International Business Times Rating: 2.5
Although "James and Alice" gives out a positive message, the makers fail to serve it in the best way possible. It would have become one of the best entertainers of recent times if the almost-three-hour narrative was shortened, as I got the impression quite often that the makers were trying to strech a small rubberband — a simple plot — as much as possible.
James (Prithviraj) is an artist who falls in love with Alice (Vedhika), a banker. The couple gets married without the permission of Alice's father (Sai Kumar), who is rich and very concerned about his daughter's future. Later, they are also blessed with a daughter who they name Pinky (Emine Salman). James changes careers to become an ad film maker when he understands that taking care of a family is a huge responsibility. However, when Alice realises that marital life is totally different from bachelor life, some indifferences creep in between the couple, leading them towards divorce.
The movie is sure to give a positive message to many young couples, especially in a time when divorce cases have seen a huge rise in our society. But the 2-hour-46-minute running time becomes the villain of "James and Alice," which also has a predictable climax.
The notable performances of Prithviraj Sukumaran and Vedhika, along with beautiful cinematography by director Sujith Vaassudev are the highlights of "James and Alice." As always, Prithviraj has done a good job as a modern artist as well as a middle-aged ad film maker and a lovable father. But it is Vedhika who has outshined with her strong character in "James and Alice," making it her career-best till date and proving that she is more than just a good-looking actress. Sai Kumar as Alice's father, Emine Salman as Pinky, Sijoy Varghese as Peter, Manju Pillai as Adv. Rohini, Sudheer Karamana as KT and Parvathy Nair as Nandu have also delivered decent performances.
The background music by Gopi Sunder is satisfactory and the three songs have blended well with the situations in the movie.
Drawbacks
With a not-so-common story-telling method, "James and Alice" seems to be not everyone's cup of tea. S Janardhanan's scripting, with the narrative spinning around the ideas of death and life, should have been made shorter and Samjith Mhd's editing needed more crispness.
Verdict
"James and Alice" had the scope to become an above-average flick, but the almost-three-hour running time made it weak. However, for the message it passes on to the audience, it is a must-watch for youngsters who are about to get married, or married couples who think they can't live together any longer. It's the small misunderstandings and miscommunications that play villain in the life of many. Sort it out.
