Philip's is a light-hearted film you can enjoy with your family and safely recommend to your friends, endorses Divya Nair.
When I think of some of the best Malayalam films I have watched while growing up, there are two elements that come to mind: Family and humour.
Family, because films like Chithram, Kireedam, Vatsalyam and Akashadoothu had such endearing, interestingly written characters who made you laugh, cry or feel emotional.
Humour, rather comic timing, I feel has been the cornerstone of Malayalam cinema.
In the past years, we'd kind of gotten swayed by the OTT wave and found ourselves overwhelmed with crime dramas and formulaic films. But once in a while, films like Home or Falimy drop on your screens and stir a pot of heartful emotions.
Philip's, directed by Alfred Kurian Joseph, is one such film.
Philip (played by Mukesh) is a single father to three children.
His eldest son Basil (Noble Babu Thomas) works at an IT firm, his daughter Blessy (Navani Devanand) is in Class 12 and youngest child Bitty (Quinn Vipin), is 10 years younger than Blessy.
After their mother's death in a car accident, Philip relies on Basil to share his household chores, while Blessy and Bitty are expected to look out for each other in school. When Philip is not at home, watching over his family, Basil spends his time with his next-door girlfriend, Blessy enjoys skating over academics and Bitty gambles in chess at school.
Their favourite Mani uncle (the late Innocent) often spends his time with the children, entertaining and supporting their choices, and running odd jobs whenever the family needs him.
Like every Indian family, there are issues that are not talked about, out of respect and affection for each other or maybe the lack of appropriate timing.
Blessy uses a beautiful example to define her family.
When it rains, she says, you will see two types of people -- those who get wet in the rain and those who run for cover.
Philips' family falls in the latter, not by choice, but because their father preferred it that way.
Philip and Basil form two strong pillars of this family, where each one is fighting for their dreams and choices, yet holding on to each other during their tough times. This happy family portrait is shaken when Bitty has an accident at school and goes into a vegetative state.
Blessy beautifully describes how the situation forces the family, for the first time, to get wet in the rain.
Philip's is definitely not the first film to explore the challenges of a single dad.
The characters, though interesting, are not fully committed. Still, you feel a sort of connection because Mukesh and Innocent fill in those gaps and bind them all into the moment.
Sreedhanya as Asha, the nurse and Sacchin Nachi as Vivek Senthil are other noteworthy characters, who add just the right amount of love and vulnerability to the story.
Overall, Philip's may seem like a conventional film that doesn't necessarily have the courage to expose the undercurrents faced by its family members. But it doesn't bore us with melodrama either.
With an entertaining first half and an emotional second half, Philip's is a light-hearted film you can enjoy with your family and safely recommend to your friends.
Philip's airs on Amazon Prime Video.
