There are three films called Amal. I am talking about the 2007 version. The 2004 version has the same plot and some of the same actors, but is much shorter. The 2005 version is completely unrelated, about Morocco.

The movie catches you over and over. You think you see yet another Hollywood cliché coming, but like a bullfighter the film changes at the last second to surprise you. Even the end leaves you sitting on the ground going what the? What just happened? It is quite a bit more subtle that you would expect from the almost fairy-tale way the story unfolds.

Amal himself is insipid and not very interesting. I had far more compassion for the villains and the desperate plights they had got themselves into.

The scene where mama prays a vehicle to life with the help of Ganesh was not funny, just insulting. The moral of the movie is God decides if you have good or bad fortune, so it is pointless to try to influence it. I did not enjoy having this idiotic religious philosophy pushed in my face repeatedly as highest virtue and wisdom. I not just the characters thought this way, the director was trying to sell it to the audience as well.

Amal does nothing but drive his motorised rickshaw and sleep. (You don't even see him eat, shop, bathe, change ...) He is scrupulously honest (refusing tips). He might as well be a robot for all the life and sophistication he has in him. Even though a number of terrible things happen to him, I was not particularly moved. You are supposed to be extremely impressed by his virtue. I just saw a guy with ADD.

A wonderful film - with an assortment of characters and dialogue at times funny, and other times poignant. It's at the human level with a basic story whose premise, I suppose, is to be happy with what you have and be a good and caring human being. Care for others and everything should fall into place - well this is a story after all - in many ways a fable.

This film was a pleasure to watch. Perhaps the ending had few lose ends, after all there was an unresolved murder. But overall its a lot of fun with unpredictable twists and turns with some good footage of New Delhi. A very good character film.

I loved this movie...it reeled me in. I think that the movie was a great premise and well executed. I heard the director & lead actor speak and it was fascinating to hear them tell behind the scene stories. the director reports he went to India, not knowing how he would be able to get the experienced actors to work for him...but after 36 hours in New Delhi, the actor that played the father just walked past him (the director) and so he pitched his movie at that moment and this famous Indian actor said he would do the movie. A beautiful picture of joy in a less than joyful world. Interesting filming techniques that evolved through the movie. Great emotional response to ending.

Great Job...hope we see more from the director and actor.