And in that case, we highly recommend a movie marathon, of course. The only problem you might run into when choosing a Christmas movie is picking just one. (Matching pajamas and homemade Christmas treats not required, but strongly encouraged.) So snuggle in with your family on the couch, and watch your kids’ faces light up as they soak up the best Christmas movies for kids. And when it’s a family-friendly movie that you can enjoy with everyone you love-from toddlers to adults-even better. There's just something about holiday films that makes you feel all warm and fuzzy inside. Just like most things in the world, the beauty and the not-so-beautiful parts of Bloom squarely lies in the eyes of the beholder.Break out the hot chocolate and popcorn! Nothing beats the cozy feeling of curling up with holiday treats to watch the best Christmas movies of all time or Christmas movies on Netflix on a winter day. Our answers to these questions truly determine how we perceive Bloom. But again, does a filmmaker owe it to the times to not just gloss over a pandemic? Can a film made on the pandemic really not reflect the grave realities? Does it reek of elitism or is it just one person telling the story of two people in the way he wanted to? Apart from a throwaway line about how Ashwin doesn’t like watching the news because the real-world impact is too overwhelming, there isn’t much we know about their understanding of what’s happening. Are they oblivious to the calamitous pandemic around them? We don’t know because Bloom doesn’t delve much into these aspects. Looking chic can’t be held against Mitra and Ashwin. But again, the world is made up of all kinds of people, and even though Ashwin and Mitra’s problems might not be devastating, it is important to them. It is tough to enjoy the chirping of the birds, tripping on the starry nights, or even basking in the vast expanse of the evening orange skies when livelihoods are in danger. Just like the criticism held against previous lockdown stories like Putham Pudhu Kaalai, Bloom too paints quite the rosy picture of a lockdown. Also, it is nice to see a woman have agency over her mind, body, and social media space. There is no right or wrong in Bloom because it is set in a space where the lines can actually be blurred, and no one would bat an eyelid. It is Mitra who plays dangerously with the creepy factor even as Ashwin plays along and pulls off a few stunts of his own. I personally loved how the initiation of this equation, and even the conflict were a result of the woman’s decision. Of course, there is a big conflict that comes in to derail the fledgling relationship. There is an understated sense of incompleteness in their equation, which translates to our perception of them too. Since we are not shown every sent text or are privy to every minute of their phone conversations, it is up to us to fill in the blanks and assume they have grown closer with time. It isn’t instantaneous, but since it is a short film, it isn’t as fleshed out either. The writing allows both these characters to breathe life into the mundane, and their mutual liking and our liking for them grows gradually. They effortlessly sell the millennial quality that allows strangers to easily be friends. But more than just the visuals, music and lyrics, it is the performances of both Mitra Visvesh and Ashwin Raam that allow us to be invested in their lives. However, it also adds a glossy sheen to the proceedings to remind us we are indeed watching a work that is from the Madras Talkies stables. It also helps that Niketh Bommi’s visuals, Kaber Vasuki’s lines, and Hari Madras Rengarajan’s music gives the couple a sense of authenticity. But with a few such social media interactions, the cuter the people, the lesser the creepiness of romantic overtures.
Their companionship begins with a social media post, which can definitely be categorised under borderline creepy or stalking. Mitra is an artist/web designer techie who is forced to stay in Chennai to help her parents. Ashwin is a DJ who can live in a city like Chennai despite getting booze bottles as payment arrears from bars he played at. Bloom is very much set among the urban elite whose primary concern wasn’t really sustenance. If it is Ashwin’s loneliness that sets him on the path to meet Mitra, it is the latter’s desperation that makes her seek out a like-minded companion. Richard Antony’s debut short film, Bloom, out on YouTube on the Madras Talkies channel, aims to draw parallels to the film's love story between Mitra (Mitra Visvesh) and Ashwin (Ashwin Raam), the story of Garden of Eden, and the pandemic.
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