Self-important, over-dramatic, uninspired.

Charming and brutal

I cannot think of one single thing that I would change about this film. The acting is incomparable, the directing deft, and the writing poignantly brilliant.

Clever and entertaining enough to recommend even to members of the 1%

When the film began, I noticed right away something that surely must have upset many Pakistanis when the film debuted...the man playing Mohammed Ali Jinnah, the Father of their country, was played by the very English Christopher Lee! While Ben Kingsly was part Indian by heritage (and he played the lead in "Gandhi"), Lee was too tall and English...in a movie that is essentially anti-English! Now as far as the film goes, it is VERY unusual in style as it bounces about sequentially. Using a very strange plot device, the dead Jinnah is asked to do a post-mortem on his life by a guy who you must assume is some sort of heavenly messenger. As such, Jinnah's life is discussed and highlights of his career are mentioned. But, given how important he was and what a long life he had, it all felt very episodic to me and easily could have been a mini-series. So, despite nice production values and a nice film, it seems superficial and incomplete. Good but just too much for one movie to encapsulate.

I think that of all 20th century statesman Charles DeGaulle would have understood Jinnah best. DeGaulle during the darkest days of World War II said that in his mind and body rested the honor of France, that rump minority group of Free French fighters whom he led who would not submit to an occupying territory. DeGaulle saw himself correctly and he would have seen Jinnah in the same way, fighting for the honor of his Moslem people for their right to a separate nation and a separate destiny which we call Pakistan.It's now a time for Jinnah to receive his eternal destination after he died and Christopher Lee as Jinnah is with his heavenly host in the view of the afterlife Islam has. The film is a recollection of those last years with World War II, the British leaving India, and the partition that created India and Pakistan. Pakistan had an East and West part with the nation of India in between. That ultimately didn't work out and we now call East Pakistan the nation of Bangladesh. But that's a whole other film.With Richard Lintern playing a younger Jinnah and showing incidents of Jinnah's personal life, Lee is the older Jinnah and the principal actors in the creation of Pakistan by way of the partition are James Fox as Lord Louis Mountbatten, Maria Aitken as Lady Edwina Mountbatten and Robert Ashby as Jawaralal Nehru. Nehru, India's first prime minister and Lady Mountbatten were a most discreet item and it's this film's contention that Nehru did a lot of back channel negotiation with Lady Mountbatten. They were as discreet as Tracy and Hepburn in their day.Pakistan had a rough delivery at birth, but survived it. It was a violent birth and millions died during the fleeing of refugees from both new countries. It is this film's contention that Lord Mountbatten settled on untenable lines for the boundaries of the two countries and the possession of Kashmir is to this day a matter of contention.Jinnah due to the controversy of having a western actor in the lead had its own controversial birth. But Lee and Lintern create a fine joint portrayal of Pakistan's founder and Jinnah is a fine film both entertaining and educational.

'Jinnah' is probably the best movie to come out of Pakistan. Yet, it leaves much to be desired. The Hell-Heaven portion was best avoided. And the movie, instead of giving an unbiased account of Jinnah's life, ends up being a decree on the lives of some of his political contemporaries. At best the movie is an attempt to show Jinnah as a man wronged by the Western media, and Gandhi and the others wrongly depicted as martyrs. A more positive approach would have the movie good. Also, the unverifiable bedroom scenes between Nehru and Lady Mountbatten do little to establish the credibility of this movie. The acting is brilliant, though. Christopher Lee does justice to his part. And so does the younger Jinnah. But, it's funny how a then 44 year old man (in 1920) looks no older than 30. Shashi Kapoor is positively irritating, and no more than an unnecessary comic element in an otherwise serious movie. The makers have done a commendable job in inculcating all aspects of Jinnah's life - personal, political, and professional (as an extremely successful lawyer). All in all, 'Jinnah' suffers from the pretentious bravado of its makers, and what could have been a fascinating tale into the man's life, ends up becoming a bit of a farce.

well, when the movie was in process, even the general public in Pakistan was having certain reservations about it. however, it looks a fine product once it comes out. i think apart from certain aspects which can be presented more efficiently, the film is a good presentation of the life of Jinnah.the movie has portrayed the life of a politician who never went to jail during a whole revolution. it shows that with statesmanship and with logic of your opinion, you need not to be violent to prove your point and thats what exactly done by Mr Jinnah. he never called for civil dis obedience or violent aggression against the rulers, he never called for bloodshed or violence and still managed to create a country on the map of the world. a good learning for all the current dispute holders in the world.lee was superb, his gestures, his moves and his style shows his research on Jinnah. he shows his skill and his grip on the characters. other actors were OK but the screen play can be more strong. over all a good film, some people may disagree with the creation of two nation theory but no body can object the personality of Jinnah as a law abiding and man of principal politician.