BOTTOM LINE
GOAT Act, Dry Tale
RATING
2.75/5
CENSOR
U/A, 2h 52m
What Is the Film About?
Najeeb Mohammed (Prithviraj) is an ordinary guy from Telangana with a pregnant wife and mother. He plans to go to Saudi Arabia for a better life upon learning the money-earning capabilities there.
What happens when Najeeb lands in Saudi Arabia? The movie’s basic plot is about how he gets stuck in a barn sucking out his life. And how he eventually gets out from there, traversing the scorching desert.
Performances
Prithviraj Sukumaran’s act is a tour de force. It is one seen-to-be-believed kind that leaves a long-lasting impact once one comes out of the cinema.
Right from the first scene, we see only the character of Najeeb in Prithviraj’s act. And it is maintained throughout without losing the grasp on the role for a second. The bodily transformation comes later. It gets wonderfully blended with the emotional drama related to the part.
Many moments tug the heart and leave one moist-eyed due to Prithiviraj’s brilliant act. Most of them come during the movie’s second half, and things just keep escalating scene after scene, leaving us with a lump in the throat moment at the end.
Aadujeevitham is undoubtedly a great act by any contemporary actor in recent times and is sure to be a shining jewel in Prithviraj’s career.
Amala Paul appears briefly and is all right. She fills the world and brings colour and undercurrent emotion required to hold the narrative.
Analysis
Blessy directs Aadujeevitham – The Goat Life. It is a survival thriller genre movie. A namesake book, Aadujeevitham, based on real-life incidents, forms the base for the film.
The movie’s opening segment explicitly shows what one is in for, even if one has not seen the trailer. The drama immediately shifts to Saudi Arabia, and things are kept as authentic as possible.
From the language spoken by the characters to the depiction of the individuals and their appearances, the locations – everything has a realistic approach and raw flavour.
What follows next in the first half is the struggle of a guy coming to terms with reality. A few flashback sequences show the backstory and help us complete the picture of the character of Najeeb.
The initial helplessness, the lack of communication, the terrain, and the treatment are all dealt with realistically. Nothing much happens storywise, but the small detailings related to the environment and gradual acclimatization of Najeeb are painfully created.
The interval bang isn’t much of a bang. But it fits neatly into the narrative, thematically. Najeeb turning into an animal like the hoard of sheep is wonderfully shot and conveyed.
However, the problem is the slow pace of dealing with everything mentioned above. The pacing and thin plot make for an uncomfortable watch despite an extraordinary performance from the start.
The second half goes further down the road in the same vein, with the actors stuck in the sand dunes. The narrative is stretched beyond necessary if one were to speak frankly. But, the efforts the actors put in every shot somehow hold one from openly blurting it out. They (the actors) make things compelling, intermittently with their splendid work.
After a point, one just submits to fate, much like the characters do in the narrative. We hope for something positive to happen and also the narrative to move forward. Finally, it happens after a long wait leaving both the protagonist and the audience relieved. The fact that both the character and we (as the audience) feel the same relief is a testament simultaneously to both the compelling drama and the long-winding stretch we have to go through to reach the end.
Overall, Aadujeevitham – The Goat Life has an extraordinary performance from Prithviraj deserving of a National Award. For a regular audience, the content might not hold a similar appeal as it’s more like an Art Movie. Give it a try, if you like to watch something different with the right expectations in mind.
Performances by Others Actors
There are only a few actors apart from Prithviraj in the nearly three-hour drama. KR Gokul and Jimmy Jean-Louis are the two who get decent parts and they impress along with Prithviraj with their natural acts. The rest of the cast doesn’t have much to do but are well suited for the parts and do an adequate job.
Music and Other Departments?
Technically speaking, Aadujeevitham – The Goat Life is another world-class product from the Malayalam film industry. AR Rahman’s background score suitably uplifts the mood whenever necessary and adds to melancholy similarly.
The cinematography is astonishing, capturing the deserted location and the never-ending stretches of sand dunes. The editing could have been better, but given the extraordinary act and the one-of-a-kind experience, it feels like the overindulgence can be given a pass. The make-up deserves special mention for the stunning transformation detailing in the desert.
Highlights?
Prithviraj’s terrific performance
Direction
Technical Brilliance
Cinematography
Drawbacks?
Length
Drags A Lot
Repetitiveness
Did I Enjoy It?
Yes
Will You Recommend It?
Yes
The Goat Life Movie Review by M9

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