The Lunchbox: Things That Never Happen Sometimes Happen

Over the weekend we took in a movie at Amherst Cinemas called The Lunchbox. Apparently we were among many who wanted to see this movie, because the 7 pm showing was sold out.  So instead of bagging out, we bought tickets for the 9:30 pm show, and went and did some errands while we waited for the start time to come around.

I never thought that this would be the case, but a movie that starts at 9:30 is a dangerous idea.  How many times have we railed against music shows that bring the first band on at around 10…we always say, ‘we will never stay up that late,” or, “we will be snoozing in our seats before it’s over. ”

But this one was different.  I must commend the film maker Ritesh Batra, who created a simple story that is visually stimulating with all of the scenes of colorful Mumbai, India.  The plot is a simple-a lunchbox ends up being sent to the wrong man, and a correspondence begins between the inadvertent sender and receiver.

We watch at the film’s beginning how complex the system is that gets a hot lunch (made up of stacking stainless steel cups that make up a  two-foot tall lunchpail inside an insulated sack), from its maker to its designated eater.  Men show up at the door and then hang the sacks from any available hook, and ride bikes, then take trains, until finally, the sack is deposited on the correct desk.

When the maker of the lunch questions the white-capped delivery man, he said no way–“The King of England came here and told us we never make a mistake and deliver to the wrong person.”  Yet she knows that her husband isn’t getting his lunchpail because he complains about cauliflower which she didn’t put into the lunch.

The story unfolds and we all know that this retiring gent is never going to run away with the lovely young mother who packed the lunches he liked so much.  Maybe in the US, they would have met, but like real life, it’s nice to see things that never happen never happen in movies too.