Second Generation
by Jon Sen
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DVD Cover Information
Actor: Joanna Bacon, Lalita Ahmed, Radhika Aggarwal, Shelley Conn, William BeckDirector: Jon Sen
Brand: Acorn
Cinematographer: Sean Bobbitt
Editor: Dave King
Producer: Catherine Wearing
Producer: Helen Flint
Producer: Mark Bentley
Producer: Nicolas Kent
Writer: Neil Biswas
DVD: Region Code 1
Audio: English (Unknown), Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo; English (Original Language), Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo
Format: Closed-captioned, Color, Dolby, DVD, NTSC, Widescreen
Picture Format: 1.77:1
Running Time: 120 minutes
DVD Release Date: 2005-07-05
Audience Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Studio: Acorn Media
Movie Reviews of Second Generation
Movie Review: A rare but honest portrayl
Summary: 5 Stars
There has been a recent deluge of movies that have tried to ride Bollywood's wave of bubble-gum popularity ("Bend it like Beckham", "Bride and Prejudice", etc.). While such movies are enjoyable in their own right, none of them offer any huge revelations about Indian families, and more importantly, never come remotely close to capturing the cultural and emotional complexities of Indian diaspora as does "Second Generation."
This is an insightful film that pulls no punches in portraying the pain, struggles, and strife found in immigrant South Asian families living in the West. Heere (Parminder Nagra) is a Hindu girl engaged to a white man and as a result, is practically ostracized by her family. Despite her best attempts to bring a semblance of normalcy into her life, she finds it impossible without the approval of her father (Om Puri). In addition to playing the daughter to the tragic patriarch, Parminder also appears as his dead wife, by whom he is haunted. Her past (and soon to be renewed) love interest, Sam (Sameer) brings another dimension to the film. He is the rebel Muslim who leads a double-life of clubbing, drinking, and illicit sex unknown to his father (Anupam Kher) and more shockingly, is in love with a Hindu Girl. Heere does eventually find herself and her true love in the end, but only after much emotional trauma and grief.
Parminder plays a more feisty character in this film than she did in "Bend it like Beckham." In her own words (according to a recent interview in the Guardian), she's "more outspoken, edgy and grown-up than Jess, who would never go against her parents." The movie is also definitely star-studded--alongside Parminder are venerable veterans such as Om Puri, Anupam Kher, and Roshan Seth. Granted, there are a few awkward scenes that don't flow too well, but these are minor flaws that are more than just redeemed by the rest of the production. Finally, the film has a fantastic soundtrack with memorable beats by the impressive Nitin Sawhney.
"Second Generation" is touching and poignant, and for those of us who truly are the second generation, it definitely hits close to home.
Summary of Second Generation
Parminder Nagra (Bend It Like Beckham, ER) stars in a vivid drama set chiefly in the curry factories, night clubs, bedrooms, and kitchens of London?s Southall neighborhood. Part King Lear, part passionate romance, the story revolves around the fall of an aging patriarch (Om Puri, East is East) with three daughters. The youngest, Heere (Nagra), a runaway from her repressive family, is engaged to white music journalist Jack (Danny Dyer, Human Traffic). Her father?s illness and her sisters' treachery draw Heere back into the family circle and back into the arms of her first love, record label and club owner Sam Khan (Christopher Simpson, White Teeth). Also starring Bollywood superstar Anupam Kher and featuring an electrifying soundtrack by award-winning British-Asian musician Nitin Sawhney.Set in London and Calcutta, Second Generation is a riveting, if occasionally overwrought melodrama about modern day Anglo-Indian life. Inspired by King Lear, the stylish TV movie revolves around prodigal daughter Heere (Parminder Nagra, Bend It Like Beckham), who is trying forge a life for herself, away from the smothering grasp of her family. Her fiancé is Anglo journalist Jack (Danny Dyer) and her disapproving father is curry factory owner Sharma (Om Puri, My Son the Fanatic). Her older sisters, Rina (Amita Dhiri) and Pria (Rita Wolf), work with him--and can't wait till Sharma dies, so they can sell the business. Then there's old flame Sam (Christopher Simpson), who runs a club and record label dedicated to the sounds of the "Asian Underground." Produced for Britain's Channel 4, Second Generation is a hip, sudsy soap opera set to a brisk bhangra-meets-hip-hop beat (provided by busy DJ/composer Nitan Sawhney). --Kathleen C. Fennessy
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