User Reviews

'Ranam' is a technically sound film. Jigme Tenzing captures the ugly, dreary side of the 'American dream' pretty well. The music and background score by Jakes Bejoy is splendid (especially the title track and the 'Ayudhameduda' bits). Frankly, the first half of the film builds up well (with a few nods to Nicolas Winding Refn's 'Drive' - a movie I honestly did not fancy but apparently, the world loved it. The characters of Adhi (Prithvi), Damodar (Rahman), Bhaskaran (Nandu), and Seema (Isha Talwar) are slowly yet steadily developed. The interval block sets us up for a thrilling second half.

But the film goes downhill from there. Scenes appear contrived and rushed. Even the love-track between Adhi and Seema doesn't come across as too convincing. The 'Damodar' character is said to be a vicious gangster but the intensity is barely felt. Prithvi can pull off characters such as Adhi with ease, as this is his forte - a brooding, straight-faced hunk, with little to zero sense of humour. Nandu, as expected, manages to keep his struggling NRI character grounded and believable.

A gangster-drama cannot always stick to logic but the manner in which the cops take so long to come to conclusions about the death of a particular character is appalling. In fact, the cops do not really have a say in proceedings at all, other than making them look more sophisticated to the audience. There's a party drug at play, there's money-laundering, there's betrayal, and there's a 'master-plan' - it's precisely these gangster-movie elements that do not seem compellingly incorporated.

A few characters also needed better writing. Adhi's backstory is said in flashback vignettes, but we need more than that to connect to his inner struggles. Seema too could have had more emphasis in the screenplay. It is almost as if Nirmal started off his script with an action-heavy crime thriller in mind and midway, decided to turn it to a more character-driven drama. Hence, neither genre particularly came full circle.

Perhaps, it could also be Prithvi's recent choice of moping characters that act as a deterrent from enjoying an experiment like 'Ranam' to the fullest. It is a well-made, almost well-written film that terribly lacks good direction.

Nirmal Sahadev's Ranam took malayalam movies to the next level on the technical side. The script was not good enough. Prithviraj, Rahman and Nandu did a great job. It is not a must watch for everyone. It's a quality class movie.

Really a good movie to watch Nothing extra ordinary,an old story converted into a good script and excellent direction,great camera work... Really a good experience The movie really gives the mood Still not a super film But a good movie to watch. Hatsoff the team for a good work

First of all i would say every one would not like this film. This is a completely diff film in Hollywood . its like watching an Hollywood film .music has the most important role in this film . I would appreciate director normal for suck a brilliant job he has done

The story is thrilling, emotions are high, songs are nice, still lost somewhere in becoming a top-notch movie. Still the movie is good and worth watching. The movie is unevenly paced...lagging at some places. Also,felt the story telling went wrong nearing to the climax. Overall, worth watching.

I was wondering how this one of the most anticipated film of prithviraj gone ignominious in box office so I decided to check myself and you know what I got? Well,this film has almost everything from great actors, scintillating visuals to catchy music but it lacked in one major department- script. It lacks great storyline which actually could engage you right from the word go. Made as an emotional thriller and yet none of the characters barely could evoke sympathy from me, Prithvi's tragic past doesn't connect well, so is Nandu's, Rahman role was supposed to be menacing but it lacks that too and above all isha's character was totally bland after losing everything in her life I could barely feel bad for her. Even dialogues written for characters seems better than the film itself, albeit climax was somewhat better than I expected. Gangster genre is pretty much alien to Malayalam cinema even they attempt to make one it ended up as a failure so this one is no different. Coming to the positive side film excels in capturing one of the notorious city detroit magnificently. Music done by Jakes bejoy was top notch and deserves an applaud. Action scenes were good and cinematography was breath takingly beautiful. Prithviraj and tragic character can't have a better match than this it is his forte playing stoic character so he was in his comfortable zone. Actors like Rahman, Nandu and some new actors did their part well. Isha talwar seem miscast at some places. +ve: Music, visuals, actors -ve: script, lagging Putting all the technical finesse and not so bad climax I'll rate 6.2/10. Go for it if you're Prithviraj fan or all you just care about spectacular looking hollywoodish film with pretty good music and action.

Just a copy of Drive 2011. cinematography and visuals are good. Go watch the original version.

Nowadays malayalam cinema is following the trend of giving "over hype" to it's upcoming big films! This over hype involves things like a massy trailer, first looks, actors and technicians' reaction towards their product, etc. Such methods at the end gives a disappointing watch for everyone even if the film is a good one! Kammarasambhavam, the dileep starrer vishu release and the mohanlal starrer villain, are the biggest examples of how wrong promotional methods can spoil a good film! Now coming to Ranam - Detroit Crossing, it's a damn bloody brilliant film having it's emotions and craft at the right place. And what went wrong? Again, the wrong promotions which gave the audience a completely different imagery of the film! The negative reviews the film is facing currently is mainly because of the "not up to the expectation" comments from the masses as they expected a "mass action film" from the team. Ranam tells the story of Detroit, once the economic capital of the United States that gave employment to many, which turned into the hub of drugs and guns and Aadhi (Prithviraj Sukumaran) the "Loyal and Expert" malayali gang member of the gang lead by Damodar Ratnam (Rahman) a Sri Lankan Tamilian gaangster and his brother Selvam (Ashwin Kumar). The film also tells the life of how circumstances and situations makes a person to take decisions which can turn their life completely upside down, as sometimes they don't have a choice in front of them! The film was perfect in its technical side, and yea except for a lag in the middle of the second half, the film is moving in a proper pace throughout. The film is an emotional crime drama, and is not an action thriller! Other notable performances include Isha Talwar, Nandu and a few unknown debutants who have effortlessly done a brilliant job throughout the film. The debutant director Nirmal Sahadevan has undoubtedly made an impressive debut through the film as he crafted the film in a proper way! Definitely not everyone's cup of tea, but the film would have done bit more well if the team gave the film the promotion it deserved. Hope malayalam cinema tries to soo this "over the top" promotion tactics!

Positives:

1. BGM 2. Niramal Sahadev 3. Cinematography 4. Songs: All songs are good 5. Narration style and making 6. Dialogues language - all of the characters speak their native language 7. Emotional scenes between Aadhi & Seema: Niramal try to make American culture and style reflect in their life 8. Action Choreography: climax fight and baseball bat was realistic and pretty good

Negatives:

1. Editing: Some scenes cut was not good and some scenes not create a good continuation 2. 2 Teenage actors acting was not up-to mark: Some areas facial expressions of these actors not good 3. Climax Sequence: Climax not well and explosion scene VFX in climax was quit bad 4. Damodar Ratnam was powerful but doesn't much screen presence 5. Clichéd Story 6. Ranam story demand emotional crime drama but some areas it like a typical gangster movie. Ranam does not need these type big gangster side story. Gangster portions was need but not need more

There's a lot of potential here that is untapped, even with the ton of references of better films. It feels like a miniseries was cut down in length to fit like a film with budget cuts at the last moment. Isha Talwar is, of course, a miscast, gangs that are supposed to rule the city and start a war got only a handful of members and there are a lot of gaps that are needed to be filled. Not a bad attempt for a different kind of film in Malayalam but it stumbles throughout the whole runtime. The debutant director may do well if he gets more chance at such material.

RANAM is a malayalam thriller story directed by a new Comer. All the actors in the lead role have done their best. A perfect movie for those who enjoy actions, thrillers etc.

The Detroit setting makes Nirmal Sahadev's Ranam (War) look like an experimental rusty thriller about an immigrant's (Rahman) aspiration to take over the drug cartel in one of the world's most dangerous cities but, in fact, is so convoluted and overlong (while still at about 135 minutes) that you want it to end sooner. TN.

I heard people say that this wasn't good so I watched it. And I found it great. It is a good film and you should watch it if you are an action fan. Performances by all actors was great. Prithviraj and Isha Talwar have a good chemistry and both have done their roles very nicely, especially in the emotional scenes. Prithviraj has done great in both action and emotional scenes. Isha has also done very good, I don't know why critics are attacking her performance (maybe the age factor that they are not able to imagine her as mother of a child or what? If so, it is their issue). Nandu and Rahman have done very well. Mathew Arun has done a good job but Celine Joseph falters at places. Ashwin Kumar has done fine. In the scenes with Isha, Shivajith Padmanabhan (Rajan, Seema's husband) falters at a few places and fails to put the force in his dialogues, but Isha's reactions make up for it. Giju John has done a commendable job as the no-nonsense cop and good friend as well. Action and script is great. The only factor that caused the film to not do great at the box office is the hype surrounding it. People put too many expectations in the film, and despite all the actors and crew putting their best, they could not fulfill the wishes of the audience. They felt that Prithviraj had not put enough effort. Half the people think Isha is a miscast age-wise (actors play roles double their age, so as far as performance is good, it shouldn't matter what your age is.)

Verdict: Must watch, but do not take a preconceived notion on what you will see.

Ranam is an intriguing tale of 'that vital man in the gang' who wants to leave his gang forever for a new life .The crime drama directed by the newbie Nirmal Sahdev has more than enough to hook the audience on it ,eventhough at some places we can feel a tad bit lag and cliche ---------- Its basically the tale of a person who wants to get rid of his current life as a gangster/drug peddler . Prithviraj as Aadhi ,the vital man of the gang,as usual does a brilliant job in his acting, the attitude and in his well nuanced dialogue delivery. Speaking about the villian,Rahaman as Damodar Ratnam, the head of the gang, also puts up a good act on par with the hero .Other actors also puts up good convincing acts except Isha Talwar which at some points falls flat. ----------- The strong points of the movie are its brilliant cinematography(the lighting is perfect) along with the music that hits the bullseye(Jakes Bejoy is going to stay here and compose a lot of music in the near future...!).These two combined with the editing(which is also excellent) makes this movie standout from all the gangstermovies that we have seen in Malayalam industry and is seemingly comparable with dark urban mafia dramas of the West..! --------------- The only weak point seem to be the (a little bit) cliched story line of gangster rivarly..! ------------- And also as a rule of thumb for me.. if a movie portrays original action scenes without the usual dishkoomm..!..it is highly watchable..!! ------------- Ranam should be watched in theatres for its brilliant making ,cinematography, music and for the story to an extent.The great American dream has another side to it..!!!

I watched this in theatre and I'm giving 5 stars only for the technical team..the making and sound effects were awesome..story was Missing something somewhere.

Its such a wonderful movie in theme and a new way of making.The movie fully held in abroad and the cinematography was really awesome. The movie begin as a thriller and later action and romance be.

It is a good movie with amazing but few fight scenes. This is an action crime film. No comedy. Most of the elderly people will not like it. But the youngsters will.

U are looking for a change in movies go for Ranam... A well organized movie which is understandable to everyone... A group of gangsters in Detroit which showcases those lives and their hunt for their survival... A Must watch movie

Ranam - a directorial debut for Nirmal Sahadev. Excellent style of film making. A Malayalam film with Hollywood inspired film making goes on to show how much Malayalam film industry has grown all these years....

As for the movie, it is a well placed Crime - Action - Drama film. Prithviraj just keeps on amazing me with his performance. The supporting crew did their job well especially Rahman and Nandhu. Music is on a different level. Jakes Bejoy killed it with the BGM and songs. Overall a great movie.

Negatives - The second half can be a little slow when compared to the first half. ( Not something to be worried about).

Ranam is one of the thoughtfully crafted movie. The movie shows clarity in every bit of it and the story goes through every character in the movie .

The hype around Ranam by the time it was slated for release was huge. It was on the same level as of Kammara Sambhavam(2018), which could be compared to Ranam admist all the mixed feedback the film is receiving. When i checked the reviews after the premier shows, i was disappointed. It could have been the game changer for Mollywood. And so could have Kammara Sambhavam and Double Barrel. The two films that i had on the 'great/good films that didn't get the response that it deserves' list was these two. Now the third entry sports 'Ranam'.

Ranam's execution and plot greatly resembles the 2011 Ryan Gosling film, Drive. To be honest, i expected it. The hammer, the slow and ambient music, the color palette the film uses and a getaway driver. All of this hinted at a huge inspiration for the debutant from Drive. And it delivers almost.

The characters are thick and has some appreciable depth. The songs, music was well placed and added to the overall pros the movie constitute. Now in any other situation, if i watched Ranam under the banner of 'Hollywood', i would be calling this a millennial disaster. It's the perfect recipe for a 21st century cinema bomb. But the situation is vastly different. Ranam is an attempt and i strongly impose the word 'attempt' here. From inspired films comes with a lot of mistakes. And Ranam has everything of that sort. But the director has pulled of an almost impossible task of recreating that feel and atmosphere the film Drive(2011) gave. Drive is a good film. I don't particularly like it or hate it either. I just know that it is a well executed movie. Ranam on the other hand has a special place in the cinemaholic inside me. I know it might not be great as the original one but still i would appreciate a film that comes with possibly a 1/10th of the budget Drive had.

Ranam establishes the narrative style in the first 5 or 10 minutes itself. If you are not liking the way film goes in the beginning itself, it's better to just walk out. The film doesn't compromise on any ground. It just flows. Much like many other films that tries to mix genres so that everyone can like it, Ranam doesn't do that. It has a nature of its own. The lead performances were fine. It's fine. There is nothing admirable about it. Prithviraj's previous outing 'Koode' had a great performance from him. Ranam's demands doesn't bode well with any of the supporting cast either.

The plot, the pace and the over use of the theme music are the biggest negatives Ranam houses. I could've ignored the blant plot. And perhaps the slow pace too. But the music was so damn annoying. The music was GOOD. The repetition WASN'T. They could've at least mixed things up. Jeez.

Ranam is a very delicate drama/thriller that can disappoint you if you don't pay attention to the quick fire dialogues popping at you. Or if you fall asleep at the slow pace the film goes through.

Nirmal Sahadev, i beg you to make more movies in Mollywood. Don't be a shadow in the coming years. The direction was the best part of the whole film. Even if everything else would fall below the line, the will to hold all of those thin lines together is a mammoth task. And you pulled off that relentlessly.

Ranam is yet another one of those 'Malayalam' films that you can witness only once in blue moon. Make sure you don't become a part of the crowd that are blind to the color blue.

Ejjathi padam allelum elllarkum panna padam e pidikkum. The most underated movie in malayalm is ranam.nd rahmans acting was exellent.e movie only run few than 2weeks on theaters because of bloody malayalis.