Maranamass movie review: Basil Joseph's dark comedy is a bumpy ride, but one packed with laughs

3/5

Maranamass story: A serial killer has already claimed the lives of three elderly men, and Luke PP, due to his destructive nature, is the prime suspect. The case has already led to his girlfriend dumping him and has become the last straw, before his villagers pack him off to Czechoslovakia. What happens when he crosses paths with the serial killer, his girlfriend, a bus conductor and driver and a dead body inside a bus, on a fateful night? 

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Maranamass review: Dark comedies are a tricky genre, but of late, it has been the safest in Malayalam cinema, when Basil Joseph has played the lead. So, there's little doubt why the makers of Maranamass would have probably gone with him to play the character of Luke PP, a 'sigma' male with a destructive streak, in this film that is packed with laughs and quirky characters. 

Much like Basil's previous films of the genre, Nunakkuzhi and Pravinkoodu Shappu, Maranamass doesn't solely rely on him to pull off the comedy and in this movie, it has worked much in its favour. With Siju Sunny, who has also co-written the script with its director Sivaprasad, Suresh Krishna, Anishma Anilkumar and a hilarious turn by Rajesh Madhavan, who plays a serial killer targeting senior citizens, the film has laughs aplenty.  

What drives it home is that the makers use not just the humour from its dialogues - 'Isn't dragon a bird?' - but also derives them from the darkly comic situations the characters find themselves in - be it digging up a grave amid a pre-wedding shoot, lighting up a funeral pyre in the middle of a dump yard or finding themselves caught clueless with a body.  

Both Sivaprasad and Sunny deserve credit for paying attention to their protagonists and their idiosyncrasies, letting it bleed on the screen as well - be it a cop named Sreenarayana Menon, introducing the antagonist against the backdrop of a 'killer offer' in a barber shop or even a pepper spray can branded by a religious institution, with the tagline that it 'can even make God cry'.  

Most of the story unfolds inside a bus, and these make for the best portions in the film. But just like most journeys, the ride is fun when it begins, but as it progresses, it can turn bumpy and maybe even lose steam at the end. The writing does get sloppy in the second half, with certain main characters relegated to doing nothing and subplots, including that of a missing dog, taking up more time than required. These slow down Maranamass from truly becoming a standout dark comedy that is tightly packed. 

The climax portion - even though the makers refrain from going all-out like yesteryear Priyadarshan films - still doesn't pack a punch. There's just enough humour generated from the ritual amid the waste disposal yard to elevate the film, but by then, you would feel that you have the film figured out.  

JK's music doesn't stand out, which necessarily isn't a bad thing. Neeraj Ravi's cinematography does give the film, which has several closed-in portions, a peppy feel, justifying its genre.  

Maranamass verdict: Basil Joseph's dark comedy, though packed with laughs, works only in parts. However, the film is a breezy watch if you want to enjoy the Vishu weekend, leaving all the care behind.