Joshiy has proven himself a mass-action hero maker with his movies in yore with Mohanlal, Mammootty and Suresh Gopi. And this time, with a few minor appropriations for the newer times, he runs his ‘magic wand’ for Joju George.
Porinju, a good-hearted brute who is out to help everyone, wouldn’t allow anything befalls his good friend Jose. Trouble brews when Jose gets into a skirmish taking a stand for Mariyam, Porinju’s lady-love, that puts a series of violent outbursts in motion.
Porinju Mariyam Jose is a cinema about friendship, love, kinship, and guilt. It is also a subtle tribute to the 80s that does not ride on nostalgia. Porinju Mariyam Jose is Joshiy making an ‘angry young man’ out of Joju. Nylah as Mariyam, the strong, independent and the ‘damsel-capable-of-causing-distress’ reminds you of Manju Warrier in Kanmadam. Nylah transformation into the character is evident. And that lack of ease in the character shows.
Chemban Vinod is truly the star performer here. He comes in with panache and stays the ground as Jose – seamless. Jake’s Bejoy’s background score and music, with no trace of the 80s, works well with the narrative. The visuals and lighting by Ajay David Kachapilly’s are good, especially the Godfather-Esque God’s-eye shot.
Porinju Mariyam Jose is Joshiy’s tribute to the 80s, the time and the movies of the time. Time and again, without being too nostalgic about the time, he pays tribute to Bappi Lahiri’s disco, Kishor da’s melody, Kamal Hassan, Sridevi and Amitabh Bachchan. By referencing the climax of Moonram Pirai he also subtly hints at the sort of ending you could expect. The plagiarism dispute aside, Porinju Mariyam Jose has a good story at hand from Abhilash Chandran.
A good cast giving us a reasonably good performance, and a hitmaker, Porinju Mariyam Jose gets tad bit predictable. But one may watch it for the spectacle at offer by the narrative genius and the unrequited love story in the sidelines.
