'Jacobinte Swargarajyam' from the stable of Vineeth Sreenivasan is a warm tale of family bonding and togetherness, sharing good and bad times with unconditional love. Family takes center stage in the movie. It is also a coming of age story. There are so many moments of tenderness and support in the time of crisis shown in the narrative that it leaves a lump in your throat.
The movie is based on the life of Vineeth's friend and is dedicated to him and his family. The entire movie is set in Dubai. The movie is realistic in its approach and narrates the tale of Jacob (Renji Panickar) and his family. In a nutshell the plot is centered around Jacob, a doting father and a successful entrepreneur. Hard times in his life and how the family rally together to tide over the situation is what the movie is all about.
Many beautiful moments intersperse the narrative including the bond between the four siblings, the strong mother figure, the philosophies of the father and many more. The story is told from the perspective of Gerry (Nivin), Jacob's eldest son. He tags along with his father always, ever the respectful and dutiful son. Their happy space of fatherly philosophies, wine on the terrace, Polaroid camera, business meetings, family time goes for a toss overnight when a financial crisis happens.
The new space of tensions and directionless that take root, shake the whole family to the core. There is the mother (Lakshmi Ramakrishnan) who takes it all in her stride lending her husband the much needed support and taking over the reigns with determination, much to the surprise of Gerry. Many of the mother's dealings are an eye opener for Gerry who sees his mother in a new light. For Gerry, the chain of events leads him to a new path, bringing out his capabilities and holding the family together in the absence of his father. It is a coming of age for this youngster.
Ebin (Sreenath Bhasi) the next brother initially takes it hard as he himself is trying to find a way in the world. But his goodness is evident time and again as with the drinks in the cabinet sequence, dealing with bullies, the music, and chipping in for the travel business. The youngest brother (Stacen) is a bundle of joy who flits around happily. The sister is out of the narrative for the better part as she is doing her medicals back in India.
Aswin Kumar as Murali Menon is intense and he has emoted with precision. A lot many minor characters dot the narrative including Aju Varghese, Vineeth himself, Saikumar, the watchman, T G Ravi as the driver of the Mercedes, Reba as Gerry's girlfriend which are all heart warming. All the actors have done well and it is Reni Panikar, though absent in subsequent frames who stands out,
The music by Shaan Rahman is energetic and understated at the same time and blends well with the narrative. Jomon's handling of camera is outstanding and Dubai looks spectacular without being exotic. Editing is crisp and looks natural. Vineeth's craft is unwavering and he has done a neat job.
Watching this movie leaves a warm glow as one basks in the familial love and bonding. The triumph of goodness and hardwork feels good making 'Jacobinte Swargarajyam' a feel good movie. Though there are sequences which seems to push the envelope a bit too much with divine interventions and cheesy love, overdose of nostalgia, the overall effect that the movie leaves is heart warming which works well in favour of the movie. This is a happy watch with doses of drama, humour and emotions and meant to be enjoyed by all.
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