Learning to Drive (2014)

Starring Sir Ben Kingsley and Patricia Clarkson
Directed by Isabel Croixet

Wendy (Clarkson) and her husband Ted (Jeff Weber) go out to eat and he drops the bomb: he's leaving her for another woman.  Things heat up and he leaves and gets into a taxi with Wendy chasing after, angry and calling him out for his philandering.  Ted has climbed into the cab of Darwan (Kingsley) and Wendy manages to get in behind him to continue her angry interrogation of Ted, which only gets more intense when he gives Darwan the address of his girlfriend, not his home with his wife.  He ends up not being able to take anymore and gets out, but not before giving Darwan money to take his wife home.

Wendy left an envelope in the cab and Darwan dutifully returns the next day to return it to her.  Earlier, it has been discovered that when he's not driving a cab, Darwan teaches people to drive and Wendy asks for his card, setting in motion their relationship, first as teacher and student, and then as friends.  Along the way, we learn more about Darwan's life as a Sikh living in post-9/11 NYC and his arranged marriage to Jasleen (Sarita Choudhury), who has her own little story as well.  We also follow Wendy as she navigates the end of her marriage and her first tentative steps towards independence.  In the end, Wendy learns to drive and goes to see her daughter on a farm in Vermont and Darwan and Jasleen bond as husband and wife.

I'm a fan of Patricia Clarkson.  Her breakout year of 2003 was just excellent with The Station Agent and Pieces of April (I haven't seen All the Real Girls or Dogville).  It feels like she's been around a lot longer, having been in the likes of The Dead Pool with Clint Eastwood, but those two movies really set her up as someone to follow.

And of course there is Sir Ben Kingsley.  There's nothing I can add to the superlatives that describe his acting ability.

Learning to Drive is nowhere near his best role, but it is a nice little movie where director Isabel Croixet allows her two leads to do their thing in their scenes together and when they are each living their own lives.

Recommended.