…a beautifully shot and beautifully made human drama with some sterling performances. But it has limited appeal at the box-office because of the way in which it has been treated. Its difficult English title and lack of recognisable faces will further restrict its commercial chances. The film will do well in select high-end multiplexes of a few cities only. It will, however, win a lot of critical acclaim.

The film just doesn’t manage to throb with the authenticity of experience. It feels like an artificial world – virtuous but curiously inert. The depiction of violence, sex and trafficking is oblique, bashful and old-worldly. As is the forgiveness and redemption offered for all the trespasses — everything is well as long as the conscience and compassion is alive and kicking.

Despite strong performances, Iranian director Majid Majidi’s first Indian movie is barely convincing.

But cinema is not just about a story, and Majidi doesn’t depend on characters alone. He uses the city, its symbols and turns everyday things into tropes – curtains that become screens, linen that screens violence, walls that keeps memories etched, pigeons who make your home theirs … they create a resonance throughout the movie. That’s what holds Beyond the Clouds together and stays with you beyond the theatre.