User Reviews

As her marriage is broken, a New Yorker writer, Patricia Clarkson, takes driving lessons from a Sikh driver called Darwan, Ben Kingsley . She is a bitter middle-age woman recently separated to her hubby, Jake Weber, who suddenlly abandoned her for a younger lover. Both of whom have a twenty-two-year-old daughter, Grace Gummer. As she must adjust her recent life and take strength enough to get new life purports. Problems go wrong when happens a traumatic divorce , but she finds the courage to get back driving thanks to the agreeable driver. Time ago she depended on her hubby for driving, and she has now to learn to take the wheel on her own. Helped by a serviceable instructor, Ben Kingsley, who watches her with caution as his student falls apart. Meanwhile, Kingsley is contemplating a concerted marriage to a Indian women, Sarita Choudhury. Along the way Ben attempts to be patient with his student, but the events gets worse as she suspends the driving licence exam.

Enjoyable and attractive dramedy, it is a sympathetic drama with some drops of charming humor, adding social habits from the big metropolis New York City. The picture relies heavily on the peculiar relationship between the notorious writer and the Sikh driver. Concerning the problematic existences of two particular roles, as their lives are intersected and both of them will change in unexpected consequences and unpredictable ways. Patricia Clarson gives a very good acting as the self-absorbed NY book critic who is shocked by a thunderous divorce. Ben Kingsley is top-notch as the Indian Sikh instructor who has to bear an arranged marriage . Support cast is pretty good such as Jake Weber, Sarita Choudhury, Matt Battaglia, and Grace Grummer who is Meryl Streep's daughter.

The motion picture was well directed by the Spanish Isabel Coixet in his ordinary feeling style. She is a good professional, a fine craftsman who has directed enjoyableb and sensitive films such as A los que aman, Map of sounds of Tokyo, Another me, The secret life of words, Things I never told you, Elisa and Mariela, Endless night, The bookshop, his biggest hits were Another me and Elegy with Ben Kingsley. She has made also some documentary and shorts as Proyecto tiempo, El espiritu de la pintura, Sea Aral, Marlango, Marea blanca, Spain in a day and a segment of Paris Je taime among others.Rating 7/10. Well worth seeing.

Let it be known that I wish Ben Kingsley was my driving instructor, my old one was not friendly, that jerk just yelled at me constantly. Learning to drive can be an outright stressful experience, but the movie makes it interestingly light and approachable by using comedic clash of personalities and cultures. Also, props to the leads for realizing the modest troubled characters.

Wendy (Patricia Clarkson) is a distraught wife who just finds out that her husband is cheating on her. Thus begin the arduous dance of divorce. Meanwhile, she's decided to take driving lessons as a cathartic act. Darwan (Ben Kingsley) steps in as the instructor. Both of them have a set of unique problems and serendipitously find solace in each other's company.

For a leading female in New York, Wendy is a mess. It's not just Sex and The City mess, but complete wreck for about half of the movie. It's a humble depiction of character as she struggles to come in term with the divorce. The movie maintains a less melodramatic tone, this is a more realistic depiction and not a flamboyant drama.

Ben Kingsley plays as a Sikh here, at this point he can play any role extremely well, but it's nice to see him as someone other than some viceroy in medieval epic. There's a great respect to his Indian heritage and it easily looks genuine. He appears to be a calm voice of reason, although his life itself isn't perfect. It's rather humbling to see that someone with mentor persona deals with his own problems.

The film doesn't have striking development or twist, it's just a few strolls of a metropolis with two relatable characters. It presents a nice presentation, taking time to display the city's nuance with good cinematography as well as spicing the story with steadily flow of light humor. The scenes feel involving even though the two leads live very contrasting lives.

Learning to Drive is a lighthearted drama with nice addition to comedy and amazing acting. Highly recommended for casual audience for the humble and modest nature will soothingly entertain wide range of viewers.

I went to see this movie tonight and it was entertaining. I can't say that about many movies these days.

I liked the premise of a woman taking driving lessons after her divorce, trying to regain some sense of independence and competence after that emotional blow.

Ben Kingsley, as her Sikh taxi driver teacher, was excellent in his part. He and his student develop a close friendship which is a joy to see.

A friend, who is also a Sikh, went with me, and she said that Kingsley's headdress was not wrapped properly. You'd have thought that the film would have received some input from the Sikh community on these details, but maybe not. Odd.

At any rate, it was charming, with enough laughs and story to sustain it to the end. It has something to teach both women and men.

This film tells the story of a woman whose husband just dumped her. She meets a taxi driver who also works as a driving instructor. She decides to take driving lessons, and in the meantime they learn to navigate their marital problems.

"Learning To Drive" tells very common life problems, and it provides a very realistic sense of how people deal with these problems. Despite the hardships, the characters cope and the film maintains a sense of optimism and lightheartedness. It is also very refreshing to see Indian actors and culture being prominently portrayed in a film, especially because there is a row over a lack of diversity in the Oscars. I hope more films like this will get made.

The vision of this film may not appeal to many due to its confined ambitions but its form and its realization is pleasing and quite accurate in its presentation of ordinary lives: the pitfalls, the highs, and the interchanges that make up the rest of the time.

It pitches itself well, rather like a well structured short story. It's characters are distinct; the actors fulfill their on screen dimensions well, and its lack of slick sentimental conclusion is appropriate to its presentation of this character lead piece.

The counterpoint of the end to an American marriage, based on romance, and the contractual arrangement of the Sikh marriage is done adroitly, as it would be so easy to make a melodrama of the difference.

Clarkson in particular makes the film succeed as she goes through the internal wrangles of a major change of life. Kingsley is fine opposite her and they almost strike a sort of EM Forster-style romance: refined affection without anything messy.

Director Isabel Coixet has put together an altogether pleasant comedy set in Manhattan, although much of the action takes place on the inside—inside Wendy Shields (played by Patricia Clarkson) whose husband has left her for younger woman, forcing her to rethink her life. This leads to the startling decision to learn to drive. It takes place on the inside of her Sikh driving instructor, Darwan (Ben Kingsley), whose life is upended by the arrival of an Indian woman he's never met who's expecting to become his wife. And, it takes place on the inside of Jasleen (Sarita Choudhury), who speaks little English and who has entered a much more foreign territory than a stamp on a passport would suggest. The superb cast conveys all the internal yearning, turmoil, disappointment, and joy experienced by these characters without the burden of a heavy-handed script. Writer Sarah Kernochan based the screenplay on a New Yorker essay and built in plenty of funny and sweet moments, too. Especially appreciated is the opportunity to see the colorful and intriguing interior of a Sikh temple. The cramped confines of a car make for filming challenges worthy of a team of contortionists, but it's an intimate setting, too (as the excellent 2008 British movie Happy Go Lucky proved), in which quotidian experiences are spiced with the ever-present possibility of catastrophe (bicyclists! trucks! jaywalkers!). "You can't always trust people to behave properly," Darwan advises, and this truism resonates with his pupil. Though she would add the caveat that he actually does.

LEARNING TO DRIVE 9/12/15

I do not like to drive; actually I am scared of driving. My father used to say being behind the wheel of a car meant that you had one foot in the grave (or was it jail?) and the other in heaven. Those words still resonate with me loud and clear - the aberrant background of my fears. On the other hand, I love to be driven around and rely on the "kindness" of friends. My greatest wish would be to have a chauffeur at my beck and call - ahhh that would be divine! So the title of director Isabel Coixet's new lightweight comedy brought me into the theater to see LEARNING TO DRIVE.

I like Patricia Clarkson (Wendy), the heroine, an accomplished literary critic whose husband, a flat emotionless Jake Weber playing Ted the unsatisfied and straying husband, walks out on Wendy and their daughter Tasha (Grace Gummer) to again fulfill his dreams/libido. LEARNING TO DRIVE becomes a metaphor for becoming self-sufficient and not needing jerks to be part of your life. Of course there is a catalyst, the wise, calm, driving instructor/life tutor, Darwan (an always wonderful Ben Kingsley) to lead her on the path to liberation; a pretty straight- forward predictable romantic tale with some detours and insights tossed into the mundane mix.

We do get to see the social inequities in life-styles between the upper class, brownstone dwelling Wendy, and Darwan, a Sikh, who lives with three other landsman in one room, sharing the little space they have with camaraderie and resignation. Darwan had been a Professor in India, but was forced to flee, receiving political asylum and becoming an American citizen, earning a living as a cabbie and driving instructor.

I was dismayed to see Patricia Clarkson in an impassioned, frenzied moment, begging her errant husband to return to the hearth. I did my usual audible moaning and groaning in the theater - not having the heart to watch these appalling scenes of desperation. I restrained myself from shouting - It will get better, girl - it will! And it does! Meanwhile Darwan's sister in India arranges for him to marry a middle aged woman Jasleen (a lovely Sarita Choudhury,) self-conscious and unsure of herself, having no knowledge of English, who travels to the United States, where we witness the adjustments both she and Darwan need to make in order to fuse their mutual loneliness into an affectionate, respectful relationship.

I did get a few driving tips - my goal in seeing LEARNING TO DRIVE - but none as great as the crime fiction novelist Elmore Leonard's recommendation to never come to a stop too close to the car in front of you always leaving enough space to maneuver in case you are hemmed in - one never knows when one needs to exit quickly, particularly at night! Advice I have heeded and dispensed while sitting in the passenger seat -imperiously giving directions - having developed into an accomplished back seat driver.

Learning to Drive (2014) was directed by Isabel Coixet. It stars Ben Kingsley as Darwan, a Sikh driving instructor, and Patricia Clarkson as Wendy, whose husband has just left her. Wendy has never learned to drive. (Not driving is fairly common in NYC.) Now she needs to learn how to drive, and she turns to Darwan to teach her.

This is the beginning of a relationship that takes both people down long roads--literally and figuratively. Wendy's rage and frustration are almost palpable, and Darwan has domestic problems of his own.

Clarkson and Kingsley are among the finest actors on the screen today. You expect stellar performances, and that's what you get. It's a pleasure to sit back and see them demonstrate their acting skills.

For some reason, at the time I'm writing this review, the movie has a dismal IMDb rating of 6.6. This doesn't make sense to me. My suggestion is to ignore the rating. We were able to see the movie on the large screen at the excellent Little Theatre in Rochester, NY. However, it will work well on the small screen. Find it and see it. You won't regret it.

Darwan Singh Tur (Ben Kingsley) is a Sikh from Queens. He was a political refugee from India. He teaches driving and drives a cab. He picks up Ted (Jake Weber) and Wendy (Patrician Clarkson) who are fighting about his infidelity. They are getting a divorce. Their daughter Tasha (Grace Gummer) is in Vermont. Wendy needs to drive to the remote farm but she never got a driver license. She decides to take lessons from Darwan. He's hiding his nephew Preet who is an illegal. Jasleen (Sarita Choudhury) arrives from India to get into an arranged marriage with Darwan. Debbie (Samantha Bee) is Wendy's sister. Wendy and Darwan try to solve their personal problems as they become unexpected friends.

There are solid human performances from veterans Patricia Clarkson and Ben Kingsley. There are some funny moments and a friendly relationship. It's not the most dramatic story but it does have good humanity. The ultimate understated climax could be done slightly better. It's a nice indie with great actors.

This film had potential with Kingsley in the role as the instructor, which I thought was going to have a charming Driving-Miss-Daisy vibe. Unfortunately, this film gives rise to some really awful stereotypes and uncomfortable viewing, such as the instructor hitting on his student because she seems worldly and sophisticated compared to his dowdy Indian bride (who he treats with misogynistic contempt). Patricia Clarkson (who is one of the most incredibly bland actors) plays a highly respected literary critic who apparently is going through a really 'costly divorce', yet has the money to buy herself a beautiful apartment and a very nice looking brand new car straight from the showroom floor. She's a pretty white blonde who is still turning heads and getting some great sex during the divorce, meanwhile, the Indian instructor encounters crude racism and having his flatmates deported. He doesn't step up in his career as a University Professor 'because he is a Sheikh'. Whilst racism like this may exist, reinforcing these stereotypes through the trope of white privilege and normalising it really disconnected me from this film.

Darwan is a very busy man, holding down two jobs, one as a driving instructor, the other as a Taxi driver. One night he picks up Wendy and Ted, a very emotional argument ensues and he leaves her, explaining he doesn't love her anymore. Wendy's daughter Tasha tells her mum she needs to get her life sorted and to accept Ted's decision, and to start driving. After accidentally leaving a parcel in Darwans's taxi he returns in to Wendy, she asks for driving lessons.

Darwan has to put up with so much, the authorities questioning his being in the country, racial abuse from people. Being a devout Sikh his religion makes his life complete, nearly that is, until his wife to be turns up.

I am so glad I watched this film, it is so watchable, and truly enjoyable. It battles fears and overcoming them. It is very heartwarming in parts.

I needn't go too deeply into the performance of Ben Kingsley, fairly biased I know but whatever he does I love him in, he is an outstanding actor, he's great in this, but Patricia Clarkson is just so good, she puts so much into this movie, screen time between the two is magical.

Loved it 9/10 it's just a lovely movie.

Oddly mundane and intriguing at the same time. Patricia Clarkson gets left by her husband later in life and finds herself driving with Ben Kingsley in order to get visit her daughter. Small things point to larger rebirth.

Somehow we missed this movie when it came out several years ago but now were able to watch it at home on DVD from our public library. It is a very nice story of people from different cultures influencing each other.

Patricia Clarkson is well-known New York literature critic Wendy. One liability of her career is that she takes it a bit too seriously resulting in scant attention to her marriage of 20+ years. So her husband strays and it looks like this time he may be gone for good.

Quite by accident she meets up with Taxi driver Ben Kingsley as political refugee from India, Darwan. But he is also a driving instructor and when returning to her something she left in his cab, gives her his card.

Living in New York and having a husband to do the driving when necessary, Wendy never had learned to drive. Now her 20-ish daughter was moving away so Wendy became motivated, if she could drive she could go visit her.

So much of the movie is Wendy's difficult task of learning to drive in New York, while Darwar has a big issue of his own, relatives back home arranged a marriage for him with a nice Indian woman so he had to meet her at the airport and take her home, then help her get acclimated to American life.

Sarita Choudhury, like Kingsley a British actor, plays the role of Jasleen.

Overall a very entertaining and worthwhile movie.

Learning to Drive is about how two lives intersect, one of Darwan (a taxi driver and a person who gives driving lessons) and the other of Wendy (a book critic with a failing marriage) Wendy and her husband take a taxi where they have a fight over the husband's cheating. Darwan is the taxi driver. Later on, he comes back to Wendy's place to return a folder Wendy left behind in the taxi. That's when Wendy notices the driving lesson placard on Darwan's car. She decides to get driving lessons from Darwan, having always relied on her husband to drive and striving to be independent and visit her daughter in Vermont. Meanwhile, Darwan gets married to Jasleen, a woman from his native Indian village, in an arranged marriage setting.

The portrayal of Darwan by Ben Kingsley was very well done. Being an Indian myself, the mannerisms and behavior of Sikh people shown in the movie were pretty close to reality. Ben's Indian accent was also good without being too typical.

While the premise is good, the story simple, there were a few flaws. I thought the character of Wendy wasn't given enough attention. The events in her life do seem haphazard and there was no character development. The mother-daughter relationship of Wendy and Tasha also seemed stretched and unnecessary. Yet another issue, Jasleen is from Darwan's native place, yet they don't speak in Punjabi or Hindi at all, especially given that Jasleen's English is not that good.

With that said, the chemistry between Wendy and Darwan was good and there were a few funny moments. Overall a 6/10 for me.

A love story that also celebrates being who you really are. While someone may appear serene and in touch with everything, there might be some unrest within that soul too. And it's really well acted and played out by our two main actors in this one. They not only play off each other, but off the situation they are presented with.

It also takes turns you might not expect. And it's nice that while it does have the occasional cliché in it, it's not falling into a cliché pool altogether. It is a story of its own, with realizing ones dream and going for things. Driving is just a "tool" to achieve what one wants. Nicely told, with a good pace to it, the story unfolds ... well I won't spoil that

In a conversation between Wendy and Darwan, Wendy discovers that the woman Darwan is about to marry was chosen for him by his sister back in India and he has never met her. Wendy states that if her sister had chosen a husband for her he would be some dickless sap. Darwan responds, 'Yes - That is why you are alone and crazy!'. A clash of cultures in this statement? Yes. But it is also a very judgmental statement by Darwan which is in direct contradiction to his other more inner peaceful statements to Wendy.

Learning to Drive is a delightful and entertaining story expertly directed by Isabel Coixet. The characters keep your attention and the viewer will both empathize with them and question their motives. Patricia Clarkson gives an excellent performance as a hyper and frustrated professional writer dealing with her sudden life changing situations and career demands. Ben Kingsley seems to be always good in his roles. The movie is worth watching.

My only beef with the message given in this story is the statement made by Darwan I quote above. This statement shows the true contempt toward women of this Sikh man. Is he being kind and patient with Wendy because he is expected to by living in the US or is it of his nature? Wendy comes across as one person. Darwan comes across as two persons. There is Darwan in public then Darwan in private. He has chosen to live in the US, which puts some greater value on the individual, but Darwan still lives and thinks as if he is in India. This story centers around Wendy and her breakup with her husband but the story is more about Darwan living in one country and thinking he's still in his home in India and rejecting western values.

"I never learned to cook because I thought my mother would always be there to cook for me. And then there was half the world between us. So I make my own food. Your point ? No point."

Driving lessons as a metaphor for life. An original way to highlight this. But just like the lessons in everyday life, this film is a bit slow and repetitive. Granted, you can actually compare this with life. In the beginning a lot goes wrong and you don't really know how to start and comprehend it all. But with a lot of practice and experience, you can cope with it. And sometimes it can go terribly wrong with misery as a result. So with perseverance, following good advice given and not violating too many rules, you could succeed. And you can come up with more things connected to ordinary life. But as I said, it isn't really exciting. Besides that, I also asked myself where the romance was in this movie. The fact that Wendy (Patricia Clarkson) is going through a divorce and Darwan (Ben Kingsley) is forced into a marriage with someone he doesn't even know properly, is not exactly my idea of romance. And it wasn't a real comedy either despite a few funny moments. I'd rather call it a tragic affair. And yet it was a movie I could watch effortlessly till the end. And that because of the sublime acting.

So in terms of content, it's not really special. More than once the subject of two strangers, with totally different characters, spontaneously meeting each other and supporting each other so they can handle a difficult period, has already been used before. So here we have Wendy, a book critic and Darwan, a driving instructor. Wendy is an emotionally hurt, dignified lady. Because of her profession she has demarcated a territory around herself where both her husband and daughter aren't allowed in. As a result Ted (Jake Webber) packs his bags and moves in with his mistress (a female writer whose books are also praised by Wendy). Darwan is a Sikh and next to being a driving instructor, he's also a taxi driver at night. A person of traditions who sees it as his life's work, to ensure that Wendy gets her license. Patiently and full of wise advices, he even gets her to drive over a bridge. He's more of a psychiatrist with an instruction car as a relaxant seat.

Clarkson and Kingsley form a colorful duo. A mix of cultures. Clarkson, who also had the leading role in "October Gale", is a charming lady I'd love to see shining next to Helen Mirren in another movie. Her charisma is overwhelming and her emotions felt sincere. In contrast there's the calmness and patience of Kingsley. A distinguished and dignified character. The acting of the two main characters made sure this mainstream film was still enjoyable.

Ultimately "Learning to drive" is a tender and touching film full of symbolism. However, it lacks a bit of energy and progresses with a calm pace. A bit like how Wendy navigates through traffic. But it shouldn't be always just about suspense and frenzy action scenes. Thanks to the brilliant performances of the two main actors, this movie was fun to watch. For me this movie passed the test.

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"Learning to Drive" is a slice of life film that is well acted but seems to leave the viewer cold by the end. A better or at least a more complete ending would have made this a more enjoyable viewing experience.

When the film begins, Darwan (Ben Kingsley) is a very hardworking guy--working both night and day driving taxis and teaching folks to drive. He meets a pathetic lady, Wendy (Patricia Clarkson), when her husband of over 20 years dumps her in his cab! Coincidentally, when she starts picking up the pieces of her life, Wendy decides she wants to learn to drive so she can go to Vermont to spend time with her daughter...and she calls Darwan's driving school. Through the course of the film, she and Darwan become friends...which is good, as he needs a lot of patience because she's a horrible driver..just horrible.

Clarkson and Kingsley are both really good actors...so I did enjoy the film simply so I could watch them. But as for the script, it left me a bit flat because the ending was so abrupt and anticlimactic. See the film for yourself...and see if you, too, agree.

The deceptively simple act of driving is rich with symbolism that can easily be seen as reflective of various aspects of life. Think about it: stepping on the gas, hitting cruise control, slamming on the brakes, looking in the rear view mirror, allowing yourself to get distracted, having to keep an eye on those around you, missing your exit, finding yourself in unfamiliar territory, etc., etc., etc. Driving as metaphor is a device that the comedy-drama "Learning to Drive" (R, 1:30) uses to maximum advantage.

Wendy Shields (Patricia Clarkson) is a self-absorbed New York book editor who is slow to realize that her 20+ year marriage is coming to an end. She is shocked when her husband, Ted (Jack Weber), tells her that he's leaving her. Even though Wendy understands that Ted has been cheating on her, she still believes that this is a phase and he'll come back. She's naturally distraught about the situation, but it seems to be less about losing the love of her life and more about losing the life she loved. She was very comfortable in her marriage and her routine. Maybe too comfortable. Maybe that's what doomed the marriage. Both Wendy and Ted stopped trying. The difference is that Ted realized it and Wendy didn't. Rather than talking about it, Ted acted out and Wendy was blind-sided. And two lives were upended.

The other difference between Wendy and Ted is that Ted had something to move on to, while Wendy is having trouble moving on at all. Not only had Wendy depended on Ted for comfort and security, but also for driving. As residents of the Big Apple, with all its subways and taxis, they didn't drive much, but when they did, it was Ted behind the wheel. Wendy doesn't even have a license or know how to drive… how to get anywhere on her own. (Starting to see those metaphors I was talking about?) Wendy needs to learn to drive – to "get from A to B", but also to establish her independence, and to move forward – figuratively and literally. She wants to be able to visit her college-aged daughter, Tasha (Grace Gummer), who lives on a farm – for from New York's public transportation system. Enter Darwan Singh Tur.

Actually, Darwan (Ben Kingsley) entered the story in the movie's very first scene. He happened to be the cab driver who picked up Wendy and Ted outside the restaurant where he told her that he was leaving her. After Darwan dropped Ted off at his mistress' house and then took Wendy home, he found an envelope that she had left in his cab. The next day he brought her the envelope, but this time he was driving his other "company car", that of a driving instructor. Wendy notices and asks for his card. She calls to schedule her first lesson, but Darwan has to cajole her to even get into the car. Her reluctance turns to fear as soon as she gets behind the wheel. Fortunately for Wendy, Darwan is a good teacher, and a good and patient man. He gets her to pull away from the curb… and the metaphors continue.

As Darwan teaches Wendy about the finer points of life, er, I mean… driving, the two form an unlikely friendship. As much as Wendy needs Darwan's patience and companionship, he needs her wisdom. He has agreed to a marriage arranged for him by his sister back in India. When his bride, Mata (Daniela Lavender) arrives in the U.S., he doesn't know how to relate to her. Both Darwan and Mata are middle-aged and never married, but they are different in every other way, and, one day after meeting, they're husband and wife. Darwan soon finds himself as desperate and clueless as Wendy was when she first entered his cab, and his life. As with any driving lesson, they each experience stops and starts in learning to handle their new lives, but each benefits from the wisdom and inherent goodness of the other.

"Learning to Drive" is a slight, but pleasant enough lesson in resilience, perseverance and friendship. The driving metaphors are very effective, if a bit too obvious at times. Clarkson's performance is very good, except for when she oversells the fear that an accomplished woman of her years experiences while engaged in the simplest tasks inside a car. Wendy and Darwan are both likable and amusing characters, even if the film sometimes moves as slowly as Wendy during her first lesson. "C+"

'Learning to drive' is a master class in writing; directing and of course the performance of two of the great character actors: Patricia Clarkson and Ben Kingsley. There is a nobility and dignity to the story that comes from a taut but compassionate screenplay; and the wonderful interplay between the two leads. Clarkson always makes such interesting choices in projects and this is no exception. Her 'Wendy' has a lot to process during the opening moments of the movie; and it is thanks to her exquisite timing and believability; that despite her cathartic scenes early on; perhaps because of them; the audience is with her and her scenario all the way! With the age old construct of an odd pairing; Kingsley's often Zen like 'Darwan' provides the calming influence and ultimately a reciprocity that gives this film its huge warmth and overall success.

In the role of Wendy's daughter is none other than the daughter of another cinematic delight - Meryl Streep: the uncannily voiced and mannered Grace Gummer. How daunting it must be for Grace and her sister Mamie, to hone a craft in screen acting with their legendary mother's presence in film culture. Grace displays her mother's exuberance and complexity with what is really only a couple of scenes here, but makes her mark. But the film, despite some other subplots and ancillary characters, rests with Clarkson and Kinglsey and they are just superb.

If the film feels tight and rhythmically organic; it is due to Martin Scorsese's long time editor Thelma Schoonmaker who brings Isabel Coixet's carefully directed piece together with ease and no fuss; giving it a smooth and perfect running time. This is no epic; no earth shattering movie; but a reflective and nuanced dance between characters from different worlds who collide in the nicest way possible and leave a significant imprint on one another. Not a new idea, but in the hands of these expert filmmakers; it is a joy to be in their audience for the hour and a half journey.

Greetings again from the darkness. Many movies have utilized the career-focused husband who is oblivious to how his inattentiveness leads to a crumbling marriage and estranged family. It's much rarer to have a professionally successful woman at the core of a story where she is the neglectful one, and the dissolved marriage leaves her in emotional shambles. The metaphor here is obvious yet effective, as the woman tries to put her life back together and discover herself in the process … by "learning to drive".

Patricia Clarkson stars as Wendy, a very successful New York book critic, who is blindsided when her husband (Jake Weber, "Medium") dumps her for another woman. It turns out Wendy is infinitely more attentive to her computer screen than to her husband and daughter (Grace Gummer). In a fortuitous turn, the cab driver during the marital break-up is a Sikh Indian-American named Darwan, played by Sir Ben Kingsley.

Darwan's second job just happens to be driving instructor, which means he can provide life lessons and philosophy to Wendy while simultaneously reminding her to fasten her seatbelt and check the mirrors. During this time, Darwan is also taking on a wife via arranged marriage to Jasleen (Sarita Choudhury, "Homeland"). His patience and way of life is challenged by both women, so the teacher also becomes a student.

The scenes featuring Clarkson and Kingsley are the film's best, and inject some moments of humor to go along with the force-fed melodrama. Ms. Clarkson is at her best here flashing anger, vulnerability and a realization that life opens up for those who open up themselves, but she can't overcome what amounts to a film that should air on Oprah's network.

Director Isabel Coixet also worked with Clarkson and Kingsley in her 2008 film Elegy. Though it teases some interesting topics, this story sticks mostly to the surface, never digging too deeply. Because of this, it's a pleasant film that will easily entertain adult audiences who prefer their movies with no real surprises or suspense.

"Learning to Drive" is a small film. It's a total chick flick about rather ordinary people with fairly mundane problems. It doesn't offer any momentous insights into the human condition or any brilliant morals about the meaning of life and our purpose on this planet. It is somewhat familiar and fairly predictable with a by-the-numbers structure.

It does leave several loose strings lying about. There's a subplot and theme about immigration and xenophobia that adds little and goes nowhere in particular, although it does make Darwan's life seem more multifaceted. There's a romantic subplot involving a banker that seems like it might be an important plot development, but fizzles out. There's an unexpected proclamation of love that doesn't feel earned. Wendy gives Darwan advice that we expect him to accept in some demonstrable manner, but he never does. After suffering several significant financial setbacks, Darwan surrenders one source of income.

Patricia Clarkson does a really good job with the role. However, the characters seem a little unbalanced in terms of the ages of the actors and the timeline of the story. At fifty-six, Clarkson plays a woman who has been married twenty-one years to a guy played by an actor five years her junior who looks like he might be in his mid-forties and has a daughter played by a twenty-nine-year-old actress. The actors don't fit the ages of the characters they portray very well, which is distracting despite solid performances.

Production values are adequate. There are quite a few shots of actors driving cars and they never seem unrealistic. A few jiggly-cam shots are slightly distracting, but they actually seemed to use a tripod or other camera mount for other shots. A few edits are abrupt and distracting. In general the production values are adequate.

My greatest frustration is the lack of a solid moral. Although it is an unabashed chick flick, the moral seems a bit anti-feminist at times. Girls, if you want to keep your men interested, get off your butts, improve yourselves and be more adventurous in the bedroom. And buy some sexy underwear.

Overall, a modest production unlikely to stir strong feelings in any direction. It's not very funny or very dramatic. But it offers a seemingly realistic view into the lives of some very ordinary people.