|
"Monsoon Wedding" is directed by Mira Nair who also did
Mississippi Masala, Kama Sutra and Salaam Bombay. This current
film can be characterized as a celebration of life and filled with most
interesting people who you care deeply about. It is also filled
with so much joy and happiness, and this mood is enhanced with the use
of magnificent, uplifting, hypnotic music and dancing. There are
many scenes of India and the cultural clash between old customs and the
current world of cell phones and bottled water make this character and
story-rich film even more interesting.
The primary story involves the impending nuptials of a young couple who
are getting to know one another after agreeing to be together in an
arranged marriage. The wedding ceremony gets complicated when the former
lover of the the bride-to-be comes back into the picture. There
are two other stories which overlap the tale of the wedding.
One involves the wedding planner (who adds a lot of humor to the movie)
who falls for the shy, unloved maid of the house and their courtship
goes on at the same time as he is trying to put together the wedding.
The other story involves the cousin and her dark secret of being
sexually abused as a child by a close family member who is obviously
attempting his same tricks on another young girl. And caught in
the middle of all this is the bride's father who tries his hardest to
keep his family together.
While there are certainly some dramatic and dark elements to the film,
it never ceases to be entertaining and fun. The film is shot
with a somewhat grainy appearance which makes it seem almost like a home
movie, giving a very realistic sense and mood. The movie is also
filled with vivid color, from the bright orange and yellow flowers to
the various gorgeous costumes. After watching this film, it would
be impossible for anyone to leave the theatre not in a good mood.
All the actors in "Monsoon Wedding" provide magnificent
performances. The displayed emotions and realism make it
seem that you are right there with these people, in the middle of the
planning for this wedding. While there are subtitles in the film,
much of the dialogue is spoken in English, sometimes mixed within the
same sentence. I highly recommend this film.
-- Mike
( 4 out of 4 pops )
Talk
about this film with other Popkorn Junkies |
