M1. THE LUNCHBOX

Even though I technically watched this movie in the last few minutes of 2015, I did ring in the new year still reeling and discussing this movie with enthusiasm to my mother. Hence, I'd like to think this movie's charm and wit traveled through time and space, and stayed with me until 2016. And so commences my 25 Books and 25 Film list with "The Lunchbox."

I had scrolled past "The Lunchbox" countless of times on my Netflix account and had even pressed the play button once or twice to see if anything about the film would pique my interest. Of course, nothing did for at least the first 2-3 minutes. The pace was slow and tired and it felt like the director was stretching the opening scene of  the mundane, everyday life. A steam kettle blowing out too much steam, the sound of oil cracking in a pot, you wipe your hands on your apron; on-off, on-off.
But that is exactly what made the movie beautiful.

"The Lunchbox" does not need any superfluous themes, gadgets, or plot thickeners to make the movie interesting. It cleverly captures how a habitual task of making lunch for a neglecting spouse can turn in a heartwarming story of love, loss, and possibly love again (the movie does not provide us with an answer at the end, nor should it).

At time, the pace of the film will be painstakingly slow. But doesn't that hold true to life? Our life course is not a series of quick action shots, cropped and cut to the next scene, but rather events that lengthen, shape, sever and bind us. We do not simply just "get over" the death of a loved one, a betrayal, or our first true love. We feel it, second after second after second.

Overall, the film is full of cheek-hurting smiles, light laughs, and a few heart drops. The picture and cinematography are beautiful, and there are definitely instances of symbolism that can be explored (if you choose to). On the surface, however, it is a movie worth watching or at the very least, adding to your queue on Netflix.