Aug 21st    
Jinnah**    

(GB/Pakistan 1998)                                            

In 1948 Mohammed Ali Jinnah dies and goes into Hades to plead his case for helping to create the nation of Pakistan.
A timely viewing of this historical biopic (on the 70th anniversary of Indian partition), tricksy with its use of modern computers in its otherworldly flashback framing devices, but otherwise well mounted with a good sense of period (as an interesting companion piece to Gandhi), if a little flawed, rather like the formation of Pakistan itself. Not necessarily its star's best role, but certainly his most challenging.

Written by: Akbar S. Ahmed, Jamil Dehlavi.
Producer/Director: Jamil Dehlavi.
Starring: Christopher Lee, Shashi Kapoor, James Fox (as Mountbatten), Maria Aitken, Richard Lintern (as young Jinnah), Shireen Shah, Indira Varma, Robert Ashby, Sam Dastor (as Gandhi). John Nettleton, Talat Hussain.
Photography: Nicholas D. Knowland.

Preceded by:
Curiosity*
(GB 2008. Pollibee Pictures. 10m.; A young couple venture into the night where a neighbouring murderer is at work.; w,d: Toby Spanton; s: Emily Blunt, Tom Riley, James Payton, Juliette James; ph: Craig Bloor; m: Georger Kallis.)