Jallikettu movie review highlights: A masterclass in minimalist filmmaking

Riding high on a global critical acclaim,

Jallikettu

directed by Lijo Jose Pellissery is truly a cinematic experience. This is a film where the director's command over the medium is evident. Varkeychan (

Chemban Vinod

), the village butcher, finds himself at the heart of chaos when his slaughter buffalo runs amok into the village. The frenzy then turns into a tug of egos over who will capture it.

Chemban Vinod, Antony Varghese, Sabumon Abdusamad and Santhy Balachandran are most definitely in the best of their elements. While the story allows the men to hog screen space, Santhy too makes her mark, given her limited screen time. But at the end of the day, Jallikettu will not be known for their acting.

Jallikettu is a master-class in minimalist filmmaking. Brilliant camera work, minimalist and just about enough sound designing and on-point editing et al, Jallikettu rides on the subtleties of storytelling. Hence, along with the director's vision, the screen writer Hareesh S deserves ample praise. Girish Gangadharan gives us some spectacular visuals. Prashant Pillai's music is minimalist and yet captivating.
The narrative is so nuanced that you cannot afford to miss a blink of a second of the film. Without a minute of elasticity, the interval brings the audience to the edge of their seat, watching the mute animal and the "animals" running after it.