Joji (2021) :
Movie Review -
Shakespeare's Macbeth has been adapted many times before and will be adapted many times in future too. From Hollywood's version made by Orson Welles to Japanese Cinema's Throne Of Blood (1957) by Akira Kurosawa to Bollywood's Maqbool (2004) of Vishal Bhardwaj and many more, Macbeth has been made in different industries with different cultural touch. Now, it's Malayalam Cinema making their own version with Joji and expectedly it has different shades to have its own existence. Dileesh Pothan's version is set in more family friendly atmosphere while the crime world is excluded partially. Joji is a successful attempt to create something intense with new methods and it delivers enough for its own consideration. However, it has limited quality assurance which does not match the high expectations (of you have any).
Joji is set in a house of Panchel family. Joji, an engineering dropout and the youngest son of a rich family lives with his aspirations of becoming super wealthy. Driven by greed and blind ambition, he decides to execute his plans following an unexpected event in the family which leads to expected bad consequences. Ok, so this one is intense for sure and sort of thriller, not a complete thriller because if its easily predictable nature. The screenplay is little slow while completing the scene which you can already predict and that's exactly how it appears on screen. Thankfully, it doesn't take long runtime to sum up all the events and therefore remains somewhat pacy.
Fahad Faasil as Joji delivers a cracking performance and that was expected. He hardly fails to deliver the goal especially in such acting oriented roles. In supporting roles or should I say next leading roles, Baburaj, Mundakayam, Sunny PN, Alister Alex and Unnimaya Prasad are more than fine with theirs limited dialogues. Joji could have had better dialogues as it comes with realistic effects and thrilling mode but all it had to offer was barely average.
Let's move towards the best parts of the film, the technical aspects and Direction. Cinematography, editing, background score and direction these four things has literally saved this predictable script with brilliant results all over. The frames captured by Shyju Khalid are eye pleasing and the background score is superbly chilling. Pothan's direction is the best thing about Joji. Without his methodical and intense storytelling Joji would have ended up as a an average flick. Overall, Joji is a fine draft based on legendary Macbeth and also has some of its own identity to be known, but only if you are not expecting too much.
RATING - 6/10*
Voir plus 
