Antony movie review: Joju George, Kalyani Priyadarshan film is let down by sloppy writing

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Set in a fictional place called Avaran City, the film revolves around the cold-blooded Antony Anthrapper (Joju George), the uncrowned king of the locality. But, what distinguishes him is his refusal to wield weapons for unjust causes. Despite being strong and remarkably courageous, he typically gets involved only in issues concerning others, especially the underprivileged, or when the ones who need to be taken on are exceptionally wicked. In the latter situations, he charges a substantial fee for his services.

The movie begins with Antony severing a rival’s leg, leading to the latter’s (unexpected) death and Antony’s subsequent six-month imprisonment. Upon his release, Antony reaches a settlement with the deceased’s wife Jessy (Asha Sharath), who had witnessed the incident, by paying her a significant sum. She is also relieved that her criminal spouse is dead. Meanwhile, Jessy is brutally murdered by her husband’s associates, leaving her daughter Ann Maria (Kalyani Priyadarshan) alone. As per the instructions of the local church priest and friend Fr Paul (Chemban Vinod Jose) and his godfather Avaran (Vijayaraghavan), Antony takes on the responsibility of looking after Ann. A firebrand boxer, Ann is a perpetual “problem-maker” at her college, for which Antony is now answerable, being her local guardian. Their inability to communicate with each other further complicates the situation. The remainder of the film unfolds as it delves into their challenging journey, while Antony’s enemies gear up to put him to rest.

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Despite having a plot that is bound to captivate Malayali audiences, Antony falls flat pretty much from the start due to sloppy writing. Although the film has moments that could be impactful and/or stir a range of emotions, Rajesh Varma’s narrative remains mostly average. Even those moments, including massy and emotional ones, that are crucial for the film, fall short of evoking the necessary emotions due to the writing lacking depth. Even in the first act, where various characters are introduced, their veracity is lost owing to mediocre writing, and the makers’ attempt to compensate for this by using dialogues has in no way proven helpful. The character of Antony, too, doesn’t receive much depth in this portion, as the script’s sole focus is on repeatedly emphasising his lack of inhibitions.

As the story progresses, promising moments emerge, yet Rajesh Varma fails to effectively capitalise on any of them, leaving the overall narrative half-baked. This is especially noticeable when it comes to the antagonists. Despite the film introducing several villains and giving them extensive build-up, complete with slow-motion shots, BGM and sufficient motives to take down Antony, their characters fade away towards the end and the climax wraps up swiftly, leaving one to question why the villains received so much hype throughout the movie.

Amid the flaws in the writing, the film is somewhat saved by director Joshiy’s execution. While Antony may not stand out as one of Joshiy’s good works, let alone the best, his skill in the craft shines through. Right from the initial shot, the director ensures that his distinctive style is prominently displayed. Joshiy’s adept use of actors, focusing on their unique strengths, proves beneficial in Antony as well, particularly in the mass and action sequences. With Antony embodying both good and evil, Joshiy creates a visual space for Joju to bring out the character’s ethos in an honest manner. Simultaneously, the filmmaker also ensures that Ann Maria’s character isn’t merely depicted as someone living under Antony’s protection, giving her genuine agency and exhilarating moments. Despite these merits, the absence of compelling moments diminishes the impact of Joshiy’s efforts.

Though Joju George once again takes on a role that blends both good and evil with various shades of grey, giving the impression that he’s getting typecast, he delivers a strong performance nevertheless. Despite the character bearing similarities to his role in Joshiy’s Porinju Mariam Jose (2019), Joju ensures that Antony remains distinct, maintaining authenticity. His compelling on-screen rapport with Chemban Vinod Jose, who also delivers a commendable performance, adds warmth to the film. Despite an underdeveloped and poorly written character, Nyla Usha remains sincere in her portrayal of Maya, a home nurse; while Vijayaraghavan, as expected, excels in his role.

On the other hand, Kalyani Priyadarshan brings a refreshing performance here. While Ann Maria doesn’t fit the typical “cute girl-next-door” mould, Kalyani too ensures the character isn’t bubbly, a departure from her recent roles. She skillfully handles the action sequences as well, including those in the boxing ring, making them appear authentic.

While Renadive and Shyam Sasidharan perform decently well in their roles as cinematographer and editor, respectively, Jakes Bejoy, who won many hearts this year for several impressive tracks, falls short of expectations with the music in Antony.

Antony cast: Joju George, Kalyani Priyadarshan, Nyla Usha, Asha Sharath, Chemban Vinod Jose, Vijayaraghavan
Antony director: Joshiy
Antony rating: 2 stars