This movie is the proof that the world is becoming a sick and dumb place

Good films always raise compelling questions, whether the format is fiction or documentary fact.

It’s not bad or unwatchable but despite the amplitude of the spectacle, the end result is underwhelming.

A terrific literary drama and character piece that shows how the process of creating art can be seen differently by those doing it and those looking at it from the outside.

Now and then along comes a film with a quiet little story about they way we are walking through our lives – a glance at a situation in communication and relationships of friends that makes the film soar above the often tedious riffraff of Marvel comics and gangster action films - an becomes a memorable experience that merits seeing again and again. Written by Sarah Kerochan and directed by Isabel Coixet (Elegy, Paris, je t'aime, My Life Without Me, The Secret Life of Words), one of the primary reasons the film works such magic are the consummate performances by Patricia Clarkson and Ben Kingsley. The chemistry among all the cast members is on target.Wendy (Patrician Clarkson), a self-absorbed New York book critic, is shocked to reality by the sudden end of her marriage to Ted (Jake Weber) and the decision by her daughter Tasha (Grace Gummer) to live as a farmer in Vermont. Always dependent on her husband for driving, she must now learn to take the wheel on her own. Her instructor Darwan (Ben Kingsley) is a Sikh Indian, living in America after being jailed in India for political reasons and working two jobs as a taxi driver and a driving instructor, who watches with alarm as his pupil falls apart at the seams. He himself is contemplating an arranged marriage with Jasleen (Sarita Choudhury), a woman he has never met. As these two lives intersect, both will change in unpredictable ways, discovering aspects in each other's backgrounds, beliefs, vocabularies and philosophies.This is an example how a little gentle film can become immensely impressive when in the hands of pros such as Clarkson and Kingsley. Highly Recommended.

Unless you have taken a driver's test to get your motorist's license, you probably won't appreciate the trials that the heroine endures in "Elegy" director Isabel Coixet's "Learning to Drive" co-starring Ben Kingsley. This entertaining culture clash comedy about a Manhattan book critic who struggles to obtain a driving license after her husband divorces her after 21-years of marriage and the Sikh college professor from India who fled from his native land, sought political asylum, and teaches her is refreshingly down to earth. Everything about "Learning to Drive" is believable and the characters are sympathetic. Statistics indicate that fewer young people are buying automobiles today. Furthermore, people who live in major metropolitan cities where public transportation is readily available have little use for cars. Nevertheless, Wendy Shields (Patricia Clarkson of "Dirty Harry: The Dead Pool") needs to get a driving license so she can visit her daughter Tasha (Grace Gummer of "Margin Call") in Vermont where she is working on a farm. Initially, Wendy is reluctant to get behind the wheel, but Darwan Singh Tur (Ben Kingsley of "Iron Man 3") convinces her to take a ride around in his Drivers' Ed car. When she starts cruising around the Big Apple, Wendy has little idea what she is doing behind the wheel of a car. She sets out to conquer her fear of heights, primarily by driving across a bridge that Singh Tur assures her it is nothing more than a road in the sky. During the course of her driving education, Wendy discovers to her surprise that her husband, Ted (Jake Weber of "Meet Joe Black"), left her because she was too self-absorbed with his own career. Meantime, Darwan Singh Tur is about to marry an Indian woman, Jasleen (Sarita Choudhury of "Lady in the Water"), who has been selected for him in an arranged marriage. They endure challenges as well at the chapel. "Learning to Drive" is a cute little movie.

In a conversation between Wendy and Darwan, Wendy discovers that the woman Darwan is about to marry was chosen for him by his sister back in India and he has never met her. Wendy states that if her sister had chosen a husband for her he would be some dickless sap. Darwan responds, 'Yes - That is why you are alone and crazy!'. A clash of cultures in this statement? Yes. But it is also a very judgmental statement by Darwan which is in direct contradiction to his other more inner peaceful statements to Wendy.Learning to Drive is a delightful and entertaining story expertly directed by Isabel Coixet. The characters keep your attention and the viewer will both empathize with them and question their motives. Patricia Clarkson gives an excellent performance as a hyper and frustrated professional writer dealing with her sudden life changing situations and career demands. Ben Kingsley seems to be always good in his roles. The movie is worth watching.My only beef with the message given in this story is the statement made by Darwan I quote above. This statement shows the true contempt toward women of this Sikh man. Is he being kind and patient with Wendy because he is expected to by living in the US or is it of his nature? Wendy comes across as one person. Darwan comes across as two persons. There is Darwan in public then Darwan in private. He has chosen to live in the US, which puts some greater value on the individual, but Darwan still lives and thinks as if he is in India. This story centers around Wendy and her breakup with her husband but the story is more about Darwan living in one country and thinking he's still in his home in India and rejecting western values.

The vision of this film may not appeal to many due to its confined ambitions but its form and its realization is pleasing and quite accurate in its presentation of ordinary lives: the pitfalls, the highs, and the interchanges that make up the rest of the time.It pitches itself well, rather like a well structured short story. It's characters are distinct; the actors fulfill their on screen dimensions well, and its lack of slick sentimental conclusion is appropriate to its presentation of this character lead piece.The counterpoint of the end to an American marriage, based on romance, and the contractual arrangement of the Sikh marriage is done adroitly, as it would be so easy to make a melodrama of the difference.Clarkson in particular makes the film succeed as she goes through the internal wrangles of a major change of life. Kingsley is fine opposite her and they almost strike a sort of EM Forster-style romance: refined affection without anything messy.