Trishna: Movie Review

Trishna: Movie Review

Cast: Freida Pinto, Riz Ahmed
Director: Michael Winterbottom

In this adaptation of Tess of the D'Urbevilles, Slumdog's Freida Pinto stars as Trishna, a poor girl living in Rajasthan.

One day, Trishna meets Jay (Four Lions' Riz Ahmed), whose father runs a string of hotels. There's an attraction but when Trishna's father is injured in a jeep accident, the financial pressure facing the family is severe.

Jay intervenes, smitten with her and offers her a job in one of the hotels. With no choice, she accepts, and heads to the city, away from her family to ensure their survival.

But Jay won't let Trishna suffer and despite her serving the hotel industry, she's lavished with a TV in her quarters and given a slightly better quality of life than the rest of the employees.

Eventually, Trishna gives into the attention and attraction - but there are severe consequences for the relationship continuing.

Trishna is an odd beast of a film, blending a mix of the source material with a more shocking sense of moral outrage by setting it in Rajasthan, it's at times a slowly- paced but slow burning emotional watch.

Thankfully, a strong performance by an alluring Pinto as the girl whose journey sees her lose her innocence in many ways and makes her suffer in ways you can't help but be appalled by. It's a bravura turn by her as she goes from meek creature to being in control of her final destiny.

Winterbottom's also managed to capture a side of the region, seldom seen on the screen. Plenty of scenic cutaways, along with the hustle and bustle of the streets really helps sets the tone and create a sense of the lifestyle there.

With scenic snapshots and stolen glances, Trishna's tale is an apparently powerful but rambling one which plays out; a tale of desperation and tragedy. Thanks to some stunning cinematography and some strong acting, it's a curiously affecting film but never as strong a piece as it could be.

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