I saw this trailer when I watched Winter's Tale (a movie so horrible, it can't be reviewed) and it just looked freaking adorable. Truth be told, I'm not a huge fan of the Bollywood or Kollywood genre though I'm Indian (I know blasphemy) but this really caught my attention because it wasn't hiding behind any of those gimmicks that movies from India often produce, it was just a real story from the stomach to the heart (get it? get it? cuz it's a lunchbox? Oh forget it). Let's review The Lunchbox. Also I'm pretty sure I'm going to be super hungry after I finish writing this review.
Being a minority in a predominantly white college can sometimes make you hate yourself for your identity because no one else seems to like you for being what you are. It's nice to touch base with yourself by seeing your culture unfold on a silver screen. My friend Aram and I went to watch this today and we were in a sea of grey. Yup we were the only younglings in the cinema and the others were golden oldies with silver hair, shining my faith in humanity as it's nice to know that people do care about a culture that's not their own. But then again, they're older and wiser. College kids have a maturity level that's punier than a newborn's. So here's what you need to know going in to watch this movie.
Don't worry if you're not familiar with the Indian lifestyle. The director of this movie takes time to show it to you. There are several scenic shots depicting an everyday life of a fellow Indian. The director is all "Bugger, you thought Los Angeles traffic was bad? Wait till you see this." You just read that with an Indian accent didn't you? Don't worry I did it too. But I'm Indian so I don't get to be racist. Whoa reverse racism at it's finest right here. Just kidding, just kidding.
An Indian lifestyle may not be something you want, but it's something you could enjoy watching because you'll be thanking your lucky stars that you're not in that situation. Let's just say, you'll never ever complain about carpooling again.
Contrary to popular belief, not all Indians are related to each other. What's that? Why do they call older people Uncle or Auntie? It's a sign of respect in Asian culture. If you call an elderly person by their name (though it would make sense to do so), you'll probably get one of this:
And you would have brought shame upon your family. You DO NOT want to bring shame upon your family!!!
Ever noticed how everything sounds funny with an Indian accent? Seriously, this movie has some funny moments but there's no way in hell it would have been as hilarious had it been delivered in another accent. Granted you probably wouldn't want an Indian accent when you're having some sexy time but make them tell you a joke and you're good to go. You'll be laughing so hard at them you'd drop their panties in a snap. Everyone loves a funny man. I'm not helping out my fellow Indians here am I?
You might be running to your nearest Tandoori place right after the movie. Say what you want about us Indians but you can't deny that we make good food. I got hungry watching the exchange of food on screen. I was tempted to test out if those Jimmy Johns ads had some truth to it. If you haven't tried Indian food, you should. There's something for everyone and if you're vegetarian, you'll have plenty to choose from. You might also fancy some Indian meat another way.
Another thing, real women don't need to show skin to get a lil somethin-somethin
The women in this movie are in traditional Indian attire which doesn't allow for much skin exposure (sorry pervs). However it's nice to see that women can still be found attractive without a little flash. Makeup appears minimal and there are no hair extensions to save a bad hair day. It's au naturale. I guess I'm glad that it's still considered an option in society today and a movie chooses to go that route instead what's the norm. Good on you Lunchbox!!
The women in this movie are in traditional Indian attire which doesn't allow for much skin exposure (sorry pervs). However it's nice to see that women can still be found attractive without a little flash. Makeup appears minimal and there are no hair extensions to save a bad hair day. It's au naturale. I guess I'm glad that it's still considered an option in society today and a movie chooses to go that route instead what's the norm. Good on you Lunchbox!!
I recall last summer when I was visiting my parents back home in Malaysia, we went to a Tandoori restaurant for dinner and this old Hindi song played. Mom and dad got really excited and started singing along with all the lyrics in tact (and they can't even remember details about the day I was born). I asked my mom which movie it was from and she couldn't seem to recall the tile. Instead she said this "The one where the guy sees a girl and falls madly in love with her but can't marry her". To which I replied "Um, didn't you just describe every movie that has come out from India?"
But the good thing here is, this isn't a movie like that at all!!! Yeah there's a romantic element to it but FINALLY it's not all about marriage anymore. Seriously what is it with Indians and wanting to get married immediately after seeing each other. It's a good thing they don't live in Vegas. No this movie revolves around a sense of freedom and how sometimes you need to hop on the wrong train to get to the right station. A line from the movie. Love it!!! Gonna keep using it from now on. It was nice to see the characters stay in a realistic state of mind throughout the movie. If they would have started singing, dancing, and quick-changing while reading letters, I would have been outta there. I remember rejoicing when Slumdog Millionaire didn't have a Bollywood feel to it..........then this happened:
Yup.................
Well, thankfully none of that happened here. It was a simple, realistically possible story and it was beautifully executed.
Now that you have a better idea on Indian/Desi culture. Let's delve into a rating shall we?
Oh yeah, be prepared to see a lot of that too. I don't know how the head shake came to form but I know Indians work it like it's their job.
I give The Lunchbox a rating of:
Simple, Sweet, and Great (aka 4.5/5 stars)
Simple, Sweet, and Great (aka 4.5/5 stars)
And this concludes this review/guide/mockery/just kidding post. Hope you guys had a Reel Good Time with it. Till next time!
-Vidya
-Vidya