Youngsters find it hard to establish themselves in the Malayalam film industry. Some of the most often quoted reasons being that there are too many established stars, and filmmakers who do not have faith in new talent.
And after watching Jubilee, there is one more reason to add to the list, and that is poor story choice.
The basic premise of the film promised is about a father and son relationship like the ones in Spadikam, Ishtam and Manasinakkare, which explore the same theme. However, Jubilee pales in comparison to these movies. We cannot find an iota of sincerity in the performance of the actors or the work of the team behind the camera.
The story goes like this: Joji (Shaiju Kurup), nicknamed Jubilee as he is born after his father Thomas Kora (Innocent) had completed his golden jubilee on this earth, leads a wayward lifestyle. He whiles away his time with his chums instead of making use of his skills as a mechanic (he has a degree in Automobile Engineering).
His father, on the other hand is a disciplinarian. An octogenarian who got his wealth as a reward for working for a white man, Kora is proud of his English lifestyle that has kept him healthy even at this age. His advice to his wayward son is "Early to bed and early to rise, makes a man healthy, wealthy and wise"!
Things get complicated when our man is the prime accused in a mysterious murder. This gives an opportunity for a free for all action sequence. Add to this, we have a romance angle.
Debutant director Gee George, who is also credited with the story, may boast of making this an all inclusive film, but he cannot claim that it is entertaining.
As for the A-list supporting cast of Innocent, Jagathy Sreekumar, Salim Kumar, KPAC Lalitha and Bindu Paniker, they all seem to be play acting in a kindergarten skit. Shaiju Kurup's swaggering as if to say, 'look I am the hero of this film', is unintentionally funny.
All in all this Jubilee is best avoided.
Rediff Rating: 
