the movie a lot more two days later than when I was watching it. I am sure I will notice a lot more on a re-watch. It is just that that is such a difficult thing to do.

Film: Aarkkariyam (Who Knows)
Cast: Sharafudheen, Biju Menon, Parvathy Thiruvothu
Director: Sanu John Varghese

We all have secrets. Some secrets we take to the grave. If these result in a burden that is unbearable, then that is what religion is for! Simplistic, I know, but that is exactly the premise.

Set in early 2020, when the pandemic was just starting to affect life as we know it, Aarkkariyam is about a Malayali couple living in Mumbai who decide to relocate to Kerala to be with the wife’s father. While there the lockdown happens. It adds pressure to an already dicey financial situation the couple are in. the father suggests a way out. But there is a small catch.

Parvati Thiruvothu is known for powerful roles that stand out. Which is why it is a surprise to see her here. The order of the cast above is intentional. She has a minor role that could have been done by anyone. One hopes that Biju Menon does not end up in dad roles. He is really good, but can still do middle-aged roles. Sharafudheen tries his best, but looks too young for the part. He doesn’t lack conviction, but convincing the audience takes more than that.

Aarkkariyam’s big twist happens five minutes before the interval. It is so unexpected and brilliantly executed that one had to do a re-take. Unfortunately, that also meant that there was half the run length of the movie to deal with the fallout. And the second half comes out as the weaker of the two.

Sanu John Varghese has not quite grasped the secret of making a completely engaging feature. But he shows promise, if his debut feature is anything to go by.

Preacher Detective

Film: The Priest

Cast: Mammootty, Monica, Nikhila Vimal

Director: Jofin T Chacko

If you really love something, let it go. It is a slogan you can see on T-shirts and Archie's cards. But what if you love it just a little less? I guess the answer would be you won't be able to let it go. Welcome to Jofin T Chacko and his debut feature The Priest.

Father Carmen Benedict (Mammootty) is a priest who has a sleuth mentality. He assists the local police in solving cases. Before anyone says 'Father Brown', be advised that there is something more to Fr Benedict. He is also keen on solving more outlandish mysteries. 

We get involved in a family where the major parties have all committed suicide. Like your local pizza joint - 30 minutes or free - Fr Benedict has solved the case. So what are we going to do for the next two hours? 

Mammootty is his usual self in a role of a seriously unbelievable priest. Special mention goes to Monica, the child artiste. She is called to do some serious over-acting, but has the chops for it. With a bunch of relative newcomers not disappointing in their roles, it is left to the thespian to bring a sense of subtlety to the role.

But any attempt at subtlety has gone out of the window the moment the credits announce 'Megastar Mammootty' and you hear the first notes of the background score. You realise this is not a regular murder mystery. This is an out-and-out attempt at blowing up a superstar in a mass role. Take your disbelief, put on a hat, wrap it up in a ridiculous jacket, leave it outside and then enter the theatre.

The background score is an achievement in that it is playing literally every second someone doesn't speak. Clearly, Jofin thinks silence is overrated. There are scares every few minutes. If what is on screen doesn't make you jump, then the loud music will.

There are at least five twists to the story. You distinctly get the feeling that Jofin doesn't want the story to end. There is even a mid-credit scene, for crying out loud! The story is not that strong and you start guessing the plot twists before they come. At 146 minutes, you know they saved the fees of an editor. 

The sad part is there would have been a better story if they just developed the first storyline alone. Director Jofin wants to make the most of his chance. What if he doesn't get the opportunity to do another movie? That is a good point. I firmly believe he shouldn't be given another chance.

Blood will have blood

 

Film: Joji

Cast: Fahadh Faasil, Baburaj, Shammi Thilakan

Director: Dileesh Pothan

Let the tail not wag when the head is still around. It's a declaration heard around Malayali homes when the children start growing up and the father starts losing his iron grip as the head of the household. Once uttered, it will be repeated ad nauseam till one of the participants is not around anymore.

Joji (Fahadh) is the youngest son of one such household. He lives in the family home with his domineering dad Kuttappan (P N Sunny), his eldest brother Jomon (Baburaj), a divorcee, and his son Popy (Alex Alister), the middle brother Jaison (Joji Mundakayam) and his wife Bincy (Unnimaya Prasad). A sudden illness strikes Kuttappan and this sets in motion a series of events from which there is no coming back.

Joji is a family drama, but not in any traditional sense. This is not the story of a dysfunctional family. Rather, it is the story of pretty much most of the families. What makes it stand apart is the inherent evil in some of us, and how we let it come out. Influenced in part by the Jolly murders and Macbeth, Joji doesn't let its violence define it. Director Dileesh Pothan and Syam Pushkaran are more interested in the build-up. They take special glee in pointing out how normal this family is.

Fahadh and Pothan continue with their golden partnership. Fahadh relishing the role, even though there are shades of Kumbalangi Nights. Baburaj has the best role in the movie. He takes on what was a Lal staple for a long time and infuses both humour and pathos.

Newcomers Sunny, Joji and Alex are so much at ease in front of the camera that one cannot help but wonder at their talents. Shammi Thilakan is probably the only familiar face after Fahadh and Baburaj.

One of my issues with the film is about Bincy, the character played by Unnimaya Prasad. Considering she is the only notable woman character, it could have been really fleshed out. The makers claim inspiration from Macbeth. Really? Don't they know there is no Macbeth without Lady Macbeth? Maybe they are just making sure no one screams nepotism, considering she is writer Pushkaran's wife and the Assistant Director in Pothan's previous two movies!

The blurbs say the character's actions are partially motivated by being cooped up during the lockdown. I don't buy it. Joji definitely acknowledges the pandemic, people wear masks. But the same movie could have been made in 2019 also. It is very interested in looking behind masks. But that is just a metaphor that turned more literal last year.

Director Dilesh Pothan knows how to make use of his locales. Remember Idukki in Maheshinte Prathikaaram? There is an incredible aerial shot at the beginning of the movie that lingers long in your memory.

Dileesh Pothan, in the span of three films, has become one of Kerala's foremost directors. While I admire his craft, I am not one of the die-hard fans. I love the storylines, but I am left with the feeling that there is something incomplete. The final product just falls short of the ambition. 

Joji frustrates. The performances are exemplary, but the story sometimes drags. There is a bit with the local priest that goes nowhere. The online purchase that sets the wheels in motion or the piece of gossip that makes the story turn a corner are both so feeble that you feel cheated. Make no mistake, there is so much audacity here to wonder about. But you just can't shake the feeling it could have been a little more.

Still a Cut Below

Film: Zack Snyder's Justice League

Cast: Ben Affleck, Gal Gadot, Henry Cavill, Ciaran Hinds, Jason Momoa, Ray Fisher, Amy Adams

Director: Zack Snyder

Us fanboys are incorrigible. We have an exaggerated notion of our importance, influence and independence. We feel our voices are the loudest and the truest. We truly believe we can change things for the better. All it takes is faith, dude. Faith. 

Zack Snyder is a divisive filmmaker. Much less divisive than his fanboys would like to think, though. He landed in the major league in 2006 with 300, an adaptation of Frank Miller's famous, yet hilariously masochist, pseudo-history graphic novel. That movie introduced us to a certain Gerard Butler and "This is Sparta" became the phrase of the year.

That success and the fact that Snyder was a hard-core comic fan led to multiple movies in the DC pantheon, each worse than the previous. In 2017, while working on Justice League, DC's answer to the Avengers, Snyder lost his daughter and stepped away from the movie. In came Joss Whedon, the man behind The Avengers - the best of the Marvel movies.

Slam dunk? Not quite. Other than being polar opposites in filmmaking styles, Whedon also inherited a movie that was already in post-production. A movie that he didn't believe in. With some reshoots and massive editing, he came out with Justice League in November 2017. There were many adjectives used to describe the film, but 'terrible' was one of the kindest.

Warner, despite completely owning all DC characters, couldn't mount a challenge to the Marvel juggernaut. The execs couldn't fathom what went wrong and blamed fate. 

A couple of years later the internet started seeing traffic around whispers of a mysterious Snyder cut of Justice League. This was supposed to finally bring to the screen the true vision of a certain Zack Snyder. The gentleman himself fanned the flames. The cast and crew stepped in at intervals too well-coordinated to be a coincidence. Emboldened fanboys went to town. Publicity that didn't cost a penny.

Lo and behold, in a few months, Warner confirmed the news and later made it a must-see event on their new streaming platform HBO Max.

The original Justice League was such a turkey that I didn't realise how much I had forgotten about the plot. Other than it didn't make much sense. 

The Snyder version does make more sense to some of the bewildering aspects of the earlier version. It elaborates on the stories of Flash (Miller) and Cyborg (Fisher), it makes Steppenwolf (Hinds) an unlikely mascot for lower management, and it plays to the fans. They are even acknowledged in the credits!

The first thing you notice is the movie is not in a widescreen format. It is in 4:3 aspect ratio and looks like screen within your screen with black bands throughout.  This was apparently to "preserve the integrity of Zack Snyder's creative vision." This is so ridiculous for a big-budget movie that Warner had to put in that message before the movie lest us fanboys made a stink.

Zack Snyder hates colours. Or so his movies declare. They are all at one depressing part of the colour spectrum, that every scene seems stolen from a post-apocalyptic movie. The darkness is evident in how muted Wonder Woman' (Gadot) costume was. And Superman wears black. 

At over four hours, the Snyder cut will probably be played at every decent editor's wake. It seems like the entire footage shot was included in the final cut. It is helpfully split into six chapters so that one can take care of one's eyes and bladder. The chapters are inconsistent and seems to be just randomly split. The titles of the chapters serve no purpose other than foretell an upcoming dialogue. 

I don't want to compare the Snyder Cut with the Whedon cut. All I recall from the earlier movie is that I didn't want to see it again. On its own, Zack Snyder's Justice League is a drag. I probably had more fun sitting through a Transformers movie. The Epilogue, DC's version of post-credits sinks all hope that we might have a half-decent DC Cinematic Universe.

Fanboys may rejoice that they achieved the impossible. They don't realise that they were manipulated. Because they were embraced as partners in bringing down the Corporation, they can't complain when the movie turns out to be a disaster. In YouTube, search for 'Warp Zone Batman Snyder' and watch the first clip. Those guys did a far better job explaining what happened than I could.

Fanboys are not unbiased appreciators. They have a fixed notion and rarely change their opinion. They are also too few in number. They didn't will the Snyder Cut into existence. They just allowed a corporation to use them to make money out of a bomb of a movie. That is the real tragedy.