The White Tiger movie review 2021

MOVIE TITLE: THE WHITE TIGER

Available NOW on Netflix

RATING: R

LENGTH: 2 hours, 5 minutes

Movie Review Mom GRADE: B+

IN A NUTSHELL:

Directed and written by Ramin Bahrani, this dark comedy is based on the book The White Tiger: A Novel by Aravind Adiga, and offers socio-political commentary on India. The outstanding cast and intriguing themes will keep you thinking about this rags-to-riches film for quite some time.

THINGS I LIKED:

Great opening.
Adarsh Gourav gives a truly fantastic, break-out performance. We are sure to see a lot more of him in the future. At least, I hope so.
Priyanka Chopra is actually the winner of the Miss India and Miss World beauty pageants in 2000. She’s also a very good actress and offers a familiar face in the cast to many Americans because she’s married to musician and actor Nick Jonas. Among many achievements, she made the May 2016 cover of TIME magazine for being one of the top 100 Most Influential People.
Rajkummar Rao is also known as Raj Kumar. He’s a big Bollywood star who is sure to be seen in more American films.
I love the storytelling style of breaking the 4^th wall to take the viewer along a journey. Two of my favorite movies that do this extremely well and happen to feature Matthew Broderick in both are Ladyhawke and Ferris Bueller’s Day Off.
Every frame is an amazing picture. The cinematography by Paolo Carnera was excellent as you explore India.
You get to take a trip to India and learn a lot about the country’s caste system, way of thinking, economic situation, food, customs, and connection to China.
It was fascinating to contrast two Indians with different viewpoints. Adarsh Gourav’s character, Balram, was born and raised in India into extreme poverty, yet he completely embraces the mentality of the country and his station in life…for a time. Priyanka Chopra’s character, Pinky Madam, was born in India, yet educated in America, which causes her to question outdated traditions in her motherland. Their conversations get them both thinking about their place in India.
All of the characters are flawed, despite their efforts to live according to their values. You get instantly pulled into their lives and feel immediately invested in them.
Fun musical soundtrack.
The movie does a great job with a risky technique. You’re told the end of the story at the very beginning, but rather than it being a spoiler, you look forward to learning how a character actually gets from point A to point B.
There is a very powerful and unexpected twist in the movie that takes it to a surprising new level.
The white tiger is described as something that’s born only once in a generation, much like the protagonist.

THINGS I DIDN’T LIKE:

The extreme poverty is heartbreaking to watch. Early on in the movie, we learn that Balram, the servant, will be paid 1500 rupees for a month as a personal driver. That sounds like a lot, but just to put that into perspective, that’s only $20.55 in US dollars. FOR A MONTH! The servant is told he will get a raise of 2000 rupees after he works for 2 months. That’s still only $27.40 for a month’s work.
The movie feels long, yet ends kind of abruptly.
Blatant product placement in movies always annoys me. In this movie, the Sheraton Hotel gets a big shout-out.
There is some humor in Act 1, but then Act 2 and 3 become very, very dark.
I love a rags-to-riches story, but I finished the movie with a very uneasy feeling because the message is that the end justifies the means.

TIPS FOR PARENTS:

Lots of F-bombs spoken and written
Name-calling
Lots of subtitles to read
You’ll learn a lot about India and the caste system
You’ll learn about how Indians feel about Hinduism, Islam, and Christianity
People get beaten and shot to death.
Bloody violence
You see two men pooping in the dirt

THEMES:

Education open doors
Freedom
Masters and servants
Tradition
Bribery
Murder, bribery, and dishonesty pay
Religion
Good vs. evil
Rich vs. poor
Karma
Social injustice
Morality
A look at socialism and communism
Obligation to family

INTERESTING LINES:

“A successful entrepreneur always finds his competition’s secrets.” – Balram (Adarsh Gourav)
“Rich men are born with opportunities they can waste.” – Balram
“If only a man could spit his past out easily.” – Balram
“What is a servant without a master?” – Balram
“We loathe our masters behind a façade of love, but do we love them behind a facade of loathing?” – Balram
“The moment you recognize what is beautiful in this world, you stop being a slave.” – Balram
“It’s the century of the brown man and the yellow man, and God save everybody else.” – Balram