Anushka Sarkar

The idea of the film was great and it could have been such a beautiful movie. Many parts of the story were so loose- how come a family who shunned their daughter is suddenly okay with a divorce out of the blue + smoking and drinking- and most Muslims don't drink alcohol, everyone knows that. Why didn't the girl tell Kaz she was in love with someone else? Why did Kaz, who was looking for an intelligent woman, agree to marry a girl who hardly showed interest in any conversation at all? Crazy rich Pakistani family living in darkest, dingiest streets of Lahore? The heck? Secondly, such inaccurate representation of a South Asian family. Too much extremes of being completely fine with the divorce, smoking and drinking, but also being so super conservative? Thirdly, poor acting job! Lily was beautiful and Emma was great. Shabana Azmi is such a wonderful actress, but underperformed here. Kaz's dad, brother and sister frankly did a terrible job. Kaz too lacked charm somewhere or the other. I wish we saw more of how Kaz and Zoe fell in love rather than just simply bashing the idea of arranged marriages. Fourthly, even though the cultures of some parts of India and Pakistan are similar, especially in big cities, they are distinct enough to be recognised and told apart- the film mixes up the two! This film had so much more potential.

First off, even though I'm giving this movie three stars, I would 10/10 recommend you to watch it. The character designs are lovely, the visuals and concept genuinely beautiful. The music made me dance as I listened to it! However, the film did need more heart and more nuanced story. It is a great feel- good movie, but there is no real story as such. It was too focussed on one character, Ember- even Wade wasn't much more than a watery supporting character even though they made him such a sweetheart. There is no character arc or growth shown in the movie. You'll enjoy the movie while you watch it, but it won't really make you think afterwards, unlike movies like Finding Nemo or Coco. The efforts on this movie were lopsided- much more emphasis was laid on the visuals and little on the story. But do watch it to spend a lazy Saturday evening with your friends and children! :)

The film lacks the soft sensitivity and completely changes the character of the protagonist from the book. The dialogues are 21st century, which bugged me throughout the film. It fails to show the melancholy of Anne and simply reduces her to a whining, borderline alcoholic. The acting by most of the cast is unremarkable, particularly the male lead, who is shown to have no real personality or warmth whatsoever. I love a diverse cast in Hollywood, being South Asian myself, but to force "diversity" simply for the sake of it, where it is obviously inaccurate is something that makes no sense to me. The locations and colours were aesthetic, though. Overall, I would only recommend it if you haven't read the book and want to simply watch just another casual romcom to pass the time.