The Extraordinary Journey of the Fakir

Disguised as a fakir and claiming magical powers, Aja makes his way to France, falls in love with Marie (Erin Moriarty), and gets locked in a closet and shipped to England. So begins a series of bizarre adventures and chance encounters traversing Europe and blending comic mishaps, magic realism, Bollywood musical and sentimental schmaltz. Director Ken Scott leans hard into the requisite rom-com and poor-kid-makes-good feels, lending proceedings a colourfully charismatic veneer, combining off-kilter fantasy and heartfelt humanity. With an amiable lead in Dhanush, and suitably lush travelogue cinematography, it’s a fun European trip, tinged with the harsh reality of the treatment of immigrants at the whims of customs officials, border police and bureaucratic bullies. It’s in these clashes of cruel truth and flights of fancy that the film teeters on a tightrope between social critique and light-hearted rom-com.

Whilst it doesn’t wholly ignore the plight of the poor, seeking refuge from inequality and conflict, its light-hearted touch trumps any serious message. Like its lead character, the film proves optimistic and full of enough feel-good humanity to make the journey, if not essential, then certainly worthwhile.Hide