An Irfan Khan movie with a singular name, two aspects which affirmed that this would be an unusual movie. Actually it was more like a short story. I've heard about dabbawalas from my brother in law who marvelled at the flawless networked delivery system , and was pleasantly surprised to get a peek into the process. Though the plot is based on mixed delivery, I feel inclined to excuse the screenwriter because the mix-up triggers an interesting storyline. We get to experience a refreshing letter exchange in the era of Watsapp messages. I didn't understand why 'Ila' wrote in Hindi and Irfan corresponded in English; did love his enunciation though. The movie moves at a slow pace, with emotions speaking more than dialogues. The insecurities of a disconsolate housewife and soulless widower are unfolded one by one throughout the movie. There is nothing cinematic like drastic transformation of character, and that makes the screenplay more effective. A good watch for a leisurely afternoon.

A fun look at quotidian life in India. The writers carry it though--I was afraid after the plot is revealed in the first 15 minutes that the remaining hour would be tiresome. I mean the whole plot is a romantic comedy that fortunately becomes serious. The weak part of the plot are when the Fernandes covers for his incompetent new assistant Shaeik--it rang very false. Also Ila's mother didn't work either...but the rest was good very good. RECOMMEND

The Lunchbox, is a wonderful new film which is a reworking of sorts of 1998's American romantic comedy, You've Got Mail, which starred Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan. In this version it takes place in India, and involves a food delivery service which drops off lunches to people in the various businesses around the area. After a meal that was meant to be delivered to her husband instead ends up on the desk of office worker Saajan, he takes one taste of the food delivered to him, thinking that this is just the usual restaurant chain that is supposed to be bringing him his meal, but instead he notices that the food is a lot better than usual and also inside the food tins used to store the lunch is a note to her husband Rajeev, from the cook of the meal and Rajeev's wife, Ila. What happens next is most interesting as Saajan doesn't just apologize and make Ila aware that the food is not going to her husband, but instead writes a note back to her in the same food container, telling her of his great love of her cooking. Ila then decides to continue to send food back and forth to Saajan and with it each day is a little letter that she has written and through the gift of her cooking as well as Saajan and Ila both being lonely people, they end up starting a pen pal relationship where they correspond to one another with letters and in Saajan's case, he also ends up getting a delicious meal out of it. The premise as I watched the film, immediately reminded me of You've Got Mail, which for an American romantic comedy is definitely among the better of them, but thankfully The Lunchbox takes it's own road with this story and definitely makes it something all of it's own instead of a direct remake, or a foreign language copy of You've Got Mail. There is plenty here to definitely please fans of romantic comedies and there is also enough here that will appeal to foreign film fans as well as those who are connoisseurs of Indian films. I myself have really become quite smitten with the East Indian culture within the past ten years or so, after being introduced to some wonderful restaurants in the downtown core of my city, as well as discovering great Indian films such as Sholay and the wonderful works by Satyajit Ray, such as Charulata, or The Big City among his very impressive work, which I think ranks right up there with some of the world's best filmmaking auteurs. As far as literature goes, you also can not beat a good Salman Rushdie novel either. As for The Lunchbox, this is a film that not only fascinates you with a dash of culture from another side of the world, but you also grow with these characters and while their lives may seem so very different from our own in some ways, you can not shake off the feeling and sense that so very much of what they go through and deal with on an everyday basis is the same as if you are in America, Canada, or any other part of the world, so no matter where you may be living and putting the cultural differences aside, you will definitely be able both to relate and have empathy for the characters on the screen in front of you. There is also so much wonderful humour and lighthearted moments to be had here as well. The humour at most times is quite quiet and small, but definitely more than once I was looking up at the screen with a big smile on my face and truly enjoying what I was watching and at times getting great amusement and joy out of the film. There is a certain element of warmth not only to these characters, but to the film itself, not just with it's wonderful yet subtle sense of humour, but there are moments in this film that I found had true beauty in them. A great example would be the mellowing out of Saajan towards a new fellow coworker and how he becomes in many ways a kinder and gentler person because of these wonderful meals and letters that he is receiving. This is a film of not only great character study, but it also has a great sense of humanity and an in depth look and feeling of true human emotions and spirit which really makes this film quite touching at times, but also reflective to those watching it and at times a film of great warmth, beauty and dare I say, love. The acting is wonderfully expressive even when it is at it's most subtle and the screenplay truly captures the human spirit, but also allows the viewer to have much fun with the film in the process. This is one of the best films of the last several years and definitely not one to be missed. A true modern day masterpiece.

This film was a refreshing surprise. I taped it, so I gave it a chance, expecting a romance based on a "wrong address" (Think Doris Day and Rock Hudson). It's far better than that, however. The "dabba" food system in Mumbai is a spider-spread delivery system of home food made by wives for their husbands. It even appeared in an academic publication as a non-failing system. And yet, it failed... A grumpy widower, an accountant in a crowded room of a company, receives the delicious food of a young married woman, whose husband hardly notices her. She has a daughter and an aunt living in a floor above her. (The aunt appears in the movie only through her voice. ) The widower becomes somewhat friendly with his future substitute at the company, a great character. But both protagonists are lonely. The error becomes clear right away, but nobody wants to fix it. The two exchange written notes, and influence each other in unexpected ways. Lovely and recommended.