Friday, August 26, 2011

MONSOON WEDDING

For years friends have been recommending this movie. But I only, or mostly, watch movies that have been sent to me. I don't subscribe to Netflix or anything like that. I like to stumble on things unexpectedly when surfing through the channels whenever I take the time to watch anything other than the news.

So tonight (actually last night now) when switching channels to catch the latest news on Irene and Libya, I stumbled on MONSOON WEDDING as it was just starting. I love Mira Nair's directing and knew some considered this her best work. Now I can see why.

If you haven't seen it, the acting is superb, and the writing and directing and editing are just as good. It's a delightfully engaging transformation of an old boy/girl plot with more contemporary and in one instance disturbing subplots, all of which are calibrated perfectly. It is a new favorite, and a great escape from the more serious news.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Michael, let me join the chorus of friends urging you to see a movie/s :
Mira Nair directed an earlier movie, SALAAM BOMBAY, which is quite beautiful and real.
Also, THE GURU, which is an hysterically funny movie about an young Indian man who is arrives in New York City. THE GURU shows up on cable occasionally.
I am not sure if you will recall, but we lived in and around Bombay for one year, in an ashram. Stella was born in Bombay. We had four children, 8 yrs old and under. It was quite a time. Athena used to walk around wearing saris. Me too.

Lally said...

I totally remember your living in India. And I have seen bits of THE GURU when it's popped up on cable, so I'll look for when it's playing again and catch it. I also know and love SALAAM BOMBAY. What sticks with me today from MONSOON WEDDING is the beauty and sensuality of the women, especially the older ones, and the beauty of their saris and rituals and music and all. One of the things MONSOON WEDDING does so well is show the contrast between tradition and modernity without slighting either. Left me with lovely images in my mind.