I’m Game is a supernatural mass entertainer that blends humour, action, twists and a generous dose of whimsical aspects. Directed by Nahas Hidhayath, the film marks Dulquer Salmaan’s return to Malayalam cinema and attempts to deliver an unapologetically larger-than-life entertainer. While its ambition and willingness to experiment work in its favour, the film is also weighed down by its excesses and an uneven second half.
Story:
Dan John is an affluent man who spends his life chasing money and thrills. Dan is not your regular commercial cinema hero; he is highly unlikeable, arrogant and unapologetically headstrong and selfish. The transformation of Dan comes in slowly and in a meaningful way, without being rushed from the very beginning. However, the character’s journey could have benefited from a little more emotional depth in certain portions.
Dan’s life takes an unexpected turn following an accident and a transplant, after which strange and unexplained events begin to unfold around him. As the story progresses, the film takes us into the world of cricket betting, while our protagonist navigates ideas of karma, revenge and the consequences of one’s actions.
How all of these various events come together and what ultimately happens to Dan forms the rest of the story.
What about on-screen performances?
Dulquer Salmaan plays Dan John and is easily the film’s strongest pillar. He carries the film throughout and is one of the primary reasons why the first half remains thoroughly entertaining. He brings the required swagger and arrogance to the character, making Dan the perfect protagonist with grey shades, while still managing to make him charming and unlikeable at the same time. Dulquer single-handedly drives much of the narrative and delivers a commendable performance, often compensating for some of the film’s weaker writing choices.
Kayadu Lohar plays the female lead, and her relationship with Dan is very interesting and unique from the beginning itself. Kayadu gives an adequate performance, but the scenes involving her character and Dan, especially the way these two characters interact with each other, seem unnatural at times. While their equation is intended to be unconventional, some of these moments do not come across as organically as they should.
Antony Varghese plays Vignesh, a cricketer whose character is built up with considerable anticipation. While his introduction feels underwhelming, especially considering all the hype that leads up to the moment, Antony gradually settles into the role and takes command of his portions, delivering a commendable performance. However, the writing around his character does not always fully live up to the anticipation created.
The supporting cast includes Mysskin, Kathir and Vinay Forrt, who perform their respective roles effectively. There is also an Asif Ali cameo that is included purely for fun and adds to the film’s larger-than-life treatment, though it does not necessarily add much to the overall story.
What about off-screen talents?
Nahas Hidhayath does not attempt to make a simple or straightforward film with I’m Game. He has chosen to tell a story in a world filled with supernatural elements, humour, action and several unexpected twists. While this is what initially excites the audience the most, it can become overwhelming towards the end. However, the film occasionally becomes too indulgent in this very world, with its excesses sometimes overpowering the story itself.
There is a layered form of storytelling that the director includes in this film, where he explores the consequences of betting while also touching upon deeper concepts like karma and revenge. Through Dan’s character, he weaves an anti-hero who does not stop to think or evaluate his decisions, a character who is not particularly bothered about morals.
The supernatural portions are among the film’s more whimsical aspects. Several sequences deliberately embrace slapstick humour and absurdity, and while they may not work for everyone, they fit comfortably within the film’s universe, and can feel like a drag. However, the nearly three-hour runtime becomes increasingly difficult to justify and sometimes unbearable, particularly in the second half, where the narrative experiences noticeable lags and loses all of its momentum.
Jimshi Khalid’s cinematography effectively supports the film’s supernatural and larger-than-life atmosphere. Chaman Chacko’s editing does little to make the film more entertaining, a much sharper and more concise edit could have significantly improved the pacing, particularly in the second half.
Jakes Bejoy’s background score is one of the film’s major strengths and significantly elevates several moments that would have fallen flat otherwise.
The action choreography is decent.
What’s hot?
1. Dulquer Salmaan’s performance
2. Entertaining first half
3. Jakes Bejoy’s background score
4. Supernatural and whimsical treatment
5. Action sequences
What’s not?
1. Nearly three-hour runtime
2. Noticeable lags in the second half
3. Several convenient plot developments
4. Underwhelming introduction for Vignesh
5. A few odd narrative choices
Verdict
I’m Game is ambitious, but it is quite messy and often indulgent in its own world. The first half is entertaining and the film’s supernatural treatment keep things engaging, but the sluggish second half, excessive runtime and convenient plot developments hold it back. It soon turns into a lengthy, boring watch that is lost in its own world.
Telugubulletin Rating – 2.5/5
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