• With the kinetic energy, pop soundtrack blend, and rags to riches coming of age story set in India- it is tough not to at least mention Slumdog Millionaire when discussing Ramin Bahrani’s (Chop Shop) The White Tiger– a thoroughly engaging story
  • Bong’s Parasite from 2019 is also an important text and potential influence- this is a story and study of poverty and the class (or caste) system. Adarsh Gourav (playing Balram) is also the driver for this wealthy family. The story here uses the rooster coop metaphor instead of a parasite
  • Voiceover narration- Balram is writing a letter to the Chinese Premier
  • Quick editing in the opening especially- low average shot length- this eventually evens out to a more normal pace in the back-half of the film
  • Bahrani’s is an auteur whose study in poverty goes back more than a decade- Chop Shop is very different in aesthetics (this could not be called realism)—but similar subject and message
  • Ends with a Goodfellas-like breaking of the fourth wall and Bahrani pulls it off suitably because of the narration set up from the outset
  • Recommend but will not be in the top 10 of 2021