Patriot Movie Review & Rating: We all grew up listening to the apocryphal tale about Alfred Nobel donating a lion’s share of his wealth to establish the Nobel Prizes out of regret for being cited solely as the inventor of dynamite, which was widely used to make military explosives, right? While this anecdote has often been debated, with some even dismissing it, there’s no doubt that human beings have created quite a few Frankensteins. In director Mahesh Narayanan’s Patriot, we meet one such creation — Periscope, which un/surprisingly sounds and appears a lot like Pegasus — and we follow one of its key minds’ efforts to save millions of innocent people from falling prey to its misuse by those in power.
Dr Daniel James (Mammootty) works at the DRW under the National Defence Ministry as a scientific advisor. One day, he is summoned by Minister Nalini Ramakrishnan (Revathy) to warn him that Periscope, which they masterminded for national security, is being misused by political heavyweight JP Sundaram (an impressive Rajiv Menon). Worse still, JPS has also made moves to license it to a private company owned by his son, Shakthi Sundaram (Fahadh Faasil). A spyware that can remotely access cameras, microphones, and data on people’s gadgets, they fear that Shakthi will use Periscope for his selfish gains. As Daniel begins his battle against this, JPS brands him a “national traitor,” forcing him to go on the run. But Daniel is determined to expose the father-son duo, and there’s “someone” to help him.
As Mammootty kept reiterating in promotional interviews, the plot is indeed the hero in Patriot. Despite the movie featuring some of the biggest names in the industry, Mahesh never loses sight of his material from start to finish. About three hours long, the movie begins slowly, taking its time to establish the world, the characters, the impending threat, and the conflicts it creates.
Even with one superstar (Mammootty) already introduced and another (Mohanlal) awaiting his cue for entry, Mahesh doesn’t rush or fall victim to the screenplay formats established by mainstream Indian cinema. He doesn’t unnecessarily crank up the tension or insert high-octane bloodbaths at constant intervals. He demonstrates absolute clarity in what he wishes to achieve, and he does, at least visually.
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From the beginning, Patriot’s visual language exudes an international quality. There are no unnecessarily dimly lit shots or slow motion to give Daniel a spotlight. Nor are there any artificial or superficial colour grading tricks to give any particular area a monotonous tone. Mahesh doesn’t force-feed him whistle-worthy massy dialogues or make him perform theatrics typical of heroes in conventional Indian espionage thrillers. Daniel isn’t a superhuman, and the writer-director seldom treats him as such.
While this is a commendable approach, Mahesh’s script ultimately falls flat, with mediocre writing throughout that fails to elevate Patriot to its true potential. As much as he has tried to stick to the genre, he has inadvertently focused too much on the specifics and details, rendering the script lifeless. He should really have entrusted the writing to someone else and focused solely on filmmaking. At the very least, he should have collaborated with a co-writer who has a knack for creating drama and writing sharp dialogues. Patriot’s biggest drawback, even with its impressive visuals, is the sheer lack of soul and depth in the narrative.
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Although he establishes the characters well, giving them distinct identities and building strong dynamics among them, he fails to anchor many of them, leaving them floating. For instance, Ayesha Iqbal (a superb Zarin Shihab), a cyber expert settled in the UK who later becomes Daniel’s wife, shows immense potential as a character at the outset. However, after a point, she starts simply existing. The same is true for Daniel’s ex-wife and friend, Adv Lathika (Nayanthara). While her initial scenes suggest that she would become instrumental to the narrative, she, too, is relegated to just a spectre.
While Mahesh has put in ample effort to build the character of Michael Devassy (Kunchacko Boban) — an employee at Shakthi’s firm who becomes a turncoat, eventually causing the latter’s downfall — giving him a strong backstory and motive, the overall drama’s lack of sturdiness affects him as well.
As Mammootty kept reiterating in promotional interviews, the plot is indeed the hero in Patriot.
Once Mohanlal’s Colonel Rahim Naik steps into the frame, the narrative picks up pace as it enters the thriller terrain. Even though he also doesn’t get a massy intro, the legend’s mere appearance is a delight to watch, as he brings an unparalleled swagger. Despite a short screentime, Rahim leaves a strong impression as a character, making one even root for a spin-off on him.
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Yet, the mediocrity in the writing affects him as well, even dampening the combination scenes between Daniel and Rahim, where their brother-in-arms bond goes under-explored and vague. While it’s understandable that Mahesh didn’t want to create anything larger-than-life with the two superstars in the frame, the palpable shallowness in the script detracts from what even exists.
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Nonetheless, Mahesh deserves credit for the detailing he has brought to the narrative, fusing high-concept themes with very real scenarios. Even the way the Morse code has been utilised is impressive. Also, considering the ongoing debate around privacy and the unlawful use of people’s sensitive information, a movie like Patriot is indeed the need of the hour to spark further discussion. However, its inability to connect with one on an emotional level might diminish its impact.
It’s also appalling that the movie had to begin with a statutory warning that it “is not against the digitalisation of India,” especially when there have been ample instances of data breaches in the country over the years, allegedly including breaches from the Aadhaar database.
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Another major shortcoming of the movie is its inability to decide whether it is a socio-drama or an espionage thriller, which makes it appear confused instead. In the final act, Patriot’s narrative is all over the place, and the movie ends far too conveniently amid too much noise and chaos, almost the exact opposite of the tone Mahesh had maintained until then.
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Although Patriot isn’t visually groundbreaking for Malayalam cinema, there are quite a few moments where cinematographer Manush Nandan and editors Mahesh (the director himself) and Rahul Radhakrishnan shine. Particularly impressive are the scenes set in confined spaces, especially Mohanlal’s fight in an elevator. Without giving the viewer a claustrophobic feeling, the team has executed these scenes well.
However, there’s another scene inside a cruising car where the camera appears to move within the interior to capture the conversations between Daniel, Rahim, and Michael. While this achievement is commendable, it almost feels like a show-off, as it doesn’t add to the gravity of the moment in any way.
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Unlike typical espionage thrillers, Patriot isn’t packed with high-octane action sequences every 15-20 minutes. Instead, Mahesh has carefully placed the fights only at necessary junctures, and the action directors have done an impressive job, particularly in the scenes on the aircraft and in the elevator. Although the car chase sequence and subsequent shootout scenes are brisk and thrilling, they could have been better conceived to create a dramatic high; unfortunately, the opportunity is lost.
Unlike typical espionage thrillers, Patriot isn’t packed with high-octane action sequences every 15-20 minutes.
Amid its few technical achievements, the sync sound is a bit of a disappointment at times, with some dialogues coming across as incomprehensible.
Shouldering the movie, Mammootty delivers an anchored performance that’s expected from him. He doesn’t try to outdo the narrative or steal the spotlight; instead, he plays his part within the boundaries, giving Daniel authenticity. However, there are a few instances where his dialogue delivery lacks the punch it desperately needs.
Fahadh Faasil steals the show once again with his extraordinary performance as the antagonist. One particular instance highlights his mastery of acting: in a flashback scene, he is inside an aircraft during his time in the Air Force, and the moment is extremely tense as he fears a crash. Even with the oxygen mask on, Fahadh brilliantly communicates his emotions through his eyes and the magnificent use of his facial muscles. Later on, even when his character struggles due to poor writing, it’s his performance that keeps Shakthi menacing.
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Darshana Rajendran, as Michael’s deceased girlfriend Jyothi, also delivers an impressive performance. Zarin Shihab, meanwhile, deserves special commendation for her extraordinary work; not a single shade of her previous performances is visible in Ayesha. She magnificently portrays the sophistication of her character and the tension Ayesha undergoes later on with exceptional precision.
As a final note, kudos to Mahesh for not being intimidated by Mammootty and Mohanlal’s superstardom, and to the two legends for simply trusting the director’s vision, unperturbed by the baggage of their image and fame. Patriot clearly demonstrates why the Big Ms continue to soar, while the thrones of their counterparts in many other languages quiver as they struggle to maintain the images they created in their prime, even now, well into old age.
Patriot movie cast: Mammootty, Mohanlal, Fahadh Faasil, Kunchacko Boban, Nayanthara, Darshana Rajendran, Revathy, Rajiv Menon, Zarin Shihab
Patriot movie director: Mahesh Narayanan
Patriot movie rating: 3 stars
