Machan review

From shanty town to Europe via a sneaky scheme...

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Full Monty producer Uberto Pasolini turns director with this feel-good immigration yarn.

Gaining a visa to the west seems impossible for Colombo shanty-town dwellers Manoj (Gihan de Chickera) and Stanley (Dharmapriya Dias), until the duo devise an inventive scam.

They set up a fake national Sri Lankan handball team and request that all 23 squad members travel to a tournament in Germany.

Machan’s blend of social commentary and broad comedy doesn’t always gel, yet if the sentimental resolution is to be expected, the film doesn’t ignore the tough realities of life in a Third World city.

Tom Dawson
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