Orijinal Movie Review & Rating: By now, anyone who has heard the title Orijinal knows that it’s a time-travel film, and the promotional materials have made it abundantly clear. However, it’s not a high-concept, tech-heavy movie. Instead, writer-director Ramees anchors it in a moral conflict, where two versions of the same person clash in a battle between doing the right thing and doing what’s right for them.In 2012, Rijin (Sreenath Bhasi) is an aspiring filmmaker. Since childhood, he has grown up believing that it’s okay to copy other people’s work and pass it off as his own as long as others don’t figure it out. Even as an adult, he continues this practice and pitches to producers stories of foreign films as his own. Fast forward to 2024: Rijin is still struggling as he never made it big after being exposed for plagiarism. From now on, let’s refer to the 2024 version as Rijin Sr and the 2012 version as Rijin Jr.Don’t Miss | Udumbanchola Vision review: Mathew Thomas’ crime thriller is a masterclass in what not to doOne day, Rijin Sr comes across a device at a relative’s home that teleports him back in time to 2012. There, he connects with his younger self, and they devise plans to improve their lives. Rijin Sr suggests that Rijin Jr steal movie ideas from the future and make his own films in 2012, thus avoiding plagiarism allegations since the original makers haven’t even thought of these stories yet. The two Rijins do this and enjoy success, but it comes at a cost.O’RIJIN’al could have easily aimed higher. It could have balanced on the lean branch it’s sitting on, stood on its toes, and leapt to catch a much higher branch. However, Ramees never allows it. He is more like Rijin Jr than Rijin Sr — he is satisfied with how things are.Drama over hard scienceOne major issue fantasy and sci-fi Malayalam movies often face is the makers’ obsession with sounding smart and pretending to know the math and science behind the themes or concepts they depict. In pursuit of getting things “right,” makers often end up compromising the creative and emotional aspects of the narrative, rendering it merely an incomplete encyclopedia of technical jargon.However, Orijinal doesn’t try to get its science right. One could easily dismiss its story by listing principles of physics. But the movie’s strength lies in the fact that it simply doesn’t care; it cares only about its story and its progression. Yes, the time-travel element is crucial. But it’s more about the drama, moral dilemma, and battle of consciences triggered by the time travel and its repercussions than its scientific aspects.Story continues below this adSreenath Bhasi vs Sreenath BhasiEarly on, we hear Rijin say that applause is his biggest inspiration and that he would do anything to earn it. In both 2012 and 2024, this is the force driving him. However, with age and after facing significantly bigger struggles, Rijin Sr has lost much of his goodness and is willing to go to any lengths to change his life. Although Rijin Jr also wants his life to be better, he isn’t as selfish and heartless as his 2024 self. Essentially, this is what Orijinal is about, and it even throws the adage “with age comes wisdom” out the window to show how lived experiences and scars can turn any Wanda Maximoff into a rogue Scarlet Witch.Also Read | Gajab Raat movie review: Manoj Bajpayee keeps you watching as film meandersNevertheless, the movie doesn’t just use time travel as a convenient plot device. Instead, it creates the space for a showdown between two sides of the same coin, which is intensified by the essence of Tony Stark/Iron Man’s (Robert Downey Jr) line from Avengers: Endgame (2019): “You mess with time, it tends to mess back.” Although Orijinal had at its core the potential to become a mind-bender like The Spierig Brothers’ Predestination (2014) or Christopher Smith’s Triangle (2009), Ramees doesn’t even bother trying, which ultimately helps the movie.Where Orijinal falls shortHowever, despite all the positives, the film is light on drama, which keeps it from reaching its full potential. While the movie reasonably fleshes out the drama between the two Rijins, as well as between Anand (Abhiram Radhakrishnan) and Rijin Sr, it never goes beyond this or hits the high notes it easily could have. Particularly disappointing is the film’s handling of several characters who are often present on screen but never really come to the foreground or receive the limelight, with the best example being Anand’s wife (Femina George).Story continues below this adMust Read | Udta Teer movie review: Ayushmann Khurrana film is a tedious mix of spoof and sentimentAt several points throughout the movie, including at the opening, we see the man who invented the watch (Rajesh Madhavan), but he has almost no significance beyond that. Ramees focuses on Rijin, which causes him to un/knowingly neglect everyone else. Besides, Orijinal also overstays its welcome with a never-ending epilogue that dampens the impact of its climax.The movie’s unnecessary normalisation of weed is also condemnable.Sreenath Bhasi is impressive as Rijin and smartly distinguishes the two characters (yes, one could call them two characters, as their responses to various stimuli and situations are totally different), even while keeping in mind that they are technically the same person. From body language and energy level to certain variations in his diction, Bhasi establishes these distinctions subtly yet vividly.Story continues below this adICYMI | 418 movie review: Prashanth Neel-backed Yakshagana horror film struggles to scareOrijinal’s technical aspectsDespite its flaws, Ramees deserves credit for handling things well, as even a slightly different approach could have sent the film into a nosedive. There are moments when the film truly impresses, such as the scene showing Rijin Sr’s gradual change in character, elevated by the iconic “Kozhipunk” track.Electronic Kili’s music is phenomenal, as is Fahad Fatli’s cinematography and Shafique Mohamed Ali’s editing. Despite being a small production, the movie rarely feels sloppy when the two Sreenath Bhasis appear together, which isn’t a small feat.Orijinal movie cast: Sreenath Bhasi, Abhiram Radhakrishnan, Rajesh Madhavan, Femina George, Stini Francis, Saaf Boi, Binu PappuOrijinal movie director: RameesOrijinal movie rating: 2.5 stars