About NOT BOOK Malayalam Short Film:
Understanding the core: Story of two couple who didn’t express their love and their heartbreak
Appreciation and critic:
I liked the way “Not book” was filmed. It was clean and as good as a feature film. By the visual, I’m not disappointed. The storyline was clear. It conveyed what it wanted to convey.
The cinematography is very good. I’m satisfied with the NOT BOOK Malayalam Short Film’s cinematography. Some of the places are very good and at the same time some of the places I felt it was too much for the shot. The frame is when the female protagonist wants to write her love in that notebook. That particular frame with focusing her and the books is in a blur. I admired this frame while watching. Even the lighting was also very good. At the same time, the shot and the frame while the male protagonist is calling Lekha to ask about Ananya. It was a long-distance wide shot with the protagonist focused and something blurred. I felt this particular shot was unwanted. Sometimes this is what happens when we try to do all things in the same way. Same shots, but different locations won’t suit. It depends on the lighting and location. I would prefer to go for a clean wide or tight shot till his hip for that scene. Other than that, everything in this movie, the shots, and frames including lightings are satisfied.
To my knowledge, this NOT BOOK Malayalam Short Film has used two colors. One is a day cool color and the other one is evening dull warm color. These two colors and lighting were good, and they did justice to the scene. This is the most important thing while watching a movie, I think; the color should not strain our eyes. While editing the DI did justice to the film. Also, I need to tell a scene, the same shot while the protagonist was calling to ask about Ananya, the close-tight face frame. In this frame, the color felt very odd from any other scenes in this film. It was very visible to me. At the same time, the colors of other scenes are very natural, and it was good too.
I was very impressed with the starting scene itself. The sound of the WhatsApp voice message button sounds, and someone is singing a good melody and sending a message. Again, she is sending a voice message asking if the person sleeps or not. It was quite interesting to start the film with that tone. The melodious music and the frame start with two friends hug each other after a long time. The hug felt very genuine, and it was a tight hug. That showed how much they miss each other. That tight hug itself explains the scene very well. That’s how the film starts.
I like to appreciate the director for using the ambiance. As it is a story of two people who want to meet each other, but they can’t. The stone doll there in the restaurant was a very clever move. To be honest, I don’t like the way the hero was being introduced to the public. The way he called the protagonist chechi was not that much fun. It felt empty.
I appreciate the artist who acted in this NOT BOOK Malayalam Short Film. The female protagonist and her eyes are very impressive at the same time attractive. The portrayals of her eyes are attractive because it was pink during the whole film, which indirectly conveyed that she was in pain inside her heart. The only thing that she needs to improve in her acting is those crying scenes. During the farewell talk between them, she leaned on the wall and cried. But it is not enough to transfer the emotion to the audience. I think she could have done that better. I also had an idea why she needed to cry in that way. Even I couldn’t see any tears from her eyes. She should have done that better, or the director shouldn’t make an alternate take with calm crying.
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Similarly, I can see the boy’s tears and his cry. It was good and apt for the scene. But the slow-motion shot of his crying felt very dramatic, and I felt it spoiled the capture. The boy’s acting was good.
The music was very good. Nowhere, I felt music unsatisfied me, and nowhere, I felt overdone. It was good. The only thing that the crew or the music director wants to concentrate on is during the music mix. In some scenes the mix was not properly recorded, it seems. In some places, I reduced my volume and increased it after that. That shows that the mix is not properly made. At the same time, the dubbing was too good. I enjoyed the dubbing mix of this film. It was dubbed in the right places. I appreciate the crew’s consciousness of where the dialogue should come and where it shouldn’t. During the birthday party scene, when Ananya was sitting alone; the dubbing of her friends in a distance was perfectly made. It is a place where I need to appreciate the crew in making that. Similarly, when Ananya called John in the intro scene, the sound variations are good. The sound is very low at a distance, and it increased while Ananya was reaching John.
Also, I need to mention that during the conversation between John and his friend in the place, the sound effects of birds chirping felt overdone. That particular sound could have done better. Better in the sense, that no birds will keep on chirping continuously. I wouldn’t notice it if it had a break between the birds chirping.
Okay, now coming to the story. For a normal audience or for the one who wants to watch a love story, this film is good. But when it comes to a critic or the audience who wants to experience a new story, it is not the film. We all know that without a love concept no films are going to work well. There are exceptions, but still, this movie is fully based on a love story. It is a love-based genre, but apart from the love concept, I felt the absence of other elements. I really appreciate the director’s effort in presenting this film. It was a good film, no doubt about that. But to be honest, I felt it again, it is a cliché topic. I can relate my feelings to the film. We can celebrate this film for that. But later if I realize it will conclude in the way that it is again a cliché story. In this competing industry, without a new storyline or concept, we cannot survive.
If you ask me to give ratings,
For story – I would give 5/10
For screenplay – I would give 7/10
For direction – I would give 8/10
For cinematography – I would give 9/10
For music and sounds – I would give 8/10
For dubbing – I would give 9/10
For artists – I would give 8/10
And over all – I would give 7.5/10
Kudos to the team whoever participated to make this film and congratulations.
Watch “NOT BOOK” Malayalam Short film now.
This Short film review Credit goes to Thozhamaiyan.
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