100 Days Of Love (2015)

Most of us watching this today were apparently primed on the pairing of Salman and Menen in Mani Ratnam's upcoming 'OK Kanmani'. But that's some time away, and in the meantime, we have this.As always, for any specialty release (read - other than the local language/s, and playing only in 1/2 cinemas for 1/2 show/s for the entire week), there was little to no publicity, and no English subtitles in the showing I got to sit thru (not really bothered nowadays, but many people I watched it with were verbally abusive of theater management, and might well be missing next time around, but I don't think anyone cares).One concern I did have going in, was that this was gonna be the desi ripoff-of/homage-to '500 days of summer'. Phew. Thankfully not.Salman and Menen are getting together after not being in the same frame in 'Bangalore days'.The good parts:Very, very competently made, and slickly packaged. Every department complements the narrative, except perhaps for the departments/persons responsible for pacing (I do not want to single the editor/s out). It....flags....and how. It has almost been lovingly photographed, and both the prod and the art design are simple, yet sumptuous.I've never seen Salman so sure of his character and his performance. I have seen him grow over the movies I've seen him perform in, but in this one, he's in character throughout, and except perhaps for some forced angst in his scenes with his boss, and when it comes to his work, he was almost perfect.Nithya Menen, as she is wont to, right since 'Ala modalaindi', lights up every frame she's in, and this is consistent, especially when it comes to her intro in each and every movie she's been in. The magic does fade towards the latter half, but by then, she's had most of us hooked.The background score was alright, but 2 of the main songs 'Arike Pozhiyum', and 'Ninnekaanaan Kinaakkall' (the former more so) stood out during this viewing. But the overall feeling the music (and, to repeat myself on this, the cinematography) left me with was one of pleasantness. Like taking a vacation at a calm/natural habitat such as a beach or a hill station at an hour bereft of other hangers-on. There'll be no denying from any quarter that the movie looks, and sounds beautiful. 'OK Kanmani' has some living up to do in these departments, even though that happens to be a hallmark of Mani Ratnam, in spite of a few recent mis-steps.The main lead's sidekick has almost as much screen-time as the main leads do, and that's astonishingly progressive, at least to me, especially in the local milieu. It also helps that his characterization was well thought out and executed.Breaking the 4th wall: worked for this. A couple of sleight-of-hand maneuvers that I did not see coming, at important junctures in the tale. Augmented the main lead's characterization, and that's always a good thing, since having the audience field for the main leads is what the makers should be trying for always.The friendly manner in which the makers try subverting the local romantic genre's staples, while also unapologetically using the very same, while feeding us a spiel that it is not the case, seemed clever while watching the movie, but seems a tad weak now, since it is being done to death, and is not as fresh as, say, 'Dum lagake haisha'. The mainstream aspects are not overdone. That IS always good.Someone looked a little roly-poly this time around. Yum.However, it has to be said that the movie is not titled aptly, in addition to which there's not much meat, and there are quite a few clichéd moments in a movie purportedly demanding us to consider it grounded. Almost hypocritical, if only the makers did not keep drumming that message quite a bit. Certain threads go nowhere, and could've have been edited out (there may have been a good joke-in- the-making about the call to Mr. Nair, but I'll be damned if anyone else in the hall got it, and why the makers thought it was so funny - many were actually turning around and looking at their neighbors when it was pursued with in multiple sequences, including the all- important final moments of the flick - I'm missing a metaphor somewhere, perhaps). OSO's Kaanjaani (Aju Varghese) was not utilized t his potential, along with senior Vineeth's always-strong screen presence being wasted. Praveena, playing the part of Vineeth's wife and Menen's mom, who was such a strong force in 'Mili', surprisingly doesn't have much to do in this one. Also, making certain things obvious, like a supporting characters consuming alcohol at her own place, was like hammering a message that we do have progressive characters in this flick (don't bother to check for 'that' correlation, btw), so this is a nouveau-romance....blah blah. No matter how progressive the movie purportedly is, it gives the supporting female characters short shrift. I found that strange, especially since the casting was there (but perhaps the writing was not). And oh, all those annoying disclaimers on booze and smokes littering the beautiful frames throughout, along with blurring out the brands - I really have no idea when certain minds are gonna mature in this...............and have no hope either.However, if living with those irritants is bearable (along with braving the heat, traffic, crowded malls, non-functioning air- conditioning and rude staff et al), this is a good theatrical watch for the weekend. It does not demand much of you, in terms of grey matter, while it purports to be more than it actually is, and though that is misguided, it is not necessarily a bad thing.

I didn't keep too much expectations(about the title) when my friend invited me for this movie. That must be the reason why I liked this pretty much. If you're a person who likes romantic movies with some lighter moments,you should really give this a try. Jenuse Mohammed has shown justice to the script; Dulquer Salman has delivered a wonderful performance, but lacks a little bit originality when he plays drunk.Nithya Menon's character doesn't have much job to do.The cinematographer has done a good job;he has maintained the freshness of the visuals throughout the playtime. The number of drunk sequences may seem disturbing for an average viewer, but when the character's point of view is considered,it can be justified. What puzzles me is the fact that, the title of the film is not mentioned or shown anywhere in the movie. Anyaway, the movie does not bore you or make you yawn; even though it doesn't have much 'New-Generation' elements.

100 Days of Love is a gentle and heartwarming tale of love narrated refreshingly by director Kamal's son,débutant Jenuse Mohammed with lovable performances from Dulquer Salmaan & Nithya Menon.Even though the basic premise of 'a hero in search of his unknown love' is tried and tested in in-numerous films from the past,the originality in Jenuse's narration added with strong technical support and neat performances from the whole cast makes 100Days Of Love a delightful romcom,one among the best in the genre from Mollywood in recent years.Mainly targeted at the urban youth of today,the movie offers around 150 minutes of feel-good romance filled with fun and interesting sequences.The influence of classic Hollywood romantic flicks is notable,but luckily the freshness in narration by Jenuse saves this from being yet another poor rip off from the west.The rather leisurely pace of the movie mayn't be chewable for a minor share of the audience ,but for all others with a taste for romcoms 100 Days Of Love makes up for a good recommendation to sit and scrap all the tensions for sometime.The dialogs written by Vibin.M.R and Suhail Ibrahim came out really well on screen and added to the overall cuteness of the movie.Visuals by Pradeesh Verma were colorful and gave a fresh urban look to the whole affair.Costumes bySameera Saneesh deserves a special mention with the styles perfectly suiting the backdrop of the narration.The idea to use the names such as Balan.K.Nair,Ummer and Sheela for the characters was interesting and hilarious at the same time.The successful pair of Dulquer Salmaan and Nithya Menon was really adorable with their on screen chemistry working out really well on screen.May it be the subtle emotions or his trademark style smile Dulquer was at his best portraying the lead role of 'B.K.N' with perfection.Nithya Menon too was no exception and portrayed the character invested on her with finesse.Shekhar Menon gets another meaty role as Dulquer's pal Ummar and gave good support along with Aju Vargheese,Rahul Madhav,Vineeth etc did their part well.Music by Govind Menon from the celebrated Thaikkudam Bridge family was really good with the song 'Hridayathin Niramaay" being one among the best love songs to comeout of late.The background score by Bijibal was befitting narration and added to the cool.Overall,100 Days Of Love is a sweet romcom recommended for everyone with fondness towards the genre .Some +Ves :: _________ *Direction. *Music And Score. *Cinematography. *Costumes. *Performances.Some -Ves:: ___________ *Slow Pace. *Lack Of Freshness In The Basic Plot.Verdict::100 Days Of Love is a refreshing dish of romance topped with lovable performance from the pair of Dulquer and Nithya besides notable technical brilliance.The lack of freshnees in the premise is comprehensively concealed by Jenuse's narration,a talent to look out for in future.Go for this one and you will not be disappointed. Ma Rating::7.5/10 _Afsal

One has to appreciate the marketing and PR teams that went behind turning this film into a much-anticipated release. Unfortunately, the content of the film lets everybody down.Starting off with a creative in-film statutory warning about alcohol consumption, the hero starts narrating his love story - his hundred days of love, of which you hardly see four or five, unless he's referring to the unmentioned days of engagement and marriage and the days between and around them. In that case, one wonders what happens on the hundred and first day? A divorce, maybe? And with the way the narration takes turns - perhaps, yes. The narration is colorful with artsy setups and melodious background score, that takes you on a pleasant trip to the lives of BKN (Dulquer) and Ummar (Sekhar), two carefree bachelors who share a plush pad and lead luxurious lives. BKN is a journalistic writer and hero of the story, while Ummar, a fanatic video-gamer, is his close and only friend. It is when BKN meets a girl (Nitya) one day and projects her to be the one (girl of his dreams) that he and Ummar both set out in search of her so that BKN can open his heart. And this adventure takes place sort of like a video game with levels and all.One takes delight in looking at the events unfolding through charming frames and textual graphics, but he/she fails to realize that the story isn't moving forward at all. And this is substantiated by an off-putting song (a terrible fusion of Malayalam and English rock), one which makes no sense so early into the film, and marks the turn of the film into a stultifying track. Its semblance jumps the gun with the story that is still gathering its bits and pieces together.Suggestive claptrap from the protagonist mars the narration with humdrum. There are many unrealistic instances that the writers have added in the name of creativity and new-wave, but they hardly influence. Technically speaking, the film as a game moves up higher levels without completing the lower ones. It is basically a game that is not as interesting as one playing an actual video game. Further, shaky camera work and cloudy shots makes one dizzy and thus, is unable to comprehend the story and its path even when the film reaches halfway. It solely depends on a thin string of suspense, with heavy use of old, classic Malayalam film references and handful of sporadic humor. The film's sub-stories have more traction than the overall story, and as a result, give a healthy torque to the narration, but extends the running time to an eternity. Sadly, it is the primary story that stands out like a sore thumb, which is so full of clichés that the characters themselves agree with it. The screenplay makes use of at least two unwanted characters that are either used for creating humor or as catalysts, furthermore adding to the overall gimmickry. Poor direction has drastic effects if one pays attention to the details.I am highly disappointed with Dulquer for he puts up a rather clumsy and inferior show to what he's worth and able. His air is uncool that is trying hard to be cool. Sekhar, on the other hand, plays a good sidekick. Lunar eclipse Nithya Menen turns from a petite girl who does what she did in Usthad Hotel (2012) to finally being the heroine of the story. And when the story reaches its gist, its about an original loser (in the character's own words) who requests his lady love to adopt radical decisions. The film terribly fails the moment the lady love accepts this request. And then we gape at the skeletons tumbling out of the cupboard. A love story written using hackneyed elements - an ordinary tale that drags a lot with undesired drama to come to a predictable point of nothingness. The title "100 Days of Love" is a travesty to the genre of romance. With an unrealistic ending, veteran director Kamal's son has successfully fooled us with this gimmick, the first biggest disappointment this year.BOTTOM LINE: For a story so indifferent and predictable and boring, only the actors manage to entertain. Lovebirds expecting to dive into a pool of romance may feel the vibe, but to sit through the routine and terribly long film will be another thing. Avoidable!Can be watched with a typical Indian family? YES