15. 1744 White Alto(2022)

 

Language: Malayalam

Genre: Dark Comedy

After the widely acclaimed Thinkalazhcha Nischayam, Senna Hegde once again creates a unique film. In one line, the movie talks about the misadventures of a group of policemen and henchmen in search of a white Alto car. Although the plot is somewhat wafer-thin and a kind of the one we have already accustomed to, Senna Hegde's unconventional packaging of the product with its technical nuances makes the film worthwhile to watch. Unlike Thinkalazcha Nischayam, it’s a hit and a miss kind of situation when coming to 1744 White Alto; but the movie manages to impress in most of its parts.

The overall tone of 1744 White Alto is that of a Western film mixed with Wes Anderson's sense of staging. The entire film is set in a parched desert-like landscape with bushy plants all around, which almost makes us think of spaghetti westerns. All the events in the film are somewhat fictitious/nonsensical and have a faint "Fargo" flavour. Sreeraj Ravindran's superb camera work enhances the overall mood of the film. Another cherry on top is the movie's colour grading.

Even though the characters are a little over the top and cartoonish, every single actor gives a fantastic performance. Another advantage of the film is the way the director paid close attention to the small details, and within those details, how skillfully they integrated humour and politics. Additionally, rather than being forced, the politics they discuss have developed organically.

Despite all of these positives, 1744 White Alto falls short of being an outstanding product due to logical flaws and uneven screenplay. Nonetheless, it appears rushed towards the end. Last but not least, the  bar set by Thinkalazcha Nischayam is so high that Senna Hegde himself struggles to reach it by 1744 White Alto.

My Opinion: Worth a try !!!