Review of The Reluctant Fundamentalist (2013) by Tex B — 01 Jun 2013

I'm really glad that I saw this film despite the critics' poor ratings of it. The dynamic tension of the story, with the exception of a few awkward moments, was well maintained throughout the film.

The cinematography of the various locations was captured quite well, especially the strangeness of Lahore. This is one of the few films that I can say that I felt a presence in. However, there seems to be an agenda behind some of the more antagonistic critical views of Mira Nair's film.

It is made more apparent by the wide dichotomy between the reception by its critics and audience. Some viewers felt that subtly and nuance of the text in Mohsin Hamid's novel were not adequately captured by Nair.

Since I hadn't read the book it may be one of the reasons that I enjoyed this film so much. A film's worth cannot be measured by how well it captures the novelist's prose. A film is an artistic take on a subject distinct from the points of view that may have been taken by others.

There would be little value in viewing an accurate reproduction of a Monet; pointless in fact.