At first, Porinju Mariam Jose (PMJ) operates in the realm of a buddy film, where we see two friends, Porinju and Jose (whose names form two-thirds of the film's title) rebelling their way out of a school, since Porinju got insulted by their classist headmaster (by now, you must have guessed his comeuppance), just for being righteous, as he trashed a fellow student who tried to grope his crush, Mariam, who belongs to a rich family.
Cut to twenty years later, the same scene plays out. But this time replace the student offender with a bloke named Prince (played by Rahul Madhav), and this incident results in an underwhelming tale of revenge between him and the grown-up versions of Porinju and Jose (played by Joju George and Chemban Vinod Jose respectively). Set in mid-eighties, PMJ tells the story of Porinju, a gold-hearted thug who works under Iype, whom the villagers describe as 'a king without a crown'. Porinju's loyalty is put to a test when Iype's grandson Prince clashes with Jose.
PMJ aspires a bit more higher than an average masala film. Director Joshiy reimagines a generic hero introduction scene, which plays out like a series of retellings from fellow villagers. There is much more energy infused in the church procession scenes, where we see streets filled with bustling activity. The narrative too doesn't thoroughly demonize Iype. His relationship with Porinju carries a lot of panache and has more shades to it. Despite such touches, that subplot feels a bit under-written and the film gives lesser space to their subplot.
The film has good ideas, the villains send a warning to Jose and Porinju by sending coffins to their homes, but the ideas do not translate into a bigger impact since the antagonists are written in such a template-ridden way, where their quest for revenge happens for unconvincing reasons. The film falters, despite creating a strong protagonist due to its weaker villains.
Despite that, the first half has some noteworthy moments between Porinju and Mariam, a love-lorn couple who couldn't unite as Porinju was indirectly responsible for the death of Mariam's father. Even her father's death is given a darkly-comic spin. The film gives you a very convincing tale about friendship in the first half.
The second half uses predictable tropes of revenge drama and one might feel that the inventive filmmaking of the first half is missing. By the time we reach the climax, Prince's hammy characterization starts testing our patience. Due to the unconvincing antagonist, the deaths of major characters feel like mere collateral damage.
Joju George anchors the film with his brooding performance as Porinju. He appears to be extremely convincing and comfortable during the action scenes, while Chemban Vinod Jose puts up a spirited act as the disco-loving Jose. One of the most notable aspects of the film is the characterization of Mariam (played by a stunning Nyla Usha), whose boldness is shown with dignity and portrayed through a judgemental gaze. Despite the noteworthy touches, the predictability and over-stretched second half make Porinju Mariam Jose a mildly engaging fare that doesn't tap its potential.