Koode review: The Anjali Menon touch, again

After some 30 minutes of slow-paced sequences, detailing the pangs of a bereaving family who just lost a dear one, 'Koode' throws up its first moment of comic relief in a commemoration scene.

Then comes an element of shock that takes forward the film in top gear, mostly in a vintage Volkswagen van and by the two main characters Joshua (Prithviraj) and Jenny (Nazriya Nazim).

The pace of the film keeps fluctuating again in the second half with some humour and drama coming in intermittently. In between, the director, Anjali Menon, narrates yet another story of her favourite theme – relationships.

Like her previous works as a filmmaker and screenwriter, in 'Koode' also Anjali Menon vividly paints portraits of people either caught up in a wrong relation or those who revel the right companionship – a theme very likely to connect to all sorts of audience.

Set in picturesque Ooty, the film's highlight is an element of fantasy that hovers over the narrative like the layers of snow covering the frames. The beauty and the strength of the film is its unusual plot, adapted from a short story by Sachin Kundalkar.

However, the length of the film, caused by unwanted slow-motions and repetitive sequences stressing the bond between Joshua and his sister Jenny, plays spoilsport here and there. 'Koode' is not an all-out entertainer like Menon's previous directorial 'Bangalore Days' or 'Usthad Hotel' which she wrote for Anwar Rasheed. However, the film has several elements that made both the films dear to filmgoers.

The film was advertised mostly for the comeback of Nazriya, who took a break from filmdom after her marriage with actor Fahadh Faasil. As for Nazriya's performance in 'Koode', she literally resumes it from where she stopped it in 'Bangalore Days'. Jenny is a mirror image of most of the characters she has essayed – cute, bubbly, naughty and adorable.

What makes Jenny a bit different from the previous Nazriya roles is a sense of melancholy which she has translated onto screen beautifully. Jenny's character and her interactions with Joshua light up the narrative whereas most of the others are burdened with a pall of gloom.

The troubled, yet romantic relationship between Joshua and Sophie (Parvathy), laced with a lot of flashback and nostalgia, works out well, despite the slowness of the sequences and involvement of stock uncles, cousins and a sophisticated and supportive father. The campus scenes also tend towards cliché.

Menon does not disappoint those who expect the subtle and natural comic scenes which she has handled so well earlier. Scenes involving Pauly Kannamali, Vinod Kovoor and a few others offer some moments of mirth.

For a movie on familial bonding, 'Koode' does not miss out on giving a message. It is about the difference between duty and love – something Jenny says loud and clear. With or without the message, 'Koode' is a one-time watch.