Citylights is not meant to be a ‘light’ movie. It makes its intentions clear right from the opening sequence and stays true to them pretty much through the course of the entire 126 minutes it runs. It comes across as dark, hard hitting and sometimes deeply disturbing as well. But despite the darkness, it casts a brilliant ray of hope for those looking for a good movie watching experience
Most of the praise that Citylights deserves actually should go to the original mind behind it – Sean Ellis. For the uninitiated, this movie is an adaptation of Metro Manila which was directed by Sean Ellis. I haven’t seen the original yet but plan on correcting that quite soon. Getting back to Citylights, while it has a tendency of slowing down, especially during the first half and tends towards an over-reliance on songs to deliver the mood – the story development is gripping enough to keep you interested till the very end
A simple slice of hard life of the not so fortunate takes on an unexpected turn and becomes a gripping thriller. Much of this is achieved by a high quality and effortless portrayal by Rajkummar Rao yet again showcasing his versatility, this time as a poor Rajasthani (with impeccable accent). Ably supported in a praiseworthy debut by his real life better half, Anwita Paul (screen name: Patralekha, who looks like a young Divya Dutta) – the couple make the movie and the characters connect much more deeply. You feel for them, cringe at their helplessness and desperation, celebrate their little successes and get dismayed at their defeat
Am not sure why the movie has been called Citylights though, while the reference is obvious, post the opening sequences – very little has been done to make the city at the center of it all. Rather you get invested in the life of the protagonist and what he undergoes, which could really have happened in any city. There was much potential to exploit the city itself which is squandered – seeing as it is set in the city of dreams for the haves which turns to the city of nightmare for the less privileged, on a daily basis
Still, the plot development and high quality performances means that the Citylights make this a road well worth a drive by
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