Thattassery Koottam movie review: Arjun Ashokan's film fails to rise above its old-school template

2.5/5

Story: Sanju, a talented artist, prefers to pursue civil services rather than follow his family's tradition as goldsmiths. After his uncle meets with an accident, he has to chip in with making a necklace. Things turn awry when in an inebriated state, he uses to the necklace to gain the favour of his crush. How does he come out of this and what are the challenges ahead for him and his friends?

Review: Debutant director Anoop Padmanabhan's Thattassery Koottam was a film that should have released in 2020, had it not been for the pandemic. Given that it has released two years later than initially planned, the makers would have been nervous if the film's content still held up. While Thattassery Koottam has its moments in the first half, it's major weakness lies in the latter portions when it sticks to the old-school formula of entertainers. 

The movie's core thread of making a film around the lives of young goldsmiths is fresh, even if it only scratches the surface. The focus on the first half is the friendship between Sanju (Arjun Ashokan) and his gang. These make for fun moment because of the dialogues. But as the story progresses, you get the familiar feeling of having seen it before - be it the hero messing up his priorities, putting his family's livelihood on the line and then eventually the second half becomes a revenge thriller.

The thriller portions, if neatly done and crisply edited, could have actually saved the movie. Instead, the makers prolong it to an extent of planning a huge setup for a crime racket and also leaving space for a cameo role, which has barely any impact. 

Arjun Ashokan plays his part well as the indolent Sanju. The veteran actors such as Siddique, Sreelakshmi and Vijayaraghavan get cast in roles that they have done already, but they still pull their weight in the scenes they get. 

The movie's cinematography is a highlight and there are areas in the first half where the film reminds audience of previous entertainers such as Kattapanayile Rithwick Roshan that are backed by the production house. While the formula worked a few years ago, it doesn't here due to the lengthy and meandering second half.

Verdict: Arjun Ashokan's Thattassery Koottam would have been a decent watch, had it the same tempo and mood that made its first half fun. The second half is all over the place.