This gets followed by a swift emotional montage, and here, I wondered if perhaps there might have been more value in lingering on the adversary a bit more? Perhaps that way, there might have been a chance for more emotional resonance around the character, as opposed to a broad, plot-benefitting understanding of what went on.
Darbuka Siva’s score occasionally feels overly energetic for the film’s grounded, realistic tone. During a crime scene investigation, for instance, the music—guitars and thumping beats joining the party—feels a curious fit. However, he more than makes up for it in that final flourish—an intercut sequence—with an emotional score that offers the kind of joy you can only truly get in the cinematic medium. Gautham Menon, for this moment, draws from an older, what we thought to be innocuous, visual.
This is one of many scenes in this film where you are invited to revisit and review feelings over something shown earlier. For instance, a policeman makes a stray comment that makes him seem rather perverted, but you process it in a wholly new light later on. A subplot about a loan, which feels like an excuse to stage a hero moment, adds valuable texture when you reconsider it. Even minor details, like Nandhitha speaking about her brother’s debts, echo much longer after the duration of the film.
Above all, Gautham Menon’s film stays true to Dominic’s character. Why does he take on the case of the ladies’ purse? Why does he hire Vignesh? Why does he stay at Nanditha’s house? The answer is consistent: Dominic is selfish, and the film embraces this. You see, this stubborn man won’t take no for an answer. It’s this quality that has him, like a blood-hound on a scent, tracking the trail of a purse, no matter where it leads him to. It doesn’t matter that his own life might be at stake.
So, yes, I enjoyed that this restrained origins film remains focused and unembellished, content with telling Dominic’s first chapter without the distraction of unnecessary flourishes. The film also cleverly leaves many details of his life open. What’s the nature of his relationship with his wife? Will Vignesh move on? Will the houseowner ever find what she’s looking for? If Dominic handles further cases—and I hope he does—there are many intriguing questions waiting to be answered.
Film: Dominic and the Ladies’ Purse
Director: Gautham Vasudev Menon
Cast: Mammootty, Gokul Suresh, Sushmitha Bhatt, Viji Venkatesh
Rating : 3.5/5
