Dr Jacques COULARDEAU This film tries to explore the complicated love story between a Muslim, born in Kenya, raised then in India, then in Canada, and moved to London to have a photographer's career, if the details are right, without a father who died early and with a cousin who considered that sex had to be satisfied with him since girls were out of the picture. That practice is quite common among Muslim teenagers, the big brother taking his toll on the smaller brothers But that is trite too. So how can we make a good film about that or with that? Simple. Move the action from Toronto to London and make that young Alim have a doppelganger in the identity of Cary Grant who is advising him on everything and particularly on his sex life. Cary Grant, the doppelganger, was reconstructed from the numerous films he watched under the influence of his mother in Kenya or India and in Canada. That gives the film a disquieting dimension already.Then he has to have a love affair and a boyfriend who has to be English, and he is Giles. But the mother decides to visit her son and that sets the whole situation upside down and catty corner. They decide to make her believe they are just roommates and that Alim is in love with a girl. Giles even tries to charm the mother into believing anything, but Alim gets jealous and tells the plain truth to his mother who leaves at once, in the absence of Giles who had gone to the gym.Then Giles is angry in his turn and moves out and has an affair with an Olympic swimmer. During that time Alim went to Toronto for the wedding of his cousin. Of course it is all false and awkward, especially with the cousin trying to have a stag party with Alim for fun and in remembrance of the past. Alim refuses but the mother was just behind. She will learn from her sister on the following day that her sister had negotiated a beautiful marriage and plenty of grand children with her son by letting him do what he wanted with Alim and probably others. Pure selfishness of a mother.Alim's mother understands then that she has been selfish in another direction. And that's when Giles arrives in Toronto, in the wedding party, and Alim runs to him and passionately kisses Giles in front of everyone. Then they can go. Alim will have to set Cary Grant on a permanent vacation, and love will live forever and ever.The absence of the father is a real trite commonplace banality in the fictional context of a gay man. The over-presence of the mother is nothing better, though the direct consequence of the first element. This is banal and plain ordinary popular psychoanalysis that explains nothing and even irritates the audience who would like to have a little bit more than clichés.But the film is fine because it is well done and the subject of the contact between two societies that are so different, the Pakistani or Indian Muslim society in exile in some western country and the western society of this or these countries. Why don't the two young men just say so and run for it and let all the witnesses on the sidewalk stare and yell and roar, if they think they are and have to be judging and executing lions? Because of fear? Because they may lose what they want to keep? Because they are afraid of growing out of the traps of a family? Many other reasons that make the love at time selfish and sour.Dr Jacques COULARDEAU

TBJCSKCNRRQTreviews When I found out what this was going to be about, I decided to give it a chance, since it was on television. This deals with a gay man who doesn't think his Muslim mother will approve of his... lifestyle. This is a great idea for a subject to explore, something that definitely has not been done to death. However, with how flat the material is, and how lackluster the delivery is, you'd think that it had. The main problem here, plain and simple, is that this is not funny. With one or two exceptions that are certainly not worth sitting through 90 minutes of poor attempts at humor, every joke and gag fails utterly and embarrassingly. My exposure to Cary Grant is quite limited, but I would say that MacLachlan's impression of him is a tad over the top, if largely accurate. I like him, and he is enjoyable to watch. Trust me, I have no agenda against this, or anything in it. I merely did not laugh at any point of this, and only a few things came off as clever, and I consider myself to be open to most forms of comedy. This is well-made, and the cinematography and editing aren't bad. The plot is fine, though the progression is entirely standard. Acting is nice enough. There is a bit of sexuality and brief strong language in this. I recommend this to those who are interested in the concept of it. 6/10

Ed Uyeshima This trifle of a movie bears more than a passing resemblance to Ang Lee's 1993 "The Wedding Banquet", but it also owes a debt to the Universal Studios romantic comedies of the late 1950's-early 1960's by way of Bollywood. Truer to the spirit of those Doris Day-Rock Hudson concoctions than the far more costly and laborious send-up, Peyton Reed's 2003 "Down With Love", this 2004 indie film has a more contemporary agenda in mind. With his first feature-length film, director Ian Iqbal Rashid uses a narrative device I haven't seen since Herbert Ross's "Play It Again, Sam" - whereas Woody Allen channeled the spirit of Humphrey Bogart in the former film, the gay protagonist here does the same with Cary Grant, apparently his "imaginary" friend since childhood when his mother deserted him temporarily for the excitement of life in London. The movie star provides unsolicited guidance on romantic relationships and the importance of appearing straight in a world hostile to gays.Choosing Grant (over a more predictable gay icon like Rock Hudson) is intriguing in that he was a celebrity surrounded by innuendo about his sexuality. It sounds silly and derivative - and to a great degree, it is - but the movie maintains a sweet tone with surprising shades of resonance toward the latter part of the film. I just wish it could have gone down a more audacious path to match its concept. The story revolves around Alim, a Toronto-raised South Asian who is now living in London with his boyfriend of a year. His mother Nuru comes to visit him unexpectedly in the hopes of prodding him to return to Toronto and marry a nice Indian girl. The problem is that Alim has not come out to his traditional and devout Muslim mother, and he has to decide to either tell her about his situation or risk losing his boyfriend Giles, who has led quite an active social life prior to Alim. The plot machinations at the beginning provide an excuse for broad caricatures and silly predicaments much like the movies to which Rashid is paying tribute, and Nuru is initially your typical guilt-skewering mother. However, the movie takes some interesting turns with Giles and Nuru having an unexpected rendezvous through London and the plot strands coming together at the traditional wedding of Alim's cousin back in Toronto.The cast is variable in quality. Jimi Mistry portrays Alim with genuine vulnerability and palpable angst even if he has an unfortunate habit of looking constipated during his more dramatic moments. Better is Suleka Mathew, who seems too young to be playing Nuru, though she at least gets to play a more complete character arc from a kvetching harpy to supportive mother. As Giles, Kristen Holden-Reid does what he can with a rather bland part. Playing the impossible role of Cary Grant, Kyle MacLachlan is actually quite good if you can get past the fact that Grant is unplayable without a certain sense of parody and impersonation. Aided by a series of wardrobe changes true to Grant's most famous films, MacLachlan actually get the voice down right and certainly has the requisite square jaw, but I wonder if his obtrusive phantom presence should have been supplanted by computer animation or even a voice-over to convey his character's purpose. Brian George, familiar Seinfeld player Babu Bhatt, as Uncle Hassan and Verna Sood as Aunt Dolly provide expert comic support. In spite of the creativity in adapting familiar movie concepts, overall the film feels relatively tepid.

spidermonkey57132 i think that that this movie was really nice. and i loved Alim's mom. i thought it was really understanding of her to accept him for who he was. and i loved Giles. he is so cute and hot!!!! i think that this movie is a movie that people have to see. i isn't hard coming out to your parents. and this movie tells you or i should say shows you how hard it is to come out to your parents when your someone like Alim. Alim character was really nice to. me and my cousin watched this movie together and we were both like all into the movie. the ending was so nice. i don't want to ruin it for you so I'm not going to tell you what happened. but i will tell you that you must watch this movie. it'll make you go," aaaawwwwwwwwwww". thats what we did.