In debutant filmmaker Girish Damodar's Uncle, Joy Mathew, the screen writer, explores a theme he had handled with elan in his critically acclaimed directorial venture 'Shutter' -- the social hypocrisy and moral policing tagged to the Malayali psyche.
The Mammootty-starrer, in the mould of a road movie of sorts, is a decent attempt to portray the fears of a couple with a grown-up daughter. It also tries to paint in detail a deep-rooted perverted mentality that has victimized many in a state that boasts of a high level of literacy.
However, a penchant to be preachy plays the spoilsport by the end of the film as it attempts to proclaim its intentions. It also ends up being melodramatic with long-winding dialogues in the final scenes, in a sudden shift of the tone and texture of the narrative.
Uncle has an interesting plot that is unravelled through a journey from Ooty to Kozhikode. The journey gets intriguing as Krishnakumar (Mammootty) and his friend Vijayan's daughter Sruthi (Karthika Muralidharan) drive through the thick and dark forest separating the two states. The uncertainty regarding the intentions of Krishnakumar, a businessman of various shades, keeps Vijayan (Joy Mathew) tense and the audience stuck to the narrative.
Repetitive sequences, especially the endless phone calls between the characters, and the subplot involving a youth and his wife in the early stages of labour gives the film some unnecessary length.
The film comes as a solace for those who have been seeing Mammootty in typical macho roles. The character of Krishnakumar gives ample scope for the actor to perform. Karthika Muralidharan, Joy Mathew and Muthumani perform equally well, imbibing the nuances of the characters they play.
Almost all the characters in the film have shades of being typecast -- the helpful communist, innocent Adivasi, insensitive cop and a powerful Kannur woman.
A folk number crooned by Mammootty, as part of a booze party in the film, is a treat. But the other song, despite being melodious, only adds up to the staggering length of the film.
Rating: 3 / 5