A movie with much heart, ‘Gold Coins’ is a beautiful creation. All those kids adorning the screen and a story line that sends out a message makes this movie a watchable one. ‘Gold Coins’ may not fit the bill of a run of the mill entertainer. It has more of a subdued tone. In spite of the good intentions, the preachy tone and stretched dialogues dampen the emotional feel of the movie, making this a “neither here, nor there” kind of movie. The good show by the cast however makes up for this.
The story revolves around two siblings Achu and Kichu played by Govind and Vasudev. Their ardent wish is to own a gear cycle to ride to school. Meera Nandan plays a teacher in their school and Sai Kumar plays the principal. The kids hear of a carnival at Ernakulam in which there is a slow cycle riding competition. The prize is a geared cycle. The two set out for the city without telling anyone. At the carnival in the middle of the contest they see their principle and scoot. Things take a turn when the two gets separated.
The rest of the story deals with how the two find each other and the life lessons they learn in the concrete jungle. Sunny Wayne appears as their quintessential ‘God’, guiding them through the tough times. There are a lot of morals that the movie tries to convey. The way these are put across though is unappealing. There is that morally upright didactic tone that puts us off. In spite of being a movie for children, this kind of a narration could be a tad uninspiring for the young ones. But that said, there is a fresh feel to the movie with the binaries of greenery and concrete, having and not having, happiness and sadness. Also, the sibling love is something to watch out for.
The young cast has given a wonderful presentation of the village and city life. Director Parmod Gopal has gotten right their expressions and vibes. Meera Nandan is good in her role and so is Sai Kumar. Sunny Wayne has also handled his role well. Music by Ousepacchan is good. Sreya’s prayer song “Hridayadeepam” and another song “Illiam” are great both in its rendition and picturization. Manju Lal’s cinematography is neat and conventional. The frames are well presented and the idea is conveyed well. Direction by Pramod Gopal is passable. The movie has also been written by him. He could have tweaked the script a bit to ease the preachy tone.
‘Gold Coins’ has its heart in the right place and can be watched for a morally upright movie. The movie may inspire or educate some.
