Monsoon Wedding
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Movie Reviews of Monsoon Wedding
Movie Review: A Joyous Celebration (despite the secrets)
Summary: 5 Stars
Mira Nair produced a film which is very entertaining, magical, and realistic in how it portrays the stresses and experiences associated with planning a modern wedding in India. The bride is a college educated beauty who has some liberated ideas and behaviors ... but she is also the the only daughter of her parents, a child of her culture. She agrees to an arranged marriage to the handsome son of a friend of the family... after a failed love affair (first secret in the film) from which she is not yet fully recovered. Aditi feels ready for marriage, so she tells her unmarried female cousin Ria who has some doubts about the matter. The unique traditions of the past are combined with modern touches - the past and present intertwine in unexpected ways to produce a beautiful and creative collage of whacky entertainment. The street scenes filmed in New Delhi symbolically represent the chaotic atmosphere, tensions and pressures of the preparations for a wedding. The plans are to create a joyous celebration ... to be remembered by both families ...and cherished for a lifetime. Family arrived from America, Dubai, and Australia ... to celebrate the blessed union of two young people in marriage.
Lalit Verma, father of the bride takes his role seriously, his personality, character, and approach provide many of the comic and serious touches in the film. He displays extraordinairy sensitivity to a family tragedy that is unexpectedly revealed (the second secret) and takes courageous action to deal with the problem directly. He proves to be a caring, loving father whose integrity ensures the wedding preparations continue as planned, allowing nothing to mar the perfection of the moment. He even asks for a temporary loan from business associates to meet mmediate "cash flow" problems as the costs keep mounting upwards. The casting for all the roles are superb. The music was incorporated into the story of the film, enhancing and emphasizing the emotions in many scenes. There was spontaneous singing during the "mehndi" ceremony when the women paint henna designs on the hands of the bride. There was a haunting solo sung about the bride leaving the loving palace of her father ... to become a stranger to his house forever after marriage. Several enjoyable modern Indian techno sounds exploded throughout the film making the scenes more lively and enjoyable.
Along with the wedding, there are several stories interwoven within the fabric of the film ... The first and most important one is how the wedding plans for Aditi and Hermant could have unravelled after Aditit confessed her secret affair to him. While the two large tents are built in the backyard, garlands of marigolds {"the flower of love") are woven, and the cost of water-proofing the tents is being negotiated - P.K. Dubey, the cell-phone carrying, dot.com business entrepeneur wedding event manager, and *bachelor* falls in love with Alice, the young maid and housekeeper for the Verma family. Meanwhile, Varun, Aditi's brother practices a dance he will perform at the 'sangeet' (engagement party?) with Ayesha, a very attractive cousin from Dubai. However, just before the party he clashes with his parents over his future educational plans. They decided he will be sent to a boarding school. Ayesha has been flirting with Rahul, a handsome young relative of the Verma's from Australia. They have even exchanged kisses in the dark. He had witnessed her dance sessions with Varun who now refuses to do the performance. When Rahul will not take Varun's place, one of the older ladies overhears and quotes poetry to him about his failure to rescue a lady in distress. She tells him straight up to get off his @ss ... Some of the most sensitive scenes include Ria, when she clues in on certain behaviors between Uncle Tej and Aleja, a young girl of about 6 or 7. Ria exposes Uncle Tej and at the same time reveals her own shame at having suffered a similar fate as a child. Lalit wrestles with how to handle this delicate situation. He couragously banishes Uncle Tej and his wife from his house. The wedding ceremony is a blessed and dignified event. It turns out to be perfect, a celebration of pure joy ... exactly as planned.
Erika Borsos [pepper flower]
Movie Review: ALL IN THE FAMILY
Summary: 5 Stars
This is another outstanding film by director Mira Nair, who has previously directed such wonderful films as Academy Award nominee "Salaam Bombay", the lush and erotic "Kama Sutra: A Tale of Love", and "Mississippi Masala". This is a director whose very touch turns all her films to gold. She is truly an artist, and her films are palpable with feeling and emotion that move the storyline. Though a low budget film, it features high budget, quality acting, as well as an absorbing story and world class direction. It focuses on the arranged marriage of a young, upper class, Punjabi woman in Delhi, India, which is a mecca for Punjabis. It offers a birdseye view at a family in transition, one that is ringing in new values, while maintianing the old ones. Moreover, as in all families, there are many joyous moments, as well as troubling ones.
While the focus is on the wedding celebration and all the preparation and rituals surrounding it, there are five subplots in the film, all of which are interesting, but it is the acting by the ensemble cast that makes the film so memorable. Naseeruddin Shah gives an award calibre performance as Lalit Verma, the financially strapped patriarch who wants all to go right with the wedding, but who, at the eleventh hour, is forced to confront a secret tragedy from the past and make a decision that shows his sensitivity and love for his family. His is truly a magnificent performance.
Shefali Shetty, with her large, expressive eyes, is superb as Ria Verma, Lalit's dead brother's daughter, who is forced to reveal a terrible secret from her past in order to prevent a tragedy from taking place in the present. She gives a performance so soulful that the viewer cannot fail to be moved. Aditi, the daughter who is to be married, is a walking paradox, agreeing to an arranged marriage, while simultaneously having an affair with a married man. The role is beautifully played by relative newcomer, Vasundhara Das, who in real life is an Indian pop star. Her prospective bridegroom, Hemant Rai, is played with modern sensiblility, by the very attractive Parvin Dabas, a real life, male fashion model, in his first silver screen role.
Vijay Raaz, in a breakout performance as P. K. Dubey, the wedding events coordinator, adds a deft comedic touch. It is his poignant wooing of the Verma family's maid, Alice, that nearly steals the show. Look for the nightime marigold scene in which Dubey puts Shakespeare's Romeo to shame. Tilotama Shome, in her first silver screen role, brings a subtle, sensual shyness to the part of Alice that is touching. Theirs is an interesting coupling, as P. K. Dubey personifies the new India, with his cell phone, his entreperneurial flair, and his email address, while Alice, the shy servant girl who is always dressed in a sari, seems to symbolize a more traditional India.
The film is a polyglot of languages, with English, Hindi, and Punjabi spoken at different times by various family members. I confess that I found it a little confusing to have the subtitles crop up, on and off, and I also found the English spoken a little difficult to understand, at times. So, thanks to DVD technology, I was able to watch the film with English subtitles on the entire time, so as not to miss a thing. The cinematography is beautiful in this film, with lush, vibrant colors throughout. The occasional use of handheld cameras throughout the film gives it the feel of a docudrama, at times, which is very effective, as the film is a voyeuristic look into a family. Moreover, this filming technique adds to the cacaphony of feeling and emotion that abounds in this film.
The DVD offers a limited number of features, the most interesting one being the director's commentary, which is an insightful look into the making of the film, as well as the backround and reasons for each scene. It is clear that for the director, who is herself Punjabi, this film was a labor of love. Bravo!
Movie Review: Extravaganza!
Summary: 5 Stars
"Monsoon Wedding" is unlike any other wedding movie you have ever seen -- funny, sad, romantic, sexy, and full of whirling music and color. With superb acting and a lovingly fragmented storyline, this is an amazing movie. You'll feel all warm and fuzzy after seeing it. Love is in the air in Delhi!An extended Verma family is overjoyed when Aditi, the daughter of the house, agrees to an arranged marriage with a young man now living in Texas. Unfortunately, she is only doing this because she doesn't believe her married lover will get divorced and marry her. As the wedding preparations swirl around her, she wobbles on the line of rebellion -- especially when she begins to really like her future husband.
Like the charming "Waking Ned Devine," this is one of those great movies that doesn't use a single stereotype; you could imagine these people in any part of the world. And like "Waking," the main plot isn't the only one: There is a charmingly hesitant romance between the harried, marigold-munching wedding planner and a shy young maid, a frustrated young boy's hopes to become a chef, a young woman trying to keep her niece safe, and a budding attraction between a pair of very photogenic teenagers. Of course, there are the staples of a wedding movie -- first everyone is giddy and love-obsessed, then they're freaking out because the tents aren't waterproofed. One of the funniest scenes has Aditi's frazzled mom going out shopping with curlers in her hair.
The direction in this movie is exquisite. Nair manages to capture actions as small as a girl tucking a flower in her hair, and makes it a vital element in the plot; at the same time, there is the camera swooping and ducking as a girl does a sexy, rollicking dance for the wedding crowd, cutting between a sweet, intimate wedding ceremony and the bouncing, joyous bigger ceremony. The colors of the movie are dazzling without ever being garish. The biggest problem is that often handheld cameras are used, and the result was making me dizzy. And English, Hindi and Punjabi are all spoken, sometimes shifting in mid-sentence, so keep your eye on the subtitles.
The actors are one of the best elements of "Monsoon Wedding." You don't get acting like this in most movies. The actors often will go through a scene with only one or two words, but their faces and eyes eloquently show what the characters are feeling. Vasundhara Das is pretty good as the conflicted Aditi, although she is probably the weakest performance of the film; Parvin Dabbas is charming and sensitive as her very tolerant fiancee; Naseerudin Shah is wonderful as Aditi's father, who is put in a horribly difficult position while under wedding stress; and Shefali Shetty crackles with repressed emotion as Ria. Tilotamma Shome is adorable as the maid Alice, and Vijay Raaz is delightful as her suitor.
There is some profanity, not really any violence. There is a bit of smut, but nothing too substantial -- the most disturbing element is a serial child molester going after Aditi's young cousin, and former victim Ria speaking out against him. These scenes are the only ones without a trace of humor or sweetness, and it makes them all the more intensely sad and powerful. And the soundtrack is outstanding, a mix of traditional Indian music and rollicking pop that had me bouncing in my seat.
"Monsoon Wedding" is a charming, delightful romantic comedy that makes the whole tired "wedding fiasco" plot seem fresh and charming again. So bring out the marigolds!
Movie Review: When it rains, it pours....
Summary: 5 Stars
"Monsoon Wedding" is a gorgeous, engaging film on a number of different levels. It follows the Verma family as they prepare for their daughter Aditi's wedding to an Indian who had been living in Houston and working as a computer engineer (a common theme throughout the film is the Indian diaspora to Western countries in order to have a better chance at success, such as cousin Rahul, the family "idiot" just back from years in Australia (note: the Australian accent of actor Randeep Hooda is real: he obtained both his bachelor's and master's degrees in business management in Melbourne). The film is full of the hectic moments that can only come before stressful family gatherings such as weddings: shopping for wedding saris, building outdoor canopies, guest lists, preparations....compounded by the pouring rain of the monsoon season. "Monsoon Wedding" beautifully captures a vibrant modern India, at home in Hindi, Punjabi and English, turbans and T-shirts, and the showstopping spectacles of Bollywood. Music plays a large role in the film as a background element and also as dance numbers at the wedding, and Torontonian Mychael Danna (who also scored "Monsoon Wedding" director Mira Nair's "Kama Sutra") strikes a comfortable blend of Indian instruments and modalities with piano, bhangra rock, and several very catchy Bollywood tunes.
The film is aided not only by the beautiful, exotic scenery, but also by the diverse cast of supporting characters: the scheming wedding planner Dubey, "idiot" cousin Rahul, just back from Australia and apparently an all-Australian boy, having shed most of his Indian customs and past, a sensitive younger brother more interested in cooking and dance than in sports or studies ("Let's find him a nice boy," the cranky father snaps), a cousin abused by a family member who must confront her past, and a myriad of shopkeepers, workers, and ordinary people that bring Delhi to life, much like Bombay in Manil Suri's excellent first novel "The Death of Vishnu."
There are a number of humorous moments, tender exchanges between the bride and groom-to-be, who, as participants in an arranged marriage had never met until days before the wedding, lively dance numbers, and moments in daily life that could take place in any corner of the world, which make the story universal in spite of some cultural differences. The varying English accents can make the film at times difficult to understand (Randeep Hooda's Australian accent was surprisingly one of the easiest for me), and older family members especially only converse in Hindi and Punjabi (there are English subtitles). A most unusual love story on a number of levels: the renewal of love between an aging husband and wife, new love between the newlyweds, a heartfelt declaration of love from a wedding planner to a maid, budding love between those who have just met yet are instantly attracted. Add to that the exotic scenery, catchy Indian pop music and dance, beautiful saris and everyday touches of India, and a quirky cast of characters, and you have the exuberant whirlwind of sensations and emotions that is "Monsoon Wedding." Enjoy!
Movie Review: Give this flick due credit....
Summary: 5 Stars
I've seen this movie a few times and I am truly impressed by it. The movie walks a fine line. The storyline echoes typical Bollywood fluff, but with a few surprising and important additions. It gives one a feel for Bollywood movies without subjecting them to three hours plus of torture. So what stands out about this movie?
It is not simply an "exotic" version of "that movie." Take for example, Bend it Like Beckham, which in every review is compared to Big Fat Greek Wedding and this film. BILB would be nothing without its Punjabi theme, new and so cool to American audiences. Without it, the movie would be Disney. Monsoon Wedding however is unique. It would be a good movie without it being "exotic" or "Indian." Why?
First the storyline. There is no main theme in this movie. The wedding itself, and the bride and groom, are not the center. The director, so talented and underrated, shifts the focus to other characters and themes. Those of us who have seen too much Bollywood and experienced the-how should I put this-pressure and trauma of the Indian wedding appreciate the depth. You can tell that the director put much thought into this film.
Second the actors. Shah is outstanding. Never, not one moment, allows us to see him as an actor, an outsider. He is the real father of the bride: tormented, funny, bossy, sad, etc. So many adjective equals a real person. I've seldom felt this in a film.
Then there are the others. Noteworthy are Rhea, Alia, Dubey, and Alice. This leads me to...
Third, reality. Sure this is a fun movie. I love the music, the dancing, the wedding scenes. But the director is so familiar with the topic that she uncovers the struggles behind the ceremony. Many would say- There is something artificial about this movie but in reality this is a reflection of Indian culture. Sorry friends but there is a difficult social struggle in Indian society; pressure that could bring Goliath to his knees. Chadra in BILB and other whimsical Bollywood/Hollywood movies minimize it, but this movie, despite its upbeat plot, shows this. And it shows it in a balance-- despite all the hardship, there is joy at the end.
Finally, the movie is flexible. It is enjoyable. The average American will like it as would the film snob who will comment on the legacy of the British Empire on blah blah blah. I saw it in a mainly foreign Ethiopian crowd. They loved the change of pace from Murder-Death-Kill Hollywood crap. But it has depth. I watch other films trying to break out of Bollywood- BILB, American Desi, Bollywood Hollywood, Bride and Prejudice- and they are shallow. They are not real, they are fake. Shah is real. I know him.