IT'S A WONDERFUL AFTERLIFE
A dark comedy that yields strange reactions rather than outright laughs.
by Vishal Verma

An Indian Films release of a Studio 18 and Bendit Films production.

Producer: Gurinder Chadha
Co –producer: Michelle Fox
Screen writers: Paul Mayeda Berges and Gurinder Chadha
Helmer: Gurinder Chadda
Genre: Black comedy
Target Audience: General



Starring

Shabana Azmi   ...            Mrs. Sethi
Goldy Notay       ...            Roopi
Sendhil Ramamurthy     ...            D S Murthy
Sally Hawkins    ...            Linda
Jimi Mistry          ...            Dev
Ray Panthaki      ...            Jazz
 Sanjeev Bhaskar              ...            Curry Man
Shaheen Khan   ...            Kebab Woman
Adlyn Ross          ...            Rolling Pin woman
Ash Varrez          ...            Naan Man
Zoë Wanamaker               ...            Mrs. Goldstein
Steve Morphew                ...            A&E Doctor
Jamie Sives        ...            Detective Hughes
Mark Addy          ...            D I Smythe
Sacha Shilov       ...            Bike Kid
Jack Gordon       ...            Ari
Saraj Chaudhry ...            Young Man in Temple
Catherine Balavage        ...            Waitress
Dennis Santucci                ...            Party Guest
Amit Shah           ...            Speed Dating Man #6
Christopher Simpson     ...            J.J Jaan
Sahil Kumar        ...            Pakora Waiter
Shane Nolan      ...            Detective
Chris Wilson      ...            CID Officer



Technical Analysis

Gurinder ‘bends’ this like a weirdo.’ Its a Wonderful After Life’ is a dark comedy that yields strange reactions rather than outright laughs. Catty satire on the eating obsession, the problem is that this starts weirdly and ends dramatically which makes any audience unlikely to warm to this wickedly cold-hearted tale of love despite the abundance of some fine acting display.

Artistically, the associated banners can be commended for backing such an unusual and risky project, but that's not what it needs right now. Despite inspired casting and a interesting plot Gurinder Chadda’s ‘It’s a wonderful Afterlife’ figures as a major disappointment. The helmer never really gets past the skeletal plot, Script is turns out to be a weird pun on Indians and their eating habits made in a spoofy horror way and it’s not funny.

The performers work gamely, but audience if there will be could laugh at only the bizarre start and the first interaction of the chicken tikka injected and dough pasted and oh yes the intestine planted ghost who want to be reincarnated cause an obsessed mom played amazingly played by Shabana Azmi weirdly kills them as they reject her fat and lovely daughter nicely played by Goldy Notay.

The only moment that lives up to the film's potential involves Goldy Notay and Sendhil Ramamurthy
Audiences will gasp till the end trying to figure out what the hell are they watching. If being international and crossover is pleasing those goras who still believe that India is a pack of jokers, I pity them and laugh a loud not on the film bit on their mentality that they found this weird childishness to be worth investing.

With nothing else quite mentioning, the movie ends up by scoring one out of five.



The Story

Mrs. Sethi (Shabana Azmi), a widow, can't bear the thought of her daughter being alone and unhappy. When Mrs. Sethi can no longer stomach the rudeness of families who refuse her daughter, she takes matters into her own hands with the only way she knows... suddenly a police hunt begins for a serial murderer.

Mrs. Sethi doesn't feel too guilty until the spirits of her victims come back to haunt her, as they are unable to be reincarnated until their murderer dies. Mrs. Sethi has no problem killing herself -- she'll get to see her dead husband again -- but how can she go before her daughter is married? The spirits realize that helping Mrs. Sethi find a suitable husband for her daughter, before the police catch her, is their only chance for a wonderful afterlife.



Promotion

It has had its share of buzz. The indoor/outdoor publicity has been useful without giving the hint of what it is. Media awareness by Spice has been reasonable. Musically it has nothing to offer.



Business Analysis

Released in English and hindi, the movie has opened to a 15% opening and keeping in mind the content which fails to impress any and Gurinder’s generic appeal amongst Indian audience, the movie’s recovery prospects lies in its satellite and dvd sales.



Other Credits

Cassettes and CD's on Sony Music. Executive producer: Paul Mayeda Berges and Chris Curling. Original Music by Craig Pruess. Cinematography by: Dick Pope. Film Editing by Oral Norrie Ottey. Casting by: Nina Gold. Production Design by Nick Ellis. Art Direction by: Dinos Laftsidis. Media Awareness: Spice. Reviewed at Famous studios, Mumbai on 06 May 2010. Running time: 100 minutes (aprox).

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