No One Killed Jessica - Movie Review
Published: February 10, 2011
Starring Vidya Balan, Rani Mukerji
No One Killed Jessica relates the true story of the 1999 murder of Jessica Lal, a Delhi model who was bartending at a party at a swanky restaurant when she was shot in the head by Manu Sharma, the son of a powerful politician, for refusing to serve him a drink after last call. There were 300 high-society guests in attendance, but no one would testify to what they'd witnessed—amid evidence they were bribed and threatened—and Sharma was acquitted. Media frenzy surrounded the seven-year trial and the verdict triggered national uproar, including public protests. Because of the intense pressure, the case was eventually reviewed on appeal and Sharma was convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment. The movie is a tepid telling, with cardboard-cutout characters, of a sensational story.
The film stars Vidya Balan as Sabrina, Jessica's dowdy but dogged sister who fights to bring Jessica's killer to justice, and Rani Mukerji as Meera, a foulmouthed TV reporter who takes up the cause. There's an old rule of thumb for actresses: if you want to win awards, go ugly—and the lovely Balan does just that, donning thick glasses and baggy t-shirts for her serious role. The impressive actress doesn't normally need to resort to such tactics, but here we see more of the top of her head than we do of her talent as she spends most of the film stooped and mumbling to convey just how different her character is from the vivacious Jessica and the bold Meera. Mukerji's portrayal of the latter's toughness is awkwardly forced.
There's nothing wrong with focusing on these particular characters and telling the story from their perspectives, but not when it's at the expense of developing the victim and killer in any sense. All we learn about Jessica is that she was beautiful and loved. All we learn about Manu is that he has a rich, well-connected father. The depiction of the murder itself is bizarrely stilted. It wouldn't have taken much to flesh out Manu, in particular, with his spoiled, self-entitled, petulant brattiness. Even one brief but penetrating scene with his father could have revealed oodles about what made him a monster—important because it was his incomprehensible behavior that made this case so shocking. He's loathsome, but the audience could have been made to hate him even more.
No One Killed Jessica is a missed opportunity to make what could have been a fantastic film.
No One Killed Jessica is rated Skip.
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