Chopsticks

Sachin Yardi's 2019 Indian film is about a woman with no confidence. Nirma teaches languages, is interrupted by everyone and cannot say no; when her new car is stolen she asks for help not from the police but from a strange man just out of prison. Known as Artist, he is calm, courteous and never hurried, and what he teaches her has less to do with finding the car than with how to answer people. The film keeps its crime element light and is really concerned with making room for oneself. The back streets of Mumbai and a goat kept in a crime boss's house are its odd details. The tone is quiet and the humour low. The balance between Abhay Deol and Mithila Palkar is well judged. Who it's for: viewers who like quiet Indian comedy and character films. Who it's not for: anyone expecting tension and plot; the film is content with a small story.