Coffee Bloom
Review :
Having disappointed his mother with his worthlessness while she was alive, Dev seeks redemption. In order to fulfill her wish of reclaiming their coffee estate in Coorg, which he had to sell off, Dev revisits his hometown. As fate would have it, he bumps into his former girlfriend Anika (Sugandha Garg) there, who is now married to Vas (Mohan Kapoor). Incidentally, Vas owns Dev’s coffee estate and turns out, Dev still loves Anika. Can he stick to the plan?
Set in the lush green valleys of Coorg, barring the visual beauty, this drama on exploration of one’s mindset fails to strike a chord. The film desperately tries to be metaphorical and layered, when it essentially deals with finding closure in a failed relationship. Its attempt at drawing parallels between the blooming of coffee plants and evolution of human behaviour seems too far-fetched and disconnected. The fact that this concept had to be literally explained to the audience, in the guise of a conversation between two central characters, speaks volumes of the film’s inadequacies, in terms of writing and execution.
After enacting a brooding and morose character in Fireflies, Mathur is at the helm of things once again in a somewhat similar troubled character. His efforts however seem futile as the sluggish pace and inconsequential story refuse to take off. Also, the film gives the impression that the story wasn’t pre-decided and it was directed on a scene to scene basis with no particular purpose in mind. It thus wanders around aimlessly like its protagonist – rebel without a cause.
Nevertheless, if you find nothingness fascinating and are fine with films boasting of unhurried silences and stunning landscapes, you can give this indie film a shot. Ironically, you will need a cup of coffee to sit through this tedious affair.
Story :
Disillusioned with love and life in general, Dev Kariappa (Arjun Mathur) yearns to become a sanyasi. However, the passing of his mother, forces an unambitious Dev to snap out of his tragic philosophies and face the real world.
The Times of India