Provoked Movie Review

Kiranjit Ahluwalia (Rai) is found sitting in a near catatonic state clutching her two children outside her home on the evening her husband (played by Lost star Naveen Andrews) is horribly burnt in a fire. An investigation into the circumstances surrounding the fire in Kiranjit and Deepak’s bedroom leads the police into placing Kiranjit into custody for deliberately setting her husband on fire.

Kiranjit’s fingerprints on the gas can seal the deal. Even though it’s obvious she’s been abused, she can’t claim what she did was in self defense because of the timing of the fire and the fact her husband was sound asleep at the time. Although her lawyer and other activists attempt to save her from jail, Kiranjit is ultimately convicted of murder and slammed with a life sentence.

A series of flashbacks fills in the evolution of her marriage and of the abuse she suffered at Deepak’s hands. As Kiranjit begins opening up to her cellmate Ronnie (Miranda Richardson) and others working on helping overturn her conviction, it’s very obvious the experience of being in jail has - strangely enough - had a positive effect on her attitude. Free from Deepak’s control, Kiranjit learns to speak for herself and to stand up for what she believes.

The film benefits from fine performances by not only Rai but also Richardson as Kiranjit’s closest friend in jail. Provoked really takes off when Richardson’s onscreen as her presence elevates the drama and prompts Rai into upping her own game. Rebecca Pidgeon and Robbie Coltrane (Harry Potter’s Hagrid) also provide stellar performances in supporting roles.

Provoked has an important story to tell. The actual events depicted in the film led to a landmark ruling and provided a true breakthrough in the way battered women are treated by the British legal system. Unfortunately, Carl Austin and Rahila Gupta's script is lined with clichés and only tackles the subject matter on a surface level. The other major problem with the screenplay is that the majority of the scenes have a soap opera tone to them.

Rai and company can’t save Provoked from languishing in the land of mediocrity. The true story deserved something much more gritty and intense than Provoked was able to deliver.

GRADE: C-

Provoked was directed by Jag Mundhra.