CITY OF TINY LIGHTS

UK, 2016, 101 minutes, Colour.
Riz Ahmed, Billie Piper, James Floyd, Cush Jumbo, Roshan Seth, Alexander Siddiq, Hannah Rae, Reiss Kershi.
Directed by Pete Travis.

To say simply that City of Tiny Lights is a private eye story is to underestimate the importance of the background to the plot.

The setting is London, especially ethnic areas in East London. The private detective at the centre of the film, is played effectively by Riz Ahmed, a Londoner with Pakistani background. The screenplay fills out a lot of the background of his family, especially of his father, played by Roshan Seth, who had fled from Uganda in the 1970s and settled in London.

While the private detective is doing his work, there are many flashbacks to his life as a teenager, his friendship with the young girl, Shelley, her relationship with a friend, Stuart, and the various tangles, especially with Stuart’s death. The other friend in these flashbacks is a young man, Lovely.

This is all relevant for the current investigation, the death of a young prostitute in a hotel and her close friend asking Tommy to investigate the case. This eventually leads back to Lovely, now a successful businessman involved in building developments, the murdered man being his business partner. Melody, who has a teenage daughter, now works in a restaurant in London.

As the investigation continues, the audience begins to understand the complications of the past and Stuart’s death and its consequences. This leads to the solving of the case and the involvement of Lovely.

There are further complications with Muslim groups in London, the role of the leader, suspicions of terrorism – which, in this case, are not justified.

So, the private detective story, but a story of 21st-century London and the complexities of its ethnic groups.

1. The title, the opening overviews of London, the action in East London, the atmosphere of groups of migrants from Pakistan, the Middle East? Muslim area?

2. Homes, streets, private detective office, hotels, business developments, the house of the Imam? Restaurants?

3. The action in the present, the range of flashbacks, the central characters and the memories of the past? Tommy, the attraction to Shelley? Stuart and his attention? Her being pregnant? Stuart upset, his death? Shelley pregnant? The influence of Lovely and his telling Stuart? Shelley and her pregnancy, her daughter, Tommy’s visit to Stuart’s grave, Shelley with her daughter? The daughter coming to Tommy’s office to ask for explanations about her father?

4. Tommy, at home, his father and the memories of service in Uganda, fleeing Uganda to London, the photos of his wife? His obsession with cricket, the cricket metaphors? At home, support of his son? His willingness to help Melody, taking her in? At the end, the gun, the shooting?

5. Tommy, his work, his confiding to the audience about secrets, hiding them, unearthing them? His office? The visit to Melody? The disappearance of Natasha? The information, the list of hotels, his visits and interrogations? Finding the room, the dead body, getting the passkey, slipping out, taking the phone, making the phone call, considering this from the police, the contact with Lovely? The identity of the dead man, in business, with prostitutes, lovely considering him the business?

6. Tommy, the locals, the woman in the cafe, wanting him to care for her son, his using the sun for technology, information? The boy’s injuries in hospital, his mother blaming Tommy?

7. The police and the contacts? The spy services, suspicion of Muslims and terrorists, warning Tommy off?

8. The contact with Melody, the threats to her, taking her to his father?

9. Shelley and her return, the work, the meetings, the night with her, memories of the past? Her daughter?

10. The Muslim area, the young men, seeming fanatical, the interview with the Imam, his sternum stances, under suspicion, arrested? The issue of drugs? Getting them off the streets? Muslim beliefs and morality?

11. Meeting up with Lovely, Lovely at home, his wife? Memories of the past, friendships? His business, the enterprise, going to the site? The issue of drugs on the street? Discovery of the truth, his presence of the hotel, his partner’s death, tracking down Natasha and her death, threats to Melody?

12. The streets, the riots, the chases, brutality?

13. The buildup to the climax, Tommy and the case, at home, with Lovely, his father, the shooting?

14. The final meal, resolution, Melody, the young man, Shelley arriving?