I went to a recent screening of this movie because I had heard interesting things about it. The one word that I can best use to explain the movie: contrived! The story is waferthin yet dealing with quite an important issue that I had no idea about. Yes, a filmmaker with passion and patience deserves applause but ultimately the film needs to back that up. This film dramatizes elements of the 1984 riots in such a way that if you didn't know about them, you are frustrated by the lack of being in the know and if you do know about it, it's far too trivial and over-dramatic. The lead actress played by Konkona Sen is a great heroine. The only problem is that her supporting team is horrible. Maybe something gets lost between the English the characters speak and my understanding but it's so pretentious and completely distances the audience. Her love interest is beyond words - horrendous. The mother is strictly okay. I liked the director's intent and her fierce drive. That is 100% missing on screen. The only thing I left feeling for AMU was sorry that I couldn't better understand her needs and her past. It's a shame because the film highlights a part of history that is not well known in the western world. Perhaps realizing that got lost in translation.
Review of Amu
