Movie: ED: Extra Decent (Malayalam)
When a film begins with a very unlikely incident – one polite man out of the blue giving a blow to the head of another polite man – you are momentarily dazed, wondering if the storytelling that had seemed organic until then was a ploy, and the film would now turn into a dreamy, psychedelic experiment. ED: Extra Decent, by director Aamir Pallikkal, is somewhere in between, organic in its cause and effect, but bizarre in its portrayal of the protagonist Binu, going through mental health issues. In its attempt to be a film that rides on a grey character, ED does not quite succeed, but Suraj Venjaramoodu, portraying Binu, is a treat to watch.
After witnessing the death of his brother at a young age, Binu appears stunted in many ways – failing his exams many times, and not finding a job for years during which his younger sister (Grace Antony) builds a career in the US. Sudheer Karamana, playing the textbook father of Malayalam cinema, belittling and shouting at the son every day, could be a reincarnation of Chacko Master from Spadikam. Vinaya Prasad, whose dubbed voice stands out like a sore thumb, comes to defend the son in vain. The whole setting looks staged, only short of the thundering harmonium that would accompany the shouting, as Binu silently retreats to his room, drifting to the childhood habit of chewing gums and thinking of his brother.
It is a wonder that no one had noticed anything unusual in Binu so far, with his awkward ways and silences, but is bewildered by his sudden change in behaviour. All his docility vanishes on the day he discovers a certain truth about his parents. It becomes his kryptonite that he throws on their faces and turns the tables. Like a superhero who found his powers overnight, Binu, who used to shut down before his father, throws down chairs at him and takes the reins of their lives. Outside the immediate family -- involving the parents, sister, and brother-in-law (Shyam Mohan) -- Binu continues to behave 'extra decent', fitting the title of the film that mocks the outward appearances people put up for the world. (But then the title might also be a veiled reference to all the ‘ED hunts’ of union versus state governments.)
While the initial shame of the parents seems acceptable, you’d wonder why two strong people are shown to cower so much – driven out of their home and into an apartment, made to jog and eat and sleep in separate rooms – only in fear of an uncomfortable truth coming out. Little, except the music, seems threatening in these charged scenes. You could let it slide as the exaggerations allowed in a comedy, for the film is largely a darkly comic take on what a toxic home could do to a person. But there are other gaps.
Nowhere in the script – written by Ashif Kakkodi – is a mention of mental health illness. Neither in the previously awkward existence of Binu nor in his dangerous new avatar. The family, while fearing him and contemplating ways to escape, never thinks of taking him to a shrink or even discusses his condition and thinks of what brought it on. The film begins with the problem son waking up from a coma with a damaged memory, and the family members hoping he would not go back to his old ways, apparently forgetting that there was an older, submissive Binu, and that the newer, turbulent one is only recent. Surprisingly, even the doctors don’t diagnose him as mentally unwell, even after months of treatment. Suraj Venjaramoodu, through all of this, is remarkable, his quick moves, creepy mood swings, and even a club dance, all tailored for the disturbed character that he plays.
Interestingly, the other characters also appear to reveal themselves amid the crisis. The mother does not stick to the stereotype of being overly patient or sacrificial. The shouting father appears the more forgiving of the two, in line with the ‘barking dog’ bit. None of these characters leave an impression though, and the mother’s portrayal continues to be stagey.
Shyam Mohan, Grace, and a doctor character played by Raffi give a good show. Prasanth Alexander makes a brief appearance at the beginning as a police official, but curiously never shows up afterwards, making you wonder if he mistook the set for Suraj’s and his recent web series Nagendran's Honeymoons.
Disclaimer: This review was not paid for or commissioned by anyone associated with the film. Neither TNM nor any of its reviewers have any sort of business relationship with the producers or any other members of its cast and crew.