The Waiting City

I saw this movie last night in Sydney as part of the Sydney Film Festival. I didn't know what I was seeing or anything about the movie. Overall unfortunately I have to say that while the best intentions were there the film just didn't work.

The main problem for me was that I don't think the director really knew what kind of statement she was trying to make with the film. I was waiting for the presentation of what the film was trying to say but it never came. This is surprising considering the subject matter.

The director stated at the end of the film in the Q+A that she wasn't making the film primarily about the adoption of children from other countries. But this aspect of the story was way more compelling than watching two boring main characters have lukewarm interaction. I feel the Director should have taken a stronger stance with how she felt about the subject matter she was trying to display. And my God if you are shooting a film in India just get right in there and soak it into the frames !

The beginning of the film was not helped by the music score which alluded to the film almost being presented as a comedy, especially with the choice of music score. That path soon faded away into discombobulation. While a few moments were interesting to watch it just didn't make it in the end.

I thought the Joel Edgerton character was not realized well enough. Weather this is through the fault of the director or Joels direction he took the character in. Because the 2 main characters are on the screen so much of the time I really wanted to see more chemistry between them but it just wasn't there.

Also the film being shot with the RED digital camera system I would have expected a bit more depth and vitality to the shot choices.

Having said all of this the creators of the film were very charming during the Q+A and I think Claire will go onto make some better material. Keep going guys !

Australian couple Fiona (Radha Mitchell) and Ben Simmons (Joel Edgerton) arrive in Calcutta to adopt and pick up Indian orphan Lakshmi. Fiona is frustrated by the waiting and the bureaucracy. Ben is a laid back musician who reconnects with Scarlett (Isabel Lucas). The couple fights about their different view points and the adoption. They decide to go find Lakshmi at the orphanage while they immerse themselves in the spirituality of India.

The couple starts out as being unappealing and they never recover from that. She's a Type A, entitled westerner. He's uncaring and almost cold to her. The movie confronts that idea quickly. Ben is so clueless to her anxiety that it really frustrated me. The only thing saving Fiona is that she is obviously going to find enlightenment and salvation in the end. I don't like this couple and I stop caring about them.

"You must act out of love, not desperation or need."

I've yet to see a movie set in India that wasn't a visual treat to watch, and The Waiting City definitely earns it's place on that list. The story, about an Australian couple come to Kolkata to adopt a child in the hopes that it will fix their strained relationship, is also interesting, even though I thought it stumbled into predictable, melodramatic territory at times. This is sort of an emotional coming of age story for the two main characters, both as individuals and a couple. The transition from who they are at the beginning to who they are at the end isn't exactly handled in the most organic way, but it is mostly believable.

The movie dabbles in ideas about faith and spirituality, as well, but in a very unfocused way.

I recommend The Waiting City to those interested in India, fans of Radha Mitchell or Joel Edgerton, and movie fans comfortable with subdued, personal storytelling that takes its time to get where it's going.

I saw this film recently at the Sydney Film Festival and I still can't stop thinking about it. It was well beyond my expectations. I don't think I've ever been taken so far away and felt so close to home.

I can't recommend this film enough and without giving too much away have to say this is one of the most stand out films I have seen in a very long time. The actors are superb, their chemistry is completely spot on, the way India is filmed made me feel like I was there and in so many moments made me question everything I've ever thought about. The story is touching and so real. I have never seen the lead actors Joel Edgerton and Radha Mitchell look so good or be so likable and I've seen quite few of their movies.

The director spoke at the Q&A after wards and mentioned that she spent a lot of time working in India in the slums of Calcutta and also made a documentary film about her younger sister in India. This really shines through. She has clearly put the time in, done the research and knows the world of this story. Her message in the film is also very moving. She has a balanced view of all the things the film covers in the story. The film does deal with some complex things like stresses between long term relationships, expectations between couples, family and cultural differences and a range of other things but somehow I managed to have quite a lot of laughs all the way through.

A really good balance between the drama and the funnier side. Very grown up film-making and a pleasure to watch.

It is has been a very long time that any film, in particular an Australian film has made me feel even close to what this film has. I cannot recommend THE WAITING CITY enough.

The Waiting City is a fantastic film.

The story, the imagery, the music, the subtlety and depth of culture that is presented is great to see and really enjoyable. Given the films topic, it was good to see it kept a light-hearted feel and did not get too bogged down in heavy drama that most Aussie films seem too.

It has left me with a good feeling, and I would recommend to people who want to see something a bit different from the norm. I know this is a bit of a rave review, but I really enjoyed it, and the rest of the audience seemed too as well.

A lovely film.

5 stars