Little Box of Sweets (2008)

50% of critics liked it
(6 reviews)
50% of users liked it
(302 ratings)

In lieu of a by-the-numbers Bollywood film, this Indian-produced effort from director Meneka Das represents a throwback to the arthouse-style films of Satyajit Ray and Bimal Roy. The tale unfurls in the 1970s, where Seth (Joe Anderson), the racially-mixed son of a Caucasian mother and Indian… More In lieu of a by-the-numbers Bollywood film, this Indian-produced effort from director Meneka Das represents a throwback to the arthouse-style films of Satyajit Ray and Bimal Roy. The tale unfurls in the 1970s, where Seth (Joe Anderson), the racially-mixed son of a Caucasian mother and Indian commissioner father, returns to India from school in Britain and experiences a joyous reunion with Asha (Meneka Das) a friend from childhood. Asha, as it turns out, was orphaned as a young girl, and happens to attend an all-girls' school where one of her teachers is Sheila (Helena Michell), Seth's mother. Over a short period of time, Seth and Asha's relationship blossoms from a renewed friendship into full romance, which draws the ire of both of Seth's parents and prompts them to interfere - thus setting the stage for tragedy. ~ Nathan Southern, Rovi

Rating, Runtime: Unrated, 1 hr. 29 min.
Directed By: Meneka Das
Genres: Drama, Romance

In Theaters: Sep 9, 2007 Wide
Studio: OceanSonic Pictures

Critic Reviews

Derek Malcolm, This is London
If it lacks the power of real drama, or a radical sense of style, it doesn't stint on the difficulties a peasant girl probably still faces when getting on in life.
Rob Daniel, Sky Movies
An enjoyable debut for two disgustingly talented sisters, on the basis of this Meneka and Sheenu Das deserve a long future as that rarest of beasts - a female filmmaking duo.
Cath Clarke, Guardian [UK]
Meneka Das, a British-based Indian actor, has written and directed a love story that is polite, proper and just a little flat-footed, although beautifully shot in Uttar Pradesh.
Wendy Ide, Times [UK]
Sugar-coated and naive, Little Box of Sweets is an Indian coming-of-age story that feels firmly mired in the colonial melodrama of the Merchant Ivory era.
Tom Dawson, Film4
A promising first feature from Das, the low-key Little Box Of Sweets returns to the filmmaker's rural Indian past to offer an atmospheric evocation of a particular time and place.
David Jenkins, Time Out
It's a dull, if competently made, film, which is done no favours by its earnest tone, a soppy orchestral score and a slew of artificial performances by actors clinging far too tightly to their lines. It would be far better suited to daytime TV.

Read all 6 critic reviews

Critic ratings and reviews powered by RottenTomatoes.com

Fresh (60% or more critics rated the movie positively)

Rotten (59% or fewer critics rated the movie positively)

No Featured Audience Ratings Found…

Cast

Joe Anderson
as Seth
Meneka Das
as Asha
Sheenu Das
as Lalli

Helena Michell
as Sheila
Rahul Vohra
as Dev
Mohini Mathur
as Nani

See full cast

Now you can share movies with your friends on Facebook!

Discover movies your friends are watching
Keep track of what you want to see
Add your reviews to your Timeline

Get Started