DEAR – REVIEW
Cast: G.V. Prakash Kumar, Aishwarya Rajesh, Kaali Venkay, Nandhini, Rohini, Thalaivaasal Vijay
Director: Anand Ravichandran
Anand Ravichandran‘s DeAr presents a seemingly straightforward premise: a newly married couple grappling with the intrusion of sleep apnea into their marital bliss. Deepika (Aishwarya Rajesh), burdened by this affliction, and Arjun (GV Prakash Kumar), a light sleeper whose patience wears thin with each reverberating snore, find their relationship strained by sleepless nights and mounting frustrations.
The film, however, doesn’t delve into the complexities of this situation with the nuance it deserves. Deepika‘s sleep apnea, a condition with a range of potential treatments and management strategies, is presented as an insurmountable obstacle, devoid of exploration into available solutions. This lack of investigation weakens the film‘s credibility. Arjun‘s reaction, bordering on petulant and immature, further undermines the film‘s emotional core. His quickness to anger and his insistence on divorce as a solution, without demonstrably attempting to understand or address the issue, makes it difficult to empathize with his plight.
While it may be on purpose that Arjun is antagonized, you don’t really feel an organic growth in his character. His attempts to reconcile later on falls flat. There’s a disconnect. His career aspirations and subsequent setbacks are also resolved abruptly. Similarly, the family dynamics, designed to add depth and context, feel repetitive and unengaging, bogging down the narrative with superfluous drama.
Despite these shortcomings, the performances offer moments of genuine emotion. Aishwarya Rajesh delivers a nuanced portrayal of Deepika, capturing her character‘s concern and resilience with a quiet strength. GV Prakash Kumar effectively conveys Arjun‘s frustration and emotional turmoil, though his character‘s lack of development makes it difficult to fully connect with his struggles.
DeAr has moments of genuine emotion but falls short of its potential. The performances offer glimpses of what could have been. They are not enough to salvage a film that ultimately succumbs to its own contrivances.