Boat

Boat Movie Synopsis: In 1943, amid the Japanese bombardment of Madras, ten people, who couldn’t be more different from one another, escape by sea in a small boat. What ensues next?

Boat Movie Review: The time is 1943 Madras and the backdrop is the Japanese bombardment of the city. This is when ten people get on a small boat and try to escape by the sea. A father and daughter, a pregnant mother and her son and even a mysterious person deemed a terrorist by the British are among those in the boat. Each of them couldn’t be more different from one another. But, right now, they are all in the middle of the sea, struggling to safeguard their lives. They encounter several hazards on the way, like the danger of the boat sinking and a possible attack by a shark surrounding the boat.

With such an intriguing premise and an equally intriguing (at least initially) set of characters, the stakes should have been much higher. But Boat falls short of becoming a satisfactory watch. When a film revolves around so many diverse characters and is placed against such a backdrop, the proceedings can never come across as frivolous. But that is what happens in Boat. It doesn't take long for the diverseness of the characters to turn caricaturish.

The film's portrayal of the Tamil-speaking British officers and an Indian revolutionary is so one-note as it touches upon all the film cliches associated with such a character. The discordant music by Ghibran, the unnecessary humour that forcefully fits into the narrative and the unintentionally funny pop culture reference make the film jarring.

Throughout the course of the film, we are made to doubt each of them as to whether they are the terrorist. Even with all that buildup, the eventual revelation of who that individual is happens swiftly and senselessly. When you spend so much of your time on building up who among those in the boat is the terrorist, why not give the same thought and consideration to writing the eventual payoff? It comes across as if the makers had to get done with that angle now that it was time for the film to conclude.

Rather than just adding too many subplots to keep the narrative flowing, the makers could have integrated them well into the overall proceedings and put more thought into the payoff of it all.

Acting-wise, the film consists of one competent actor after another. They do their parts well and play a major role in keeping us invested. But the triviality of the proceedings bogs down their performances. If your only goal in watching a film is to admire its imagery and ambition, then Boat might be an appropriate watch for you. But the film fails to establish itself as anything more than that or as a solid survival drama.