'Lovely' movie review: Mathew Thomas's film has an innovative concept but is marred by lack of focus

Remember the housefly in S S Rajamouli's 'Eaga', the impressive creature that won people's hearts when it first released in 2012. Thirteen years later, Malayali filmmaker and scriptwriter Dileesh Karunakaran has attempted to tell the story of another housefly and its encounter with a young man named Boney, who enters his first job as an Lower Division clerk at a KSEB station.
If Rajamouli's 'Eaga' is driven by revenge, the housefly in 'Lovely' only seeks friendship and strikes a cute companionship with Boney (Mathew Thomas) whom she confronts when he lands in jail. How Boney, who is hardly two-days old in his first job, ends up in jail forms the narrative in the first half of the movie, while the latter half focuses on their unusual relationship.

At a time when fantasy films are still few and far between in Mollywood, it is commendable to see filmmakers like Dileesh Karunakaran attempt a hybrid story involving a human being and a fly in 3D format. The CGI and graphics that bring Lovely to life are amazing and playback singer and actress Sivangi Krishnakumar has done an amazing job lending her voice to the animated character, played by Unnimaya.

The story is smooth at the beginning as it focuses on Boney and the parallel love story between his colleague Shine (Prashanth Murali) and Mahila Morcha member Grace played by Aswathy Manoharan. Dileep who has previously directed the fun flick 'Tamaar Padaar' brings some genuine humour through his writing, especially in sequences exploring the love story between Shine and Grace. The chemistry between Boney and the housefly also works out in most places, and Mathew deserves praise for keeping the charm while interacting with an animated character.

 The film's pacing starts to falter in the latter half because the creators neglect to develop the character arcs of the protagonists, Lovely and Boney, after their initial meeting. As a result, the film loses intensity, leaving us unsure of how to feel about their characters by the conclusion. 

The cinematography is by popular director Aashiq Abu, who recently cranked the camera for Rifle Club, while the music is by Vishnu Vijay. Vishnu known for his work in films like 'Thallumaala' and 'Premalu' has compartively less to do in 'Lovely'. Overall, the film's interesting concept and the graphics, along with some good performances, will keep the audience engaged, though the movie could have benefited from better storytelling.