If I could describe Bejoy Nambiar's debut Malayalam feature Solo in a single word I'd use "pretentious". There's so much to criticize that one could even lose track of the convoluted themes the film tries to put emphasis on. Dulquer Salmaan plays four different characters in this mythologically-pumped anthology film that aspires to explore human relationships. There's this specially-abled guy who falls in love with a blind woman, a married man unable to grieve the death of an important person, a troubled hit-man with parental issues, and a soldier looking for answers from his girlfriend. On paper, Solo looks like a craftsman's dream script, and thanks to the beautiful shots, exotic scenery, and unnecessary yet creative title designs, it makes a mark on you. But the problem is that the staleness of these four stories and the way they are narrated overpowers the good bits and annoys the audience. The part-talented, part-amateur cast fail to salvage a film if it relies on tomfoolery in the name of creativity, and Solo makes that mistake quite a few times. Certain sequences get under your skin and make you wonder "what exactly is happening here?!" and "why did Dulquer do this?!" but you are not going to get these answers. So it becomes more bothersome. Solo is definitely a well-crafted film that reeks of art and creativity. Maybe the messages were lost in the editing room, but if that's the case this shouldn't have been a film in the first place. Hardly worth giving a try. TN.
