Monsoon Wedding
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Movie Reviews of Monsoon Wedding
Movie Review: Not your typical Indian Movie !
Summary: 5 Stars
Honestly, I have watched this movie at least 10 times and I could still watch it as if it were the first time. I will try my best to touch all the aspects of the movie starting with the obvious and then moving onto the more subtle details. The music in the movie is wonderful - some of them are melodious and meaningful and some of them feet stomping entertainment. The cast is wonderfully chosen and who else to choose for the role of a middle-class family father other than Naseeruddin Shah; followed by the wonderful and entertaining comedy of P.K. Dube and his entertaining team of workers.
If you are looking for a high-octane action, dancing-in-the-field kind of movie, this is not one. Rather it is the portrayal of a middle-class Indian family with closely knit relations with kith and kin - and how they react to adversity caused from within the family. The finer details are subtly folded into the movie and is more visible to an Indian who has been brought up in India rather than someone who would just see humor in it - mother being more protective of the kids and father wearing the pants in the house; Sons discouraged from doing girly things like watching cooking shows and practicing dancing; elder sons forced to have more responsibility - are only few of them.
However, during the course of the movie, Mira has uncovered the facade that hides the essence of Indian family life by showing how the husband relies on the wife's comfort and judgement, and how the family comes together as one during difficult times. Pre-martial relationships, break-ups, make-ups and happy endings in the movie paint the picture of a typical Indian family that rides a lot of emotional roller coasters. In between all these happenings, Mira has struck gold by touching a topic that most Indian directors hardly delve into and most Indians live in denial about. You will have to watch the movie to see how it folds and unfolds.
As most of Mira's movies, the appetizers come slowly with chutneys sweet, the entrees spicy and as always, the dessert is a happy ending.
Movie Review: superb film that discusses universally important matters
Summary: 5 Stars
This was the first film I saw directed by Mira Nair, and produced by her production company, MiraBai films. I had heard a great deal about her films, Salaam Bombay! (which I still need to see), Mississippi Masala (another beautiful treasure of a film that I plan to review on Amazon.com), The Perez Family and Kama Sutra. I was so happy to see this film for so many reasons. For starters, visually, it was beautiful to watch, and very engaging. Everything from the street scenes in the market of New Delhi with shots of young boys selling coconut slices, vibrant saris in multitudes of color, and beautiful shots of the architecture held my attention. The story was a great one, too. It was a real glimpse into the lives of two families coming together for a wedding celebration, and all of the baggage, controversy and eclectic friends that come along for the ride. The young couple is brought together through arranged marriage, and are just meeting about two to three days before the wedding is to take place. The young groom is a successful, handsome, intelligent and sensitive computer scientist form Houston, Hemant Rai (Parvin Dabas), and his bride is a young professional, Aditi (Vashundhara Das), who is caught between two worlds--the modern, more western world that says she can engage in premarital sex, keep a full time job, and even continue to sleep with her still-married boyfriend, and the world of traditional Indian values, that include the importance of familial closeness and arranged marriages. What world will she choose to live in? You have to rent this fine film to find out. Also, the subplots that are finely intertwined with the main story about the wedding preparations are very engaging. One is about the importance of redemption, and the other, about love's power to transform. Don't miss it!
Movie Review: A good recipe of Indian food is neither bland nor too spicy like Mulangtany Soup, a perfect blend
Summary: 5 Stars
Monsoon Wedding was perhaps one of the most brilliant films I have ever seen. I had seen this film number of times and I really love it. As the movie progressed I quickly formed a bond with the characters and felt they were all my close friends and I was somehow involved in the story. I truly got caught up in the emotion and the evolution of the story. Although the wedding was the climax of the film, it was not what the film is about.
The colors are exquisite, the music and dancing delightful and the people gorgeous. The acting was superb. If there was anything negative to say, I did have some trouble understanding some of the dialogue but I pick it up it really fast during the first part of the film. I was amazed how easy it was to keep tabs on no less than 5 separate subplots without getting the characters mixed up or losing interest.
Mira Nair is brilliant director I mean who makes a film 30 days!! Couldn't believe it. Fantastic production values, mind, not like many other Indian movies I've seen. And down-to-earth realistic, not like Bollywood. Yes, there is singing and dancing, but in context, not every five minutes! I have nothing against Bollywood, but I'm glad to see that there is a higher standard of Indian film-making out there.
Having seen most of her films, I await eagerly for more of her view of her home land. I would recommend this movie to anyone who is interested in customs and traditions of cultures other than one's own. This movie addresses marriage, family, falling in love and the hurts and joys which make it all worth while.
Movie Review: Love the music and different storylines
Summary: 5 Stars
Enjoyed It
Didn't really know what to expect from this one and was pleasantly surprised. Basically, this film consists of four or five intertwining stories surrounding an arranged marriage in India. It seems like the multiple story device in filmmaking has become the norm since the success of Pulp Fiction. It definitely works well here. For two hours I felt like I was absorbed into the Punjabi Indian culture. The characters in this film were very authentic. In fact, it almost had a documentary feel to it ... and I briefly wondered if the director had cast her own family and friends as the lead parts and filmed the preparation of a real wedding. Certainly this film helps to dispell the ridiculous notion that the "best" filmmaking originates from America, and particularly Hollywood. Of course, most people who hold that notion probably think that "Billy Madison" was a work of art. At any rate, its refreshing to see that a film like this can come out of India and really be as good as any project developed in the U.S. during 2001. Finally, this is not a negative comment, but a word of caution: The characters jump back and forth between speaking English and their native language... and for the first few minutes this is annoying. However, the viewer can quickly adapt to reading the subtitles when necessary, and it doesn't really affect the presentation. Trust me... I have a short attention span, and if I can take it then I bet you can too. In fact... this language shift eventually adds to the authentic flavor of the film. I certainly recommend this movie as something different and refreshing.
Movie Review: A Monsoon of Relationships
Summary: 5 Stars
I caught glimpses of this movie one night on cable TV and it looked interesting. I waited until I had a chance to see the movie from start to finish and I came away very impressed. For me, the beauty of the movie was the wide range of relationships that we encounter in just under two hours time. There were so many "stories within the stories" going on simultaneously that I can't help but think that this is a movie for everyone (at least those not bothered by having to follow English subtitles). There were relationships explored between father and mother, father and daughter, daughter and fiance, daughter and former lover, niece and father, son and father, son and mother....and plenty more where those came from. Some relationships are positive and a few, one in particular, are quite negative giving us a wide range of emotions with joy and love prevailing.
In the mere 24 hours since I watched this movie there are many realizations still coming to mind as I further absorb what I saw in "Monsoon Wedding". For example, the irony of the father's ulcer-feeding tensions over having everything go just right in his daughter's wedding yet, after many sunny days, having everyone (including Dad) enjoying themselves immensely in a torrential monsoon during the wedding celebration. Some movies are great because of how they reach our emotions and some are great because of artistic achievements. I think "Monsoon Wedding" qualifies on both ledgers.