A poster of Malayalam movie Neymar  | Photo Credit: SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT

Neymar, Sudhi Maddison’s directorial debut celebrating the bond between two friends and their dog, is an entertainer, targeting family audiences and dog lovers. However, don’t expect the film to move you emotionally, like many other famous features around canines.

The film has little to do with football, apart from the fact that its lead characters, Aakamsh (Mathew Thomas) and Shinto (Naslen K Gafoor), are fans of the Brazil football team and its star player Neymar. The duo dream of a career in aviation, until one day, Shinto advises Aakamsh to buy a dog to impress a girl. Thus enters an indie dog into their lives... called Neymar.

But little do they know that Neymar would turn their lives upside down. Eventually, one night, Aakamsh’s father, Sahadevan (Shammi Thilakan), packs Neymar off to Pondicherry. The duo secretly travels to get the dog back only to end at the doors of Neymar’s new owner, the all-powerful Gabriel (an impressive Yog Japee) and get entangled in more problems.

While the first half, set in Kothamangalam, has a pace of its own, it is when the action shifts to Pondicherry in the second half that the film picks up steam. There is a burst of colours, exciting shots and frames, interesting characters, places, incidents and more dogs.

Neymar is the star of the film, and the rest of the team — director, cameraman (Alby), dog trainers, actors, and the crew — has done commendable work in the scenes featuring the lovable dog.

Neymar (Malayalam)

Director: Sudhi Maddison

Cast: Mathew Thomas, Naslen K Gafoor, Vijayaraghavan, Shammi Thilakan, Johny Antony, Yog Japee

Duration: 160 minutes

Storyline: On Shinto’s advice, his friend Aakamsh buys a dog to impress a girl, but the indie dog Neymar turns their lives upside down

The hit pair of Mathew-Naslen — this is their third film as a combo after Thanneer Mathan Dinangal and Jo and Jo— creates a lot of laughs with their dialogues and camaraderie. But they seem to have fallen into a template as actors. In fact, they are upstaged in many portions by the the senior actors Vijayaraghavan, Johny Antony and Shammi Thilakan, who play friends-cum-neighbours. Vijayaraghavan as the loud but brilliant Chackola steals the show. A massy scene featuring the trio is a treat.

A special mention must also be made about the music by Shaan Rahman and background score by Gopi Sunder, who create a vibrant sound palate for the movie.

However, predictability lets down the film in several parts. The sequences in Pondicherry, especially the scenes that show the competition for dogs, did not throw up any surprises. Also, it would have been better if the film was trimmed by half an hour.

Nevertheless, if you are looking for some laughs and entertainment, Neymar is worth a breezy watch.

Neymar is currently running in theatres.