In each others company they find the courage to get back on the road and the strength to take the wheel. Darwan ben kingsley is a sikh from india who came to america many years ago and now teaches driving for a living but also moonlights as a taxi driver. Thats where turbantopped sikh darwan singh tur ben kingsley works two jobs. The film reunites clarkson and kingsley with elegy director isabel coixet, and was written by sarah kernochan what lies beneath, 9 12 weeks. Ben kingsley and patricia clarkson in learning to drive. Learning to drive screened at the 2014 toronto international film festival. Ted has been cheating on wendy and is leaving her as she tearfully begs. Directed by isabel coixet and played by patricia clarkson and ben kingsley, this film is inspired by writer katha pollits own experience, published by the new yorker in 2002. In his company, the two help each other navigate their personal lives as well as two varying perspectives on love as well as helping one another move on to the next stage of their lives. Chastised for not knowing how to drive by her daughter grace gummer, wendy picks up driving lessons with sikh instructor darwan ben kingsley. Learning to drive is advertised as a twohander about life lessons, which is problematic if youve cast a cynical, superior gaze toward this type of movie. Its based on a true story where a successful book editor, named wendy clarkson who, after a marriage break up, decides to take driving lessons in order to feel more selfsufficient. Ben kingsley and patricia clarkson are starring in learning to drive.
Learning to drive trailer new indie comedy starring. Hes an instructor for enas driving school by day and he drives a yellow cab at night. He plays her driving instructor in their new movie learning to drive. Hes the sikh cab driver driving instructor whose advice for handling the road just might. The film opens with wendy patricia clarkson and her husband ted jake weber arguing in the back of a taxi driven by darwan ben kingsley. The film is based on a katha pollitt personal essay published in the new yorker in 2002 about the biweekly driving lessons she had with her filipino driving instructor. Click here for a free k2d driving lesson in kingsley. Learning to drive patricia clarkson and ben kingsley play characters from very different walks of life in isabel coixets inoffensive latest. The clamor in wendys mind is contrasted, clangingly, with the calm inside of darwans ben kingsley. Ben kingsley and patricia clarkson form an unlikely.
People finding themselves through some kind of metaphor for perseverance is a topic ripe with hatewatching possibilities. Driving lessons is a 2006 british comedydrama film written and directed by jeremy brock. Isabel coixet, who liked him so much, that she put him her next movie as well. Grace gummer, who lives upstate, wendy begins taking driving lessons from darwan ben kingsley an american. His character in the movie is darwan, a softspoken taxi driver from india who. Darwan ben kingsley is a sikh from india who came to america many years ago and now teaches driving for a. Whilst we do driving lessons all over perth, our driving instructors know every road, park and shopping centre around kingsley. As the two disparate new yorkers strike up an unlikely friendship, it sure sounds like learning to drive. Isabel coixets sliceoflife comedydrama learning to drive stars patricia clarkson as wendy, a middleages book critic who is shattered when her husband ted jake weber leaves her. Hes trying to adjust to life with his new wife from an arranged marriage. You probably will never meet two more mismatched people than the lead pair in learning to drive. In order to visit her daughter grace gummer, who lives upstate, wendy begins taking driving lessons from darwan ben kingsley an american citizen originally from india who makes a living as a cabbie and giving. Wendy patricia clarkson, a frenetic manhattan book critic whose relationships are falling apart and darwan ben kingsley, a gentle sikh taxi driver and parttime driving instructor.
By paola fattorini migrante21 patricia clarkson and ben kingsley in learning to drive. Learning to drive with ben kingsley lassi with lavina. The first meet when darwan picks up a fare at a restaurant that turns out to be wendy and her husband ted jake weber. Spanish director isabel coixet castillo takes us to new york city for this crosscultural romcom. One evening, he picks up two passengers outside a restaurant, and they immediately start. Sir ben kingsley is a master actor, and his costars know it. In a refreshing first, sir ben kinglsey appears as a sikh driving instructor in the upcoming film, learning to drive. A literary critic patricia clarkson whose husband left her and a sikh driving instructor sir ben kingsley on the verge of an arranged marriage find that each has something to learn from the. Directed by isabel coixet and written by sarah kernochan based on a new yorker article by katha pollitt, 2 the film stars patricia clarkson as wendy, a successful book critic 3 taking driving lessons with instructor darwan ben kingsley after the breakup of her marriage to ted jake weber forces her to become more selfsufficient. With patricia clarkson, ben kingsley, grace gummer, samantha bee. Ben kingsley turns sikh driving instructor for learning. The films best sequences are in his tightknit sikh community, where. Wendy patricia clarkson is a highbrow new york book critic whose husband suddenly leaves her after many years together. Learning to drive featurette story 2015 patricia clarkson, ben.
In order to visit her daughter grace gummer, who lives upstate, wendy begins taking driving lessons from darwan ben kingsley an american citizen originally from india. Patricia clarkson stuns with ben kingsley at learning to. Darwan ben kingsley is a pedantic driving instructor and occasional taxi driver. Isabel coixets film is more or less exactly the film its uninspiring title suggests. But it was patricia clarkson who took the lead when she and ben kingsley stepped out for the films new york premiere on monday night. A university professor in his home country and a political refugee in new york city, he drives a taxi at night and teaches driving lessons by. If youre looking for the best possible driving lessons in kingsley, call us today on 9468 2020. Learning to drive is a 2014 american comedy drama film. The film category iib is directed by isabel coixet.
Learning to drive screened at the 2014 toronto international film. Production is underway in new york on learning to drive, a film that stars ben kingsley and patricia clarkson, and reunites them with director isabel coixet. Darwan ben kingsley is a softspoken taxi driver from india on the. Sikh driving instructor sir ben kingsley on the verge of an arranged.
Such is isabel coixet and sarah kernochans learning to drive, which, at 89 minutes, is. Imdb learning to drive 2014 is one of those movies carrying the power to make us see life in a different way. Wendy begins taking driving lessons from darwan ben kingsley an. In an effort to become more independent and get back on her feet, wendy takes driving lessons from the wise and softspoken darwan academy award winner ben kingsley. In learning to drive, patricia clarkson plays a newly single manhattan book editor who begins taking driving lessons from sir ben kingsley s darwan singh tur. Life lessons for the driving seat learning to drive is a sweet and gentle relationship drama starring ben kingsley as an instructor but it also takes in issues of prejudice. Information vanity fair may earn a portion of sales from.
Patricia clarkson and others in new film learning to drive describe the sublime experience of working with kingsley in the. Ben kingsley happens to pick up a distraught wendy shields patricia clarkson with her husband, who has just informed her he. Wendy begins to take driving lessons from darwan ben kingsley, the sikh. Hes lived in the united states for many years and would like to get married one day. Pollitts filipino has become wendys sikh, who has the gravitas wendy lacks. As her marriage dissolves, a manhattan writer takes driving lessons from a.
Dumped by her husband, book critic wendy patricia clarkson nervously takes up driving with the reassuring assistance of darwan ben kingsley, a lonely sikh indian from queens. As her marriage dissolves, a manhattan writer takes driving lessons from a sikh instructor with marriage troubles of his own. Her sikh instructor, darwan ben kingsley, offers her the benefit of his wisdom on parallel parking and road rage, while she gives the newly married darwan some insight into the workings of the. Directed by isabel coixet and written by sarah kernochan based on a new yorker article by katha pollitt, the film stars patricia clarkson as wendy, a successful book critic taking driving lessons with instructor darwan ben kingsley after the breakup. Learning to drive is that rarest of films, one produced, written, edited and directed isabel coixet by women. Patricia clarkson and ben kingsley in learning to drive. Her sikh instructor, darwan ben kingsley, offers her the benefit of his wisdom on parallel parking and road rage, while she gives the newly married darwan some insight into the workings of. In order to visit her daughter grace gummer, who lives upstate, wendy begins taking driving lessons from darwan ben kingsley an american citizen originally. Learning to drive letterboxd social film discovery.
Cabdriver darwan ben kingsley makes a kind gesture to one of his passengers, wendy patricia clarkson, and soon starts giving her driving lessons in learning to drive. Watch patricia clarkson fight through a hangover to get driving lessons from ben kingsley. The plot focuses on the relationship between a shy teenaged boy and an ageing eccentric actress. Mark strong joins the imitation game, ben kingsley and. Hes an instructor for enas driving school by day and he drives a. At the heart of the film is wendys relationship with darwan kingsley. Mark strong will join benedict cumberbatch in the imitation game. Ben kingsley stars as darwan, a sikh driving instructor, and patricia clarkson plays wendy, a manhattan woman who decides to learn to drive after. Ends on thursday oct 1st isabel coixets sliceoflife comedydrama learning to drive stars patricia clarkson as wendy, a middleages book critic who is shattered when her husband ted jake weber leaves her.
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