Lucifer

The leader of the ruling party in Kerala dies. A large gap is left behind, in the party and in the government of the state. His daughter and son in law want the seat; the son in law is also involved in other business and dependent on money from outside. There are other factions inside the party too. And there is Stephen Nedumpally: the man closest to the dead leader, holding no political title and respected among the people. Nobody knows his past. The settling of accounts begins after the funeral, and Stephen does not say whose side he is on. Prithviraj Sukumaran directs; it is his first film as director. Mohanlal plays Stephen; Vivek Oberoi, Manju Warrier and Tovino Thomas are in the cast. The language is Malayalam. Murali Gopy wrote the screenplay. The film broke the box office record in Malayalam cinema and became the highest grossing production to that date. What the narrative builds is a late opening of character; who Stephen is stays hidden for a long time, and that is a game with genre. It takes the political strand seriously; the coalition bargaining and the dealings with the press are shown in detail. Its limit is balance; the passage between political realism and the star shape is abrupt and the last section turns entirely into a hero narrative. Another limit is length; the narrative is long and the supporting characters crowded. Who it is for: viewers who like Malayalam cinema and political thrillers. Who it is not for: it is star centred, long, and the last section overblown.