David (Tamil) Movie Review

by Raven

 First things first, few minutes into Bejoy Nambiar’s David (Tamil version), one might wonder if it is a dubbed version or a bilingual (the movie is being promoted as bilingual). Most of the dialogues do not sync with the lip movements, except for the scenes involving Jiiva. Leaving this factor aside, has the movie delivered what was promised? This is Bejoy Nambiar’s second film after his impressive ‘Shaitan’ in Bollywood. The movie boasts of a huge star cast including Vikram, Jiiva, Isha Sharvani, Tabu and Lara Dutta.

The Plot

The movie revolves around two plots. The first plot revolves around David (Vikram) in Goa, set in 2010. He is an happy-go-lucky guy and falls in love with deaf and mute Roma (Isha Sharvani), who apparently is engaged to his close friend. The second plot revolves around another David (Jiiva) in Mumbai, set in 1999. He is an aspiring guitarist and when his father becomes a victim of communal politics, he wants to take revenge. Both these plots converge at the climax of the film.

Performances

Vikram has limited scope in the film as his role is always under the influence of alcohol. However, Vikram has given a measured performance. He could have been used in a better way though, if his role had been sketched better. Jiiva is one of the strong points in the movie. He has brought out different emotions convincingly. Watch out for his powerful expressions post intermission.

Isha Sharvani looks pretty and has come with a neat performance as a deaf and mute girl. She has carried herself confidently on the screen. Tabu and Lara Dutta have limited screen presence, and are adequate in their roles.

Technicalities

Almost all the songs are used as used to take the movie forward. They do not hinder the flow of the movie at any point. ‘Manamey’ by Prashanth Pillai and ‘Kanave Kanave’ by Anirudh stand out from rest of the tracks.

Cinematography is by three different cinematographers and the visuals look slick. The fight sequence involving Jiiva post intermission has been shot brilliantly. Sreekar Prasad’s editing is little disappointing as many of the scenes drag too much.

Script and Direction – Bejoy Nambiar

Director Bejoy Nambiar’s idea of setting up two different stories in different time periods, and converging them at the climax is appreciable. Having said that, the plots look very weak and long drawn, especially the Vikram’s plot. The climax looks uninspired and little preachy.

Although the movie is just over 2 hours, it might look like lengthier due to lack of entertaining elements. There are few interesting moments in the second half but one might feel ‘Too little, too late’. By the time the movie reaches the climax, audience would have already been exasperated.

Bottomline

Sadly, ‘David’ falls short of expectations and never really keeps the audience engaged. Apart from the sluggish screenplay, the ‘dubbed movie feeling’ also brings down the movie.

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