A Passage to Ottawa

A rarity among independent films, Passage To Ottawa is a family drama, suitable for kids and engaging enough to keep adults interested. Omi (Nabil Mehta) is a seven-year old East Indian boy sent to live with relatives in Ottawa when his mother falls ill. He believes he is on a quest to find a super-hero who will save his mother. Roland, (Jim Codrington) the captain of a local tour boat seems to fit the bill. The two form an emotional connection, as Roland begins a romance with Safia, (Amy Sobol) Omi's lively cousin. Nice naturalistic performances from a mixed cast of amateurs and professionals coupled with sure handed direction from India-born, Russian trained, Canadian resident Gaurav Seth add up to a sweet family movie, that champions the virtues of multi-culturalism. Recommended.

As you may notice, I'm writing this short review from Ottawa, Canada's Capital. Unlike New York, London or Toronto, it's not often that my home town has a starring role in a movie, so that was perhaps my main attraction to this film.

The story and quality of acting is at "The Game Has Been Rained Out, So Here's a Movie" level. Everything is competent, but not exceptional. The story-line moves along well enough, until near the end where I found it began to take some leaps in logic.

The story deals with a young boy trying to understand his mother's illness, and look for ways to save her, by finding a superhero to bring home to make her well again. The unlikely superhero is the unlikely captain of a tourist cruise boat, who falls in love with the young boys cousin. It deals with issues of race and culture and family.

Without my bias in favour of Ottawa, I'd give this movie a 5.5 out of 10 stars, but if you want to see some awesome scenery, Ottawa can't be beat.

I was lucky enough to attend the premiere of this film. I went to the screening with no expectations and was thrilled by my viewing experience. Passage to Ottawa is a beautiful story about multiculturalism, love and the search for a hero. This film also challenges the typical stereotypes of what a hero is. This film is also a wonderful aesthetic journey full of vibrant colours and characters. Warning: you may want to have some orange crush on hand. I left this film craving a glass.

The cinematography on this film is outstanding; it really showcases Ottawa beautifully. The director was excellent. Although the female lead actor was not always believable, most of the other actors were. The plot of this film was a balance between the predictable and the unexpected. The ending is great. All in all, I was very impressed with this low-budget Canadian-made film. The producers should applaud themselves. You do us Canadians proud. We need more good Canadian films.

The leading boy in the film was great -- very cute, adorable, and a good actor too. The plot had interesting undertones and provided a glimpse into new Canadians' lives.

I would recommend it for families, the young and the young at heart. Go with minimal expectations and you will be delightfully surprised.

I had not heard of this film and had no idea what to expect from it but when I saw it I was overwhelmed. It is a very sweet and very moving film which speaks to you on so many levels. The kid who plays the lead role is a real natural.