More than three decades after he left the world of mortals, the story of child prodigy Edmund Thomas Clint graces the silver screen.
The movie that begins with a short intro about the little genius has his real-life parents, M.T. Joseph and Chinnamma Joseph, reminiscing about their child who continues to live with them – in thoughts, in memories, and in hundreds and thousands of pictures he left his imprint on.
As the screen shifts to the reel world, little Clint, going on six, is already an established figure among his small but an admiring lot of family members, friends, and his father’s colleagues. They remain wide-eyed as Clint paints wonders after wonders on every piece of paper he could land his hands on.
The movie by Harikumar stays loyal to the real yet amazing life of Clint, who drew more than 25,000 pictures before the age of seven. Right from the word go, it is the world of Clint – as the credit rolls on, you get to see some of his pictures that had even the best of artists sitting up and take notice.
The camera follows little Clint as he walks up the temple steps to meet the deities and sits by the backwaters, engrossed in the sole aim of his life – dabbling in colors. The world was literally the pathshala for this little one, who proclaimed that he did not have to go to school after the initial years.
Anything and everything became an object of interest for Clint and he had many questions to ask and observations to make – all of which in one way or another find a way on to his canvas.
His art transcended religious borders with mythological figures becoming his favorite subjects, and he did not forget to give a little tweak here and a bit of color there, adding their value by many folds.
The six-year-old's every word is a command to his doting parents, who are often left wondering how such a gifted one came to them and did not let their middle-class setting become an obstacle in their child’s tryst for greatness.
As Clint's onscreen parents, Unni Mukundan and Rima Kallingal, support and complement one another throughout. The elite cast also includes K.P.A.C. Lalitha, Renji Panicker, Vinay Forrt and Salim Kumar. Music by Illyaraaja is a pleasure to listen to.
But the movie solely rests on the little shoulders of master Alok, who reprises the role of Clint. The makers can give themselves a pat on their back for finding a child, who not only resembles the real-life Clint but is also able to bring his many shades of emotions on to the screen.
The child is easily able to make the transition as a chirpy Clint, battling a critical illness. The boy goes silent in the second half and lets his eyes do the talking.
The emotional second half as the parents struggle to accept the imminent future weighs heavily on the movie as the focus shifts from the little genius.
That apart, it’s difficult to find fault with the movie, which is an honest attempt in narrating the colorful life of the little artist. An endearing tale that we all need to hold on to.
Rating: 3/5
