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SUCH A LONG JOURNEY Send This Review to a Friend
The performance by Roshan Seth and the many-layered texture of life in Bombay are the hallmarks of "Such a Long Journey," a complex film set in 1971 and woven from the novel by Rohinton Mistry by director Sturla Gunnarsson. Seth, internationally renowned for his work is such disparate films as "My Beautiful Laundrette" and "Gandhi," here plays Gustad Noble, a member of Bombay's Parsee minority and the rigid head of a household who works as a bank clerk. He is on a collision course with his restless, rebellious son who wants to be his own person. Meanwhile, Noble doesn't realize the trouble brewing as a result of his having taken what he thinks is a political mission out of loyalty to a friend who had asked his help.
Life is about to get more complicated than he expected for Noble, made fascinating by Seth in a portrayal that reflects his acting skill and his talent for engrossing an audience, whether in India or abroad. Soni Razdan brings credibility to the role of his wife Dilnavaz, who must care for their seriously ill young daughter. The collection of characters also includes a well-meaning sidekick at the bank, a neighbor with mental problems, a street artist whose murals annoy the authorities and the go-between connecting Noble to his mysterious friend.
All of this and more is set against the background of political complications involving India, Pakistan and resistance fighters, and screenwriter Sooni Taraporevala has worked hard to crowd the action and observations into one movie while stressing the intimacy of the relationships. There may be too much going on. The various strands can make for melodrama on screen while they would be more leisurely in a novel. Cinemtographer Jan Kiesser virtually makes Bombay a character in the film, and the effectiveness of the visuals add immeasurably to the satisfactory feeling of being transported to another time and place.
"Such a Long Journey" is well worth the trip, if not for all of its characters, for audiences that appreciate off the beaten path filmmaking. A Shooting Gallery release as part of its independent film series at Loews Cineplex theaters.
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