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Movie Name: Dominic and the Ladies’ Purse
Directed by: Gautham Vasudev Menon
Starring: Mammootty, Gokul Suresh, Lena, Sushmitha Bhatt, Meenakshi Unnikrishnan, Vineeth, Siddique, Vijay Babu, Wafa Khadeeja, Viji Venkatesh, Harshitha Pisharody, Gautham Vasudev Menon
Genre: Thriller, Mystery, Comedy
Release date: 23 January 2025
Running time: 152 Minutes
Language: Malayalam
Rating:
Production company: Mammootty Kampany
Budget: ₹10 Cr
Dominic, a sharp but disgraced ex-cop, nice guy, who knows all the right moves and is now a detective, takes on a simple job to find the owner of a purse. This quickly spirals into a gripping mystery of missing people, murder, a stalker, and an enigmatic dancer named Nandhita.
Dominic and the Ladies’ Purse: Movie Overview
Dominic and the Ladies’ Purse is an upcoming Indian Malayalam-language mystery thriller film directed by Gautham Vasudev Menon and produced by Mammotty Kampany. The film stars Mammootty in the titular role, alongside Gokul Suresh, Lena, Siddique, Vijay Babu and Viji Venkatesh.
The film was officially announced in July 2024 under the tentative title Production No: 6, as it is the sixth production venture of Mammootty Kampany, and the official title was announced that September. Principal photography commenced the same month in Kochi. The film has music composed by Darbuka Siva, cinematography handled by Vishnu Dev and editing by Lewellyn Anthony. It is scheduled to release on 23 January 2025.
Principal photography began with the first schedule on 10 July 2024 in Kochi.
Movie Trailer:
Movie Review:
Needless flab turns Gautham Menon-Mammootty film into average fare
Gautham Menon, in his first Malayalam outing, appears to be in a bit of a dilemma as to how to treat the star at the centre of his film, delivering an average detective movie
Private eye Dominic, like all wannabe Sherlocks, has a habit of making quick deductions about other people just from their appearances. But, unlike in most other films, the protagonist of Gautham Vasudev Menon’s Dominic And The Ladies’ Purse gets it wrong in the opening sequence when he makes assumptions about a person aspiring to be his assistant. It is a delightful subversion of the overused detective trope, which fills one with hope for what is to follow.
Unfortunately, the film does not always live up to this early promise except in a few interesting patches. Gautam Menon, in his first Malayalam outing, appears to be in a bit of a dilemma as to how to treat the star at the centre of his film. While there are a few scenes lampooning the pompous private detective Dominic (Mammootty), there are an equal number of scenes of his assistant (Gokul Suresh) being amazed by his investigative abilities.
One thing that the screenwriters — Gautham Menon, Neeraj Rajan and Sooraj Rajan — get right is the characterisation of Dominic, a former police officer now running a private detective agency which takes up not so honourable cases for easy money. But the man is struggling to pay his rents, a fact which leads to the seemingly simple case of the ladies’ purse, which the landlady (Viji Venkatesh) entrusts him. Dominic’s quest for the purse’s owner and the way it slowly builds into a wider investigation with bigger stakes is quite an intriguing narrative, but the way it is approached on screen almost spoils it.
Weighing down the film is quite a lot of flab, from pointless song sequences, hints of a needless romance and clumsily staged fight sequences. The investigation proceeds at a languid pace, with the writers never attempting to land impactful punches in between. Only the unfolding mystery keeps the audience invested during the several dull stretches. The final revelation, despite being a bit problematic, salvages the film to an extent, but even this late push gets it only into the average territory.
More than the investigation part, what enlivens the film are the quirks of the character and some of the humour using deft references to yesteryear films. Often in recent films, such references have ended up as lazy attempts for applause, but here much of it fits the context, right from the password cracking sequence to the detective’s screenwriting attempts for a maker of popular thrillers.
Dominic And The Ladies’ Purse ends with the prospect of the detective taking up more such cases. Dominic is a character which holds immense possibilities, but he deserves a better-made film with less frills.
Movie Songs:
Song Title: Margazhi
Lyrics: Vinayak Sasikumar
Music Composer: Darbuka Siva
Singers: Keerthana Vaidyanathan, Kapil kapilan
Song Title: Ee Rathri
Lyrics: Vinayak Sasikumar
Music Composer: Darbuka Siva
Singers: Vijay Yesudas, ThirumaLi, Sathyaprakash, Pavithra Chari
