Learning to Drive

As her marriage is broken, a New Yorker writer, Patricia Clarkson, takes driving lessons from a Sikh driver called Darwan, Ben Kingsley . She is a bitter middle-age woman recently separated to her hubby, Jake Weber, who suddenlly abandoned her for a younger lover. Both of whom have a twenty-two-year-old daughter, Grace Gummer. As she must adjust her recent life and take strength enough to get new life purports. Problems go wrong when happens a traumatic divorce , but she finds the courage to get back driving thanks to the agreeable driver. Time ago she depended on her hubby for driving, and she has now to learn to take the wheel on her own. Helped by a serviceable instructor, Ben Kingsley, who watches her with caution as his student falls apart. Meanwhile, Kingsley is contemplating a concerted marriage to a Indian women, Sarita Choudhury. Along the way Ben attempts to be patient with his student, but the events gets worse as she suspends the driving licence exam.

Enjoyable and attractive dramedy, it is a sympathetic drama with some drops of charming humor, adding social habits from the big metropolis New York City. The picture relies heavily on the peculiar relationship between the notorious writer and the Sikh driver. Concerning the problematic existences of two particular roles, as their lives are intersected and both of them will change in unexpected consequences and unpredictable ways. Patricia Clarson gives a very good acting as the self-absorbed NY book critic who is shocked by a thunderous divorce. Ben Kingsley is top-notch as the Indian Sikh instructor who has to bear an arranged marriage . Support cast is pretty good such as Jake Weber, Sarita Choudhury, Matt Battaglia, and Grace Grummer who is Meryl Streep's daughter.

The motion picture was well directed by the Spanish Isabel Coixet in his ordinary feeling style. She is a good professional, a fine craftsman who has directed enjoyableb and sensitive films such as A los que aman, Map of sounds of Tokyo, Another me, The secret life of words, Things I never told you, Elisa and Mariela, Endless night, The bookshop, his biggest hits were Another me and Elegy with Ben Kingsley. She has made also some documentary and shorts as Proyecto tiempo, El espiritu de la pintura, Sea Aral, Marlango, Marea blanca, Spain in a day and a segment of Paris Je taime among others.Rating 7/10. Well worth seeing.

Somehow we missed this movie when it came out several years ago but now were able to watch it at home on DVD from our public library. It is a very nice story of people from different cultures influencing each other.

Patricia Clarkson is well-known New York literature critic Wendy. One liability of her career is that she takes it a bit too seriously resulting in scant attention to her marriage of 20+ years. So her husband strays and it looks like this time he may be gone for good.

Quite by accident she meets up with Taxi driver Ben Kingsley as political refugee from India, Darwan. But he is also a driving instructor and when returning to her something she left in his cab, gives her his card.

Living in New York and having a husband to do the driving when necessary, Wendy never had learned to drive. Now her 20-ish daughter was moving away so Wendy became motivated, if she could drive she could go visit her.

So much of the movie is Wendy's difficult task of learning to drive in New York, while Darwar has a big issue of his own, relatives back home arranged a marriage for him with a nice Indian woman so he had to meet her at the airport and take her home, then help her get acclimated to American life.

Sarita Choudhury, like Kingsley a British actor, plays the role of Jasleen.

Overall a very entertaining and worthwhile movie.

'Learning to drive' is a master class in writing; directing and of course the performance of two of the great character actors: Patricia Clarkson and Ben Kingsley. There is a nobility and dignity to the story that comes from a taut but compassionate screenplay; and the wonderful interplay between the two leads. Clarkson always makes such interesting choices in projects and this is no exception. Her 'Wendy' has a lot to process during the opening moments of the movie; and it is thanks to her exquisite timing and believability; that despite her cathartic scenes early on; perhaps because of them; the audience is with her and her scenario all the way! With the age old construct of an odd pairing; Kingsley's often Zen like 'Darwan' provides the calming influence and ultimately a reciprocity that gives this film its huge warmth and overall success.

In the role of Wendy's daughter is none other than the daughter of another cinematic delight - Meryl Streep: the uncannily voiced and mannered Grace Gummer. How daunting it must be for Grace and her sister Mamie, to hone a craft in screen acting with their legendary mother's presence in film culture. Grace displays her mother's exuberance and complexity with what is really only a couple of scenes here, but makes her mark. But the film, despite some other subplots and ancillary characters, rests with Clarkson and Kinglsey and they are just superb.

If the film feels tight and rhythmically organic; it is due to Martin Scorsese's long time editor Thelma Schoonmaker who brings Isabel Coixet's carefully directed piece together with ease and no fuss; giving it a smooth and perfect running time. This is no epic; no earth shattering movie; but a reflective and nuanced dance between characters from different worlds who collide in the nicest way possible and leave a significant imprint on one another. Not a new idea, but in the hands of these expert filmmakers; it is a joy to be in their audience for the hour and a half journey.

Let it be known that I wish Ben Kingsley was my driving instructor, my old one was not friendly, that jerk just yelled at me constantly. Learning to drive can be an outright stressful experience, but the movie makes it interestingly light and approachable by using comedic clash of personalities and cultures. Also, props to the leads for realizing the modest troubled characters.

Wendy (Patricia Clarkson) is a distraught wife who just finds out that her husband is cheating on her. Thus begin the arduous dance of divorce. Meanwhile, she's decided to take driving lessons as a cathartic act. Darwan (Ben Kingsley) steps in as the instructor. Both of them have a set of unique problems and serendipitously find solace in each other's company.

For a leading female in New York, Wendy is a mess. It's not just Sex and The City mess, but complete wreck for about half of the movie. It's a humble depiction of character as she struggles to come in term with the divorce. The movie maintains a less melodramatic tone, this is a more realistic depiction and not a flamboyant drama.

Ben Kingsley plays as a Sikh here, at this point he can play any role extremely well, but it's nice to see him as someone other than some viceroy in medieval epic. There's a great respect to his Indian heritage and it easily looks genuine. He appears to be a calm voice of reason, although his life itself isn't perfect. It's rather humbling to see that someone with mentor persona deals with his own problems.

The film doesn't have striking development or twist, it's just a few strolls of a metropolis with two relatable characters. It presents a nice presentation, taking time to display the city's nuance with good cinematography as well as spicing the story with steadily flow of light humor. The scenes feel involving even though the two leads live very contrasting lives.

Learning to Drive is a lighthearted drama with nice addition to comedy and amazing acting. Highly recommended for casual audience for the humble and modest nature will soothingly entertain wide range of viewers.

Learning to Drive (2014) was directed by Isabel Coixet. It stars Ben Kingsley as Darwan, a Sikh driving instructor, and Patricia Clarkson as Wendy, whose husband has just left her. Wendy has never learned to drive. (Not driving is fairly common in NYC.) Now she needs to learn how to drive, and she turns to Darwan to teach her.

This is the beginning of a relationship that takes both people down long roads--literally and figuratively. Wendy's rage and frustration are almost palpable, and Darwan has domestic problems of his own.

Clarkson and Kingsley are among the finest actors on the screen today. You expect stellar performances, and that's what you get. It's a pleasure to sit back and see them demonstrate their acting skills.

For some reason, at the time I'm writing this review, the movie has a dismal IMDb rating of 6.6. This doesn't make sense to me. My suggestion is to ignore the rating. We were able to see the movie on the large screen at the excellent Little Theatre in Rochester, NY. However, it will work well on the small screen. Find it and see it. You won't regret it.