Investigative crime thrillers come in different formats. There are plots in which we don’t know anything about the culprit and just sit back to see how the protagonist tracks the murderer. In some cases, we are clearly shown the culprit, but the reason behind the crime is mising. In both these formats, the viewer always remains on the side of the investigative officer, wishing the criminal to be caught and brought to justice.
In The Last Two Days starring Deepak Parambol, released on NeeStream, viewers remain on the investigative officer's side till the end. The case here revolves around three youngsters including a candidate who go missing weeks before an election.
DySP Rajan (Major Ravi) is in charge here. Rajan has to submit the closing report of the case and is without any solid leads. Rajan then assigns CI Srikanth Sharma (Deepak Parambol) for an unofficial investigation.
From the bare bones of the plot, we can figure out the makers have made significant effort to create the perfect atmosphere. Actor-turned-filmmaker Santhosh Lakshman has kept the narrative to the point, with a duration of just 1 hr 16 mins. The proceedings are engaging keeping the audience glued to the officer's conviction. Besides, the execution also draws your attention to many small but thoughtful mentions like the boatman, the online news reporter and even 'Mr Vodka'.
As mentioned before, the basic premise for a police story revolving around procedures is that the crime should be stupefying.
The Last Two Days starts off well, but simmers far too long before it gets to the boil. The mystery shrouding the case unravels gradually in a carefully written tight script yet the 'confession or the explanation' in the end doesn't have an impact it deserved.
While the film scripted by Santhosh Lakshman and Navaneeth Reghu carries a mystique for it's treatment and approach, the setting here is contemporary. The Last Two Days is beautifully shot by cinematographer Faisal Ali capturing the locales, especially the one with an English track sung by Sayanora. Deepak Parambol has delivered an excellent performance. With his controlled acting, he proves his capacity to move away from the 'comic mould' in which he has been typecast in films so far. The film also has Nandhan Unni, Abu Valayamkulam, Dharmajan, Aditi Ravi and a star-actor (who is revealed only by the climax).
The film oscillates between real and implausible; making it hard for the screenplay to bridge the gap, especially in some key portions in the second half. In spite of that, the film has the power to grip and should be watched for an honest approach with the craft.
