‘Firefly’ movie review: Vamshi’s debut is a visually experimental character study of a man fighting grief

Vamshi in ‘Firefly’.
| Photo Credit: Anand Audio/YouTube

How long does it take for us to overcome grief? The most sensible answer, perhaps, is that grief isn’t the same for everyone. For Vicky (Vamshi), in Firefly, the tragedy of losing his loved ones puts him through phases of denial, anger, depression, and acceptance.

Vicky returns to Mysuru from abroad for his cousin’s wedding, only to land up in a coma after a devastating incident that leaves him without a family. Post-recovery, he is hit by insomnia, which forces him to adopt many methods, ranging from sensible to outrageous, to find a solution.

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From binge eating to self-infliction of pain to trying to find reasons to smile, Vicky’s life becomes a series of coping mechanisms. Vamshi, who has also directed the film, opts for an unconventional manner to present his protagonist’s world. As a line from the trailer says, “When reality feels unbearable, the quest for peace becomes surreal.” 

The obvious Wes Anderson-esque mood of Firefly is one of its biggest strengths. Serious and emotional scenes have comforting and warm colours, the contrasting palettes you see in Anderson’s movies. Like in Anderson’s films, characters in Firefly are framed symmetrically in several scenes, creating a visual balance. The quirky set design is another hat tip to the The Grand Budapest Hotel filmmaker. 

Firefly is a character study of Vicky, and the 4:3 aspect ratio of the movie attempts to provide an intimate view of the protagonist’s journey. The film tries to create a vibe in every scene and tells its audience to overlook the logic of those moments. Cinematographer Abhilash Kalathi does well in making each frame appear interesting, a rare attempt in Kannada cinema in recent times. However, as with first-time filmmakers, Firefly is undone by the director’s indulgence. 

Firefly is luminous with creative shots, but this template had to be matched with memorable characters. In Rajkumar Hirani’s Munna Bhai MBBS, characters such as a terminally-ill patient (essayed by Jimmy Shergill) and a person in a paralysed state (called Anand bhai) tames Munna (Sanjay Dutt), a gangster who then begins to look at life with compassion. 

Vamshi in ‘Firefly’.
| Photo Credit:
Anand Audio/YouTube

In Firefly, when Vicky joins a self-help group, I expected the arrival of similarly moving characters who could change his outlook to life. Instead, the film opts for a low-hanging fruit. Vicky takes his first step towards change when he comes across the perseverance of small-town people handling economic hardships, an overworked trope in commercial films. The ultra-serious nature of this portion doesn’t fit well with the self-deprecating tone of the movie.

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Firefly could have benefited from good humour and engaging conversations. The film has tepid drama thanks to Vicky’s flat conversations with his parents (Achyuth Kumar and Sudharani) and the girl he falls in love with at first sight (Rachana Inder). Even as Firefly breaks conventional visual grammar, supported by Charan Raj’s appealing music, I wished the film focused on small and beautiful moments, like the one where Vicky gets a photo frame of his parents and the scene in which the girl he loves asks him to live in the moment.

Vicky reminds you of Sid, who wakes up to love and life in Ayaan Mukerji’s 2009 Hindi film. Both struggle hard to become a man of purpose. In fact, Firefly is yet another coming-of-age tale at its core. The attempt to tell this tale of self-discovery in an unorthodox manner is commendable. Consistent writing could have added depth to the film’s highly relatable core.

Firefly is currently running in theatres