The Secret In Their Eyes And Paleri Manikyam | Same Feel Same Class | Cine Talk

*Based on conversation with my friend Arun Purushothaman*

The Secret In Their Eyes is an Argentine movie speaking Spanish and Paleri Manikyam is an Indian movie speaking Malayalam. Both have a similar plot: An investigator turned writer (and the other way round) investigating a case in past unfolding some hidden truths. In The Secret... the lead actor is writing about a murder he investigated and in course of his research of people involved, he finds something totally unexpected. In Paleri... the lead actor is investigating and writing about a closed case and finds his relationship with the deceased. To the core, both stories have similar story lines.

Just like Mammootty, Darin is also a very capable actor. His charisma lies in subtle hints he drops rather than saying/acting loudly, which is a very common problem with usual cinema. Both tend to act with their eyes and body language. Their characters in Paleri... and The Secret... demanded the same. In some scenes, when their personal attachment with the deceased surfaces, their eyes speaks volumes. Dialogues though good, fail to take the forte. There individual performances take the experience beyond the script. Pretty ironically, both characters are very astute in their personal dealings and are in complicated relationships with a woman who become an important part of their journey. Now about the victims. Paleri...'s Manikyam and The Secret...'s Liliana Coloto, both are very similar caricatures. Both are young brides and in love with their husbands. Both are being brutally raped and murdered.

Both the movies can boast of fine script, fine direction, brilliant performances and convincing presentation. Both the movies have somewhat out-of-box way of presentation and demands some intellectual audience. Both can turn off people looking for some masala thriller.

Arun's Choice: The Secret In Their Eyes

My Choice: Paleri Manikyam

Written By: Sujoy Ghosh