Genre: Family/Romance
Language: Hindi
Release Date: 2016
Overview
James & Alice is a 2016 Indian Malayalam-language fantasy romantic drama film written and directed by Sujith Vaassudev, starring Prithviraj Sukumaran and Vedhika in the lead roles. The music was composed by Gopi Sundar. The film was released on 5 May 2016.
Plot Summary
James is a talented artist and businessman. His wife Alice works in a bank. They get married against Alice’s father’s wishes due to James’ lack of a career, but they have led a successful marriage for seven years and have a child. However, the seven-year itch begins, with both of them focused on their respective careers. Their busy lifestyles and misunderstandings result in filing for divorce. A day before the divorce, James meets with a freaky car accident. In the hospital, while in a coma, James hallucinates and dreams of St. Peter’s presence, and both review his life, his mistakes, and the changes he could have made. Whether James realizes his mistakes and is able to come back to his life forms the crux of the movie.
Production
The filming began on 15 January 2016. Prithviraj and Vedhika previously acted together in Kaaviya Thalaivan (2014). Movie shooting was wrapped on 31 March 2016. Anil Johnson was initially signed on as the composer but opted out before filming began. Music was then composed by Gopi Sundar and released on the Muzik 247 label.
Critical Reception
The Times of India gave the film 2.5 out of 5 stars, stating, “The story arc of James and Alice is quite in sync with the analogy. Presented in a fragmented, flashback-heavy style, the movie is a simple portrait of a contemporary relationship, of a young family that is going through a rocky patch.” Malayala Manorama also gave 2.5 out of 5 stars, stating, “An exceedingly slow-paced film, with less humour or other remarkable agents, James and Alice isn’t everyone’s cup of tea. The feather touch of something celestial keeps it engaging, but the magic, sadly, wanes.” IndiaGlitz gave 2.5 out of 5 stars, noting, “Sujith Vasudev has done well for a directorial debut. There are certain elements that he will have to tweak to work for the larger audience. Gopi Sundar at the music section has done well yet again. The visually alluring frames need a special mention, and the cinematographer has done well to give an artistic rendering to the tale.”
Release
James & Alice was initially scheduled to release on 29 April 2016 but was later postponed and released on 5 May 2016. The DVD was released by Satyam Audios on 22 July 2016.
