Though the story lacks in originality, it displays more brawn than brains and excels in its production values. The production designs, cinematography, editing and background-score are all of ace quality.

Pinneyum is certainly not Adoor’s best visual expedition, but like his earlier works, the film tries to explore the human psyche through a very ordinary narrative technique.

Pinneyum is certainly not Adoor’s best visual expedition, but like his earlier works, the film tries to explore the human psyche through a very ordinary narrative technique.

Overall, watch the film only if you want to encourage new talent.

The climax is another point where the director seems to have worked hard to bring the best outcome. As the movie opens up a wide range of possibilities for a conclusion, Vikram Kumar chose the best option that provides a whole new perspective about the movie and also about time riddled life through the climax.

The film is indeed poignant, and affirms that Raam’s philosophy of weaving a story by understanding life backwards can result in a standing ovation if balanced by a forward-looking approach.  

Overall, “Shortcut Safari” is a shoddily presented escapade which is neither engrossing nor appealing.

The exorcism itself, where we might expect to get our money’s worth, is an almost amusing mix of the bizarre and the banal. In a room much too crowded with defenceless witnesses, a stern cardinal from the Vatican talks the holy trinity, sprinkles the holy water, wields the holy dagger, and extracts some wholesome eggs.

Gyllenhaal too is curiously disappointing, more caught up in his own character, with its tattoos, its constantly puffed eye and its mumbled speaking, than in genuine contact with either the people around him or his audience. There are many scenes of Billy and his daughter Leila, but never do you sense the desperation he constantly professes to feel to get her back.

An affected piece of work where the detective is in his 90s, retired, and focused mostly on his prized bees, Mr Holmes involves three very uneasily meshed storylines raised only by the quality of McKellen’s striking performance.