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Ali & Ava Reviews
Telling the tale of lives intertwining at inopportune moments, with the chaos, ugliness, emotions, and pressures we all face whilst this Rock spins on its axis. It is set to the rhythms of two main characters, and their respective lives (jobs, families, friends, expectations, etc). It's a cross-section of how life is, with no frills, no airs and no graces... and it works. It's not new, but then it doesn't need to be for its story to be told
This is an excellent film. A human story set in a working class neighborhood in England. It's about two lonely people finding a connection to one another. The two leads are brilliant, the use of music is interesting and woven throughout to create an emotional cohesion between the two characters. Loved this. A sweet film about actual people and life. If you're sick of watching death, sex and fantastically wealthy people who have not one relatable thing about them, this is for you. Hopefully we aren't as rare as Hollywood would have us be.
A beautiful unlikely love story with 2 people who find each other at the right time
Hubby and wife movie night found a bummer with Ali & Ava about two lonely British people who have zero chemistry. The love story is rushed out of nowhere and there is very little romance. Nothing is earned, it just happens. This was a swing and a miss. Hubby: 4.8/Wife: 3.0/Average 3.9/10
Utterly, utterly depressing. The lack of ambition is stark.
This is a sweet gentle movie about two lonely people who find each other and connect.the acting is superb, the script is subtle…this movie would never get made in Hollywood. Thank goodness for independent movies allowing this kind of film to find an audience.
Sweet and tender and wonderfully acted by it's two Leads.
Difficult watch and very labouring. Just shows how out of touch the critics are to the monie watching public.
A refreshingly unique and nuanced approach to a story of love after trauma, without reliance on flashbacks or other tired tropes.
Enjoyed it more than I thought I would. Nothing new here but a familiar watch that is worth the time. And I discovered the song Slave to the Radio which made the movie for me.
Boring, drawn out, silly British movie!
Nice, enjoyable RomCom.
Love stories have been a staple of the movie industry almost as long as there have been movies. But, for such releases to truly stand out, they must offer something of their own to distinguish themselves in this genre. Writer-director Clio Barnard's latest does its level best to achieve that, but, regrettably, it comes up short. Set in a working class neighborhood of Bradford, West Yorkshire in the north of England, the film follows the choppy, often-meandering relationship of its two title characters, a widowed, middle-aged immigrant Irish Catholic grandmother and a younger British-Pakistani would-be musician who's separated from his wife. In entering into their passionate but tentative romance, Ali and Ava are each carrying their fair share of baggage (conditions that no doubt contribute to their hesitancy to become deeply involved) while attempting to cope with outside issues related to cultural taboos and less-than-subtle racism. However, despite the picture's efforts at creating distinctive characters operating under a distinctive set of circumstances, the narrative never comes together as cohesively as it might have, yielding a patchwork of moments of varying degrees of intensity and engagement, a mix that doesn't quite gel. For every scene that effectively draws in viewers, there are just as many that are shallow, extraneous throw-aways. What's more, the story lines related to the outside issues aren't developed nearly as fully as they could have been. To be sure, the film features fine performances by Adeel Akhtar and Claire Rushbrook as the two leads, but, considering the ample critical acclaim that has been lavished on this offering, as well as its two BAFTA Award nominations, "Ali & Ava" nevertheless proves to be something of a disappointment. This attempt at creating a profound love story could have benefitted greatly from some much-needed shoring up in a number of key areas – especially as an offering in a genre that inherently calls for distinction to genuinely stand out.
Loved this film, beautifully filmed and acted by all, a gentle, engaging treat.
Clio Barnard's Bradford-set drama, as indicated from its title, revolves around Adeel Akhtar's Ali, a kind but slightly aimless Pakistani amateur musician, and Claire Rushbrook's Ava, an Irish/Caucasian teacher's assistant and young(ish) grandmother of five. They are the quintessential chalk and cheese couple down to their musical tastes (he dances to rave music on top of his car and she enjoys country and folk) but they also share a messiness in life and a loneliness bore out of their circumstances, with tightly held secrets that are eventually teased out as the film slowly unfolds. Building upon a Loachian blueprint grounded in working-class realism, the effective camerawork is unfussy and unintrusive, while Akhtar and Rushbrook who have been solidly reliable character actors for anything they're in on big and small screens, give us tremendous performances that are layered and moving. Barnard's use of their contrasting musical tastes as a narrative device is inspired, as we see them first introducing each other to their playlists and as their relationship deepens, they try assimilating their taste to one another. As a celebration of multiculturalism and a portrait of a relationship between two adults who had lived a life before they met, Barnard's screenplay touches on aspects we expected it to: race, objection from family members, the hesitancy of middle-aged courtship. However they are handled gently and humorously while steering clear of sentimentality and troupes that can easily turn this into a lesser, more generic melodrama. So it's a huge let-down when it drops one of the worst cliché in its run-up to the ending, contriving a misunderstanding between them that's resolved in a quick yet still abstract indie film manner. It's a cringing and unnecessary move that ruined the film for me, as an almost 4-stars rating plummets to a barely 3.
Claire Rushbrook and Adeel Akhtar are marvellous in a very understated film. Ali and Ava is a refreshing and original take on the 'rom com'. It is funny, sweet and charming and a film I would re-watch with pleasure. Writer and director Clio Barnard does an excellent job and continues to build an impressive filmography. The film is in the social-realist vain of Ken Loach and other British filmmakers and is all the stronger for its lack of narrative through line. Instead, the film becomes a series of slice of life scenes where character and relationship is its focus
Stunningly understated tour de force of British cinema. With beautifully sympathetic acting, perfect cinematography and a mind-blowing soundtrack, we must all support quality British cinema like this!