Dominic and the Ladies’ Purse – My Flash Review!

For a Gautam Vasudev Menon film, it is an odd title. But then, GVM, as he is fondly known, has been trying to reinvent himself and step out of his comfort zone for some time now. We saw that attempt in his earlier film Vendhu Thanindhathu Kaadu as well. Not just the title, Dominic and the Ladies’ Purse itself proceeds oddly for a GVM film. Why am I saying that?  It isn’t easy to pin the film down to a particular genre. In more ways than one, it is a crime-detection film, but not a thriller. It is more of an investigation drama than a thriller. What works is the way GVM packages the film, using Mammootty as the sheet anchor, who has also bankrolled it.

Mammootty plays the title role of Dominic, an ex-cop who runs a fledgling private detective agency.  In the initial scenes, Dominic is shown as more of a bungling detective but with flashes of brilliance. Strangely, he ends up with a case to find the owner of a lost lady’s purse and return it to her. What starts as a relatively straightforward case becomes complicated when Dominic discovers that the purse’s owner and her lover are missing. Without keeping us on the edge of our seats, the screenplay takes us through various twists and turns in a calm, composed and relaxed way as Dominic chases the case.

This is not GVM’s genre. Yet, as a director, GVM has done a neat job of translating the script to the big screen. The casting, camerawork, and other technical aspects have been handled well. The writing by Neeraj Rajan, Sooraj Rajan, and GVM is witty and sharp. My only problem with an otherwise good film was the convoluted climax. The ending reveal could be seen from a long distance, and it reeked of a contrived plot point. However, credit must be given to both GVM and Sushmitha Bhat, the female lead, for pulling off a convincing character transformation through a combination of camera work and Bhat’s acting, makeup, and body language.

Mammootty, as Dominic, absorbs the character well and goes about his business in an affable, nonchalant manner. The writing is laced with self-deprecating humour about Mammootty’s character, which helps keep us distracted from the investigation. GVM also tries in vain to maintain the “mass” image of Mammootty by interspersing the proceedings with sleek action sequences. For a film in which Mammootty is supposed to be more brainy than brawny, the action sequences feel forced, though they are well choreographed and staged. In line with the film’s non-thriller structure, Darbuka Siva’s background score plays along nicely, without escalating the tension much, even in crucial moments of reckoning.

Dominique and the Ladies’ Purse could very well be part of the Oru CBI Diary Kurippu series, with Mammootty playing the famed Sethurama Iyer character and investigating the crime here, after some tweaking to the screenplay. Mammootty’s characterisation, using his instincts to crack the case, is very much in the zone of the Iyer character. As in those film series, Mammootty almost single-handedly carries the film on his shoulders. Sangeetha Bhat has a problem with dialogue delivery in Malayalam, yet she gives a convincing performance. Even her dialogue delivery can be explained by her character’s background as being half Tamil. There is a reference to the novel Ponniyin Selvan towards the end, and I wonder if the naming of the female lead as Nanditha is inspired by Nandini from the book. GVM sticks to his lucky charm, Karthik, for the name of her lover.

It is to GVM’s credit that he sets aside his usual style and sticks to the one the script demands. But for the tepid climax reveal, the film would have landed well, in my opinion. Dominic and the Ladies’ Purse has an interesting premise, and if you are a lover of the crime-detection genre, it is a good watch. When the film ends, you feel a missed opportunity for GVM. Dominic and the Ladies Purse is now streaming on Zee5.