On the heels of a banner year for Malayalam cinema, it should be no surprise that Amal Neerad would be making his claim for year-end lists one to remember. Written alongside author Lajo Jose and inspired by Jose’s own novels, Bougainvillea treads both new and familiar ground with world-class talent on display at every level. The meticulous writing combined with Neerad’s own well-known filmmaking acumen guides a story that in another’s hands could have drowned in the undertow of its tropes. Jyothirmayi, making her comeback to cinema after 11 years, puts on the performance of a lifetime as a woman named Reethu who experiences memory issues and altered cognizance of reality after an accident.
Her doting husband, played with razor finesse by Kunchacho Boban, attempts to balance his job as a family doctor with the needs of her and their two children, while clearly exhibiting signs of burnout himself. Their delicate homeostasis is ruptured when police officer David Koshy, played with delightful subtlety by icon and idol of millions Fahadh Fassil, informs them that Reethu was the last person to see the missing young daughter of a major politician. Suddenly the truth becomes a viciously scarce commodity as personal, professional, and romantic bonds of trust are taxed to their utmost.
“Bougainvillea” is a film about agency and control. The question of who holds power and how they wield it hovers over the whole proceedings. Without getting into spoiler territory, even the viewer becomes drawn into the web of deceit, misdirection, and an almost Rashomon-esque style reliving of the same events from different perspectives and with different levels of veracity. For a movie whose primary twist will likely be sussed out by viewers not long into its runtime, “Bougainvillea” manages to build and retain a level of tension that persists all the way up to the closing credits song “Sthuthi,” whose lyrics take on a horrifyingly sinister double meaning in the context of the film’s plot. Special mention should go to the phenomenal visuals of the song, including a truly breathtaking dance routine by Jyothirmayi and Kunchacko Boban, choreographed by “Myself and My Move.”
At first, it seems that Sushin Shyam’s phenomenal score is doing a lot of the heavy lifting in this film; perhaps, too much, as it seems to preempt the audience’s emotions toward certain scenes rather than complement the emotions already elicited in the scene itself. However, just as the viewer gets used to the score telling them how to feel in a given scene, the cues that the score gives begin to be out of sync with what’s going on, adding another layer of intrigue and mind games that break the fourth wall to affect us directly.
“Bougainvillea” is filled with intentional red herrings that serve to keep the audience second-guessing themselves and how they think the plot is going to pan out. Unfortunately, as aforementioned, the broad strokes of the plot end up being rather predictable, which may hurt the enjoyment factor for those who are drawn to the mystery of the plot itself more than how it plays out.
The pedigrees of both Amal Neerad and Lajo Jose allow for an approach of insidious subtlety that makes it clear that all of the film’s stylistic touches are intentional and considered. This leaves the viewer questioning not only what they’re seeing but what they aren’t seeing, where the unspoken becomes increasingly more important than the spoken, knowing that any omissions are deliberate rather than a product of lazy or sloppy writing. The role of ACP David Koshy utilizes Fahadh Fassil’s intense screen presence to add a third member to the proceeding who also seems to be encouraging everyone else to put their cards on the table while clearly holding his own back.
While it seems that his character might swoop in like Singham at the last minute to crack the case and save the day, those looking for an “Aavesham” or even “Vikram”-esque mass turn will be disappointed, as the film takes a far more interesting track that, crucially, restores some agency to the plot’s victims rather than serving only to glorify its big star.
To some viewers, the film’s stylish presentation could suggest an A24-esque horror/thriller approach with multiple shocking or gruesome scenes and a left-field, unexpected plot twist at the end. Instead, be prepared for an experience that is more concerned with subtlety and nuance for most of its runtime. While all hell does eventually break loose in the film’s climax, steering it into an experience reminiscent of a slasher film, it is more concerned with bringing the plot to a satisfying conclusion than throwing any last surprises or obscure cliffhangers at the audience.
The subject matter of “Bougainvillea” could cover a wide range of potential content warnings, from domestic abuse to sexual assault and violent murder. The degree of sensitivity involved in handling these subjects, and indeed the necessity of including them at all, may differ from one viewer to another, though the film mercifully stays away from extended or repeated scenes of assault that would come off as exploitative or tasteless. A character is revealed to have violent tendencies due to sexual abuse experienced during their childhood – a disappointing trope that feels out of place in a modern film.
However, the way that this experience manifests in the character’s need for control provides a deeper introspection into the long-term effects of trauma that are constantly overlooked in commercial Indian cinema. With the film’s understated presentation, it is possible to overlook some of the deeper themes such as the parallel between victim and perpetrator and what this says about the cycle of abuse. On the other hand, some viewers may appreciate not having all of the symbolism thrust directly in their faces as is typical with commercial cinema. By the end of “Bougainvillea”, we are reminded not only of the power and privilege of remembrance but also of the mercy of forgetting.
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