The Goat Life

Aadujeevitham is one of the most anticipated films in the Malayalam film industry since the day it was announced. The movie is based on a novel of the same name written by Benyamin. The novel draws from true incidents that happened to Mr. Najeeb, a Keralite who became a slave at a goat farm in the Saudi Arabian desert. It portrays his struggle for survival in the harsh desert environment alongside the goats and his eventual escape. The novel achieved bestseller status in Malayalam literature, which raised expectations for the film.

It's important to note that while the novel was inspired by real events, it also weaves in fictional moments and incidents from the writer's imagination. The film, under Blessy's direction, creates another fictional world around Najeeb, offering a unique vision and interpretation. Consequently, both the novel and the movie diverge from real-life events at various points.

Having read the book six years ago, I recall only a few moments that deeply resonated with me. This allowed me to approach the movie with an open mind, without expecting a faithful adaptation of every detail from the novel.

Review: When it comes to the movie experience, I felt it was like "Aadujeevitham" without actually being "Aadujeevitham" (a goat life without truly experiencing goat life). The film focused more on the survival journey through the desert than on the protagonist's life situations with the goats. The goats were the reason for the novel's name, "The Goat Life," but the movie didn't fully explore that aspect. When Najeeb talks to Hakim after many years, a goat-like sound comes from him, which is the only thing that makes "The Goat Life" somewhat goat-like.

The movie begins by showing a sandstorm, welcoming us into the harsh desert life. The movie kept me engaged throughout, but it didn't connect with me emotionally. The emotions worked differently. I felt sad about the protagonist's situation because I thought it had actually happened to someone in real life, not due to the writing. I appreciate Blessy's and Prithviraj's dedication, but I must share my genuine opinion.

Screenplay, Dialogues, and Direction: The movie followed a nonlinear storytelling approach, which I believe was the best way to tell this story. The dialogues were good, although some felt a bit artificial. Blessy's direction was commendable-the shot selections and symbolic shots were well-executed. The mirage scene was a memorable experience, and the transitions were thoughtfully crafted. The decision to avoid subtitles during the interaction between Najeeb and his Arab owner is truly amazing. Since Najeeb doesn't know Arabic, his confusion while hearing the language also resonates with the audience members who don't understand Arabic. This creative choice worked very well.

Compared to Blessy's previous works (with Kalimannu as an exception), the writing in "Aadujeevitham" fell short. Blessy excels at writing romantic scenes between spouses (as seen in "Thanmathra"). However, in this movie, the flashback romance felt artificial. Watching the scenes between Amala Paul and Prithviraj, which was shot six years ago in 2018, left me feeling awkward. Perhaps the changing cinematic sensibilities post-COVID affected the impact of those romantic moments.

Blessy's strength lies in portraying human emotions. His earlier works like "Kazhcha," "Bhramaram," "Palunku," and "Pranayam" deeply connect with viewers, evoking tears each time. Yet, in "Aadujeevitham," I struggled to emotionally connect with Najeeb. The film lacked moments that would make us truly feel for his character. If the movie had depicted Najeeb's struggles for food, water, and the loneliness he experienced in the desert, it could have built more sympathy.

The similar goat-like sound from Najeeb and the farewell to the goats scenes were some of the well-written portions.

Casting and Performances: Prithviraj: He gave his best performance for the character. His outstanding body transformation and acting skills impressed me. Initially, it took me a little time to accept Prithviraj as Najeeb, especially after watching many interviews with the real Najeeb. However, as the movie progressed to different stages of Najeeb's life, I truly appreciated Prithvi's performance and his voice modulation. When he speaks, a goat-like sound emerges, which adds authenticity. Even in the climax, Prithviraj's voice moved me to tears at certain points.

Amala Pau as Sainul: Unfortunately, I felt that Amala Paul was miscast and not well-suited for her character.

Gokul as Hakeem: Despite some artificial dialogues, Gokul's performance was outstanding.

Jimmy Jean-Louis as Ibrahim Khadiri: His wonderful performance will always be remembered.

Music and Sounds: A. R. Rahman created a wonderful album for this movie. The songs are pleasant to hear and suitable for the situations. Each song is placed perfectly within the film. However, the visualization of the song 'Omane' didn't work well for me; it disrupted the flow of the movie.

Background Score: While it effectively enhanced certain sequences, there were still a few moments when the background music was not suitable for the situations.

Sound Design: Resul Pookutty The sound design was flawless. It truly immersed me in the movie-I could feel the wind inside the theater.

Cinematography and Editing: The cinematography was excellent, with numerous wonderful frames throughout the movie. Some shots were executed brilliantly, especially during transitions between scenes. Cinematographer Sunil KS deserves immense respect.

Sreekar Prasad's editing was good, and the transitions between some scenes were wonderfully blended. If the transitions during flashbacks were achieved while editing, then that was wonderful. However, at the end of a few scenes, we can feel the cuts; the visibility of these cuts disrupts the flow.

Visual Effects and Art: The visual effects felt average. If there are elements that we can't identify as VFX, then the VFX work was wonderful. Specifically, if the transitions during flashbacks were done with VFX, that was commendable.

The artwork was outstanding. The team had already revealed that they created a camel and parts of the oasis for the movie. The details, such as the words Najeeb had written on the rusted vehicle, were well-executed. These details effectively conveyed how much he missed his wife Sainu during his struggling days. Nothing appeared artificial, so I believe the department did their job well.

Costumes and Makeup: Costumes by Stephy Zaviour were good. From her interviews, we can understand that she worked hard and conducted extensive research for the costumes. However, I did notice a minor issue: while running through the desert, in one shot, Prithviraj's pants looked freshly ironed. It's a small detail, but worth mentioning.

Makeup by Ranjith Ambady was excellent. He transformed Prithviraj into someone else, creating a resemblance between Real Najeeb and Prithivi in some shots.

While concluding the review, I would like to highlight a few points. The Malayalam film industry initially adapted many novels and short stories into movies during its beginning stage. This practice served as the basic pillar of the industry. Several of these adaptations were well-received by both critics and audiences. However, there was a period when we shifted away from making films based on literature. In recent years, we have witnessed a resurgence of movies adapted from books. Unfortunately, not all of these adaptations have been successful with both audiences and critics. However, 'Aadujeevitham' has managed to gain acceptance from both groups. I believe its success will pave the way for more film adaptations of novels, and I am hopeful for well-written movies based on literary works.

As for my personal experience with the movie, I found it to be enjoyable during my theater visit. While I am not entirely satisfied, I did like it. This review is based on my initial viewing, and it's possible that my opinion may evolve after subsequent watches or over time due to changes in life and perspectives.

What I learned from this movie is that when we watch a film adaptation of a book, we should not expect every detail from the novel to be replicated on screen. Movies are a distinct art form with limitations in visualizing everything from a book. Not every beautiful phrase written by an author can be effectively translated into a visual medium. Interestingly, many of our favorite movies or successful films were not preceded by reading their stories. Perhaps if we had read those stories beforehand, we might have noticed moments that were missed in the visual adaptation. The key for filmmakers working on adaptations is to maintain the essence of the novel while selecting moments that resonate well with the audience. If a movie is adapted from a novel and can satisfy a person who has never read the book, then that movie is "successful as a movie." Readers expect the story on screen to match their imagination. If their favorite moments are missed in the movie or if the scenes don't align with their mental images, the chances of dissatisfaction increase. Non-reading cinema audiences, however, simply expect a satisfying movie without concern for the novel. If the movie can satisfy them, it will be "a success as a movie". If it also satisfies the readers, then it becomes "a successful adapted movie."

To any crew members reading this review, I ask for forgiveness if my perspective contains any inaccuracies. If any of the criticisms are valid, I encourage you to avoid similar mistakes in the future. Constructive criticism is essential for continually improving our films.

(Opinions are strictly personal. Thank you.😊)