As always when I write these reviews, let me say up front that I am not Indian and don't speak Hindi (or Bengali!). But my wife and I have watched a lot of Indian movies in the last 10 years.
We went to see this because my wife likes detective stories, and the Bengali movies we have seen in the past (Raincoat, Choker Bali) were excellent. We were not disappointed.
First--remember this is from a non-Indian's point of view--I was pleased to see that somewhere in India the director was able to find an Englishman who could actually act. In 99% of the Bollywood films, the non-Indian actors are awful. But the police commissioner here was great--just the right amount of arrogance and sympathy. Secondly, in contrast to virtually all the Hindi films I've seen, the British were not portrayed as evil demons or fools. To portray every British person in India as a devil or a fool just makes the movie into a cartoon. But here, the police commissioner spoke the native language (you judge how well, I can't), was respectful to the Indians, and was clearly just trying to do his job the best he could. Good job.
Next, the atmosphere of the movie. To me it successfully created the noir atmosphere of the 40s mystery movies perfectly. If there were any mistakes, I didn't see them.
Acting: Terrific all around. There were a lot of characters, and each one was clearly defined. In some Bollywood movies characters come and go quickly--someone will show up in the first five minutes, then disappear for two hours, and then re-appear at the climax and you're supposed to remember who they are. Not here. Each character was followed throughout the movie--even the little servant who served tea. You cared about each character, and enough was left unsaid to make you wonder if they were who they said they were.
Involvement: This is an extremely important point, and it's where a lot of Bollywood movies fail. All too often there are 5-6 fight scenes, or love scenes, or whatever, and you think "Why do we have to see this again and again?" But here there was no repetition--everything was fresh, and I was completely involved in the movie from beginning to end. I personally think this must be one of the hardest things to accomplish, and this movie did it beautifully.
Story: A bit over the top (a Japanese invasion of Calcutta? Really?) and maybe with some unrealistic touches (would Japanese really have been allowed to wander around India in 1943?), but overall restrained and logical.
Obviously there will be a sequel, and I look forward to it. I'm just sorry the books aren't translated into English--I think that's an opportunity waiting for some enterprising translator.
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