‘2018’ Review: A poignant survival drama that unfolds horror of flood

Here visuals speak more than what we see in it. In one scene, in the backdrop of incessant rain, an old woman tries to collect water from the tap of her house. Suddenly, she realizes that there is no water. In another scene, Keralites struggle to cope with heavy downpour, while their counterparts in another state rejoice as they see raindrops. Again, a Tamil character slaps on the face of a youth, who washes his face lavishly with bottled water. Thus ‘2018’ is vastly eloquent enough to be rich with visual irony.

Writer-director Jude Anthany Joseph’s film is not just the depiction of the devastating flood experienced by Keralites in 2018 but a judicious dabbling with meaningful visuals. Like its tagline ‘Everyone is a Hero’, the movie has an intense narration and treatment that take us through the situations where each one owns the share of pride in an adventurous humane mission the state has ever seen.   

While adapting a real event on screen, Jude Anthany Joseph balks at the intrusion of a possible docu-fiction trait in such themes. As a director, he focuses on the compassion of human souls and their humane activities in the face of a tragedy. Here, one can witness how the petulant attitudes among family members give way to harmony and love. Man struggle for survival with a concerted effort ramped up by vibes of empathy and humanity.  

Beginning in a calm milieu, ‘2018’ is gradually shifted to a grave mode to showcase the hostile and volatile hues of Nature. The screenplay, co-written by Akhil P Dharmajan, is a confluence of eclectic ideas and lives of numerous characters. The life of Anoop, played by Tovino Thomas, is presented at the outset and his relationship with a school teacher, played by Tanvi Ram. Asif Ali appears as an aspiring model, hailing from a fisherman’s family. As an erratic youth, he is despised by his father Mathappan (Lal) and brother (Narain). It’s also a tribute to the fishermen, who chipped in with their boats during the rescue operations in the flood-hit regions of Kerala in 2018.

Kunchacko Boban plays information officer Shaji, who is living with his wife (Sshivada) and daughter. Then we see expatriate Ramesan (Vineeth Sreenivasan) and his issues with his wife Anupama (Gowthami Nair). Aparna Balamurali appears as a media person while car driver Jacob Koshy (Aju Varghese) is seen in the company of a couple from Poland. There is a lorry driver from Coimbatore, played by Kalaiyarasan, who also has a prominence in the tale. Yet, ‘2018’ is not particular about one character’s life. The plot has a minimal structure and the people, who are destined to experience the aftermath of flood, hog the limelight throughout the flick. They all are connected diligently to ensure a smooth flow of the narration. The major conflict in the plot is their struggle for survival from the disaster, which is considered as the most destructive natural calamity after the flood that wreaked havoc in the state in 1924.

In fact, Tovino has ample scope for performance and he accomplishes it with ease. The character Anoop stands close to the heart of audience owing to his impact in the tale. The survival story hardly gives room for performance for major actors since the focus lands on the hapless situations of people stranded in flood.        

A technically top-notch film with adequate and immaculate visual effects, the film’s cinematography by Akhil George is highly commendable. The submerged areas are ubiquitous in ‘2018’ which has striking background music by Nobin Paul. Harping on realistic elements, the film turns out to be a touching creation that aptly triggers emotions for the right cause.

Verdict: Good

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