“Two rebellious British Pakistani teenagers Amara and Halima plan another secret escape away from their dominating parents from Bradford to London which goes horribly wrong when Amara is suddenly kidnapped in case of mistaken identity, with the real target being the daughter of a Bradford MP whose plans to tackle drug crime in the city have brought them into conflict with the top goon in town.” (Official)
“Tell Me About It” review is part of the Submit Your Film Initiative
Exploring the lives of two different immigrant families in the UK, Suman Hanif's “Tell Me About It” has its heart in the right place, but offers a slightly mixed experience with a hodge podge of stylistic and narrative choices that make for a rather confusing final product. However, that is not to say the production is not without its own charms and it certainly showcases the potential of director Asad Shan to grow into an interesting voice in British cinema.
Notably, there is a pronounced sincerity in the script and dialogue that is natural in depicting the way families communicate with one another. It is through this that the film stays consistently engaging through authentic interactions that draw the audience into the struggles of the family. Furthermore, the script is well-balanced between exploring the emotions of its characters and interjecting social commentary about issues that immigrant families can face–this is particularly true of ‘the kidnapper', played by Asad Shan, who speaks about how the dream of finding a better life is not a guarantee. Undeniably, with how competently Suman Hanif navigates these themes there is a potential to expand her work into a project grander than the flawed outcome that is “Tell Me About It”.
Unfortunately, the seams of the movie come unraveled quickly with one of the major hindrances coming from the performances that feel overly projected and, at points, ‘hammy'. Ariya Larker, as Amara, does not necessarily present herself as an incapable actor but the amount of emotion poured into every instance is slightly overbearing. It is obvious that her family issues are legitimate, but, for example, when faced with the story of one character having to sell drugs as an early teenager to get by is then responded in an overly emotional manner by discussing how her family restricts her social life and forces her to focus on school, makes Amara seem slightly petty. This is not reflective of the script itself, but instead under the direction, or personal choice, to project a constant sense of heightened emotions which kills variety in the particular character–she comes across as consistently frantic and sad which makes it difficult to empathize.
Visually, the production is also overly simplified and has a stronger made-for-TV vibe than a cinematic one. This is also reflected in its somewhat inconsistent storytelling as the tone shifts from family drama to a dark crime story, and back to family drama without grace. Consequently, the production lacks polish or a strong visual direction to craft an engaging cinematic experience. It is in this approach that “Tell Me About It” seems to reflect that Suman Hanif would thrive in the genre of the ‘soap opera' as its weakness in presentation and overly emotional performances would thrive in the format.
“Tell Me About It” value as a cinematic experience is limited and only made notable by a strong script that is delivered with an admirable and balanced sincerity for family and exploration of social issues. Unfortunately, there is an abundance of glaring shortcomings that limit it from making an impact beyond its well-constructed script and the production seems more apt for TV drama. Regardless, it will be exciting to see how Suman Hanif develops as a filmmaker as “Tell Me About It” does showcase notable skills in storytelling and the shortcomings don't seem as dire as much as a potential lack of experience.
