RED WINE ("PASSABLE WINE")

Cast: Mohanlal, Fahad Fazil, Asif Ali.

Director: Salam Bapu.

Salam Bappu makes his directorial debut with Red Wine after being in the industry for almost 11 years.

Red Wine deals with a murder case that makes three people; Anoop, the Local Committee Secretary of the Communist Party in Wayanad (Fahad Fazil), Ramesan, a goonda turned sales executive(Asif Ali) and Ratheesh Vasudevan, Assistant Commissioner of Police(Mohanlal); cross each other’s paths.

The first thing I would like to tell is that Red Wine is NOT a Mohanlal movie, the central character here is Fahad and he is brilliant in his role as the young communist. The director has done a good job in showing Communism in a different light through Fahad. It would not be surprising if the young guns of the Communist Party in Kerala start idolising him. But do not go in expecting to see a fiery communist because as said already this one is different.

You would not find the plot that interesting or thrilling but the screenplay should be mentioned in particular for the commendable job. It cuts into the three lives(timelines rather) very frequently with no confusion whatsoever. Ranjan Abraham’s experienced editing amplifies the effect. The connecting point from one scene to the next is very smooth which shows the clarity of the writer and the director.

Another appreciable element in the screenplay is the chemistry between Asif Ali and his wife. Even if both of them have very limited screen space the scenes involving both of them are adorable. The girl who plays Asif’s wife is simply brilliant!! This is not to suggest it’s flawless though. It’s a tad lengthy and there is a barrage of characters , mainly to up the suspense factor, which is a letdown.

Beginner’s blues is quite evident in the direction department but that may be overlooked considering the earnest efforts.

Cinematography is ok but the colouring in several places is very substandard, BGM being no different. The final song in the film is very good to hear and rich in meaning as well.

Overall it’s an almost satisfying watch if you go in without expecting much.

Iam giving a 2.5/5 for Red Wine. You can watch it once.

Rating Scale (Out of 5)

Less than 2                   -           Unwatchable.

2 to 2.25                      -           Below average.

2.5 to 2.75                   -           Average.

3 to 3.25                      -           Good.

3.5 to 3.75                   -           Really Good.

4 to 4.25                      -           Great.

4.5 and above               -           Extraordinary.