'What’s love got to do with it?' movie review: Typical, fairly intriguing cross-cultural rom-com

Still from What`s Love Got To Do With It?

Film: What's love got to do with it?
Cast: Lily James, Shazad Latif, Shabana Azmi, Emma Thompson, Sajal Aly
Director: Shekhar Kapur
Rating: 2.5/5
Runtime: 107 mins

This cross-cultural romantic comedy which blends British and Bollywood styles marks the celebrated Director of films like Masoom, Mr India, Bandit Queen, and Elizabeth, Shekhar Kapur's return to filmmaking after a ten-year hiatus. Written by Jemima Goldsmith whose tryst with Pakistani life (as the former wife of dashing cricketer turned Pakistani Premier Imran Khan), is well documented, the narrative marries Asian and western values in a vividly colorful jamboree of cultures, beliefs, customs, rituals, and emotions.

The screenplay, though fairly funny doesn't completely commit to, nor realize the central conceit of a more nuanced and balanced exploration of ‘assisted' marriage. Two childhood friends and next-door neighbors, Zoe (Lily James) an award-winning documentary filmmaker, and Kazim (Shazad Latif) a successful British-born Pakistani origin Doctor come to a fork in their relationship when Kaz's family convinces him to go in for an arranged marriage. Zoe is quick enough to use that as an opportunity to give wings to a new documentary. But as the choosing and the ceremonies get going on and off camera, it becomes clear that there are undeclared emotions lurking in the two best friends' hearts.

The narrative moves from Britain to Pakistan and the audience becomes privy to a radical transformation in the tone and tenor - from a rather sterile, unyielding reserve to getting loosened up by gaiety, frivolity, and sometimes meaning-laden celebrations.

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The film within a film construct makes it interesting enough even though the storyline broadly follows the ‘Bride and Prejudice' pattern of Gurinder Chadha's Indianised take on Jane Austen. The general tone of broad humor makes way for potent emotion towards the end. There are quite a few outdated cliches being peddled here and that makes this multicultural love story less meaningful. The narrative also doesn't develop beyond the rudimentary. Kaz feels underdeveloped and Cath, Zoe's divorced mother, doesn't have much to do other than frolic around participating in festivities.

Kapur's culturally mixed narrative gives us glimpses of Pakistani culture and customs as much as it sheds light on British broad-mindedness - with reference to love and marriage. Revisionist takes on fairy tales and comic references to Harry Potter lend pop cultural significance to the time period the film is set in. The message of non-conformism is presented with a light-hearted earnestness though.

The soundtrack lends gravity to the romantic drama and the actors do well to keep their performances reined in and sharply etched. Shazad Latif and Lily James show off some spiffy acting chops while the reigning grand dames of acting, Shabana Azmi and Emma Thompson give familial histrionics highly effective contours.