The Diplomat

“Abraham sheds his action hero persona and slips into the skin of the titular protagonist, a man who plays by the rules. The striking restraint of the performance is in perfect sync with the controlled tone that gives the film a solidly convincing core… The Diplomat gives John Abraham the opportunity to flesh out an individual not given to knee-jerk reactions to provocations. He does justice to the role.”

Rating: 3 stars | Full review

“While there’s actually no mystery to Uzma Ahmed’s fate, Nair’s focused staging and Kunal Walve’s tight editing ensure that sweat forms on the brow… As a simplistic film about a complex negotiation into a tricky case, The Diplomat fulfils its stated brief.”

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“Abraham may have limited emoting range but his choice of projects, especially when he wades into tricky territories of espionage and terrorism, have been noteworthy, and the sincerity with which he goes at those choices, is even more so… Abraham’s mustachioed, phlegmatic diplomat stays staunch, and you can see the actor leaning into the character.”

Rating: 2.5 stars | Full review

“The Diplomat begins with a disclaimer so lengthy, someone at the press show quipped ‘interval’ at the end…. Every time India and Pakistan are in the same frame, one’s patriotism and another’s punching becomes the norm. But the makers insist on seeing a humanitarian side to the conflict instead of a Indo-Pak clash.”

Rating: 2.5 stars | Full review

“When reverence dictates art, the result is prayer rather than storytelling. This tone is evident before the first frame, when the longest disclaimer in the history of pre-film disclaimers is read out on screen. By the time the film begins, half the film is technically over.”

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