Mammootty in a scene from ‘Dominic and the Lady’s Purse’
Private eye Dominic, like all wannabe Sherlocks, has a habit of drawing quick conclusions about other people based on their appearance. But, unlike most other films, Gautham Vasudev Menon’s hero dominique and ladies purse What goes wrong early on is when he makes assumptions about the man who wants to be his assistant. It’s a delightful subversion of the overused detective story, one that leaves one with hope moving forward.
Unfortunately, with the exception of a few interesting stretches, the film doesn’t always live up to this early promise. Gautham Menon, in his first Malayalam film, is a bit indecisive about how to treat the star at the center of his film. While some scenes make fun of pompous private detective Dominic (Mammootty), there are equally many scenes of marveling at the investigative abilities of his assistant (Gokul Suresh).
One thing that the screenwriters – Gautham Menon, Neeraj Rajan and Sooraj Rajan – get right is the characterization of Dominic, a former police officer who now runs a private detective agency, who is in trouble for the easy money. Does not take up respectable matters. But the man is struggling to pay his rent, a fact that leads to the seemingly simple matter of a lady’s purse, which the landlady (Viji Venkatesh) entrusts to him. Dominic’s search for the owner of the purse and the way it slowly turns into a massive investigation with big stakes is quite an interesting story, but the way it is presented on screen almost spoils it. Gives.
Dominic and the Ladies Purse (Malayalam)
director: Gautam Vasudev Menon
mold: Mammootty, Sushmita Bhatt, Gokul Suresh, Viji Venkatesh
run-time: 152 minutes
Story: Private detective Dominic’s landlord tasks him with tracking down the owner of a purse, but this simple assignment turns into a major investigation.
The film is significantly weakened by meaningless song sequences, unnecessary romance hints and clumsily staged fight sequences. The investigation progresses slowly, with the writers never attempting to strike a punchy punch. Only the unfolding mystery keeps the audience engaged during several dull stretches. The final revelation, while a bit problematic, saves the film somewhat, but even this late effort takes it only to average territory.
More than the investigation part, what makes the film come alive are the character quirks and some humor using clever references to old films. Often in recent films, such references have ended up as lazy attempts at applause, but here most of it fits into the context, from the password cracking sequence to the detective’s screenwriting efforts for the producer of the popular thriller. .
Dominic and the Lady’s Purse ends with the detective likely to take on more such cases. Dominic is a character with immense potential, but he deserves a better film with less frills.
Dominic and the Lady’s Purse is currently playing in theaters
published – January 23, 2025 05:21 PM IST
