Umrao Jaan
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Movie Reviews of Umrao Jaan
Movie Review: Unbelievable story!
Summary: 5 Stars
This is story-telling at its finest. Director JP Dutta deserves an Oscar, and so does Ashwarya Rai. A few reviewers mentioned that the movie was too long or that there were too many climaxes. Hindi films typically average 3 hours because Indian audiences really get into the story-telling and the melodramatic love themes.
Unlike a lot of Bollywood films, Umrao Jaan shows not one one streak of campiness. The story is bittersweet and extremely poignant. You can truly identify with Umrao Jaan's plight, but some Western audiences might miss that because they're conditioned to shorter length films and incongruency with the bright coloring. Western films with dark themes tend to be dark overall: dark mood, dark lighting, dark soundtrack--everything is dark. Bollywood films don't follow this formula. Sad films still have color to them. Songs tend to be more melodramatic. The characters often cry silently and part slowly from one another. While their reactions are overtly sad, the feeling in the scene is very well conveyed. I dabbed at my eyes a few times myself. You don't see much poignancy in Western films lately which is a shame.
The screenplay was superb. Talk about unlucky. This poor lady was just kicked to the curb by nearly everyone. At least she was able to enjoy a few moments of happiness in her troubled life. Your heart really goes out to her. And I liked the ending. It was not a cheater's ending. What a challenging role, and Aishwarya Rai mastered it! In fact, the acting was excellent all around. Additionally, the dancing, costumes, cinematography, bittersweetness, and lyrics to the songs were all in line with the theme of the story. This film was very well done and thought through. Next to Lagaan and Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam, this is my third favorite Bollywood film.
This film deserves at least an award or two.
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