For the 90s/2000s babies, this was basically an upgraded Disney Channel Original movie that you actually couldn’t wait to see on a Friday night. And then you’d probably watch the re-run right after the premiere. 

Shawty loves a period piece that is socially-politically-culturally relevant and significant to life and politics domestically and abroad.  The plot is emotionally-loaded hitting specific cultural taboos and “-isms,” including: fostering interracial romantic relationships,  experiencing overt racism, navigating intense familial relationships, exploring socioeconomic differences across friendships/relationships, and the list went on. 

Didn’t know quite what to make of the film’s fantastical breaks into song, but there was enough coarseness throughout to balance the work’s underlying “coming-of-age” theme.  It’s basically a Flinestones chewable for the times, Luton, UK 1987 and Anywhere 2019. 

A few technical things: well-acted by the cast, mate. I appreciated seeing different aspects of Javed’s life and the interconnectedness between his personal decisions and how it affected each member of his family.  The use of extreme close-ups during moments of both tension and excitement heightened the drama of the scenes, but not in like a cheap horror film kinda way, but subtle and purposeful.

The conclusion coalesced into a beautiful monologue about the literal and figurative meaning of an artist’s work and the transcendent cultural impact it had on a young Pakistani kid’s life.  I imagine anyone who has had to overcome some level of oppression or an obstacle and prevailed could relate to this film, even in all its fantastical, and sometimes super 🧀🧀🧀, moments.  And that’s the joy I took from it.

I encourage a gander. 😉