Callipygian_Linguist

I'd never seen a Bollywood film until now but having read about the Battle of Saragarhi I thought it would be interesting to watch. I will admit there is definitely some heavy melodrama in a few action scenes, I don't know if this is common in Indian films or not but it does disrupt the flow of the film somewhat (or at least give you the impression that beards and turbans give you superpowers). That being said most of the action sequences are well done and the tone while serious is punctuated by some hilarious jokes and dialogue that reflect the camaraderie amongst soldiers in such situations and make relating to and investing in a rather large cast of characters considerably easier. I don't know how Indian audiences would rate this film against other Bollywood films but I found this far more entertaining than recent Hollywood blockbusters.

Having never read the book, 'Beautiful Boy' or 'Tweak' and watching the film as part of a mystery screening at my local cinema I did not know what to expect from this film nor even have any idea what it was about. It doesn't grip you with typical Hollywood drama, there's surprisingly few raised voices or dramatic plot twists, rather it continually raises and dashes your hopes, pushing Nic closer to self destruction and David and the Audience further into despair, all the while building up the backstory of the bond between Nic and David.

People seem to be critiquing the film on two main points; Skimming over parts of the source material and lack of emotional involvement. I may read the book at some point but it is important to remember that films simply do not have the time and resources necessary to adapt to film faithfully and well a book in it's entirety. As a faithful representation of the source material I do not doubt hat it is lacking in places but as a film representing the hopeless cycle of trying to save someone unwilling to help themselves it succeeds spectacularly.

As for calling the film emotionally uninvolved I think the main problem is that the film is not always explicit in it's representation of people's thoughts and feelings. I personally have little problem with a film using symbolism and cinematography rather than dialogue to convey important information but if that is something you are not used to then the flashbacks can become confusing and there is a lot of detail that can be missed.

While I had no idea what to expect I was surprised by this film, it is not a pleasant or light watch, and will likely be uncomfortable for parents but it is superbly acted and truly tragic.