Ali & Ava is a 2021 British drama film written and directed by Clio Barnard. The film stars Adeel Akhtar and Claire Rushbrook in the lead roles. It had its world premiere at the 74th Cannes Film Festival in the Directors Fortnight section on 11 July 2021 and was released in the United Kingdom on 4 March 2022.
| Ali & Ava | |
|---|---|
| Directed by | Clio Barnard |
| Written by | Clio Barnard |
| Produced by | Tracy O'Riordan |
| Starring | |
| Cinematography | Ole Bratt Birkeland |
| Edited by | Maya Maffioli |
| Music by | Harry Escott |
Production companies |
|
| Distributed by | Altitude (UK) |
Release dates |
|
Running time | 95 minutes[1] |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Language | English |
| Box office | $887,785[2][3] |
Synopsis
editThe film is set in Bradford,[4] a working-class, predominantly white housing estate of Holme Wood,[5] noted in both reality around 2016 and in the film for racist anti-social behaviour towards taxi drivers.[6]
Ali, a man of Pakistani descent, lives with his soon-to-be ex-wife, Runa, who still mourns the loss of their unborn child. Ava lives in Holme Wood near her adult children, some of whom have children of their own.
Ali and Ava meet one day at the school where Ava works when Ali drops off his tenant's daughter. A friendship, built on a mutual love of music, gradually develops between the two, and deepens into something more as the couple struggles to overcome their respective familial entanglements and prejudices.
Cast
edit- Adeel Akhtar as Ali
- Claire Rushbrook as Ava
- Ellora Torchia as Ali's separated wife, Runa
- Shaun Thomas as Ava's son, Callum
- Natalie Gavin as Dawn
- Mona Goodwin as Ava's daughter, Michelle
- Sienna Afsar as Ali's niece
- Siraj Hussain as Hashim
Production
editIn January 2020, it was announced that Adeel Akhtar and Claire Rushbrook had joined the cast of the film, with Clio Barnard directing from a screenplay she wrote. BBC Film would produce, and Altitude Film Distribution was set to distribute in the United Kingdom.[7][8]
Release
editThe film had its world premiere at the 74th Cannes Film Festival in the Directors Fortnight section on 11 July 2021.[9] It was theatrically released in the United Kingdom on 4 March 2022 and came out on VOD on 23 August 2022.[2][10]
Reception
editBox office
editAli & Ava grossed $44,072 in the United States and Canada[3] and $843,713 in other territories,[2] for a worldwide total of $887,785.
Critical response
editOn review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 94% based on 88 reviews, with an average rating of 7.6/10. The website's critical consensus reads, "Ali & Ava's tender, naturalistic love story adds another powerful chapter to writer–director Clio Barnard's filmography."[10] On Metacritic, the film holds a weighted average score of 75 out of 100 based on 19 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[11]
References
edit- ^ "Ali & Ava | Quinzaine des cinéastes". Quinzaine des Réalisateurs. Archived from the original on 14 February 2023. Retrieved 14 February 2023.
- ^ a b c "Ali and Ava (2022)". The Numbers. Nash Information Services, LLC. Archived from the original on 27 November 2022. Retrieved 14 February 2023.
- ^ a b "Ali & Ava (2021)". Box Office Mojo. IMDbPro. Archived from the original on 21 September 2022. Retrieved 14 February 2023.
- ^ Kermode, Mark (6 March 2022). "Ali & Ava review – Clio Barnard's pitch-perfect Bradford love story". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 19 December 2022. Retrieved 26 January 2023.
- ^ Clayton, Emma (16 October 2021). "Holme Wood residents in cast of film that's 'love letter to Bradford'". Bradford Telegraph and Argus. Archived from the original on 4 December 2022. Retrieved 26 January 2023.
- ^ "Yob attacks on cab drivers lead to estate boycott". Bradford Telegraph and Argus. 22 September 2016. Archived from the original on 28 February 2019. Retrieved 26 January 2023.
- ^ Vourlias, Christopher (17 January 2020). "'Ali & Ava': First Look at Clio Barnard's Just-Wrapped Fourth Feature". Variety. Archived from the original on 17 January 2020. Retrieved 8 June 2021.
- ^ Rosser, Michael (17 January 2020). "First details of Clio Barnard's 'Ali & Ava' revealed". Screen International. Archived from the original on 17 January 2020. Retrieved 26 January 2023.
- ^ Baronnet, Brigitte (11 July 2021). "Cannes 2021 : Ali & Ava, la délicate romance musicale de Clio Barnard à la Quinzaine des réalisateurs". AlloCiné (in French). Archived from the original on 14 February 2023. Retrieved 14 February 2023.
- ^ a b "Ali & Ava". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Archived from the original on 27 December 2022. Retrieved 14 February 2023.
- ^ "Ali & Ava Reviews". Metacritic. Fandom, Inc. Archived from the original on 7 February 2023. Retrieved 14 February 2023.