What I liked:
The cinematography is amazing! For example there's a great scene where Bettina is standing in the forest ruins. Parvez's head passes in front of her and she disappears. The use of the sound is also touching and creative. However the main theme is a little bit over-used.
What didn't work for me:
Om Puri is just too old for Rachel Griffiths. That sort of thing might work in Bollywood but here the romance feels wildly unusual. She's much closer to the son's age and I wondered whether it might have been a smarter move to reverse the roles and call this "My Dad the Fanatic". I also couldn't help comparing Puri's face to Bukowski. Could these two really be lovers? Maybe it would have worked better with a much older female lead?
We also don't quite know enough about Parvez. How did he come to England? What does his wife do with her time? Doesn't she have other relatives in England?
And finally the town feels a little bit odd. There doesn't seem to be any "normal" inhabitants. We have fanatics and prostitutes and a rich German hedonist. It would maybe feel a little more balanced if we saw someone boring every now and then.
The cinematography is amazing! For example there's a great scene where Bettina is standing in the forest ruins. Parvez's head passes in front of her and she disappears. The use of the sound is also touching and creative. However the main theme is a little bit over-used.
What didn't work for me:
Om Puri is just too old for Rachel Griffiths. That sort of thing might work in Bollywood but here the romance feels wildly unusual. She's much closer to the son's age and I wondered whether it might have been a smarter move to reverse the roles and call this "My Dad the Fanatic". I also couldn't help comparing Puri's face to Bukowski. Could these two really be lovers? Maybe it would have worked better with a much older female lead?
We also don't quite know enough about Parvez. How did he come to England? What does his wife do with her time? Doesn't she have other relatives in England?
And finally the town feels a little bit odd. There doesn't seem to be any "normal" inhabitants. We have fanatics and prostitutes and a rich German hedonist. It would maybe feel a little more balanced if we saw someone boring every now and then.