Film
What's on at the cinema plus reviews of the latest movie and DVD releases
In Ismail's Custody (1994)
Director: Derrick Santini
Movie review
From Time Out Film Guide
This documentary, by Merchant Ivory stillsman Derrick Santini, courses through the life of Ismail Merchant, from childhood in Bombay, the son of a Muslim textile merchant, to his heights in 1994 as producer of The Remains of the Day. Bombay is the Indian Hollywood, but it was on a trip to New York for university studies that Merchant first saw the work of De Sica and Satyajit Ray and realised the type of film he wished to make. Santini has rounded up the usual suspects: Anthony Hopkins, Emma Thompson, Vanessa Redgrave, Simon Callow ('He's a maverick,' echoing the rest), collaborator/writer Ruth Jhabvala, et al. Shashi Kapoor has been a friend since the first MI film, The Householder in 1963, so his comments on working on In Custody, Merchant's feature debut - 'He's the most fascist director in the world!' - could be humorous. Critic Andrew Sarris and ex-Disney supremo Jeffrey Katzenberg's testimony shows the Yanks have been wowed too. After 30 years of struggle, the world seems to be his oyster - or perhaps his chicken tikka.Author: WH
Cast & crew
Director: Derrick Santini
Cast: Anthony Hopkins, Simon Callow, Ruth Prawer Jhabvala, Vanessa Redgrave, Andrew Sarris, Shashi Kapoor
Genre(s): Documentaries
Duration: 48 mins
Most popular on this site
Top Stories
Has David Cronenberg turned tame?
Has director David Cronenberg veered too far from his radical and bloody roots with new film 'A Dangerous Method'?
The 10 worst date movies
Just in time for Valentine's Day, we present ten of the least romantic films ever made
Where to watch this year's Oscar-nominated films
Find out where to watch 2012's Oscar-nominated films in London cinemas
10 unlikely badboy biopics
Featuring Phil Collins, Jeremy Clarkson, Nick Clegg, David Starkey and a host of other unlikely subjects
Interview: Sean Durkin on 'Martha Marcy May Marlene'
The first-time director of the brilliant new thriller discusses religious cults and robot boxing
Pop-up cinema for Valentine's Day
Side-step romantic clichés with some alternative Valentine’s viewing






What do you think?
Post your review now