Mili 2015 Malayalam Movie Review

                             Mili 2015 Malayalam Movie Review

           

Rajesh Pillai's 'Mili' is far from faultless and even uneven at times, but at the core of its experience is a theme that shakes you out of your weekend slumber. Peppered with genuinely poignant moments, 'Mili' is a heartwarming film that feels good and feels right.

From a reclusive teenager who is never able to match up to her dad's (Saikumar) expectations, Mili (Amala Paul) grows into a diffident young school teacher, whose prime pastimes are stalking her crush on Facebook and making the lives of her roommates a hell. On being fired from her job, she decides to end her life, but finds a surprising supporter in a jolly bear waste bin.

When her local guardian Nancy (Praveena) insists that she try out something new, Mili is hesitant. But aided by the supportive words of Naveen (Nivin Pauly), Nancy's brother, she sets out on a fresh venture that transforms her life beyond recognition.

'Mili' is a film that exhorts you to push aside the indolent procrastinator within you and to decide once and for all to do what you have always been wanting to do. In the process, it will help you rediscover yourself, and to shed off those layers of uncertainty and indecision that have been pulling you back all along.

 The world that Mili inhabits is populated by individuals who are black and white, and at times grey. Her dad, a college professor by profession is devastated that his daughter has ended up nowhere, while his student Nancy is more empathetic towards Mili's plight. Naveen, being an HR trainer himself, pulls the right chords and gets Mili on track in no time.

It's heartening to see that a character that is once grey does not remain so throughout the entirety of the film. They undergo transformations as normal people like you and me do, and when Mili's once tormented roommates strike up a fresh rapport with her, we can rest assured that they are only being human. When a concerned mother (Sangeetha Mohan) insists that Mili be thrown out of the school that she works in for her heedlessness, it almost seems impossible that she will ever smile at Mili again. But smile she does, which makes her downright human as well.

'Mili' does falter a bit when it comes to the transformation that occurs in her life, particularly in it being a bit too sudden. Overnight, Mili emerges a new girl who has thrown caution to the winds and who even visits a discotheque with her new friends. On meeting her old crush, she seeks sweet revenge by declining his offer, and emphasizing that her makeover is almost complete. Though it does energize us to see the worn out girl emerging the winner in life, one wonders as to how those years of reticence and smothering of emotions could all on a sudden be replaced by a new persona that seems as distinct from her original self as chalk is from cheese.

In the very last scene when Mili hogs the mike, you get all set for a sermon. She talks of a childhood marked by the yearning for an assuring touch, and urges parents not to pursue their dreams through their kids. She winds up with a celebrated Wordsworthian line, leaving a trail of thoughts in the process.

It's Amala Paul all the way that carries the film on her petite shoulders, and perhaps this is a career best performance from the young actress. I loved Nivin Pauly too in the film, for his well designed feat that never goes overboard even for a minute. Especially worth a mention are the supporting performances from Praveena and Saikumar.

Rajesh Pillai's Ugly Betty sans the braces, is an uplifting story of a branded loser getting her act straight once and for all. A smart and cozy watch for the weekend, 'Mili' is a refreshingly sparky fare that should leave you enthused.