Balan: The Boy review

Story: A young, single mother with a dark past assumes different identities to survive with her little son, but when they get separated, the boy doesn’t know how to find herReview: Through Manjummel Boys, Chidambaram showed that he knows how to extract peak emotions and thrills from a situation. His new survival drama, about a young single mother and her child, particularly with a screenplay by hitmaker Jithu Madhavan, raises similar expectations. While the film has its share of taut moments, the emotions remain surprisingly muted. Particularly in the climax, although the resolution is interesting, the lack of a stronger emotional build-up prevents it from reaching its full potential. The right emotional beats could have lifted the film to another plane, but the ending feels somewhat underwhelming.Indhu/Mary/Sherly is a woman running from her past, but with a clear aim for the future. She wants to raise her young to not be a demon or a slave to people. But scared that her old life might catch up with her, she takes on different jobs under different names to ensure her safety and that of her son. So does her past catch up or does her own demons destroy their lives? The first half is captivating, driven by a novel idea, layered storytelling and excellent performances, particularly from the adorable child actor Adhisheshan KR, who carries the titular role with remarkable ease. And this is a bit of filmmaking where we can see how well the director and actor have worked together. And credit to Chidambaram brilliance in how the narrative seems to convey the building of childhood trauma.However, there are also a few niggling holes in the script and some jarring characterisations that feel discordant with the rest of the film. While Farzana Palathingal’s restrained performance works well in conveying the mystery and troubles of her character, the script fails her when it comes to conveying emotions, which is such a vital part of the story. In fact, Tovino’s character, Abbas, seems to show a more emotional bond; even volatile in parts, which adds to the curiosity of the character.There is a certain sadness to the story that will tug at your heartstrings. And watch it for the child artiste, who brings a comedic charm to even some moments.

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