Australia's Best Movie Magazine

Film reviews

Men In Black 3

It’s not a sequel that needed to be made, but thanks to the charm of its leads and a tone that harks back to the wit and humour of the original, it’s a pretty enjoyable trip.

Bel Ami

The excellent female support cast saves this patchy effort, which is let down by its leading man and a flat screenplay.

The Dictator

A disappointing, often repulsive and mean-spirited mess of a film with seemingly only one real criterion on its agenda: to shock and offend.

The Woman In Black

Packed with atmosphere, this old-fashioned but deftly told ghost story delivers ample chills and thrills.

search the site

Enter search term:

newsletter

Enter your email address below to receive the weekly Filmink newsletter

Enter search term:

Yes Madam, Sir (Film)

by Emmet OCuana | December 06, 2011 15:01 | Edited December 06, 2011 15:04

An eye-opening and inspiring doco, which paints an intimate portrait of a courageous figure, while also serving to shed insight on India’s wider failings.

This excellent documentary debut from Australian director Megan Doneman sets out to present the life of Kiran Bedi, one of the most controversial figures in India. Both revered and resented at home for her influence as a high-ranking police officer - the first woman to hold such a position in the country's history - Bedi comes across as an immensely charismatic figure. The sheer force of her personality is shown to have allowed her to overcome a series of obstacles, most startlingly in the film's opening when she is revealed to have faced down an armed mob single-handedly in 1978. As she rises through the ranks her successes, and tendency to draw attention to failings within the Indian judicial system, hinder rather than advance her career. Attempts to push her aside, such as being handed the impossible task of running Tihar Jail, are subverted when Bedi introduces wide-ranging reforms to the prison and invites the international media to see the results.

 

Doneman spent six years filming Bedi in order to assemble enough material that a natural end for the project emerged and the resulting picture is an intimate portrait of a woman standing against the tide. Interviews with Bedi's justly proud father, who introduced his daughter to highly competitive activities like tennis in order to encourage her individuality, are contrasted with the highly critical accounts of her superiors. Many still have not forgiven her for shining a light on aspects of Indian society they would prefer not to have been shown to the media. Helen Mirren's narration carries a note of respectful awe throughout, which is understandable given that Bedi's history of hard-won respect and constant battles with the political establishment has done little to wipe the smile from her face. This is a very moving documentary and even at times surprisingly funny.