Barroz Movie Review: Mohanlal's directorial debut caters to a young audience
Barroz Movie Review: Critics Rating: 2.5 stars, click to give your rating/review,Barroz, a Malabari slave turned treasure guardian protects the treasure left behind by Da Gama. He c
Critic's Rating: 2.5/5
Story: Barroz, a former Malabari slave turned treasure guardian, awaits the arrival of the Da Gama family's heir to hand over the family's treasures. A girl from the thirteenth generation of the family arrives in Goa with her father. Will she accept the treasure and set Barroz free?
Review: When an actor of Mohanlal's experience and mettle announces his directorial debut, expectations are always sky high. Barroz is not a disappointing film if you keep aside the expectation of a legendary actor being an equally able director.
The film has everything that can charm children. It primarily caters to the younger audience for sure, be it plot or the fantastical world built around it. There is the mysterious titular Barroz, played by Mohanlal himself; then there is Voodoo, more for the comic effect and assisting Barroz in his task than anything else; and the heir of the 13th generation of Portuguese explorer Da Gama's family, Isa Ron, played by Maya Rao West, who also doubles as Isabella da Gama. Mohanlal has, as always, tried to shoulder the film as an actor too. However, the remaining casting choices of the film remain a mystery.
The plot of the film revolves around the genie-like Barroz, who was once a Malabari slave working for Da Gama, guarding the treasures of the family and waiting to hand it over to his heir. It is based on the novel 'Barroz: Guardian of D'Gama's Treasures' by Jijo Punnoose.
The film is visually appealing, and the artwork by Santosh Raman is top-notch, with the settings inside the cellar under the mansion seeming very real and grounded in the 1600s. The flashback scenes have their ups and downs, but they more or less seem more enticing than the modern-day timeline. The music again was just fine, and the score by Mark Killian matched the rhythm of the film. The costumes worked in places but seemed off in certain parts, especially in the song sequence where Barroz recalls days with young Isabella.
From dialogues to dubbing choices—especially the Malayalam accent for some characters—would make one wonder about how informed these choices were. Half of the cast could have easily been chosen from the ample talent in Malayalam cinema, and a bit more effort could have been invested in casting the Europeans. When the African origin occultist tries to be mysterious, it almost looks like a blooper that made it into the film. The hand movements, actions, etc., seemed so out of place and comical to an extent.
There is definitely tons of effort put into the film, be it CGI, cinematography, art, songs, etc. However, whether it is enough for the film to click with the audience is a big question.
Review: When an actor of Mohanlal's experience and mettle announces his directorial debut, expectations are always sky high. Barroz is not a disappointing film if you keep aside the expectation of a legendary actor being an equally able director.
The film has everything that can charm children. It primarily caters to the younger audience for sure, be it plot or the fantastical world built around it. There is the mysterious titular Barroz, played by Mohanlal himself; then there is Voodoo, more for the comic effect and assisting Barroz in his task than anything else; and the heir of the 13th generation of Portuguese explorer Da Gama's family, Isa Ron, played by Maya Rao West, who also doubles as Isabella da Gama. Mohanlal has, as always, tried to shoulder the film as an actor too. However, the remaining casting choices of the film remain a mystery.
The plot of the film revolves around the genie-like Barroz, who was once a Malabari slave working for Da Gama, guarding the treasures of the family and waiting to hand it over to his heir. It is based on the novel 'Barroz: Guardian of D'Gama's Treasures' by Jijo Punnoose.
The film is visually appealing, and the artwork by Santosh Raman is top-notch, with the settings inside the cellar under the mansion seeming very real and grounded in the 1600s. The flashback scenes have their ups and downs, but they more or less seem more enticing than the modern-day timeline. The music again was just fine, and the score by Mark Killian matched the rhythm of the film. The costumes worked in places but seemed off in certain parts, especially in the song sequence where Barroz recalls days with young Isabella.
From dialogues to dubbing choices—especially the Malayalam accent for some characters—would make one wonder about how informed these choices were. Half of the cast could have easily been chosen from the ample talent in Malayalam cinema, and a bit more effort could have been invested in casting the Europeans. When the African origin occultist tries to be mysterious, it almost looks like a blooper that made it into the film. The hand movements, actions, etc., seemed so out of place and comical to an extent.
There is definitely tons of effort put into the film, be it CGI, cinematography, art, songs, etc. However, whether it is enough for the film to click with the audience is a big question.
