The Goat Life Movie Review,Rating

Cast: Prithviraj Sukumaran, Jimmy Jean-Louis, K.R. Gokul, Amala Paul, Talib, Rik Aby, Shoba Mohan
Director: Blessy

Plot: Najeeb (Prithviraj Sukumaran) is a wage labourer from Telangana (the Telugu version gives him this background, while in the Mollywood original, he is from Kerala). Najeeb wants to land a job in the Middle East for a better living. He goes there in search of greener pastures on a fake Visa. He and his co-traveller find themselves deported in a desert in the Saudi. Najeeb gets treated badly by his insensitive employer who orders him to tend to goats and camels in a remote area with no connectivity to roads. 

How does Najeeb manage to find a way out of this mess? With no one to help him, with no knowledge of the local language, with no means of communication with the outside world, what does he now do? That's what the film is about. 

Performances: Prithviraj Sukumaran performs well in this survival drama. He speaks a lot through his eyes once he grows a long beard out of no choice. He gave his career-best performance. Amala Paul got a limited role as his wife. She shines brightly. The other cast and crew are also good.

The artists who are seen in the desert portions are real. Their language hasn't been dubbed into Telugu to ensure authenticity and realism. 

Thumbs Up:

The lead man's performance 
Technical values 
No unnecessary characters 
AR Rahman's flawless background score

Thumbs down :

The film's pacing is slow. The run-time is 170 minutes. 

Analysis: The film is based on a novel written in 2008. The Malayalam novel was based on true incidents. The screenplay adaptation by Blessy is strong in terms of emotions although the pace is slow. The audience will surely cherish watching Najeeb’s search for self-liberation on the big screen. The visuals and background music are excellent. 

At times, the film reminds us of the plight of characters from various survival thrillers. The Telugu version has been released with backing by a top banner. Let's hope that this film finds takers. 

Verdict: The Goat Life is truly a magical survival thriller. It is a rare and enriching movie. You must watch it!