We know art imitates life. And quite frequently, life imitates art too. Somewhere in the middle of all this life, art, and imitation, lies M Padmakumar’s latest film, Joseph.
I so wish it was a Utopian film. I so wish this film serves as a warning bell and is not the bell around the cat. The events unfolding in this crime thriller will make you feel uneasy. I walked out of the theatre hoping the crux of the film is imaginary and is neither a warning sign for things that are going to happen, or worse, something that is already underway.
Joseph isn’t an easy watch. The first half of the film will test your patience. A lot of scenes seem to be long-winding, and even vague at times. Even the non-linear narration employed isn’t very coherent, and though full marks for the style, it can easily confound the audience. Though the scenes are bit confusing, and there is one song too many in this whodunit thriller, the ultimate payoff is worth it. While the filmmaker does take his time to get to the point, when he ultimately does, every scene makes sense. You needed those long-winded scenes to get that punch in the gut. You needed those vague throwaway sequences, which suddenly fall into place when the mystery unravels.
And amidst all this cacophony, is a sublime Joju George, playing the titular role of a retired cop, who decides to solve the murder of his ex-wife. He is a troubled cop, weighed down by his stash of secrets and perceived inadequacies. This character could have been someone wallowing in self-pity, or someone who channelises his weaknesses into anger and overt machismo. However, Joju strikes a different chord altogether in his portrayal of Joseph. Towards the end of the film, when Joseph gets his answers and manages to at least temporarily soothe his inner demons, the audience too feels a sense of gratification, along with him.
Joju exhibits a certain vulnerability that ironically manages to help him keep his true emotions in check. You never know what this retired police officer is thinking. He is introduced in a scene where he exhibits his investigative credentials with consummate ease. That opening scene not only establishes the character arc of this drunk and lonely police officer, but also ensures the audience doesn’t question a retired officer’s clout in the department. I particularly loved the camaraderie between Joju’s Joseph and his group of police friends. I am not sure we have had such a no-nonsense group of friends, who have each other’s backs.
Joseph has pretty strong performances, and some solid writing that elevates this film to a high, which very few films manage to give you. It is interesting how this film begins as a hard-boiled crime thriller, but slowly segues into what seems like a cosy crime, only to end in an explosive fashion without being all showy about it. There is no in-your-face expositions, or cocksure investigations, or even a Know-it-All at the centre, who keeps people around him guessing his every move. Joseph isn’t interested in the flashiness of crime solving. Here is a hardened police officer, who has seen his fair share of blood, gore, and sweat and understands the inevitability of death. His investigation is of the cumbersome and detailed type, which ideally shouldn’t be a good visual experience, but that’s where Padmakumar scores heavily. Joseph is visually captivating, and the liberal usage of slo-mo shots as Joju lights up a beedi, or pours down a peg of Old Monk, adds to the appeal.
Talking about the central conceit of this film will be akin to breaking the suspense, so let’s not go there. But, there are a few red herrings, which might, or rather, will mislead the audience trying to solve the crime in their heads. The background score by Anil Johnson is brilliant and lends the necessary gravitas to this investigative thriller, which sticks true to its genre, in every scene.
Joju steals the show, and displays yet another facet of his acting, which, if left untapped, would have been a disservice to this man’s talent. He shines bright in the scenes where he bids goodbye to his ex-wife, Stella, and even brighter when he finally comes to terms with the olive branch extended by his wife’s second husband Peter, played by a competent Dileesh Pothan. Joju’s Joseph isn’t exactly a novel role. It is out of the same mould of police officers we’ve seen in the recent past, like Prithviraj’s Sam Alex from Memories or even Mammootty from the underwhelming Abrahaminte Santhathikal. However, Joju brings a certain understated uniqueness to his role, which makes him worthy of joining the ever-growing list of troubled, drunk and washed-out cops trying to bury their demons of secret past.
Malayalam cinema seems to have developed the knack of constantly churning out screen gems like Joseph, which come out of nowhere and affect you deeply. You start gauging other films of this genre with this yardstick… till another better Malayalam film chugs along.
With every passing Friday, our cinema sees yet another big-ticket release, and the reviews of it follow a similar template - “Why can’t these filmmakers invest in a proper script?”
Well, here’s Padmakumar, and here’s a proper script. What are we, as an audience, planning to do about films like Joseph, which doesn’t release with a big star cast, and flashy promotions.
Joseph might not be a trendsetter, but it is definitely a film that practices one of the most preached statements in not just Indian, but World cinema too - The script is the star
Avinash Ramachandran 