Cert 15
94 mins
BBFC advice: Contains strong violence, threat
I have often wondered why, in a very cosmopolitan world, there are not more films which cross over cultures.
So, I was pleasantly surprised by Rajan Kumar Patel's Feast Of Varanasi.
Despite being based in India and the majority of characters being from that country, much of the movie is in English.
Thankfully, this doesn't prevent the Indian actors from being convincing - in fact, they are probably more so than their British counterparts.
Adil Hussain steals the show as Arjun, a member of the Indian FBI, who is sent from behind his desk in Delhi back to his homeland in Varanasi where there have been a sequence of mysterious murders.
The local police greet him with inevitable suspicion but a respected inspector (Tannishtha Chatterjee) warms to him and so the unconventional double act lead the investigation.
Meanwhile, a young teacher (Holly Gilbert) arrives in the ancient city to see her aunt (Judi Bowker -is it really more than 40 years since Black Beauty?) and escape her troubled past.
Patel's film is a decent thriller which benefits from having such an exotic background (Varanasi is clearly a city of contrasts).
Its premise is enticing - slayings of poor young women which are, apparently, connected to a ritual.
But I could not help wondering whether Feast Of Varansi fell into the trap of many movies of trying too hard.
Many of the scenes need developing. Instead, they move too quickly on to the next one. Less would have been more, in my opinion and would have helped build up the tension.,
In saying that, there are some interesting turns not least when the movie reaches its dramatic conclusion.
Reasons to watch: a cross-over thriller with a engrossing storyline
Reasons to avoid: jumps around too much, dissipating its tension
Laughs: none
Jumps: none
Vomit: none
Nudity: none
Overall rating: 6.5/10
Star tweet
on the way to