Freedom at Midnight Malayalam movie review: Anupama shines bright with RJ Shaan's vision

• Director: RJ Shaan
• Cast: Anupama Parameswaran, Hakkim Shajahan
• Producer: Akhila Midhun
• Where to Watch Freedom at Midnight: YouTube

Freedom at Midnight Malayalam Movie Review

The Plot

The film revolves around the plight of a housewife named Chandra who is frustrated with her married life. The movie starts off with Chandra being on a phone call with a friend and the two discuss an issue and whether Chandra should discuss it with her husband. As the film’s plot progresses, Chandra’s husband, Das gets to know that his wife wants to seek sexual freedom and fulfill her fantasies. This issue angers Das and soon an argument between the couple leads to a revelation that can alter their marriage forever.

Freedom at Midnight teaser and review

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What works?

Before this Anupama Parameswaran starrer film begins, the viewer is instructed to wear headphones for a better experience. The experience that RJ Shaan envisioned has been delivered in every scene of this 29 minutes short film. The background score and foley sound of Freedom at Midnight plays a pivotal role in the film.

Moving on, Anupama Parameswaran a.k.a. Chandra is the driving force of this film and has delivered a memorable performance. She made sure that Chandra’s character as a housewife seems relatable yet refreshing. Chandra is a perfect amalgamation of a 21st-century woman stuck in a patriarchal household tied down by responsibilities of being a mother, wife, and a daughter-in-law.

Just like Anupama, her co-star Hakkim Shajahan matches her energy with his stunning portrayal of Das. He is an ambitious man whose hypocrisy is revealed in the end. Hakkim delivers this hypocrisy with ease and channels various emotions in every frame. This statement is rightly proven when Das’ secret is revealed by Chandra. Apart from the sound and the actor performances, the dialogues by RJ Shaan and the visuals by Abdul Rahim enhance the film. The dialogues of this film take the screenplay further but also drops a new twist whenever possible. Joel Kavi’s editing is crisp like the short film’s plot and compliments the film’s setting.

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What doesn’t?

The film as mentioned earlier focuses on Chandra, a woman in her late 20’s frustrated due to her various roles in her house. Throughout the movie, whenever Chandra tries to make a statement and express herself, one of these roles interrupt her. While this subtle reminder is a sign of Chandra’s miserable life, it unfortunately creates a disturbance in some important scenes. Moreover, the film seems to drag the storyline in a few scenes and hence they seem unnecessary.

Final Thoughts

Freedom at Midnight excels in every possible way. RJ Shaan’s vision for this story seems to have been delivered just the way he wanted. Anupama Parameswaran shines throughout the film and Hakkim Shajahan is the anchor that holds it all together. The film’s sound design is unmissable and deserves a special mention in every review that will be written about this short film.

Rating: 4/ 5

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