All In Good Time Review

4th May 2012

All good Asian films start with a wedding, and this was no exception, with the pomp and pageantry of Indian wedding in full swing. But the stereotypes pretty much end there, and we get a film that is poignant, sweet and sincere.

All in Good Time stars Reece Ritchie as Atul, a young cinema projectionist who’s thrilled to be finally marrying the love of his life, Vina, played by Amara Karan. However, their attempts to consummate their marriage are constantly thwarted by a defective bed, thin walls and a bullying father. Their zealousness to seal the deal wanes and what begins as a hilarious postponed night of passion, turns into a genuine problem as time goes on. Family get involved, friends offer advice, dvds are rented, but ultimately it’s down to Vina and Atul to get their fledgling marriage back on track.

The writing is sensitive and reminiscent of the excellent My Beautiful Launderette. As someone who isn’t a huge East is East fan, I was impressed that everyone was given a fair say, there aren’t any bad guys or caricatures. Even Atul’s father who starts of as a gregarious, borderline alcoholic who is completely dismissive of his son’s life is given a reprieve and his relationship with his son, when explained through his eyes, is very different to how Atul sees it.

The film is beautifully shot with a lot of extreme close ups, which suits both Reece Ritchie and Amara Khan who play their roles with subtlety and real heartache as their marriage disintegrates.

With Made in Dagenham and Calendar Girls behind him, Nigel Cole directs another British film with a lot of heart. It’s by no means perfect, but it does attempt to transcend culture and talk about relationships honestly with a degree of sadness, anger and a lot of comedy. There’s a permissible amount of cheese, but that’s ok as it’s just a very lovely film.