The Blue Tower

'The Blue Tower' is a film of great potential: an ordinary man, living a depressingly ordinary life, gradually sees it spiral out of control; and it's got an interesting setting as well, in London's Asian community. But the potential is somewhat wasted by the flatness of the acting; granted, the characters are not supposed to be especially articulate, but their apparent lack of interest in their own lives reduces their potential impact on ours. It also feels a little as if the director is trying to make an interesting film without quite knowing how, and the departures made from the strictly realist don't altogether feel convincing. It's not unwatchable, but it never truly sparks.

A kind of British film noir in it's ambiguous morality and sexual motivation, this film is much more than you first expect. Set in the predominantly British Asian town of Southall it reflects well the melancholy of being trapped in a suffocating society where dreams and desires come second to what family and the community expect from you. Unusually, the victim of this social isolation is not the female but the male protagonist Mohan, whose arranged marriage and lack of career have led him to desperation. The blue tower itself seems to represent reality, specifically how we don't always see the world as it is but how we are. The music lends itself well to the overall mood of the film and there are some shocking twists. Certainly worth watching!