Christy Movie Review: Melancholic, but hopeful coming-of-age drama

Let me get this out of the way first. As some folks speculated, Christy hasn't anything to do with that sexy Italian coming-of-age drama Malena (except for an adolescent male with raging hormones). It doesn't possess the exploitative bent of Rathinirvedam either. It's as graceful and dignified as its titular protagonist, Christy (Malavika Mohanan); a film that treats her with a lot of respect, be it through the way it gazes at her or the way it presents the gaze of her most relentless admirer, Roy (Mathew Thomas). Christy comes along like a dream -- the one who can light up any room.

Director: Alvin Henry

Cast: Malavika Mohanan, Mathew Thomas, Joy Mathew, Neena Kurup

Christy is a period film depicting a not-so-distant past. It's the time before smartphones became a rage; the time of scratchable recharge cards; before video calls shortened the distances between individuals; before Instagram reels; when Facebook was beginning to be a thing. It makes use of ordinary settings to conjure up enchantingly picturesque images. It's a film illuminated by the smiles of two individuals who probably met at the wrong time at the wrong place. It spends a lot of time at beaches, seeing how these are ideal spots for these characters to engage in deep introspection for interminable periods. We get beaches from Thiruvananthapuram's Poovar and, briefly, those in Maldives. 

But mind you: this is not a movie intended to promote the tourism of a particular region. One might initially mistake Christy for going in that direction, considering the number of eye-pleasing locales populating it. The intention here is to soak up the vibe of a place in a few shots.

The pretence for Roy's first meeting with Christy is his poor grades. She is a recently divorced teacher called upon to improve his grades. But he wants her to teach only the portions that could get him a pass mark. Their initial dynamic is not of lovers but of a reluctant student and a determined teacher. One of the most telling moments summing up their characters involves Christy distributing laddu to celebrate her divorce; Roy gladly accepts it, while the elders frown in contempt. It doesn't bother him. He pauses to consider this midway through laddu-chomping and then carries on without a care. He is also bold when it comes to asking her about her divorce. She is instantly annoyed but calms down because this boy has a sense of... innocence about him.

Mathew superbly conveys the body language of an adolescent who didn't expect to fall in love with this much older woman. Christy's recently divorced status naturally brings up opportunities for instant connection, company and comfort-seeking, and Roy happens to come along at the right time. The moments leading up to the confession of love are accompanied by much apprehension and fear. How does Christy respond? Well, that's for you to find out. 

But I can tell you that when Christy finds a new job in Maldives, Roy finds the pangs of loneliness and longing so hard to bear. It goes without saying how the feelings of possessiveness and insecurity can rear their ugly heads in situations like this, and I don't know whether Mathew has experienced something similar in his personal life, but seeing him demonstrate all these emotions with the finesse of someone who did... It's an extraordinary piece of showmanship that almost had me gasping for air.

And if anyone had doubts about Malavika Mohanan's acting chops, Christy should prove to them that she can do well in a script that offers her so much space and potential. I'm not saying she pulls off a Meryl Streep here -- and she is not trying to be -- but she brings the right degree of understated vulnerability and ambiguity to her character, especially in the film's closing stretches. Of course, there's no denying the fact that you can't take your eyes off this woman, but that's not the only reason for Malavika being in this film. Christy is treated like a flesh and blood woman who has had enough of the rigid conventions imposed by previous generations. She also happens to be the daughter of a toxic, manipulative father (Joy Mathew). In a film that offers no easy resolutions, it's not an easy character to play. When Christy, at a crucial juncture, says it's her fault, one gets the feeling that it carries dual implications. 

If there's one minor gripe, it has to do with how the film, in the end, seems to endorse Roy's actions. I couldn't help but ask, "Did you have to be that adventurous? Was it really worth it?" The end credits begin with a 'based on a true story' title. It gets me curious: Does the real person upon whom Roy was based regret his then-impulsive behaviour? Was the film a portrait of a past that he is not too proud of? Was it a way to express regret and make amends? That closing shot brings a modicum of comfort in that it's hopeful about fresh beginnings.

The other distracting issue I encountered was the rendering of the dialects. Christy sounds like a Kannur native trying to sound like a Thiruvananthapuram native. (Perhaps this is intentional. When you take into account Malavika's birthplace and that of the actors playing her parents, it's possible that the film is portraying a family that migrated to Thiruvananthapuram.) Mathew, on the other hand, sounds like a Kochi native. But these can be overlooked. I don't want to dwell too much on them because my primary focus is the film's emotions -- did they work for me or not? That's all that mattered. 

Christy has been shot like a fairytale by Anend C Chandran. Light, earthy colour tones dominate the homes and costumes. Govind Vasantha's largely sombre score is a constant presence -- a composition comprising guitars, violins, flutes and pianos. However, Christy is a film that's practical about its storyline. I liked how the film, despite the anxiety caused by the tense third act, didn't opt for a predictable finale.

Some of the film's lyrical images make a strong impact. My favourite image is of a fish twitching on the sand before the sea returns to reclaim its lost child, to bring it back to life. This image, which arrives at a point in the climax, says a lot. There is no need to rely on exposition from a character to explain its significance.

I prefer love stories where enough time is spent exploring the mental landscape of its principal characters. Christy is one such. It takes its own sweet time to get to its destination. If this approach doesn't bother you, why not take a look?