Young director Jithu Joseph in his second movie 'Mummy And Me' seems to have been interested in all kinds of social anxieties, loneliness and depressions that the new age teenagers from nuclear families are subjected to, in the current scheme of Kerala culture. He has constructed a script taking into account the credibility and fear factors associated with chat friends, to single child's who shows dichotomous characters, overtly reacting to much of the things at the same time surreptitiously fearing social exposure and falling into anxieties seeing their peers having fun, going out and partying. A noble intention off course, to create a movie with a message, but the director seldom displays the deftness to intelligently pack all associated chores for an engaging movie.
The movie has Urvashy as Clara, the ''mummy'' and Archana Kavi (`Neelathamara' fame) as Jewel the daughter, with two opposite characters mostly due to their generation gaps. While Clara is an imposing mother who wants her daughter to listen to and follow her in every ways, Jewel is more a new generation college girl roaming all round in her bicycle, with earphones plugged on. She likes the companions of internet than anyone in her home. Rahul (Kunchacko Boban) is Jewel's senior in college, the son of Thomas and Mary, the family friends of Joseph and Clara. Though Rahul is also a single child, he shows more maturity and doesn't like to expose his love that he has for Jewel. Often he plays the role of her guardian in college and gets involved in all kind of fisticuffs with other college rowdies.
The scheme of daily fights at home between the mother and daughter concerning Jewels' dress codes to hair setting styles makes Joseph (Mukesh) to play the referee between the ever feuding home mates. To prevent Jewel from spending more time outside home mostly on internet, Joseph presents Jewel with a PC. She immediately finds a chat friend in an anonymous 'Ameer' who starts reforming Jewel like anything into such an extent that she eventually falls in love with him, even without seeing him. The film goes on to tell how the parents with the aid of a psychologist try ways to get over the newer crisis that their daughter has got into.
The USP of the movie is a simple, uncomplicated and identifiable story. But what could've been narrated in a concise format is stretched so much that it starts to test the patience of the viewer. What could have been an interesting cinematic experience, gets into a preachy tone with the arrival of a psychologist (Anoop Menon) who appears in every third sequences in the later half, to dig out his explorations into the case. The screenplay relies on the same old tricks and the same old situations, but the director manages to make you smile at times, without the aid of any comedians in sidetracks, but with the witty, well timed dialogues. Especially towards the second hour, the pacing of the film gets slower, and the big problem with the movie here is that you just don't feel the pains of those whose life has gone upside down. The lack of onscreen camaraderie between the characters played by the lead players is another major pitfall in the presentations.
Anyhow, the plus points of the movie include Mukesh and the new child artist playing Jewel's younger brother in admirable roles with their intense timing of wits. Archana Kavi plays to the demands of the role but doesn't reach up to the promises she offered in her debut movie. Kunchakko Boban is very natural and shakes his legs well in the couple of songs. Urvashy looks jaded and her makeup is over the top, though she has some moments to relish. Shari, Lalu Alex and Janaardhanan are in their usual roles.
'Mummy And Me' has some beautiful songs by debutant Sejo John, the pick being ''Aarume.'' which is also well picturised. The other four songs also give the feel that, the young musician is here to stay. Jeethu has found some good locales for the movie, but the cinematography by Vipin Mohan remains just ok. The grading is average and the great loss in transfer during digital projection also seems to have taken the hearts of the tones out, in the initial reels.
All in all, `Mummy And Me' has some good messages which may appeal to the family audience. Though it has some sunny, pleasant moments, don't preset your mind that you are going to watch something unusual.
