The true-crime drama “Provoked,”about a horrendous spousal-abuse case and its legal aftermath in England, has everything to offer except a cinematic point of view and a knack for depicting human beings under duress. Those are major drawbacks.
In 1989 Punjabi native Kiranjit Ahluwalia, living in West London with her husband, lay a gasoline-soaked blanket on their bed while he was sleeping. She lit a match, left the house with their 3-year-son, and her husband — who’d raped and beaten her for a decade — died of the burns a few days later.
Convicted of murder and imprisoned, Kiranjit felt free for the first time in her life. That grimly hopeful paradox alone is enough reason to make a film of her story. With the aid of the Southall Black Sisters advocacy group, Kiranjit’s retrial led to a lesser charge of manslaughter.
Bollywood sensation Aishwarya Rai portrays Kiranjit, and while she struggles mightily (and visibly) with a painful role, she’s not yet actress enough, at least in English, to bring this character to life. Her intensity is oddly monochromatic; she breaks down her emotions into easily scanned, starkly divided extremes. A less plodding script and more fluid direction would have served both Rai and Kiranjit more expressively. Naveen Andrews of “Lost” plays the woman’s loutish, sub-human husband; Miranda Richardson dines out on the role of Kiranjit’s cellmate and fellow abuse survivor. Most of the ingredients for a strong, tough film are there, and they have been sadly botched by a few key collaborators.
‘Provoked’
* 1/2
Directed by Jag Mundhra; screenplay by Carl Austin and Rahila Gupta, based on the book “Circle of Light” by Kiranjit Ahluwalia and Rahila Gupta; photographed by Madhu Ambat; edited by Jag Mundhra and Sanjeev Mirakjar; music by A.R. Rahman; production design by Peter Joyce; produced by Sunanda Murali Manohar. An Eros International release; opens Friday at Landmark’s Century Centre Cinema, 2828 N. Clark St. Running time: 1:53.
Kiranjit … Aishwarya Rai
Ronnie … Miranda Richardson
Deepak … Naveen Andrews
Lord Edward …… Robbie Coltrane
No MPAA rating; parents cautioned for violence, language and some sexual themes.
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mjphillips@tribune.com
