An expatriate tale would often have a responsible person, who works selflessly for the family he left behind, the kind of struggles he undergoes there, the way people
treat him, the constant diasporic tendencies and memories of home. 'Pathemari' has all this and more. There is a kind of cliche in the way certain instances are
narrated. But then, expatriate narratives all have a similar kind of aura.
Director Salim Ahamed has presented a tale, which is very much familiar. In doing so he might gain the empathy of the audience, but the compromise he makes is with
the realism and lack of novelty in the narrative. However, the moments of high emotional drama adds charm to the narrative.
The movie is all about an NRI named Pallickal Narayanan. He and Moideen leaves for Gulf. Narayanan is the responsible brother who takes care of his family selflessly.
He spends 50 years of his life in the Gulf to secure his family. This is his story and the story of countless expatriates.
Mammootty has given a stellar performance in the movie. So has Jewel Mary, who has actually made her debut with this one. Siddique also impresses with his dialogue
delivery and acting. Sreenivasan too has enacted well.
Technically, the movie is pretty okay. Visual effects though appears quite unbaked. Cinematography is passable. Music by Bijipal is well put. Salim Ahamed has taken
on a very ambitious project with this one. A more realistic dialogues and novelty factor would have lifted the movie to a new level. But as it is, the movie sure is
watchable. At times, its familiarity is quite heartwarming. The way the movie ends is also quite nice and this adds to the overall good feel of the movie.
Rating - 3/5
