Close-ups
framed by somber voice-overs in down and out desperado jargon paints a
picture of a big specter in the offing - a fight for the dangerous under
belly of Detroit. This is where Ranam (transl: the battle) happens - at
Detroit Crossing.
And guess who is trying to lay claim to the ruins of America's original motor
city - some South Indians and a few Poles! I don't know what the Black
Mafia or the Flatheads will have to say about that, but I am guessing
the film maker will pull up his creative license
card if questioned.
The director, Nirmal Sahadev, teases the audience with
the prospect of an ever-present menace in the motor city, employs
tightly framed shots so that none of its mundaneness leaks in. To up the
danger quotient and maybe also as a nod to his inspiration
(the 2014 movie, Drive), there are plenty of red lighted scenes, red
pills, blood, guns, germs and steel. The last two were thrown in by me
for the Jared Diamond effect, they do not feature in this movie to any
significant degree.
The people who feature in Ranam are Malayalam's own
answer to Hollywood - Prithviraj and Isha Talvar who is miscast as
usual. Giju John as the lead detective is impressive in his debut while
Rahman with his remarkable onscreen presence is a
great pick for the mob boss, Damodar Ratnam. He reunites with his
co-star from the Tamil noir movie Dhruvangal Pathinaru - Ashwin Kumar,
who plays his side-kick Selvan. Jakes Bejoy has scored the music for the
movie, which includes a decent mixed-rap title
track.
Ranam comes off as a forced chronicle. Prithviraj's rigidity, even if his
role calls for some of it, does not help the case. The dialog sounds
lame, especially the cynical, street smart musings in English delivered
in half-baked scenes. The most unconvincing
part of the story is the entirety of the Tamil gang trying to control
Detroit is comprised of all of two people - Damodar Ratnam and Selvan.
One Prithviraj with a hammer, which he brings to all his gun fights, is
more than enough for these two people - I cannot
even begin to understand why he wasted two hours doing it.
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