Directed by: Anjali Menon
Starring: Prithviraj Sukumaran, Nazriya Nazim, Parvathy Thiruvothu
Based on Marathi film 'Happy Journey'
Streaming on Disney+Hotstar.
It's a film with a simple premise, which talks about coming to terms with loss. I really liked how they treated such a complex theme with a slice of life treatment and such simplicity. This is a good example as to how we can mask a story of a complex theme in a story about love. The Josh and Sophie track, although explores how Josh overcomes his fear and inhibitions - it doesn't have much to do with the core story - but it cleverly designed in a way that we feel satisfied after Josh and Sophie get together after rounds of conflicts. It's a good example as to how we can seamlessly introduce stakes in a story dealing with complex themes as well. I really liked the premise, where we sees the spirit of his sister. It just goes to say that he hasn't gotten over the loss and is thinking what she'd do or say. It's a beautiful coming-of-age arc for Josh, where he goes from 'doing stuff because it's duty' to 'doing stuff out of love' - when he stands up for himself and takes Sophie with him - he isn't concerned about the consequences. He for once, thought about himself.
The filmmaking has a strong voice which comes through even in the most simple shots, whether it's the dog sitting somewhere in the scene, or the shots of food, the locations the film is shot in. Prithviraj Sukumaran was really good as Josh, mainly his body language. It's in total contrast with what he did in Ayyapanum Koshiyum. Nazriya was also terrific, especially there's a scene when Josh apologizes to Jenny after they have a fight when they're sitting on the van. And she just cries - that reaction was terrific - it's exactly how people react when someone confronts their feelings after they pile it up for a while. They just burst. I wasn't a big fan of Jenny's flashback, but I liked how they used it in Jenny's eulogy where they help Josh and Sophie flee.
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