Airlift another good film

Last night we needed a little diversion after a long hard week of seeing to the healthcare needs of senior members of our extended family. So, after a dinner of homemade pizza, actually a modified bake-it-yourself model from Wal-Mart, we settled down to Sunday Night at the Movies, courtesy of Netflix®. Being out in the country we love Netflix for its convenience, choice, availability and affordability (less than $9 /mo.).

I chose an Indian movie called “Airlift” while my wife was finishing the pizza. Normally I’m not drawn to Indian-related material (especially not the food although my wife and son love it). But in this case the date, 2016, the ratings 4+ stars and the plot synopsis drew me to it.

The setting is Kuwait during the Saddam Hussein/Iraqi military invasion in 1990. And the plot has a ruthless, but successful Indian business man living in Kuwait, suddenly awakening to the horrors of war as his wife and family are attacked at their fancy home in Kuwait. Faced with these never before circumstances in his life, the businessman’s whole life and priorities are turned upside down.

It is a compelling (in fact I used that very word to describe my feelings as my wife and I were watching last night) 2+ hour true story that explores the heart and soul of a man torn in several directions by conflicting priorities of his wife, co-workers and fellow Indian citizens.

Here’s what a few critics had to say about this film with a $4.5 Million budget that drew $34 Million at the box office:

Critic Taran Adarsh was impressed with the film and admired its narration, rated the film four and half stars out of five. He stated in his tweet, “Airlift is taut, engrossing, leaves a hammer-strong impact. Raja Krishna Menon is a director to watch out for. Deserves brownie points. #Airlift is a must watch. One of the finest films to come out of the Hindi film industry. Just do not miss this one!”

Bollywood Hungama gave the film four and half stars, stating “On the whole, Airlift is a classic film based on a real-life incident that is told extremely well on screen. It is surely one of the best films to come out this year and will pick up with a strong word of mouth. Just do not miss this one!”.

Ananya Bhattacharya of India Today also rated the film four and half stars out of five, terming the film as “gritty, edge-of-the-seat and heart-stopping” and stated “Airlift is a tale of unmatched heroism. In all, Airlift is the story of unparalleled courage and unsung heroes. From unknown names in the Ministry of External Affairs in Delhi to people who had their Indianness rearing its head from within just when it was required, Airlift is un-miss-able. Go watch it.”

I like true stories of real heroism, especially those that don’t insult my values with unacceptable language, violence and nudity. I hope you get to see it too. It will make you appreciate all over again how good we seniors have it here in America.

Thanks for reading All About Seniors…..see you next week!

Bill Milby, CSA, is a Certified Senior Advisor and a Director of Visiting Angels® of Macon, a non-medical, living assistance service for seniors. If you have questions or comments about this column you can reach him at william.mercylink@gmail.com or search for us at www.facebook.com/VisitingAngelsMacon.

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