Big Ben review: Anu Mohan and Aditi Ravi’s film struggles to stay realistic, even when based on real-life story

Big Ben plot

In Big Ben, Lovely is delighted when her husband Jean Antony and their baby move in with her in London. But she also gets to see a different side of her husband, and after certain incidents, her baby girl is taken away by the authorities. Now Jean, a suspended cop from Kerala, must do what it takes to bring back his daughter.

Big Ben review

Rani Mukerji-led Mrs. Chatterjee vs Norway had portrayed a mother’s lengthy legal fight for justice after her little children were taken away by the foreign country’s officials. Bino Augustine’s directorial Big Ben also narrates a similar tale, which the makers claim is based on a real-life story. But instead of the long-drawn-out legal battle, the hot-headed father takes a rather daring route to bring back his daughter in this 2024 Malayalam film.

The Anu Mohan-starrer takes its time getting to this point, with the first half showcasing loving family members and joyful Malayali diaspora in London. The problem arises with Jean’s sudden outburst when his past is riled up, which is the trigger for the events leading up to the couple losing their child’s custody. 

This tonal shift in both Jean’s characterisation and the film’s narrative seemed jarring, and from then on, Big Ben oscillates between a fiery Jean, flying off the handle at the slightest provocation, to a level-headed Jean, making strategic schemes to get back his daughter.

Despite being the lead hero, Jean’s character lacked depth, and it is difficult to find fault with Anu Mohan’s performance, which does leave a lot to be desired.

As Jean comes with a daring plot, Vijay Babu’s character reminds him that ‘It is the Bloody UK’. The makers, too, should have taken notes here as several of the film’s instances, especially those involving the foreign officials and their procedures lacked authenticity, with some of the performances coming across as juvenile. Though the makers did not specify which aspect of the story is based on the real incident, the way the child was finally rescued and brought back home does raise an eyebrow. This looks far removed from the more realistic portrayals that one is used to seeing in Malayalam cinema.

However, one of the factors that does work in the movie’s favour is the fast-paced narrative in the second half, without giving too much time for the viewers to think and find flaws, especially during Jean’s attempts to enter the UK. Aajad Kaalu's pleasant cinematography is another plus.

Aditi Ravi, who has featured in movies such as Pranav Mohanlal's Aadhi, plays the grieving mother, Lovely. She has quite a lot of emotional scenes, and she handles them to the best of her ability. Chandhunadh and Vijay Babu are convincing in their roles as they support Jean’s schemes. But Malik actor Vinay Forrt as the vile superior of Lovely appears to be stuck in an underwritten role, and the character vanishes midway, only to reappear for the post-end credits tamasha.

Big Ben verdict

Jean’s methods in Big Ben look improbable even when the movie is said to be based on a real-life incident. This, along with weak characterisation, pulls down the film, which could have been a hard-hitting narrative, given the relevance of the topic.