Trishna

Radio Times“Never less than compelling...” Winterbottom succeeds in being faithful to the spirit of Hardy while presenting a steamy melodrama and an authentic vision of a rapidly changing globalised society...

Film4“The film just about works as a whole...” Putting aside some troubling aspects and a wonky pace, Trishna is a complex take on Hardy's novel. Winterbottom's film is problematic, yet fascinating...

Financial Times“Vindicated and invincible...” Brilliantly, Winterbottom takes the novel’s two main male characters, Alec d’Urberville and Angel Clare, and makes them one. The insufferable cynic and the insufferable idealist are the same, proposes Trishna...

The Independent“The prolific Michael Winterbottom's Indian-set reworking...” Hardy's Tess of the d'Urbervilles is lithe, very inventive visually and has a wonderful soundtrack. It combines an improvisatory, documentary-style feel with real lyricism...

The Telegraph“Shrewd but stand-offish reworking...” Both Pinto and Ahmed are on fine form, and share a humid chemistry that gets increasingly clammy as the film progresses, but Winterbottom’s air-conditioned direction prevents us from ever feeling the heat...

Guardian“Rather shapeless, with little dramatic traction...” Starts with a bold and intriguing concept, but is bafflingly muted and underpowered, its initial promise fading as it drifts away to a self-conscious conclusion.

The Observer“The compact, highly enjoyable movie follows the book's arc...” This reworking has both its strengths and its weaknesses. On the one hand the original's complex texture is gravely weakened; on the other, the rambling narrative structure is transformed into a taut fable...

Time Out“The problem here is Pinto, who has struggled since ‘Slumdog…’...” Like a Hardy character, ‘Trishna’ is compelling but flawed – perhaps fatally so, because all the emotion-crushing fierceness of the novel has been almost entirely lost en route to Rajasthan...

Empire“There's still plenty to enjoy in the director's customary flourishes...” Winterbottom’s loose style doesn’t complement the depths of Hardy’s tragic tale, and the decision to let the actors improvise dialogue was a disaster, not least due to the unfortunate blankness of Freida Pinto’s beautiful face...

Total Film “Feels both respectfully faithful and daringly innovative...” Resembling at times a gloomier Slumdog, Winterbottom’s movie doesn’t hang together quite as well, requiring a transformation from Ahmed that the Four Lions actor battles to make credible...