Djibouti is a multi-ethnic East African nation and, with industries booming, the land is a melting pot of business attracting people who dream of making big money.
Louis (Amit Chackalakkal) and Aby (Jacob Gregory) are two jobless youngsters in a hilly town in Kerala aiming to fly abroad and build their fortunes. It was then Hana (Shagun Jaswal), a native of Djibouti, happens to visit Louis's village as part of a mission to meet her old friend Sherin (Athira Harikumar). For Louis and Aby it was a lucky ticket to fly abroad.
It was love-at-first-sight for Louis when he meets Hana. Louis and Aby eventually land in Africa and find jobs in a company with the help of Hanna. However, what's in store for them was not something they ever expected.
The movie 'Djibouti' written and directed by S J Sinu is a great story that unfolds quite interestingly. But the bland dialogues and a pedestrian screenplay leave it tasteless and inert. What saves the day is the superb camera work by T D Sreenivas who captures the beauty of the environs and the events both in Kerala and in Djibouti.
While Amit Chackalackal looks confused and clueless most of the time, Gregory is seen toiling hard to pull off comic elements and make emotions intense as well as realistic. Meanwhile, Shagun Jaswal does justice to the role she essays and holds sway over the situations she is in.
The role of Thomachan (Dileesh Pothan) is pivotal but he appears and vanishes intermittently leaving least of an impact. So is the character of Biju Sopanam.
The shift of the drama from the mist-clad high-ranges of Kerala to the rugged terrain and turquoise seas of Djibouti may provide some succour to the viewers' fatigued senses. The African part of the tale is action-packed with fights, car-chases and booming guns but is less convincing and superficial.
Anjali Nair, Pauly Valsan, Sunil Sukhada, Alancier Ley Lopez, Naseer Sankranthi also appear and stay for a short while and are less impressive.
Meanwhile, Deepak Dev's score is entrancing and the songs penned by Kaithapram Damodaran Namboothiri and Vinayak Sasikumar are soulful. The huge effort behind the tracking of the journey of Louis, his friend Aby and Hanna is quite evident but the mediocre treatment of the narrative leaves it dreary. The movie can be watched once for its story, scenic beauty and music.