Honour

The religious and caste extremism that leads to so-called honour killings in Britain is a largely untapped subject for cinema. Here Aiysha Hart (Ariadne in BBC TV's Atlantis) plays Mona, a young woman who falls foul of her devout Muslim mother and older brother when she makes plans to elope with an "unsuitable" young Punjabi. Escaping a botched murder attempt, Mona then finds herself pursued by a professional bounty hunter (Paddy Considine) whose judgement is clouded when, predictably, he starts to develop feelings for his prey. Director Shan Khan should be commended for tackling the matter, though his bid to make both a glossy thriller and a message movie is a case of ambition exceeding achievement. The thriller elements may improve the film's commercial prospects, but it's at the expense of a serious examination of an important issue. A trendily non-linear structure and improbable final shoot-out also do the film no favours. But for all its flaws, it's a slick and well-acted first feature from the director.