The Stoneman Murders Movie Review: Keeps on the edge!

The Stoneman Murders is a fantastic movie which deserves full marks for authentic treatment, sound script and fantastic performance especially by Kay Kay Menon. The Stoneman Murders is gripping and keeps the viewers riveted to the end. Though the climax is predictable, the buildup to the climax is terrific. The writer-director Manish Gupta needs to be given a round of applause for making a terrific murder mystery, and creating the eerie feel, without resorting to too much blood or gore.

Story of The Stoneman Murders: The story of The Stoneman Murders takes us back to the year 1983 where Mumbai shivered in the chilling deaths of sleeping pavements dwellers and beggars who were killed by a huge stone. These deaths often happened on Tuesdays and Saturdays and between 1 am to 3 pm, between the streets of Sion and Matunga. The huge stone would be left behind after every serial killing as the killer’s signature mark of death. But the irony is that these killings which happened all of a sudden, disappeared quickly as well. So was the case really solved? Was there a cover-up involved? And how did these murders resurface in Calcutta years later? You will get the possible answers to these questions in The Stoneman Murders.

Kay Kay Menon plays Sanjay Shelaar, a hot tempered policeman who flies off the handle when it comes to treating criminals. He does not get along with Kedaar(Arbaaz Khan) another policeman. One such third-degree treatment given by Kay Kay to a criminal result in his death, and Kay Kay is suspended. The incomplete ‘Stoneman murders’ or the ‘patthar-maar’ case is given to Kedaar. However Satam(Vikram Gokhale) unofficially lets Sanjay continue with his investigation in order to save his job. It is now up to Kay Kay to crack the case in his own way, without the police having a whiff of his investigation.

Technicalities of The Stoneman Murders: Full marks to Bobby Bedi for making another gripping, experimental film. He has sought to expose the biggest cover-up of investigating agencies through The Stoneman Murders. Since the director and writer are the same person(Manish Gupta), what has been researched and written, translates brilliantly on the screen. The movie is in control right from the first frame but things begin to get really interesting after the second half. Since most of the film has been shot in pitch darkness, the camera work is first-rate. The eerie atmosphere is well thought of and most of the time, the fear is real because we are dealing with a serial killer, not an imaginary ghost. The only minus point of the film is an item number which was not necessary.

Best scenes in The Stoneman Murders: 1. The railway station scene where Kay Kay almost nabs the stoneman but gets involved in a scuffle with the policemen. The daring scene in which Kay Kay Menon jumps aboard a running train and jumps down at the killer as the train is in motion, has been done without a body double.
2. The build-up to the climax, especially when Vikram Ghokhale tells Kay Kay Menon to leave Bombay secretly

Performances of The Stoneman Murders: Kay Kay Menon has given his career-best performance in The Stoneman Murders. Virendra Saxena, Vikram Gokhale and Rukhsar who plays Kay Kay Menon’s neglected wife put in watchable performances. The only let-down is Arbaaz Khan who is not impressive at all.

Conclusion: Easily, the best film of 2009 so far, The Stoneman Murders is rock-solid in every way. And yes, Rukhsar does have a sexy back!