CIA: Comrade in America

After watching this movie....now im dq's die hard fan. What a movie!!! Just amazing

Amal Neerad's latest directorial venture is sure to evoke mixed/divisive reactions. However, I feel I'm a bit positively inclined towards the technique Neerad uses to cover up those large holes in the plot (with the collective energy that drives the film forward in entertaining fashion). After a lacklustre intro sequence (ripped off 'No Church in the Wild', a song by Jay-Z & Kanye; due credits given though for 'desi'-fying it!) for its protagonist Aji Mathew (played by DQ) that even reminds you a bit of Mohanlal's entry in Run Baby Run (the entry is designated as 'mass' but in actuality the impact it leaves is minimal!), the story proceeds to shed light on his daily activities as a member of the Communist Party and his incessant battle with the police force of the state. The title credits though (which comes after the supposed mass entry) are extremely well-done. There's a pulsating anthem playing in the background ("Kerala Manninayi" is superbly rendered by Gopi Sunder!), there's break-neck editing style, slo-mo is used well and the shots are crafted beautifully. There's really no novelty to boast about in terms of synopsis. The first half is breezy, the dialogues are catchy and relatable. The comedy quotient is amped up via Dileesh Pothan, Soubin Shahir n' co. The depth in the writing helps stage some of the scenes quite well. The friendly banter between Aji and the stalwarts of Communism (Che, Marx, Lenin) doesn't come across as over-cooked (although we've already been through similar treatment with St. Francis and Lord Krishna in Malayalam cinema earlier!). There are a few more 'mass scenes' (one that involves a slickly choreographed fight sequence at a bus- station à la Tamil/Telugu movie style.. ANL Arasu – the name says a lot!) that reinstate the fact that DQ is here to stay. "Kannil Kannil" is another delectably-shot melody. Aji's love-life is cut-short when his lover flees (or is forced to flee) to the U.S of A. So, our hero is left with no choice but to travel to the States on short notice, before judgment day (i.e. her wedding day) strikes. There arises the issue of securing a visa. The screenplay is ready to embrace a few delicious twists. Great interval block, to be honest! Can't really say that the movie went downhill from here, but the fact that the movie all of a sudden put on a serious face was somewhat difficult to assimilate. The viewer is educated about the difficulties faced by illegal immigrants (at times resulting in unquestionable death!). Unlike the interesting character arcs in the first half, the ones that take centerfold in the second suffer from being underwritten (including Arul and Pallavi, played by John Vijay and Chandini respectively). The proceedings don't leave the intended jolts. But hey, this is commercial cinema. Not every bit is debatable. However, the climactic finale is a definite crowd-pleaser (replete with folding of the mundu, slo-mo walk and breakbeat BGM!). That said, the real star of CIA isn't Dulquer Salmaan. If there's an actor who has left a sure-shot impression on your mind by the time the end credits roll, its Siddique. The man is the 'DAD of all DADs' in the flick. He gets to mouth the best (politically subversive) dialogues, emotes well and cracks the coolest jokes. The Kerala- Congress bit mentioned by him at the climax is just one of the many hip(pest) instances. Shibin Francis adds himself to the list of fairly- exciting screenplay writers to watch out for, in the future. Cinematography by Renadive warrants special mention (the shots are exquisite and rich, whether it be the lush greens of Kerala or the thorny landscape of South America!). Overall, it is safe to say that Amal Neerad has packaged CIA with enough commercial flavor to justify a visit to the cinema halls this summer (if you choose to overlook the screenplay-contrivances and reasonably large plot-holes i.e.)!

Very nice movie First half is full of DQ s mass action performance, comedy Politics ,romance.and DQ s mass entry. 2 nd half is based on a adventure travel. GOOD DIRECTION 8.5/10 GOOD ACTING 8.5/10 GOOD STORY 7.8/10 Must watch. Don't miss. Movie is collecting good at box office.CIA is 3 rd biggest opener in Malayalam movie history. And 3 red highest initial collection Even there is bahubali 2

The movie was a good one. I felt it like two parallel world's joined together to convince the audience. The movie could be shot as two different films.

A Dulquer Salmaan film directed by Amal Neerad – that's enough to send the expectations soaring for the fans of the actor and the director. For Amal, the movie is a marked shift from his cult action films such as Big B. The turn began with the featurette Kullante Bharya in the anthology Anju Sundarikal that had Dulquer as the protagonist, followed by Iyobinte Pusthakam and has now led to Comrade in America, a coming of age tale scripted by Shebin Francis. The movie, apparently based on true events, kicks off with a few politically-charged scenes that take cues from some recent developments in Kerala politics. It introduces Pala-based youth Aji Mathew (Dulquer Salmaan), a die-hard communist who follows the ideologies to the T. Be it digging graves for social outcasts, picking fights with unruly bus employees for harassing college students or lending a hand to those in need, Aji is the model communist, a hero of the masses. The plot though quickly devolves into a love story – that now challenges Aji to go the whole nine yards for love! Sarah (Karthika Murali), the girl Aji loves, goes to the US out of the blue and her wedding is fixed with another guy. Her last call implores him to reach the country to talk her parents out of it. However, the hassles in front of Aji are numerous – two of them being that he has no passport or visa. How he overcomes these and if he makes it in time forms the plot. Dulquer is perfect as Aji – the impish charm adds to his character's taunting persona while he balances that out with the innocence when confronted with the problems that he has no solutions for. He also nails the Kottayam accent and his swagger especially in the intro and climax scenes is pleasing. Dulquer never once seems out of place as the youth from Pala, even as he finds himself in Nicaragua, Honduras and Mexico. The scenes between Dulquer and Siddique, who plays Aji's dad, and those with Dileesh Pothen and Soubin, elevate the entertainment quotient of the film with clever use of humour. Where the movie slacks though is the second half in which the struggles to get to the US doesn't quite hit home despite the script pointing out the misery of several characters. Debutante Karthika Murali doesn't have much to do but plays her part well. The casting team deserves a special mention for the casting of three renowned comrades – Che Guevara, Lenin and Karl Marx – in the movie. John Vijay and Chandini Sreedharan too put on a decent performance. CIA also takes the audience through Mexico and the US, and the cinematographer Ranadive has done his best to capture some splendid visuals. Gopi Sunder's background music adds so much to the film. Amal Neerad has refrained from using stylish sequences in the film, which once again complements the story and its flow that takes its own sweet time to develop. The film is an entertaining affair, which has humour, drama, great visuals, a good soundtrack and most of all, a splendid performance by Dulquer.

Movie: CIA: Comrade in America (U): Action/Thriller - Malayalam Positives: Dulquer looks extremely fresh and stylish in the film. His performance is major asset to the film. The action scenes are excellent. The locations are a treat to watch in the second half. The cinematography is at times top notch. The BGM is terrific. The second half is very gripping. Negatives: The change in the tone of the film is good but could've been brought up in a better way. A few songs click, while others simply don't. Except Dulquer and Ameer, no other performance works. The screenplay is good but the editing is weak in the first half at times. The romantic thread, like almost all films, is pointlessly weak and at times, forced in the narrative. Repeat value: Yes Overall: 4/5 CIA: Comrade in America is an entertaining action thriller which can be seen and liked instantly.

CIA: Comrade In America-S0E0

Trailer—CIA: Comrade in America