Cocktail is the kind of the movie that gives you the edge-of-the-seat experience, not for the thrills, but for the confusions it throws at you. Watching the film is more like putting together a jigsaw puzzle, how much ever you try, you will be left with one or two pieces. And that is where the debutant director Arun Kumar scores.
Everything is in apple pie order for successful architect Ravi Abraham (Anoop Menon) and Parvathy (Samvrutha Sunil) until a stranger Venkatesh (Jayasurya) hitchhikes a ride with them. We have seen the trailer; we know Venkatesh is brought to the plot not to croon 'Sholay' numbers with the hero, hence look forward to see him change colors. And he does it with such finesse that the audience muffles an 'OMG'. The story then takes us on a bumpy ride, revealing surprises and thrills in all its form.
A remake of Mike Barker's Butterfly on a Wheel, the movie's plot is well-knit. Though 95% of the movie plays tribute to its Canadian legacy in terms of the sequence, the Hollywood trace is hardly visible.
The winning deal of the movie is indeed the actors; only exception is the one-day-maid Beatrice. Her mannerisms and lifeless expressions manage to bring quite a few catcalls in the cinema.
Samvrutha Sunil looks great and acts great, and Cocktail is indeed one of her masterpieces. Her name has always spelled durability in the box-office, and the movie promises to carry on the tradition.
It is indeed Jayasurya who sneaks up on you and steals your heart with light-fingered skill. However, the theatre-like dialogues by the actor in the climax adds a minor crack to the character's image.
Anoop Menon gets a nod for his acting. For an audience who are more use to super-stars and chocolate heroes on the screen with young heroines, the Samvrutha-Anoop combination is a bit too much to accept. The best part is he faces this stereotype with a smile, when he admits he is a fatso, in the first half!
The movie runs smooth and interesting until five minutes before climax, the typical 'soap drama' that follows winds up the movie in an abrupt manner. The director could have omitted the last sequence and stopped the movie, when the thrill and surprises still linger.
Fahadh Faasil marks his presence as the suave, short tempered boss, while Innocent and Mamukkoya bring in their fair share of humor.
If you love connecting dots, you will love Cocktail, and beware you will still be connecting dots even after its sequel.
