Spoilers ahead…
Read the full review on Film Companion, here: https://www.filmcompanion.in/koode-movie-review-baradwaj-rangan-anjali-menon-prithviraj/
When we first see Joshua (Prithviraj) in Anjali Menon’s Koode (Together), his face is covered by a safety mask. He is in the midst of cleaning up something that looks like chemical waste in some kind of industrial plant in the Middle East. Soon, he gets a call from home, which he has to take in the office of a supervisor who is clearly not happy about this. It sounds like bad news from home, but what’s worse is this: even when the mask comes off, Joshua’s face remains a mask. Inscrutable, unreadable — the camera moves in real close, but finds nothing. Look at how much this small, near-wordless opening section accomplishes. Even without knowing much about Joshua, we know the type of man he is. We see the monotony of his generic blue-collar job, realise that it’s probably a dangerous job, register that he is far away from home, see that the work atmosphere (recall that grumpy supervisor) is less than ideal, and, finally, sense that things at home aren’t great either.
Koode (adapted from Sachin Kundalkar’s 2014 Marathi film, Happy Journey) is Joshua’s story: of a man who suffers from a (somewhat justifiable) martyr’s complex, having hoisted himself on the cross, since his teens, in order to become his family’s Saviour. (The father is a car mechanic. When expenses mount, he sends Joshua away with a “Gulf”-based relative.) The film keeps cutting between the present (shot in cool tones of blue) and the past (bathed in warmer colours), and we see that the highlight of Joshua’s life is the arrival of his sister, Jenny (the grown-up version is played by Nazriya Nazim). She’s born during Christmas — she’s his present. Over a beautiful lullaby — Minnaminni (composed by M Jayachandran) — we sense the love, the tenderness this sensitive brother feels for his sister. And then, one day, without being consulted on the matter, he is sent way, and his heart turns cold. If you just want me to make money for the family, then that’s exactly what I will do. But don’t expect anything else. There are hints of sexual abuse, too.
Continued at the link above.
Copyright ©2018 Film Companion.
Baradwaj Rangan 
Anu Warrier
July 22, 2018
Not being that great a fan of Anjali Menon’s films (except for her short in Kerala Cafe), I’m not very surprised. But will watch it for Prithviraj – it’s been some time since I’ve seen him in a good role.
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tonks
July 22, 2018
Thank you for articulating a lot of what I felt. I didn’t like it as much as I had expected to. I found Jenny’s character clichéd and irritatingly manic pixie – like too, and the gun toting brothers were a little too melodramatic. I wish the movie had been edited a bit more, it dragged a little. But Prithviraj has indeed given a great performance.
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vinjk
July 23, 2018
@anu Generally Prithviraj’s acting is a bit mechanical. I don’t feel anything. he does everything well but something is missing. The last time I remember really enjoying his acting was in Indian Rupee and Njanum Ayalum Thammil.
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shaviswa
July 23, 2018
Ha ha ha – was actually expecting this. I didn’t like her Bangalore Days either. A bit of too much hype about her, IMO.
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brangan
July 24, 2018
Surprised that there aren’t more comments on this thread… 🙂
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Vivek narain
July 24, 2018
Not surprised at all,considering that the plot is based on Kafka’s ‘Metamorphosis’. Gregor Samsa his employers, his sister Grete and their parents and the tenants, all make the great classic, a seed that spawns a thousand movies.
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vinjk
July 24, 2018
@brangan The movie hasn’t reached Singapore yet. So I guess many more NRIs (elsewhere too) yet to see the movie.
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vidya ramesh
July 24, 2018
This is a movie i was waiting to watch, but its just not showing in Bangalore in enough screens, my nearest pvr has a 9:30 pm show which i cant realistically catch with a 3yr old in tow..so what do i do? wait for it to stream i guess 😦 i also think thats why there arent more comments on this thread . Many have not been able to see it.
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Aman
July 24, 2018
They stopped releasing malayalam films simultaneously across India along with Kerala. Only films that has no buzz is releasing at the same time. This has to do with piracy, film prints not come online until it’s released outside Kerala. Kerala anti-piracy squad has become very active and vigilant ever since the leak of Premam and movies of that time. But things outside Kerala aren’t in their control and since even producers/distributors are part of the piracy ring in states like Tamil Nadu it’s hard to do so. There’s no incentive to release at the same time and which in turn sometimes makes the film end up with less screens when it’s released outside 1 week or 2 week of its Kerala run. Anyway that’s why not many outside Kerala haven’t watched it, and most of the shows that are available were sold out here in Bangalore, so I couldn’t watch it either.
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MANK
July 24, 2018
This pretentious or rather self serious streak is something Anjali Menon had in Ustad hotel and Bangalore days also. but the difference there was that they were more high energy youthful entertainers, so a lot of that was glossed over, but when you make a more serious moody film with an older protagonist, this aspect is more in your face. I know this was waiting to happen. the main issue is that Anjali has not yet fully become a mainstream commercial filmmaker.unlike directors like Ashiq Abu, Anwar rasheed or even a Lijo jose pelissery who are by heart ‘commercial’ filmmakers who like to explore the cinematic medium in an off beat fashion, Anjali is more an offbeat filmmaker in the vein of Rajeev Ravi who is trying hard to go commercial. As she said in your interview, what inspired her to make Bangalore days is the commercial treatment that Rasheed provided to her script of ustad Hotel , which was something she had not expected.
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brangan
July 24, 2018
MANK: Is this a comment after watching the film or after reading the review?
Aman: Do get back with your thoughts.
I seem to be in the minority with this film — having liked it and not loved it — so am curious to hear what you guys felt.
tonks: Thanks for the shared sentiment. After walking out, did you wonder if “wanting to like it so much” played a role in your response? I really had a good think about it before sitting down to write the review.
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MANK
July 24, 2018
I seem to be in the minority with this film — having liked it and not loved it — so am curious to hear what you guys felt.
Minority how Brangan?, u mean others loved it to bits. i dont think so.
As for me, i am really confused about the film in the sense that, things that are good are really great, but things that are not good , are rather terrible. secondly as i said about mayaanadhi, i dont really enjoy these glacially paced mood pieces in movie theaters with an audience that much. its always viewing it on home video that does it for me. so i just felt that it isnt time for me to make a comprehensive comment about the film
then again there are the paradoxes
I identify fully with the lead character of Joshua and his arc, but i dont like Prithviraj as an actor. as somebody mentioned above, he comes across too mechanical and artificial , his dialogue delivery in particular is horrible, and i dont connect with him at all
I love Nazriya to death, but her character was just not that good
But what i can say is that this is Anjali taking her padmarajan fandom to the next level and her attempt to make a padmarajan film with elements of magic realism. if you have seen his flms like Thoovnathumbikal or Njan gandharvan , you will realize what i am saying. even the title seems to be a nod to films like koodevide and nammukku parkan munthirithoppukal. but i am not sure she is just there as a filmmaker to tackle a work of such complexity
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vishakha kulkarni
July 24, 2018
Was completely unimpressed by the marathi film – Happy Journey – as well. Saw that film just because it had Atul Kulkarni in it, but the story itself was very convincing at all. In that one too, the sister is too bubbly and the overall tone felt a bit jarring.
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Swathi
July 25, 2018
I did not like Ustad Hotel that much, but I loved Banglore Days. Mainly because I was in similar situation to the characters at some level and I could relate so much to it. I got Manjadi kuru vibes from Koode. It is not the fun kind of movie but the kind that makes you think.
Agreed that some of the scenes and characters are very cliched. I feel like Nazriya plays the same character in every movie. But Prithviraj was amazing. Loved his performance.
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tonks
July 28, 2018
After walking out, did you wonder if “wanting to like it so much” played a role in your response?
I’ve really liked Manjadikkuru, Ustad hotel, and Bangalore days, so I went in with high expectations and that’s why I was a little disappointed. If this movie had been by a newcomer I would have probably had no disappointment, and might even have been impressed by the mostly good bits.
(One such bit I liked was when the movie kind of breaks the fourth wall in the scene where Nasriya’s character tells Prithviraj’s that if she were not so lively, then this would be an “award padam”).
On the other hand, I was wanting to look for the good bits, which I may have not done so much for a random newcomer. So I guess that expectations and personal biases do colour one’s verdict, that’s unavoidable.
Sorry for the delay in replying, I had not checked the blog these past few days.
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tonks
July 28, 2018
he comes across too mechanical and artificial , his dialogue delivery in particular is horrible, and i dont connect with him at all
Did you feel like that in Koode, too? Then I’m surprised.
I love Nazriya to death, but her character was just not that good
I agree completely. Her character was not written with any complexity. Even though she played a similar kind of girl in Om Shanthi Oshana, there was a sort of self deprecatory humour in her character there that made me fall in love with that movie.
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Naveen
July 29, 2018
I liked Koode very much. Prithviraj nailed it with his body knowledge showing perfect vulnerability and hesitation that can be attributed to a hinted-abused child and an introvert person. coming too soon after October, felt somewhat similar vibes between the two.
delight to watch Nazriya and Parvathi excels in her zone with an constrained, reminding me of Shabana in some part of Arth.
i did not quite like Ustad Hotel and felt Bangalore Days was watchable purely due to the actors. looks like many did not want to like this movie even before its release.
keep going Anjali.
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vinjk
July 30, 2018
I liked Koode. But I felt the movie lacked focus. The movie was supposed to be about Joshua but most of the time the movie was focused on Jenny’s past. There were some cliched moments like all the Hallmarkesque quotes on the wall and cupboards of Jenny (bird doodles were subtle and enough in my opinion), the book Sophie’s dad shares with her and so on.
All the actors played their part well. I felt that dialogues of lady playing Joshua’s mother’s friend wasn’t fleshed out (and that gossiping character itself is a cliche). She had to keep repeating that “Tomichan is a handsome guy” in almost every scene she was present.
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Pradeep
August 2, 2018
Saw the movie recently in Singapore and your review beautifully captures the sentiments. I thought Koode is nicely adapted from the marathi movie( its more melancholic , subtle except the scenes around Paravathy’s family) with richer visuals and superb direction.
There is a scene where someone is asking to open the burial box to show prithiviraj her sister the last time, instead of viewers seeing his sisters face we see prithiviraj looking somewhere else and the camera going somewhere else. Its reminiscent of how some scenes from manjadikuru.
The message of the movie is beautifully and simply narrated in a sentence by Nazriya which is about clarifying “moral duty” against “love” and the transition of Prithvi towards love.
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Aravindan R (@rnadnivara)
August 9, 2018
I watched it first day of release in Coimbatore, after your impressive interview with Anjali! This is one of the films which was difficult for me to describe how I felt! Some parts worked really well and some parts didn’t work at all! You’ve done a great job of putting together the thoughts!
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Neo Meister
October 28, 2018
I was so disappointed with certain aspects of the movie….That jenny character is a cliched trope and to see anjali menon employ it in a movie such as this was disheartening….I was very impressed with prithviraj’s performance and the parents were commendable but deserved a little more screen time for that train scene to actually have the desired impact….But the thing that infuriated me the most was the hallmark quotes,bloody hell, she is spewing them half the time,what is the need for more on the walls….As you said the sub plots with the coach and parvathy’s family just didnt belong in this movie….But its worth the watch for prithvi’s performance alone….he deserved a better movie….PS was that the first acknowledgement of a female lead watching porn in a mainstream mallu movie…..cheers
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