Spoilers ahead…
Read the full review on Film Companion, here: http://www.filmcompanion.in/carbon-movie-review/
Venu’s Carbon begins with Hydrogen and Oxygen: water, in other words. The credits appear over big, fat drops of what seems like rain. But where are we? Inside a car, watching a downpour through the windshield? Inside a house, perhaps, near a window? This isn’t a film that hands out instant answers. The wait for the explanation behind this image, in fact, lasts almost 145 minutes, which is the duration of the movie. Only in the last few frames do we see whose eyes those opening minutes were seen through, and where.
Meanwhile, we slip into Sibi’s (Fahadh Faasil) home — but Sibi isn’t home. His phone is switched off. His worried father (Spadikam George) has summoned Sibi’s friends, and he tells them, “If he doesn’t come today, we will make a police complaint.” But the friends don’t think this is a good idea. Soon, we see why. Sibi is in the midst of a shady operation, trying to sell an emerald that he claims is from a temple. Such a scene can play out as farce (a botched deal), with suspense (say, a double-cross), or with desperation and despair (a failed transaction). This scene, like the film, plays out in all these flavours. “What is the film’s genre?” we usually ask. In Carbon, the question is, “What isn’t?”
For a while, we get a dramedy about Sibi’s many get-rich-quick schemes, and these beautifully edited (by Beena Paul) scenes flow around a wealth of logistical detail. Venu (who’s also the writer) clues us into how Sibi’s brain works, how he handles cross-questioning or curveballs from the other party. So when Sibi deals with a woman (Praveena) who wants to sell an elephant, or a politician (a hilarious Dileesh Pothan) interested in a scam about selling bicycles to tribal women, the conversations seem to unfold in real time, without being pruned for dramatic effect. We don’t get just the punchy highlights of deal-making but also the dry transactional detail that makes us see the wheels turning inside Sibi’s head.
Continued at the link above.
Copyright ©2018 Film Companion.
Baradwaj Rangan 
abu6246
January 22, 2018
What do you thinks of the ending sir ? Could it be real ? And what about the scene where Mamtha saves Fahad ? Is there a possibility that the protagonist could be mad and all those happening around him could be inside his head ?
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Rishikesh
January 22, 2018
Part of the reason, why the film doesn’t work is because of its sluggish screenplay. The initial hour seems to be stuck with Sibi, repeating same point again and again. I mean why was the scene with Dileesh Pothen’s character even necessary – to let the audience know makers have done their bit of research on China. The point that he loses out on big deals owing to poor financial condition, is expressed in the introductory scene even verbally spelt out in the dialogue with the friend. Or is it case of Venu being in as much awe of Fahad’s performance as the audience. Also, the over expository writing makes it drag in parts. The scenes between Fahad’s character and the servant for instance.For most part, Carbon is filled with lot of talk and less action. And Venu’s direction fails yet again, his treatment is too laden, the fantasy portions never fit-in seamlessly to the film’s structure. These are the issues you have, when an old fashioned director who refuses to move away from the comfort zone is handed an unconventional screenplay.
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Shankar
January 22, 2018
Just when you think what’s next after the big Ms and barring Prithviraj (who has developed the off-late Surya disease, excluding a film or two)…there come along a rich set of actors (and directors) who are taking Malayalam cinema to good health. I do think Malayalam cinema went through a blip in the first decade of this millennium. It is exciting to watch Fahadh, Dulquer, Nivin, Tovino and the likes take charge and take chances! More power to them!
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Sohan
January 23, 2018
The entire movie is a reworked version of Turkish movie “cold of kalandar”. Here siby the protagonist is a no good son whereas in the Turkish movie focusses on the old man who is a no good father by his wife and children .
Kudos to Venu and k u Mohanan for copying frame by frame the final sequine of the movie where our lonely protagonist sitting atop a tree discovers the gold after a rain.
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Vivek narain
January 23, 2018
We vivisect and analyse a movie or a cricket match as if we are the top experts and the last word. This delusionary attitude just shows how far removed from reality we are, and some gals in this blog just push their weight around as if they are the real authority to pull strings and make the men squirm. A movie is a movie no matter how badly it’s made, some egos and some passions are satiated, Nano could better be named as cipher.
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praneshp
January 23, 2018
@Sohan: Thanks for pointing that out. Interesting video, about another Fahadh starrer.
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di
January 29, 2018
//what is the point of the tribal boy’s anger when Sameera laughs at his superstitious beliefs? //
I think it is explained near climax. the story about a tribal man which was repeatedly told in film as a myth was actually the boys father. So it makes sense that he gets angry when others make fun of his fear as a superstition or a myth, since it is his personal life experience.
‘Cold of kalandar’ which was mentioned in a previous comment is available in youtube. Except that both protagonists find treasure in climax,i dint find much similarities.I dont understand why someone would describe it as a frame to frame copy.
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brangan
January 29, 2018
di: I am not debating the boy’s anger. (i.e. I am not asking WHY he is angry.) I am asking what is the point of showing it so ominously if it’s going to lead to nothing. My question is more about the screenplay than the character.
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