What I expected to see more in a film that's titled The Goat Life is essentially a neglected, enslaved man's relationship with the animals he herds and tends to. Blessy's adaptation of Benyamin's best-selling novel Aadujeevitham falls well short of building to that affecting emotional core. A few scenes hint at it, though he doesn't bother exploring one of the core ingredients from the novel that'd have made for a moving ordeal. That essentially takes a backseat for the survival drama to unfold in the film's second half. It's also where the true musical potential lies, though I'm unsure if 2020s A R Rahman was able to tap into all of it. Why didn't they play the "Hope" song during the end credits?
However, Blessy fully utilizes the actor in Prithviraj Sukumaran (the same way he has with Mohanlal and Mammootty in the past), and it's safe to say that he's done a tremendous job, both performance-wise and body-transformation-wise. He's greatly aided in the process by make-up artist Ranjith Ambady and costume designer Steffy Zaviour. Sunil KS' cinematography also deserves praise - the wide shots of the expansive desert terrain are something that, by default, warrants the big-screen experience. To Sunil's credit, he's also successful in capturing Najeeb's daunting journey across the desert even from a personal perspective. However, I didn't like the way some of the night scenes were shot.
The first half, except for the scenes where Najeeb suddenly goes through the traumatic experience of being condemned to servitude, didn't really work for me. The flashback scenes depicting Najeeb's bond with his wife Sainu (played by Amala Paul) are painted in shades of green, in a vain attempt to contrast them with the browns and oranges of the desert (~ isn't that the most basic visual perspective someone could think of while conceiving the film?). The underwater scenes - especially ones that use VFX - are shoddily executed. But the VFX during certain other scenes (including a sandstorm - well, some of it was apparently real - and one with vultures) is way better. The climactic rescue segment feels rushed, and Blessy doesn't bother letting those hard-hitting emotions take shape, even when he spends a considerable amount of time detailing survival misery porn.
Endnote: While I appreciate Blessy's decision to shoot the whole thing in real locations and fully commit to it for years, I didn't feel as moved by the film (in a way that's similar to most films of his) as many others were.
However, Blessy fully utilizes the actor in Prithviraj Sukumaran (the same way he has with Mohanlal and Mammootty in the past), and it's safe to say that he's done a tremendous job, both performance-wise and body-transformation-wise. He's greatly aided in the process by make-up artist Ranjith Ambady and costume designer Steffy Zaviour. Sunil KS' cinematography also deserves praise - the wide shots of the expansive desert terrain are something that, by default, warrants the big-screen experience. To Sunil's credit, he's also successful in capturing Najeeb's daunting journey across the desert even from a personal perspective. However, I didn't like the way some of the night scenes were shot.
The first half, except for the scenes where Najeeb suddenly goes through the traumatic experience of being condemned to servitude, didn't really work for me. The flashback scenes depicting Najeeb's bond with his wife Sainu (played by Amala Paul) are painted in shades of green, in a vain attempt to contrast them with the browns and oranges of the desert (~ isn't that the most basic visual perspective someone could think of while conceiving the film?). The underwater scenes - especially ones that use VFX - are shoddily executed. But the VFX during certain other scenes (including a sandstorm - well, some of it was apparently real - and one with vultures) is way better. The climactic rescue segment feels rushed, and Blessy doesn't bother letting those hard-hitting emotions take shape, even when he spends a considerable amount of time detailing survival misery porn.
Endnote: While I appreciate Blessy's decision to shoot the whole thing in real locations and fully commit to it for years, I didn't feel as moved by the film (in a way that's similar to most films of his) as many others were.