In this indie drama, coffee is only in the roots while it is human nature and emotions that are at the forefront.
Dev (Mathur) is a gloomy young man who comes out of depression caused by a breakup with his girlfriend Anika (Garg) only to lapse into a indefinite period of mourning due to the death of his mother. He travels to Coorg where his family used to own a coffee farm; the unsolicited and unofficial sale of which marks the beginning of his family's immortal poverty. Dev was the one who had sold the property without consulting with his parents, which had instantly led to his father's death and also eventually his mother's, so his visit to Coorg is to make peace with his past by doing one good and sane thing for his family and to peacefully say a final goodbye to his mother.
The story is written with a deadpan attitude, but that is what the protagonist is all about. He believes in spirituality but hasn't been able to fix his own strings, and regards other people as garbage. He thinks that going back to the place where he spent his childhood days might alleviate his agony, but the problem mounts when he meets Anika there with her husband (Kapoor)? Successfully setting a suspense tone, the screenplay moves forward slowly crescendoing into a moment of cinematic resuscitation.
Cast performance is good, but the film's technical parameters reduces its value. For instance, the sound mixing is horrible, which points to the fact that writing and acting aren't the only parameters which mark a film's creativity and/or novelty. Plus, the music seems plagiarized, with the final theme sounding like a Hollywood ballad.
All said and done, the story is true to the heart and conveys a message about emotional baggage that can only be dumped through service/altruism. Not being selfish can be a start.
BOTTOM LINE: Debutante Manu Warrier's philosophical drama, Coffee Bloom, is well-brewed, but it is served in a cup with tiny holes in it, for if you don't grasp the essence and drink quickly, you may not get anything at all. A good afternoon watch.
GRADE: D-
Can be watched with a typical Indian family? YES
Kissing: Mild
