marriage Archive

Learning to Drive (2014)

by Audiophile Audition | Mar 19, 2016 | DVD & Blu-ray Video Reviews

Learning to Drive (2014) Cast: Patricia Clarkson, Ben Kingsley 
Director: Isabel Coixnet
 Studio: Broad Green Pictures 94174625 (1/19/16)
 Video: for 16:9 1080i HD color
 Audio: English DD stereo Subtitles: English, Spanish
 Length: 89 min.
 Rating: **** A ‘feel good’ film but the message is a little heavy handed. I have seen many positive reviews of this little art house film starring two of our greatest actors; both very adept at portraying a ‘type.’ I cannot argue with much of the general positivity vibe and, yet, I was just a bit disappointed. The plot and premise here is very simple and direct. Patricia Clarkson is Wendy, a literary critic and author in the Big Apple whose marriage is completely on the rocks due, as presented, to the philandering of her husband Ted (Jake Weber.) Her teenage daughter seems both distant and vaguely disapproving of mom but we never really get to see much of that dynamic. To add to Wendy’s predicament and sort of constant frazzled state is the fact that the long time New Yorker has never learned to drive. A chance encounter with a calm and kind-hearted cab driver from India played by Sir Ben leads to the main […]