Cycle balance is one technique one has to learn once in a life time, like swimming. Once you learn it, you are the master. In every day life, we encounter many situations where we have to do the balancing act. People who balance their work and family life, studies and play, managing a wife and mother, wife and mistress, full time and part time job, office work and mouthshut, sleep and work, you will find this balancing act everywhere. The beauty of the art is that we have to defy the principles of gravity to keep our cycle and ourselves from falling. To do that our movements should be controlled and guided. A minimum speed needs to be maintained. Confidence is a must. When we need to go fast, tubes should be with full air, where to go very slowly we should maintain only the minimum required air in the tubes. One who learns this balancing act will manage their life with happiness where others fall, cry and wounds get treated. Are you a good cyclist?
In the movie ’Cycle’, the director Johny Antony and Script writer James Albert tells the story of two friends who tries to do this balancing act with the struggling situations of life.
Roy (Vineeth Sreenivasan) is a cashier in a finance company of Kasthurban (Jagathy). Roy got a family which needs his full support. His new found girlfriend Annie (Bhama) too is struggling to support the studies of her brother. Roy’s friend, Sanju (Vinu Anand) is working in an electronic shop and has a family to support. Sanju’s dream was to become a famous cricketer but he was denied the spot despite top performance since he didn’t had money to give out Kasturban’s daughter Meenakshi (Sandhya) is in mad love with Sanju where Sanju is very practical and avoid contact with her. Their struggling life continue until they are been trapped in a drug case. To bail out of it they need money and the friends target the locker in Kasturban’s finance company. From there own the youngsters need to go slowly and remain the balance, so that they don’t fall. Some times they are needed to go fast…still they tried not to fall…Cycling continues…
Johny Antony, who was branded as a comedy director with CID Moosa, Thuruppu Gulan & Inspector Garud comes out with a good surprise in this film. He enters the field of serious cinema with élan. The director gets full credit to make the film interesting, keeping the suspense and pace well in most part. He utilized the freshness factor well where utilized the abilities of the technical department.
James Albert who created history with his ’Classmates’ proved once again that a good script can make the audience engaged throughout the film. While ’Classmates’ was a novel concept, this time around they resorted to apply an old theme which was told several time to the modern era. The merit of the script is that it is gripping throughout the first half and most of the second half. By half way, the movie rocked with suspense and thrill. (For that matter this is the 3rd film in a row I saw where the climax before interval was better than the final climax) The writer failed to utilize many beautiful moments which could have easily added to make an impact. (For instance a meeting between Murali and Jagathy could have been made easily to complete the story.) The movie went out of the hands of the skillful writer by the end the compromise made by the writer was visible. The movie gave the impression of an excellent movie throughout the first half but ended up as only a good to very good movie.
Vineeth Sreenivasan, son of Sreenivasan controlled most of the first half. With the similar look and styles resembling his father we enjoyed his show thoroughly. However, when it comes to executing the serious role he became a burden than asset. The much required emotions didn’t come out from him. At this point Vinu Anand took over the proceedings from Vineeth till the end. The underplayed actor compensated for it in the 2nd half and made a good impression. The leading ladies didn’t do much to emote and whatever they did was just casual. The only plus point with them was that they were new faces. Jagathy, Murali, Sai Kumar, Shammi Thilakan and Cochin Haneefa did their roles perfectly.
Music was ok, but no exceptional numbers. Back ground music however was exceptional and well suited the situation and added value to the suspense.
Choreography was good and the fresh feeling was there throughout. Cinematography was excellent. Editing could have been better.
Overall, the movie is not a must watch, but a good watch for the thrill and freshness. Very routine type story but presented with good grip on the merit of the script and powerful execution. The first half was simply brilliant where the 2nd half could have been much better.
So, if you wish to see the cycling of life situations by two youngsters this is a film to watch. Probably the film worth a remade to Tamil, but to Hindi may be a risk. At box office the movie is becoming a hit.
Now the cycle is given to you…it is up to you to decide - to ride it or not; to do that you have to have the balance.