Big Ben plot

In Big Ben, Lovely is delighted when her husband Jean Antony and their baby move in with her in London. But she also gets to see a different side of her husband, and after certain incidents, her baby girl is taken away by the authorities. Now Jean, a suspended cop from Kerala, must do what it takes to bring back his daughter.

Big Ben review

Rani Mukerji-led Mrs. Chatterjee vs Norway had portrayed a mother’s lengthy legal fight for justice after her little children were taken away by the foreign country’s officials. Bino Augustine’s directorial Big Ben also narrates a similar tale, which the makers claim is based on a real-life story. But instead of the long-drawn-out legal battle, the hot-headed father takes a rather daring route to bring back his daughter in this 2024 Malayalam film.

The Anu Mohan-starrer takes its time getting to this point, with the first half showcasing loving family members and joyful Malayali diaspora in London. The problem arises with Jean’s sudden outburst when his past is riled up, which is the trigger for the events leading up to the couple losing their child’s custody. 

This tonal shift in both Jean’s characterisation and the film’s narrative seemed jarring, and from then on, Big Ben oscillates between a fiery Jean, flying off the handle at the slightest provocation, to a level-headed Jean, making strategic schemes to get back his daughter.

Despite being the lead hero, Jean’s character lacked depth, and it is difficult to find fault with Anu Mohan’s performance, which does leave a lot to be desired.

Vijay Babu's character reminds Jean that "It is the Bloody UK" since Jean has a daring scheme. Additionally, the producers should have made notes because many of the movie's scenes, particularly those involving the foreign officials and their methods, were unrealistic, and some of the acting came off as childish. The filmmakers didn't say which elements of the narrative are taken from the real incident, but the manner in which the youngster was ultimately saved and returned home is noteworthy. In Malayalam film, this is a long way from the more realistic representations that one is accustomed to seeing.

The fast-paced narrative in the second half of the film, which doesn't allow viewers too much time to consider and identify faults, particularly when Jean is trying to enter the UK, is one of the elements that works in the film's favor. One of Aajad Kaalu's positive attributes is his excellent photography.

Lovely, the grieving mother, is portrayed by Aditi Ravi, who has starred in films like Pranav Mohanlal's Aadhi. She does her best to manage the numerous emotional moments she experiences. Vijay Babu and Chandunadh provide compelling portrayals of their characters as they back Jean's plans. However, the character of the villainous boss of Lovely, played by Malik actor Vinay Forrt, seems to be trapped in an underwritten role, and he disappears in the middle of the movie only to resurface for the post-end credits tamasha.

Big Ben verdict

Even if the film is said to be based on a real-life event, Jean's techniques in Big Ben seem unlikely. The movie suffers from this and poor characterization, despite the subject matter's significance and potential for a powerful story.

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