Bougainvillea review | This Jyothirmayi movie has the Amal Neerad magic, but falters in parts

Bougainvillea is Amal Neerad's latest film after the 2022 hit 'Bheeshma Parvam'. The acclaimed filmmaker has ventured into new waters this time, attempting a psychological thriller with Kunchacko Boban and Jyothirmayi in the lead. Amal Neerad employs his strengths in the film, focusing on the movie's cinematic grammar initially while slowly yet steadily progressing into the film's plotline, which is quite as mysterious as the bougainvillea Reethu (Jyothirmayi) keeps painting every day.
Lajo Jose's story and script, an adaptation of his novel 'Ruthinte Lokam', deal with the complexities of a patient with retrograde and anterograde amnesia who becomes the centre of a police investigation. Most directors may find the subject hard to navigate, but in Amal's capable hands, it manages to stay interesting for a long time.
The story loses steam at a crucial point in the film's second half, though Amal manages to hold his own with some good action sequences, brilliant editing and interesting camera tricks. The background music by Sushin Shyam is perfect, with the makers employing it only at the most crucial moments. In fact, it blends in harmony with the theme and mood of the story. If the song 'Sthuthi' sung by Mary Ann Alexander and Sushin Shyam drew flak for its lyrics supposedly hurting Christian sentiments, it captures Reethu's world and her sentiments aptly.
Amal Neerad's ability to build suspense in his stories was evident with films like 'Varathan'. In Bougainvillea too, he manages to use this technique to the viewer's satisfaction. Both Jyothirmayi and Kunchacko are in their element in the film, and their chemistry works well. The film is a perfect comeback for Jyothirmayi, who is known for her work in previous films, including 'Meeshamadhavan' and 'Kalyanaraman'. Kunchacko Boban emanates a charm that is hard to resist.
Fahadh, too, last seen in Rajinikanth's 'Vettaiyan,' is impressive in the movie, though his screen space is limited. Overall, the film soars on the Amal Neerad magic, though it definitely is not his best work to date. The predictability in the second half of 'Bougainvillea' mars the creative beauty of the film, which otherwise could have been celebrated as a masterpiece, in the lines of 'Iyobinte Pusthakam' and definitely more so than 'Bheeshma Parvam'.