What's Love Got To Do With It review: Shekhar Kapur's film barely justifies the title

3/5

Story:

Zoe has found a best friend in Kazim. He is now getting married to a girl through arranged marriage. Will things work out?

Review:

What’s Love Got To Do is one of those movies which does not stand true to the title. The film is all about love, eventually.

The lead actor Zoe is seen trying to be modern. She has dialogues like, "All this egg freezing is so that I don't have to put all my eggs in one bastard," which build her character but are actually, not her character.

"Nain mila ke, kabhi kisi ko chain mila?," is another one of those dialogues which tickle your funny bone. The movie does have comic relief but does not completely follow the story.

Lily James as Zoe compares herself to Cindrella and this story is something new and impressive. That is however all that is there to her. Even though Zoe could have more layers, she ends up being the princess waiting for her charming king.

Emma Thompson as her mother Cath adds to her. It gets awkward seeing her but is cute nonetheless.

Shahzad Latif as Kazim almost fits in his role. He gets the accent correct and is almost perfect in his scenes. His eyes speak more than he does in the whole film. That is what works best for his role and honestly, the movie.

The bond between Kazim and Zoe is what really makes the film. The cultural differences yet friendship between their families makes the movie an interesting watch.

Shabana Azmi in the role of his mother Aisha Khan is just there. She holds some secrets, much like most mothers.

Mariam Haque has almost no role as Kazim's sister, Jamila. Even

if on video, she ends up being an important part of the story.

Oliver Chris as Dr. James is so goofy that he's cute. That is till he is awkward. Then he's just awkward. He ends up being the best part of the film.

Alice Orr-Ewing's Helena is a reflection of Zoe. You see that Zoe's strength comes from seeing her best friend go through hell in life.

Sajal Ali as Maymouna is seen in a brief role. She plays the shy and introvert girl almost well. She has a different side to her, which you should expect, given her shy performance. There is more than one secret to her.

Shaheen Khan as her mother makes a brief appearance but it works. Iman Boujelouah in the role of Yasmin is also great in her brief role. Nikkita Chadha's Baby and Hanna Nazreth's Toffee are introduced as Maymouna’s friends, in a scene which introduces the character.

Asim Choudhry as Mo The Matchmaker leaves an impression on you as soon as he enters the scene. Although the whole scenario is quite creepy, he is the Seema aunty to this film.

Music plays a huge role in adding romance to the movie. The film shows the Indian culture in foreign land.

Camera angles, on the other hand, barely work. You see a close-up of a pooch for no particular reason, which is an example of that.

The movie focuses on Kazim and Maymouna's story too. They speak something but their eyes speak louder, proving their talent as actors.

The Indian wedding dance is here and it comes as a good relief in the otherwise uncomfortable situations. This reminds you of the Diwali sequence in The Office, among many other shows and movies over the years.

Rahat Fateh Ali Khan makes a cameo and he is a great surprise. The singer is very much in his element in the film.

The story takes an emotional turn towards the end. It is thanks to, no guesses, Zoe and Kazim.

The end, of course, is a happy ending. It is 'brave' but not that unforeseen.

Verdict:

What’s Love Got To Do With is not a novel story. Moreover, there is no scene to link why certain things happen in the film. This does not mean that the movie has absolutely nothing. There are cute scenes which make the movie worth it. Special mention to Shahzad Latif who acts with his eyes more than in any other way. That really works wonders for him as an actor.