ILLEGAL Film Review — Lost in the City of Angels

The Illegal is no story of the American dream.  It is raw, sensitive and miserable even when placed amidst the dancing celebrants of a lavish Indian wedding. The film uses handheld footage paired with the poetic monologues of a top tier film student as he traverses the streets, parks and beaches of the California landscape.

This film student, Hassan, spends nights on abandoned sofas, empty offices, public benches and nestled beside the gravel path of train tracks as they run away from a station. A suitcase, duffel bag and backpack are all he carries as he treks through the graffitied concrete, and chain fences of Los Angeles.

As a server at the trendy New Dehli Café, Hassan catches the eye of a beautiful blonde dining with a group of well-dressed, phone-equipped young women. After bumbling and knocking a beverage onto one long-haired girl, he catches her eye and soon becomes her love interest. Clearly well-to-do, the American beauty Jessica becomes Hassan’s girlfriend, offering him entrance into a world of clubs, seaside soirees and the life of the well situated. In this writer’s opinion, the romance felt as likely to succeed as any white savior trope dynamic—not very much.

THE ILLEGAL Traces Difficult Transitions

The story then shifts to the romanesque courtyards, archways, red tile roofs mix with palm trees to offer the only visual sanctuary in the concrete jungle. It’s a University often referenced in the script as the most prestigious film school in the United States, though unnamed.

At times under overpasses, and at other scenes in an overcrowded room of mattresses, Hassan’s journey shines a light on the underbelly of an inglorious passage: immigration. We see this passage strip away the identity and life force of our ever-fading protagonist, as he faces seas of misfortune and the encroaching precarity of homelessness. With Los Angeles as its backdrop, The Illegal offers a grittier take on the city of stars. The film breaks your heart, with no offer of mending it, in this writer’s view.

The Illegal offers perspective on displaced Indians working and getting by in the United States, while yearning for the link to their home.

If you like migration stories, coming of age stories or Indian American dramas this film will likely speak to you. Many, like this reviewer, however, who are used to fast-paced films—whether documentaries or fiction—will likely find the slow pace of this film and choppy transitions a turn off.

SOMEWHAT RECOMMENDED

Cast:
Suraj Sharma as Hassan
Shweta Tripathi as Mahi
Adil Hussain as Papa
Iqbal Theba as Babaji
Jay Ali as Zayen Khan
Neelima Asim as Mummy
Hannah Masi as Jessica
Jully Lee as Emmy
Farshad Farahat as Aziz
Danny Vazquez as Gustavo
Radhika Chaudhari as Aisha
Ismail Bashey as Mamujaan
William R Moses as Professor McGorry
Shila Ommi as Sara

Creative Team:
Directed by Danish Renzu
Hindi Dialogue by Sunayana Kachroo
Screenwritten by Danish Renzu
Additional Writer: Tara Tucker
Additional Writer: Shazia Malik

For more information, visit The Illegal page on Nova Vento Entertainment website.

Images courtesy of Vision Films, Inc.