Audience reviews
18 Pages (2022)
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Siku Panda
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Filter by All Profile image Always Eshwar 4 days ago
A girl and boy falling in love without ever meeting is an old concept. Ajith's "Prema Lekha" dealt with the same subject. So, how does a hero falling in love with a girl accidentally by reading her diary become a novel plot line? The bare bones of Sukumar's story are interesting, but they don't capture the current times.
The script has some serious problems. If Nikhil Siddharth's character fell in love with Anupama after reading her diary in one sitting (the whole thing is only 18 pages long, hence the title), we could see that happening. However, in the film, he is shown to get excited after every turn of the page, and to react wildly to every incident narrated in the story as if it were happening at that very moment. It's hard to imagine how a 2022 computer whiz like him would respond to events in 2019 dairy.
It's also shown that he reads a page or two a day for a couple of days and then starts doing things like turning off social media apps, etc. That Nandini did in 2019. This doesn't feel like a natural response on the part of the character, but rather like a screenwriter's shortcut.
Aside from this and other logical issues, "18 Pages" captures our attention from the start. The initial events, such as Nikhl's break-up with his girlfriend and his reactions to Anupama's diary, are interesting. The situations preceding the song "Nannayya Raasina" are also enjoyable. Another interesting episode in the film is the tension that the hero feels when he suspects she has married his neighbour.
However, aside from a few episodes, the sluggish narrative and unconvincing kidnap drama are detrimental to the flow. The second half is structured like a thriller, and when the true mystery is revealed, it is completely unconvincing. The reason given for the importance of a "cover" is ridiculous and illogical. The final moments appear to deviate from the main theme. Many implausible events occur.
Fortunately, the film concludes in a more convincing manner.
Overall, "18 Pages" succeeds only intermittently; the drama is underwhelming, and the love story fails to resonate. There are some good songs, and the first half is pretty good, but overall it just doesn't feel very modern.
Filter by All Profile image Always Eshwar 4 days ago
A girl and boy falling in love without ever meeting is an old concept. Ajith's "Prema Lekha" dealt with the same subject. So, how does a hero falling in love with a girl accidentally by reading her diary become a novel plot line? The bare bones of Sukumar's story are interesting, but they don't capture the current times.
The script has some serious problems. If Nikhil Siddharth's character fell in love with Anupama after reading her diary in one sitting (the whole thing is only 18 pages long, hence the title), we could see that happening. However, in the film, he is shown to get excited after every turn of the page, and to react wildly to every incident narrated in the story as if it were happening at that very moment. It's hard to imagine how a 2022 computer whiz like him would respond to events in 2019 dairy.
It's also shown that he reads a page or two a day for a couple of days and then starts doing things like turning off social media apps, etc. That Nandini did in 2019. This doesn't feel like a natural response on the part of the character, but rather like a screenwriter's shortcut.
Aside from this and other logical issues, "18 Pages" captures our attention from the start. The initial events, such as Nikhl's break-up with his girlfriend and his reactions to Anupama's diary, are interesting. The situations preceding the song "Nannayya Raasina" are also enjoyable. Another interesting episode in the film is the tension that the hero feels when he suspects she has married his neighbour.
However, aside from a few episodes, the sluggish narrative and unconvincing kidnap drama are detrimental to the flow. The second half is structured like a thriller, and when the true mystery is revealed, it is completely unconvincing. The reason given for the importance of a "cover" is ridiculous and illogical. The final moments appear to deviate from the main theme. Many implausible events occur.
Fortunately, the film concludes in a more convincing manner.
Overall, "18 Pages" succeeds only intermittently; the drama is underwhelming, and the love story fails to resonate. There are some good songs, and the first half is pretty good, but overall it just doesn't feel very modern.