Sony Pictures Home Entertainment has got a winner with The Lunchbox, an import from India. We loved it so much, we watched it twice in a row, the second time listening to the director. We do few foreign movie reviews, but in our experience Sony always knows the great imports and this is a film you've got to see. Some people say The Lunchbox is for "foodies"- we sincerely are horrified by that term - everyone eats, and it's a matter of how and what. We look for the best and the people behind it across the board, in food, fashion, entertainment and life in general, and would claim that to adore The Lunchbox you need to be human and appreciate humanity. It's a movie for everybody.
The script is absolutely killer and could be made of steel, it's that strong. The concept of a lunchbox in India was totally foreign to us; in bringing lunch to work or school in the USA, London and Ireland, we always brought it with us in the morning. It was not complicated. It was not delivered from our home made by someone else at home in the morning coming hot right in the nick of time for the clock to strike lunch hour.
We didn't see anyone eating at their desk either...doesn't almost everyone not trying to make a lunch deal eat at their desk in Manhattan?
People actually go to a lunchroom in India. And they eat their freshly delivered lunchboxes because too many people eat a banana for lunch, haven't you heard? The wives make hot lunches for the office-working husbands. We wonder if there are any husbands that stay at home sending in hot lunches for the office-working wives? We did not see that in the movie. It's essential you grasp this concept of hot lunchbox being delivered properly at lunchtime to the right person coming from the right home, and we understand even Harvard University verified that only one out of a million is misplaced. Yes, they are that accurate.
Except, sometimes, there can be a mistake.
Is it a mistake or a miracle?!?
In this story, Ila is the housewife and she leads a mundane, plain life of monotony. She diligently prepares "The Lunchbox" day in, day out, for her unappreciative husband who is infuriating. She kindly hands off the lunchbox to the delivery guy for her husband, and one day puts extra effort into making something special to rekindle their relationship which is all but dead. How is he going to like her efforts? We won't spoil it all for you, but she is one smart cookie and knows he is not the one who received the special lunchbox....so the next day she writes a note in the lunchbox thanking whoever got it for eating it.
On the receiving end we meet office veteran widower Saajan, who has the seemingly unbearable task of training his replacement, who is the epitome of annoying, when he retires. His office life in accounting is about as exciting as the life of a housewife, and he writes back to the initial note. What ensues makes for a classic story, yet unique in nature. You'll learn a bit about Indian culture including how older people are always addressed "Auntie" and "Uncle" even if they're not related to you.
Everyone can be "too busy" in life. With emails galore invading the world, personal handwritten notes can be quite nice. It's time to stop and smell the roses, and find out what's in The Lunchbox. What is it that we live for? The Lunchbox addresses a fine line between sad and funny...remember the wrong train can quite possibly get you to the right station.
Perhaps there can be a sequel to The Lunchbox called The Samundari Thali on a Silver Platter? That was fantastic at
The Bombay Club. Note that The Lunchbox was written in New York...with the nostalgic idea of when people worked for one place for 35 years.
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