British film audiences are about to be mesmerised by the first post-'Lagaan' film, in which cricket plays a central role.
'Wondrous Oblivion' is the story of a cricket-loving white Jewish boy who is befriended by an equally sports-mad black Jamaican neighbour, who sets up a cricket net in the back garden.
As with 'Lagaan' and the more recent and highly successful 'Bend It Like Beckham', the sports motif provides an attractive backdrop for a deeper human melodrama.
But unlike the other two productions, the stars of 'Wondrous Oblivion' are black and white, rather than brown and white.
The Jamaican neighbour is played by Hollywood actor Delroy Lindo and the star is 13-year-old Sam Smith, who previously acted as Oliver Twist in a BBC Television production.
None of this will matter to cricket buffs, who will use all the critical faculties at their disposal to scrutinise the portrayal of such West Indian greats as Sir Gary Sobers and Sir Frank Worell, not to mention the depiction of WG Grace of beard-before-wicket fame who springs to life from a cricket card.
Producer Jonny Persey explains that the film uses cricket to address racial issues and the changes to a more open British society from the 1960s onwards.
"Clearly it has an attraction to the cricket lover, but not a single ball is bowled on the screen that doesn't tell you about the characters' journeys," he said in a recent interview.
Writer-director Paul Morrison adds, "The film is not about cricket, but it's a good metaphor."
The film has already won the main prize at the Giffoni Film Festival in Italy. It is due to open in British cinemas on November 7.
