"The Lunchbox" is the best film I've seen in a while

Forget whatever it is you're doing and watch The Lunchbox, an Indian film written and directed by Ritesh Batra and starring the highly-talented Irrfan Khan (the ruthless police inspector from Slumdog Millionaire) as Saajan Fernandes, a lonely bureaucrat about to retire after 35 years plodding away in the same job.

Introspective and shy, Saajan utilizes popular and highly efficient deliverymen, called dabbawala, to get his lunch everyday. Dabbawala pick up meals made either at a restaurant, or prepared by a worker's family or spouse at home, and transport the food by car, train, bike, and foot to a worker's desk, and then return the empty dishes, by the same method, each afternoon. 

Researchers have actually studied this complex system and found it to be exceptionally efficient and accurate.

I was appalled to see that it is also, seemingly, without regulation.

Tsk, tsk.

By some random and extremely unusual mistake, Saajan's lunch, which he orders from a local restaurant, becomes mixed up with food meant for the husband of Ila, a bored housewife played by the talented — and stunningly beautiful — Nimrat Kaur. The dabbawala starts leaving the container with Ila's husband's lunch at Saajan's desk each afternoon, and before long the two begin a correspondence — through the lunchbox! What results is a story of hope, rebirth, and love.

The Lunchbox is very unusual. Nothing like a typical Indian film, it is also unlike those generally made in America. It's actually more like the type made by European filmmakers. Watching it, I kept thinking of other films that I've seen in the last fifteen years and absolutely loved, like 2000's Bread & Tulips, 2001's Mostly Martha, the aforementioned Slumdog Millionaire (2008), 2011's The Intouchables, and 2012's The Hunt, A Royal Affair (both starring the amazing Mads Mikkelsen), and A Hijacking (reviewed here). All were written and directed by Europeans.

Like those movies, The Lunchbox isn't driven by action, nudity, senseless violence or even A-list talent, but instead moves seamlessly along on a fantastic story and brilliant acting. In one scene, Saajan becomes overwhelmed with excitement, but plays the part with such perfection and consistency that for a moment you'll feel as if you're watching a documentary — no doubt aided by Batra's flawless direction, as opposed to trendy, gritty cinematography.

Hollywood can do an Avengers or Captain America, even an American Hustle, like nobody's business — no one can take that away. But when it comes to telling stories about everyday people suffering those many symptoms of the human condition — and doing it believably, without melodrama — you're better off taking a look at what's going on elsewhere. 

The film is 104 minutes long — the ideal length, imho — but it seems longer...in a good way. No, in a great way. You simply want it to go on, even and perhaps especially at the end — to keep watching these people, whose lives you've been dropped into, hopeful that it will all turn out okay for them, and somehow knowing that it will.

I give The Lunchbox Five Stars, without hesitation. It's the best film I've seen in a while. You can catch its last showing tonight at the Music Hall, but if you miss that be sure to get a copy from Netflix or Amazon as soon as possible. Then clear your schedule of any and all distractions, and enjoy.