Freida’s act in ‘Miral’ rebuked by Western media

Spicezee Bureau

Mumbai: Freida Pinto might have made her fixation for Western cinema very clear but the actress might soon have to return home and knock at Bollywood’s door. And it’s all owing to Freida’s below par acting skills that have been exposed after her mediocre act in Hollywood flick ‘Miral’. Her first ever movie performance after Oscar winning ‘Slumdog Millionaire’, Freida’s act in ‘Miral’ has been ruthlessly rebuked by western critics. The flick is an adaptation of Italo-Palestinian Rula Jebreal’s book about Hind Husseini, who founded an orphanage in Jerusalem in the wake of the 1948 partition of Palestine and the creation of the state of Israel. Directed by Oscar nominated director Julian Schnabel, ‘Miral’ is currently in the running for the Golden Lion Trophy in the ongoing Venice Film festival. And even though some critics have gone soft on the film, they have been quiet brash when it has come to rating Pinto’s act. Over several reviews of Freida’s act in the film, the following were the most kind: The Film Experience: ...nobody seemed to have a problem with Freida Pinto`s inexpressiveness as an actress in Slumdog Millionaire — don`t try to tell me that`s a new development. We just barely dodged that supporting actress nomination I think. Movieweb: Hiam Abbas was in Venice for the premiere of Julian Schnabel`s Miral but curiously Freida Pinto, “Miral” herself, was not. Maybe she saw some unflattering reviews coming. Obsessed with Film: (Miral) So contrived, so false, so cravenly seeking out approval that it lacks impact. The Telegraph, UK: The film wears its heart on its sleeve — and its awkwardness, too. It’s terribly earnest, and characters often speak dialogue that resembles a history lecture Thompson on Hollywood: Pinto, while gorgeous is not an expressive actress