City of Tiny Lights

Riz Ahmed is the standout in this grimy yet stylish neo noir that is let down by some dodgy camerawork and an uninteresting story.

Laughbly absure nonsense. Not long into this movie it was apparent the script was badly floundering. The acting is truly horrendous, and at any time someone was prone to just burst out into some PC speech totally out of context with what was previously happening. The personalities of the cast were wooden, and all attempts to boost the image of the lead as a private investigator fell flat. Completely unbleievable in the role, but he's a promising talent for sure. If you've never gotten tired of seeing someone smoke in a movie, you will after this. It's completely unnecessary. He smokes. We get it. We don't need to see it every frame of every scene. The cigarette should be mentioned in the credits, as it's the most consistent thing about this movie. The settings and scenes are appropriately dark and mysterious and add a sense of forboding menace, but it's not enough raise this sad effort beyond the level of cliche nothingness.

First, for the bad sound review, watch it in a theater or on a good streaming site. If you're using Kodi, make sure you know how to adjust the sound. I saw it while Jillian Michaels was telling me to walk faster on my treadmill and I got every word. The sound mix is just fine, thank you. Next, the mood is right out of Raymond Chandler, complete with hard, tough observations that sound as if they're from the '40s. Put that in modern London with first gen Brits and it kind of fits, strange but true. The hero drinks Wild Turkey straight, too.

The teen angst parts are good, they fit with the present story and are well acted. Overall, the film is good entertainment and has a wonderful multi-cultural mix. Who knew cricket had so many insights into life?

This movie spends a lot of time showing Tommy Aktar sucking on cigarettes and drinking double shots of bourbon. He also goes back and forth to places in London, mostly at night. The back story of relationships with a former friend who is now a young real estate and the widow of his best friend when he was a young man are somewhat interesting...but the script is not written well enough to create tension regarding real estate, a Muslim mullah and a high-priced call girl that has gone missing. Way too long.

I really enjoyed this British take on the noir genre. It had a sensitive and moving performance by Riz Ahmed as a troubled PI. The plot, like all good noir, is satisfyingly layered. In addition to being an excellent whodunit, it addresses Islamophobia, the treatment of immigrants and the growing feeling that there are hidden agendas that affect our everyday lives. Not high budget or flashy but very well done. Highly recommended.