Monsoon Wedding

The dark black clouds, enveloped the sky

Shedding off some cool showers below

People in the village heaved with sigh of relief

People of high caste and of cast low.

Joy was spread in all households

Especially in the heart of two lovers

‘Cause it was the month of their marriage

They were to get married under heavenly covers.

Such golden were their marriage dreams

They had taken great marriage vows

They only wanted this happy event

To be a blessful and blissful show.

They wanted to lead a happy life

Life full of love and care

If they had each other’s love

There was nothing they didn’t dare.

Ah! Such sweet were their marriage dreams

The Rain God was with them

Atleast the lovers thought so

But their dreams were to get shattered

Oh! How little did they know.

The Rain God blowed fury

Pouring rain more and more

It rained day and night

Like had never before.

The rain destroyed the whole village

Laying a number of death beds

The lovers were unable to marry

‘Cause marriage never took place between dead.

But so strong was their love

So well it was knitted and woven

They were unable to marry on earth

They did marry, but in heaven.

Director: Mira Nair

*** This is a special extended blu-ray review written for killerfilm.com.

The Film:

Although her latest effort, “Amelia”, was a flop both critically and commercially, the Criterion Collection’s recent release of Mira Nair’s “Monsoon Wedding” reminds us of Nair’s enormous talents. The film is wonderfully unique, a cultural smorgasbord with an endless supply of gorgeous visuals. The clothing, the music, and the dancing might seem foreign to an American audience, but the joyous heart of “Monsoon Wedding” is universal.

The film begins informally by simply thrusting us into it’s world. There are well over a dozen characters we meet early on, and it’s up to us to sort out who is who. Slowly, we begin to pick up on the key players: Aditi (Vasundhara Das) and Hemant (Parvin Dabas) are the couple participating in an arranged marriage, Aditi’s parents are Lalit (Naseerudin Shah) and Pimmi (Lillete Dubey), and the event coordinator, P.K. Dube (Vijay Raaz) is smitten with the family’s beautiful maid, Alice (Tilotama Shome).

The way Nair weaves together all of these narrative threads is a massive juggling feat. Although the film can be confusing in it’s developing moments, we begin to not only learn each character’s relationship with the family, but what distinguishes them from everybody else. The screen may be crowded, but somehow Nair still finds time to explain each character with such a thorough tenderness that each personality can be easily reflected to someone in our own family.

Jonathan Demme’s “Rachel Getting Married” owes quite a bit to “Monsoon Wedding”. Although the former film is much darker, the family dynamics of the two films are very much the same. Each film also smartly balances melodrama with a vérité-style documentation of it’s wedding rituals.

“Monsoon Wedding” perhaps begins to lose itself in it’s final act, but it’s a film of such vivid life that each narrative hiccup is easy to forgive. The film is simply a pure joy – a lavish feast for the eyes and the soul.

The Blu-ray:

Audio/Video: Presented in the film’s original aspect ratio of 1.85:1 and in 1080p, the “Monsoon Wedding” director-approved transfer is up to Criterion’s high standards. The film was shot using 16mm and then blown up to 35mm, and considering that hindrance the transfer is still mostly void of blemishes. Although the image isn’t as detailed as some of the company’s best transfers (“Pierrot le fou”), it’s the best the film has ever looked on DVD. The audio track is sharp and dynamic, making the most out of the film’s lively soundtrack.

Supplements:

Audio Commentary: The commentary was recorded in 2002 with director Mira Nair. It’s a decent track, particularly beneficial in thoroughly explaining some of the cultural details that will likely go right over a Western audience’s head. There are dead spaces now and then, but Nair does do a commendable job at keeping things fairly active throughout the entire runtime of the film.

The Laughing Club of India: For some reason, this short is isolated from the rest of the shorts on the disc. It’s a charming documentary about people who get together and laugh out loud together. They laugh every day, forty minutes a day, and specialize in several specific forms of laughter as if it were a dance or aerobic class. The group has even brought their ideology to elementary school, where dozens of children laugh and flail happily at their desks. Nair claims that her editing technique in this short was a huge contributory factor in the editing of “Monsoon Wedding” (35 min, 4 min introduction).

Naseeruddin Shah: This feature was shot exclusively for Criterion in 2009. In it, Mira Nair talks to one of the film’s leads, Naseeruddin Shah, about his memories of the film. Shah begins by discussing what drew him to the material initially. The two also discuss the casting process thoroughly, which was plagued with roadblocks such as actors dropping out on the day of the shoot (21 min).

Declan Quinn and Stephanie Carroll: Another feature shot exclusively for Criterion in 2009. Cinematographer Declan Quinn and production designer Stephanie Carroll discuss the initial production process of the film, and how they achieved the film’s unique and highly spontaneous look. They’re both so articulate and specific that it’s upsetting they couldn’t have contributed to the commentary track (11 min).

Theatrical Trailer: The blu-ray disc features the film’s theatrical trailer (2 min).

Short Films:

I. Documentary

a. So Far from India: In the introduction, Nair discusses what drew her to documentary filmmaking having had her roots in theater. After graduating Harvard, she found the subject for her first documentary at a newsstand in Harlem, New York. The man, Ashok Sheth, is in Indian immigrant that left his newly-married wife and son after their arranged marriage in India. The film explores the cultural differences between India and America, and the subjects (Ashok’s family) are highly bitter about the western world. Although a bit dry, the film is an interesting character study that’s well worth the time (50 min, 7 min introduction).

b. India Cabaret: This film studies the line separating “good” and “bad” women in Indian society, contrasting the strippers at a Bombay club and a frequent customer and his wife. Focusing on the hypocrisy and double standards in the culture, “India Cabaret” is a fascinating character piece about dancers in a society that isn’t quite as forgiving as the west as it regards burlesque shows. I’ve never seen a world quite like this one represented on film, and the seedy club itself is a location that’ll stick with you (60 min, 8 min introduction).

II. Fiction

a. The Day the Mercedes Became a Hat: South Africa’s Communist Party leader, Chris Hani, was assassinated in 1993, causing enormous fear amongst the country’s white community. The short film studies a specific white family that flees the country following the event. A bizarre, but captivating effort (12 min, 5 min introduction).

b. 11′09:01 – September 11 (Segment: “India”): A young Pakistani man from Queens, Salman Hamdani, disappeared on 9/11 and was then accused of being a terrorist. The film, adapting the true story, involves a mother trying to salvage her son’s legacy. It’s a dense short that successfully paints a unique and effective portrait of Pakistani families in post-9/11 world (12 min, 3 min introduction).

c. Migration: A beautifully shot short about the AIDS epidemic in India. A man leaves his village for the city and ends up contracting the disease. It’s a bit preachy (at one point, a street performer lectures a crowd on condoms), but a fairly compelling work. The short stars the great Irrfan Khan, who was terrific as the father in Nair’s 2007 effort, “The Namesake” (19 min, 4 min introduction).

d. How Can It Be?: This short was one of eight commissioned by the United Stations for a compilation film about global society. In it, a woman decides to leave her family and follow her heart. It’s a loaded short, perhaps the most intellectually stimulating of any of the fictional shorts on here. Beautifully shot, well acted, and fully-realized, “How Can It Be?” is an exceptional effort (10 min, 5 min introduction).

Conclusion: This is one of Criterion’s best releases of the year. The film may not be for everybody, but the extras are simply extraordinary. Not all of the shorts are worthwhile, but I found the three lengthier documentaries to be fascinating. This is a must have set for anyone even mildly interested in Mira Nair as a filmmaker.

The Ravi Report's official spot on the red carpet!

The press lining up for the premiere of "Amelia" at the Paris Theater.

Hilary Swank is gifted. Mira Nair is remarkable, Richard Gere is  incredible,  Ewan McGregor is a star and “Amelia” is a terrific film. Plain and simple. Any more questions?

The recent premiere of the epic film at the famed Paris Theater in NY was proof that Swank, Nair, Gere & McGregor have enough star power to light up a dozen skyscrapers. The A Listers took to the red carpet and were mobbed by their fans, reporters, photographers and The Ravi Report was front and center to get the details.

Acclaimed director Mira Nair talking to the press about "Amelia"

Nair,  whose previous films such as  “The Namesake” & “Monsoon Wedding” have become box office sensations , spoke to The Ravi Report about  how she felt now that her most talked about film is  being release. 

 ”I am so relieved to be here tonight and I think this film has the force of nature, Amelia, Hilary and myself in it,” states the acclaimed director who looked elegant dressed in a white sequined outfit complete with high heels which the director  rarely wears.

Nair also says that because it’s  an epic film, it required an epic amount of work and  only finished the film a few weeks ago. She  said she gave it “her everything” and in some ways it was  the most  difficult & longest endeavor she had ever engaged in.

“We shot around the world, we shot aerial action in a very real way not just with computers, we also made it an action adventure in addition to showing the world what Amelia was all about,” states the award-winning director.

Ravi Yande and Mira Nair pose for The Ravi Report

Amelia Earhart really needs no introduction. We all know by now that the courageous and non-traditional woman who disappeared while flying over the Pacific in 1937  had the courage, stamina and guts of more than a hundred people put together and she was the first lady to fly solo across the Atlantic in 1928. We knew that the avaitrix was a risk taker, had an open marriage and refused to take “no” for an answer no matter what she tried to achieve in her short-lived life. Her legacy comes to screen via Swank. It’s also uncanny how much Swank resembles Earhart in the film.

The two-time Oscar-winning actress (“Boys Don’t Cry“(2000) and “Million Dollar Baby” (2005) ) spoke to The Ravi Report about the Oscar buzz that has slowly generated for the talented actress and her film.

Oscar winning actress Hilary Swank smiles exclusively for The Ravi Report

“You know it’s very humbling and it practically leaves me speechless. It’s a great honor just to live my dream and be a working actor and to be in films like Amelia is enormous” she exclusively told The Ravi Report.

The iconic star Richard Gere has entertained the world for decades and critics are praising his role in the film. The superstar plays the role of Earhart’s devoted husband and long time supporter George Palmer Putnam. Gere does a phenomenal job.

Actor Richard Gere gives one of his finest performances in "Amelia".

Harry Connick Jr told The Ravi Report that he has been a long time fan of Swank.

“I got to know her a few years ago and man, I am a big fan of hers. I can’t wait until I see her portray Amelia which I think will be ground breaking” states the award-winning actor and singer. He also says that women are getting stronger roles in Hollywood films now and hopes the trend continues.

The film’s writer Anna Hamilton Phelan whose past films include “Girl, Interrupted” and “Chains” and “In Love & War“, says that she has been a fan of Amelia Earhart for years. The research  for the scrip, including reading  several biographies on the hero, was part of the process of writing the screenplay.

Screenwriter Anna Hamilton Phelan poses exclusively for The Ravi Report

“She was a risk taker and reckless, she took risks she shouldn’t have taken. She had many insecurities.” states the award winning writer.

Phelan says that the first time she saw Swank in make up and costume, it took her breath away.Swank’s mannerisms and character transformation was so identical to Amelia’s that she said Swank was “just extraordinary in the role”.

“She makes my dialogue look great!” laughed the writer.

The film also stars British actor Joe Anderson, a very talented performer but  not quite a household name yet in Hollywood. He plays the role of Bill in the biopic.

Nair has done an amazing job with ”Amelia”  and  many will agree that Swank is a true actress to the core with an incredible way of portraying  the legendary Earhart. The talk of Oscar for both Swank and Nair solidifies that both know how to pick and make films. This is one movie you don’t want to miss and it will be a damn shame if you do. www.foxsearchlight.com/Amelia

The Journey continues…

Ravi

No shock here.  The virtually unbroken string of bad biopics apparently continues with Amelia. I will see it out of almost unqualified admiration for director Mira Nair, but nothing in the many reviews I have seen suggests that the film transcends  standard, tired biopic conventions.

Gus Van Sant’s “Milk” probably came the closest to reviving the whole genre. In fact, Van Sant may have fully succeeded (your call). But there are, I think,  some good reasons that biopic screenplays usually stink up the house:

including every obligatory “sacred”  historic moment,  regardless of  how well they fit  into a coherent story or how true they might be

the over-investment in making sure the actors look and sound like the people they are playing. I have always felt that  physical resemblance only works when the effort put into makeup, however precise,  is exceeded by the even greater  performance of a brilliant actor.  It makes perfect sense that the two best “look-alike” performances I have ever seen were by actors who are consensus members of the pantheon — Bruno Ganz in Der Untergang and Sean Penn in Milk. )

the unavoidable hagiography

the drive to be so exhaustively complete  that the story sinks from the weight of its self-conscious authority

a director so obsessed with a character that he or she seems to get lost in the confusion of who the filmmaker is and who the character is. (Kevin Spacey and Bobby Darin?) Rare but spooky.

The baffling thing here is that a great filmmaker like Mira Nair took on Amelia.

Mira Nair. The Mira Nair who made Monsoon Wedding and The Namesake. The brilliant, luminous Mira Nair.

We need to remember that authenticity and accuracy are historical, not dramaturgical, concepts.

The very best films about lives don’t take on the heavy and weighted obligation of completeness. They pick an episode in a life and, through the unfolding of events and character during that episode, reveal aspects of a complex life. Capote, Henry and June, and Downfall (Der Untergang) are three good, random examples. These films also succeed by embedding the main character in a world of comparably interesting ,  and maybe even more  interesting,  characters.

I’ll leave you with one admittedly unconventional recommendation and one worry.

Recommendation: My favorite biopic really isn’t a biopic at all.  But with its crazy sensibility, hilarity, cast of grotesque characters, and overwhelming quirkiness, Tim Burton’s Ed Wood is my favorite “life-story” of them all.

Worry: Spielberg, as you may know, is doing Lincoln. I believe Liam Neeson got the part. My fear is that Lincoln’s  complex, even anguished , life could be buried beneath “Private Ryan” schmaltz,  expensive costumes, overwrought John Williams music,  the flood of signature close-ups of Lincoln’s face, and the quest for accuracy.  None of these equal compelling drama and conflict.  In fact, all this nonsense often hides a lack of compelling narrative.

We’ll see.

Cult and classic favorites, new editions, and complete series collections dominate today’s new release schedule.

Christmas is a little over nine weeks away, and already the movie studios and television networks are pumping out special editions of DVD and Blu-Ray sets unmistakable for their gift potential, including new editions and expanded versions of cult and classic favorites. This week shows a pretty broad cross section of the last forty years of film and television, including at least one half-forgotten classic TV series, possibly the best cop show ever, and a half-dozen other, smaller releases with appeal to more selective audiences.

The big release this week, of course, is Transformers 2: Revenge of the Fallen on DVD and Blu-Ray. Nevertheless, the following is just a sampling of what else is available, including the suggested manufacturer’s list price. Of course, prices may vary according to retailer, and will likely decrease as the holidays bear down on us.

Planes, Trains, & Automobiles – “Those Aren’t Pillows” Edition ($14.98)  Boasting career highs from both writer-director John Hughes and co-star John Candy, this 1987 classic features Steve Martin as Neal Page, an uptight Chicago executive stuck in a series of accidents, near-accidents and strokes of bad luck while trying to fly home for Thanksgiving. Candy plays Del Griffith, the slovenly shower curtain ring salesman who dogs his every errant step and false move. The chemistry between Candy and Martin is almost legendary, with each new calamity building on the last to overwhelm the mismatched travelers. Full of quotes and scenes you’ll re-create with friends through the holidays. “Dell Griffith, please to meet you.”

This new DVD includes Hughes and Candy retrospectives and a deleted scene.

Monsoon Wedding – The Criterion Collection ($39.95) This 2001 dramatic comedy won the Golden Lion at the Venice Film Festival and helped reignite foreign film afficianados’ love affair with Bollywood cinema. Directed by Mira Nair (the upcoming Amelia), the story follows the entanglements and complications arising from a traditional Punjabi wedding, showing the ups and downs of both the family members and the servants on whose shoulders the celebration ultimately rests. Maybe some of the characters are a bit broad, and the observations a little precious, but audiences who enjoy family centered works such as this probably won’t care anyway.

The Criterion edition contains all the usual premium-grade extras you’d expect, including three short documentaries about India directed by Nair. Also available on Blu-Ray disc.

Easy Rider ($38.96) - The iconic road movie about 60s rebellion comes – only a little ironically – to Blu-Ray disc with a new featurette and commentary by director and co-star Dennis Hopper. For those few who don’t already know, the 1969 film follows two rebels (Hopper and Peter Fonda) as they drive from California to New Orleans in order to see Mardi Gras. Along the way they pick up a small-town lawyer (Jack Nicholson, in his star-making role) who shares their disillusionment with society and its trappings. For a treatise on freedom, the film’s attention to form, structure, and even geographic accuracy are appropriately loose, with digressions and long talky passages frequently interrupting the travelogue montage sequences. And the infamous ending, though explosive at the time, today feels both pretentious and stiff. Still, the movie overall captures the era’s zeitgeist, even while as a work of cinema it gets creakier by the year.

Vega$: The First Season Volume 1 ($36.98) More than twenty years before the sexy lab rats of CSI:, Las Vegas was kept safe by freewheelin’ private detective Dan Tanna (Robert Urich), cruising the streets in his vintage Thunderbird and solving cases with his bumbling sidekick and single-mom secretary. The show is vintage late 70s cheese, right down to the swanky, horn-driven music and do-your-thing attitude, and with his cool car and hip bachelor pad Tanna is the archetypal private eye of the period. Urich, who might be described not unkindly as the Tim Daly of his generation, holds the show down thanks to his easy charm. The three-disc set includes the first half of the first season, though why CBS video wouldn’t spring for the other half is anybody’s guess.

Homicide: Life On The Street – The Complete Series ($149.95) About as far from Vega$ as humanly possible in tone and approach alike, NBC’s critically-adored, audience-starved 1993-99 procedural consistently struggled to find its audience, and no wonder. The show was simply ahead of its time, as demonstrated by the success of The Wire, Homicide creator David Simon’s later effort and a sequel to this earlier series in all but name. Based on Simon’s book chronicling his year with the Baltimore Police homicide department, Homicide the series ranks among the best television ever produced, and for our money it’s the best cop show ever. Utterly and completely riveting for six of its seven seasons, with the seventh (following the departure of breakout star Andre Braugher) being only very good. The middle seasons depicting the mammoth “Luther Mahoney Saga” are essential viewing for any cop show fan.

The equally mammoth 35-disc collection includes all 122 episodes, three crossover Law & Order episodes, and the 2001 telepic Homicide: Life Everlasting, which served as coda and elegy and for the series.

The Hunger: The Complete Second Season ($39.98) Possibly the closest thing Generation X’ers might ever get to their own Twilight outside of the Whedonverse (True Blood arguably notwithstanding), the second and final season of this British anthology series featured demons, vampires, and smart erotica mixed into a potent swirl and hosted by David Bowie, who at 62 years old still has more erotic cool than the somnambulant hipsters of Twilight likely ever will.

The four disc set includes all 22 episodes, produced by Tony and Ridley Scott and featuring appearances by Anthony Michael Hall, Giovanni Ribisi, Eric Roberts, Brad Dourif, Jennifer Beals, and many others. The first season, hosted by Terrence Stamp, is also available.

- Michael Kabel

:: :: :: :: :: :: :: :: :: :: ::

This week’s DVD releases include an intimate drama starring Michelle Pfeiffer, a charming re-release of a 2001 melodrama by director Mira Nair and a big-budget blockbuster about sentient robots.

Cheri
2 1/2 stars (out of four)
Rated R for some sexual content and brief drug use
Miramax
Available on: DVD

As captivating as Michelle Pfeiffer is playing an aging, pre-World War I courtesan, “Cheri” is never more than a minor curiosity. In fact, were it not for Pfeiffer, it could have been downright dull.

The story is centered on Lea de Lonval (Pfeiffer), a famous Parisian call girl who realizes it’s time to retire. Before she does, however, she falls into a relationship with another courtesan’s handsome, young son (Rupert Friend). Although Lea expects their relationship to end quickly, she and the young man, whose nickname is Cheri, remain together for years. Their comfortable relationship is ended when Cheri’s mother (Kathy Bates) arranges a marriage for him. With both Cheri and Lea two proud to admit that they love one another, they go their separate ways only to suffer in private.

Director Stephen Frears does a reasonable job setting the story up, but he is not very successful at establishing the depth of the relationship between Lea and Cheri. As viewers, we understand that they are supposed to love each other, but only because Pfeiffer and Friend spend much of the picture sulking. When they are actually together, their relationship seems oddly formal. In part, this is because the film is a period social drama centered on characters who would be unlikely to wear their hearts on their sleeves. Still, viewers must believe that these two have a deep love, and that never comes across on screen.

In fact, as vibrant as Pfeiffer’s reading of Lea is, I couldn’t help wondering why she would have the slightest interest in a man like Cheri. Friend plays him as a world-class cad: arrogant, self-absorbed and incessantly whiney. It’s a reasonable reading of the character, I suppose, but not one that predisposes viewers to root for his happiness … or develop an emotional stake in the movie.

DVD extras are limited to deleted scenes and a short making-of feature.

Monsoon Wedding and Seven Short Films directed by Mira Nair
3 stars
Rated R for language, including some sex related dialogue
The Criterion Collection
Available on: DVD and Blu-ray

When the Criterion Collection releases a movie on DVD, its product almost always becomes the copy of choice, even if the film is already available elsewhere, as “Monsoon Wedding” is. That’s because Criterion not only takes great care with film transfers, the company understands that special features actually need to be special.

For “Monsoon,” Criterion has delivered not only the title film, but seven additional shorts by its director, Mira Nair. There are three documentaries: “So Far From India” (1982), “India Cabaret” (1985), and “The Laughing Club of India” (2000). And there are four fiction efforts: “The Day the Mercedes Became a Hat” (1993), “Migration” (2007), “How Can It Be” (2008) and a short segment Nair filmed for the feature-length movie “11 ‘09″01: September 11.”

Of course, the big draw of this set will be “Monsoon,” a charming 2001 melodrama centered on an Indian family’s preparations for an arranged marriage. The film is set in modern-day Delhi and the bride, a beautiful young woman named Aditi (Vasundhara Das), has decided to leave her married boyfriend for the match even though she’s never met her husband-to-be.

The audience watches as Aditi’s family, led by her gruff father (Naseeruddin Shah), prepare for the nuptials and as various characters struggle with issues of love, separation and family. Although many things happen in “Monsoon,” the movie is more a slice of life than anything else, and that’s OK. The characters in the film are so well-drawn that viewers come away not only with a fascinating view of modern-day India, but feeling as though they are part of Aditi’s family.

“Monsoon Wedding” is presented in English and a variety of Indian dialects with subtitles where appropriate.

ALSO OUT THIS WEEK

“Transformers — Revenge of the Fallen”: This big-budget Michael Bay action film has the highest-profile of all this week’s releases but a review copy was unavailable at press time. A sequel to Bay’s 2007 movie, “Transformers,” “Revenge of the Fallen” again focuses on powerful and intelligent robots that have the ability to blend into our world by transforming into everyday machinery like cars and planes. In this episode, evil robots, known as Decepticons, are threatening humankind, while their enemies, the Autobots, try to protect us. The robots are the real stars of the film, but the human cast includes Shia LaBeouf, Megan Fox, Josh Duhamel and Tyrese Gibson. Watch for a full review of the film on this site on Wednesday.

“Numbers” — The Fifth Season: Season six of this popular drama is already underway on TV, so this DVD set gives fans the chance to catch up on missed episodes. For newcomers, the show focuses on FBI agents who collaborate with a mathematical genius to help bring criminals to justice. The cast includes Rob Morrow, David Krumholtz, Sophina Brown and Judd Hirsch.

“The L Word” — The Complete Final Season: The lesbian drama comes to a climatic end, as the final eight episodes take mysterious twists and turns. Of course, everything is centered on one burning question: Who killed Jenny?

“Vega$” — The First Season, Volume 1: This late ’70s detective series stars Robert Urich as private investigator Dan Tanna. The Las Vegas strip was Tanna’s turf, and he dedicated himself to protecting citizens and tourists alike. A host of guest stars make cameo appearances in the episodes presented here.

“Peanuts 1970’s Collection Vol. 1″: A compilation of six Peanuts TV specials from the 1970s. All are digitally remastered, and two — “Play it Again, Charlie Brown” and “It’s a Mystery Charlie Brown” — are making their DVD debuts. Also included are “You’re Not Elected, Charlie Brown,” “There’s No Time for Love, Charlie Brown,” “A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving” and “It’s the Easter Beagle, Charlie Brown.”

“Hawaii Five-O” — The Seventh Season: This fictional Hawaiian police drama ran for more than a decade and is syndicated in countries all over the world. Jack Lord stars as detective Steve McGarrett who battles everyone from international secret agents to common criminals who are causing problems on his island.

“Willie Nelson and Wynton Marsalis Play the Music of Ray Charles”: This Jazz at Lincoln Center concert was presented in honor of the legendary Ray Charles and recorded in high-definition. Nelson and Marsalis are shown in a 15-song set including the hits “Hallelujah I Love Her So,” “Hit the Road Jack” and “Unchain My Heart.” Songstress Norah Jones makes a guest appearance. Available on DVD and Blu-ray.

“Top Chef: New York” — The Complete Season 5: Reality series where 17 chefs compete to be crowned No. 1. This 4-disc set is packed with delicious extras including never-before-aired Stew Room footage, extended interviews, cooking demonstrations, a mini cookbook and a game demo.

Forrest Hartman is an independent film critic whose byline has appeared in some of the nation’s largest publications. E-mail him at Forrest@ForrestHartman.com

Reviews of soon to be released DVD’s. By no means a complete list — merely an array of titles that may be of interest.

The following reviews originally appeared in the Fall ’09 issue of Filter Magazine.

WINGS OF DESIRE

CRITERION

The Criterion release—a new high definition digital transfer—of this watershed 1987 Wim Wenders film is long overdue. This modern-day fable, shot before the fall of the Berlin Wall, deals with the separation between angels and the mortals they watch over. Bruno Ganz gives one of the greatest performances of the ’80s as angel Damiel, who struggles with the paradox of pursuing love as a human, or maintaining his divinity yet remaining forever removed from the beautiful trapeze artist Marion. Beautifully shot by legendary cinematographer Henri Alekan and masterfully directed by Wenders, the film is a wondrous ode to the power of love and longing, and what it means to be human. Extras include a making-of documentary, deleted scenes, and a host of others…and thankfully, no Nic Cage City of Angels outtakes.

NERDCORE RISING

B-SIDE

At times resembling the seminal punk documentary, Another State of Mind, Nerdcore Rising isn’t interested so much in hardcore as it is “Nerdcore”—the mash-up of hip-hop and, well…nerdi-ness. Negin Farsad’s documentary follows the progenitor of the movement, MC Frontalot, on his first-ever tour of the U.S.; what follows is a big-hearted, rollicking tour movie chronicling the ups-and-downs of a band on the road. Although sexually frustrated and dealing with chronic back pain, Frontalot and his “crew” never lose face, and the fans, many of whom are avid gamers, are refreshingly open and eager to support this movement that seems to cater just to them. This is an endearing and refreshingly real examination of mutual respect between performers and their audience; with Weird Al, Prince Paul, and Brian Posehn on hand to provide both the hip-hop and nerd perspectives, respectively.

TREELESS MOUNTAIN

OSCILLOSCOPE

Beautifully wrought and touchingly poetic, So Yong Kim’s follow-up to In Between Days unfolds deliberately, like a gentle breeze. Treeless Mountain tells the story of Korean sisters Jin and Bin (magnificently played by actresses Hee-Yeon Kim and Song-Hee Kim). Heartbreakingly adorable, they are left with a succession of relatives as their mother tries to locate their estranged father. The ingenuity of the girls and the faith the sisters have in one another serve as the basis of this thoroughly humanistic tribute to the power of sisterhood. The storytelling is wonderfully rich, and the execution mannered, with the stellar camera-work serving to detail aspects of childhood that could only occur when an artist has such an affinity for her subjects.

THE ACHIEVERS: THE STORY OF THE LEBOWSKI FANS

K-MAN

Think you know a lot about The Big Lebowski? Think again, Dude. The Achievers, a documentary by Eddie Chung, will send even the most ardent fans of the 1998 Coen Brothers film scurrying to a remedial class to brush up on all things Duderino. Following the humble beginnings of a fan-gathering known as “Lebowskifest”—its followers call themselves “Achievers”—we watch its rise from small get-together at a Louisville bowling alley to the 8,000-strong convention it has become. Frequently hilarious, it has the appeal of people-watching at a horror movie convention, wherein the vaguest of Nihilist references or manual jerk-off nods becomes fodder for costumes. Fans of oddball docs like Darkon and The King of Kong will eat up this funny and offbeat film.

NOT QUITE HOLLYWOOD

MAGNET

Man-on-kangaroo fights, copious nudity, exploding cars, and yes, a mouse in a baby werewolf costume are just several of the jaw-dropping set pieces in the little known genre of Ozploitation. Starting in the 1960s with the easing of the censor code, Australia churned out some of the best of the worst movies ever made: Stork, Razorback, Turkey Shoot, and Stunt Rock, just to name a few out of the dozens covered in this very funny, fast-moving documentary written and directed by Mark Hartley. Totally fresh and completely engaging, you’re going to want to keep a pen and paper handy to track down these lost “gems.”

TAKE OUT

KINO

Shot very much in the neo-realistic spirit of cinema vérité, Sean Baker and Shih-Ching Tsou’s Take Out often resembles the work of the Dardenne brothers—only transplanted to New York City. The film follows a day in the life of illegal immigrant Ming-Ding, a deliveryman working tirelessly to support his family back in China who has one day to repay the predatory loan sharks who financed his passage to New York. Ultra-realistic and austere in its execution, the never-patronizing film plays out in a completely believable manner that utterly involves the viewer in Ming-Ding’s plight. Pitch-perfect down to the smallest detail, Take Out is a powerful and compelling drama.

30 ROCK: SEASON THREE

UNIVERSAL

The record 22 Emmy nominations scored by 30 Rock’s latest season should come as no surprise to any regular viewer of this groundbreaking comedy series. The Rock is proof positive that not only is the network sitcom alive and well, but thriving, thanks to series creator Tina Fey and her talented crew of writers and performers; among the regulars are Alec Baldwin, Jane Krakowski and the inimitable Tracy Morgan. The season follows Fey’s put-upon Liz Lemon as she deals with a serious case of baby fever, and Baldwin’s Jack Donaghy as he romances a fiery Latina played by Salma Hayek. Guest stars include Oprah, Steve Martin, Jon Hamm, Jennifer Aniston, and the always-wonderful Elaine Stritch returning as Jack’s irascible mother.

MONSOON WEDDING

CRITERION

Considering the recent spate of truly awful wedding disaster movies, the Criterion edition of this fine Mira Nair film arrives like a breath of fresh air. Winner of the Golden Lion at the 2001 Venice Film Festival, Monsoon follows the members of a large family as they gather in Dehli to prepare for a lavish Punjabi wedding. Traditional values clash with modern ideals as the story unfolds in this thoroughly engrossing drama, which at times resembles the best of the Robert Altman multi-character studies. Nair’s deft and delicate touch involves us in the emotion and chaos of the wedding as if we were part of the party. Criterion’s “director-approved” features include many short films by Nair, as well as commentary and interviews.

THE GIRLFRIEND EXPERIENCE

MAGNOLIA

Among the oeuvre of Steven Soderbergh’s films, The Girlfriend Experience is more in the spirit of 2005’s Bubble rather than his more mainstream fare (see the Ocean’s franchise). Experimental, largely improvised, and shot during the months leading up to the 2008 presidential election, the film created quite a stir with the casting of a real-life porn star, Sasha Grey, in the lead role. As high-class call girl Chelsea, Grey specializes in giving her clients the complete “girlfriend experience”—not necessarily sex, but intimacy—allowing her well-heeled clients to complain to her about the impending economic crisis. Reminiscent at times of Godard, the thought-provoking film serves as an astute, somewhat cynical view of the sea change that was taking place all around us in 2008.

So the other night, my wife was feeling lazy and wanted to watch a movie. We went through the On-Demand options, watching the trailers … Confessions of a Shopaholic … Duplicity … Slumdog Millionaire … she thought they all looked interesting but decided she wanted to see the best-picture winner, so we bought Slumdog Millionaire. Unfortunately it immediately started with our young hero being subjected to “enhanced interrogation techniques” and went downhill from there.

My wife is not a big fan of watching “enhanced interrogation techniques” but she’s even less a fan of jump cuts and crazy camera angles.  Slumdog seemed to consist of nothing but crazy camera angles connected by a thin tissue of jump cuts. She quickly got irritated with the jaggy handheld visual style, then lost interest in the story and characters and fell asleep in 28 minutes, at which point I shut off the movie (which I hadn’t really gotten into myself) and wandered off to play a video game.  We still have Slumdog for about another 12 hours “On-Demand” but I don’t think we’re going to go back to it.

Because I didn’t watch anywhere close to the entire film, I can’t really review it.  Instead, here are some takeaways from 30 minutes of Slumdog Millionaire:

• One should try to avoid being suspected of cheating on an Indian game show
• If you want to get a famous person’s autograph, try to arrange to get yourself covered in poo first
• Garbage dumps:  Not a great place to live.  There were some amazing scenes of squalor in this movie, but, again, they were ruined for us by the choppy editing.  Not long ago “The New Yorker” ran a lengthy article about the slums of India and it was interesting to compare what was shown in the film to what was described in the article.  (Quite a counterpoint to the last Indian film we watched, which was Monsoon Wedding.)
• Annoying presentation can trump story (a phenomenon I’ve experienced in comic books with bad artwork)
• Tilted handheld-style camera work and jump cuts might work in a disaster monster flick (Cloverfield) or a “fast-zombie” flick (Boyle’s own 28 Days Later) and in an artsy psychedelic musical (Moulin Rouge, another film my wife found extremely annoying, but that time she was trapped in the movie theater and had to sit through it [I rather liked it]), but maybe are out of place in a flashback-based drama where the framing device is an episode of “How To Be A Millionaire”

Oh well.  At least it only cost us $3.99.

Director Mira Nair’s Monsoon Wedding showed the beautiful and stunning imagery mind. In Monsoon Wedding her artists were wrapped with marigold wedding archs, and richly colored, elegant silk fabrics, chaotic and polluted streets of Delhi, India.

The main attraction throughout the movie is of the brilliant colors and textures of the Indian culture that the director has brought to the screen. The film casts Naseeruddin Shah, Lillete Dubey, Shefali Shetty, Vijay Raaz, Tilotama Shome, Vasundhara Das, Parvin Dabas, Kulbhushan Kharbanda, Kamini Khanna, Rajat Kapoor, Neha Dubey, Kemaya Kidwai, Ishaan Nair, Randeep Hooda and Roshan Seth.

The film was also 2002 nominated with the Golden Globe Best Foreign Language Film. India in 2002. In the same year the film won the Toronto International Film Festival: People’s Choice Award, third place.

Monsoon Wedding is a must see movie, if not for the exciting visuals and songs, then atleast for the artistic style.

At little junkies, we want to set you up with the best of the best so you’ll never be lonely. This week stop (!) in the name of love, and check out some of the yummiest labours of love:

Name: Food
Occupation: Manager of Sustenance & Joy
Residence: My Belly

Likes: Being loved, being consumed, and being paired & shared.
Dislikes: Too much seasoning, getting burnt, spoiling, being poisonous.

Food in the movies usually looks delicious, but that devourability is amplified when with it made with tender love and care (or at least juxtaposed with the love…or lovin’ in some cases). Below is a sampling of my favorite love-related food consumption in the movies:

Ratatouille
You’ve got to love watching the adorable Remy savor every moment of the cooking experience. He risks it all just to be around the finest cuisine, and shows how powerful a good meal can be when the titular dish enlivens the curmudgeonly Anton Ego.

Like Water for Chocolate
Speaking of the power of a good meal…Tita’s emotions become infused in everything she cooks, and her passionate prep puts Meg Ryan’s deli sandwich to shame. Anyone for an order of quail in rose petal sauce?! (Be sure to kiss the cook, not piss her off.)

Chocolat
Speaking of chocolate…every ancient recipe Vianne Rocher prepares holds a special (and typically sensual) power over the recipients. Especially, the tightly wound Comte Paul de Reynaud (Alfred Molina), who inevitably busts into her chocolaterie and devours fistfuls of chocolate. Oh yeah, and hand feeding Johnny Depp chocolaty goodness? Um…yes to both scenarios, please!

Waitress
No movie makes me want food more than Waitress. Adrienne Shelly’s beautifully crafted film borders on food porn with each overhead shot of Jenna Hunterson’s delectible creations from Bad Baby Pie to Old Joe’s Horny Pie (check a complete listing of Jenna’s pies here). Yum! The only other food porn-ish rivals I know of are Ned’s pies from Pusing Daisies and everything in Marie Antoinette.

Hairspray
I’ve got to believe that no other character loves food as much as Edna Turnblad, and much like her daughter, Tracy, I think I could have easily been described as a “pleasantly plump teen.” Who wouldn’t love a mother that offers you a ham to cheer you up?! Also, do you think Motormouth Maybelle will invite me over for soul food fest? Eat and dance. Sounds like a well-balanced plan to me.

Amelie
It’s not necessarily a food movie, but it’s food week–inspired by the French-trained Julia Child–and every post this week will likely give a nod to Frenchies and their snobbishly perfect morsels. There are some great food moments in Amelie, but nothing tops Dominique Bretodeau’s ritual consumption of roasted chicken, and the pure joy he recieves from it. Runner-up food moment: Amelie cracking the sugary outler layer of the most perfect creme brulee on the planet.

Willy Wonka & Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
Here’s a little two-fer for ya. A madman candy scientist and the child that loves his fare. Take a lovin’ spoonful of Gene Wilder, mix in a hefty scoop of Tim Burton and a pint of Johnny Depp. Serve cool over a fresh mixture of musical numbers and technicolor and you’ve got yourself one hell of a candy-love tradition. Thanks Roald Dahl!

Lastly, anything involving a wedding! Indian weddings get me everytime–I want to swallow almost every scene in Bride and Prejudice and wash it down with a little Monsoon Wedding! Let’s not forget all of the spit roasting, potato peeling, and Ouzo slamming in My Big Fat Greek Wedding (and bunt/bun/butt cake). Also, the wedding planning montage in The Wedding Singer gives me the cake cravings like none other (and I’d never turn down a meatball payment…ever).

Ah, l’amour!

Want more Food Week? I thought you might —> click me!

India’s presence on the international movie circuit has grown tenfold.  The Indian movie never had it so good and it’s largely owing to the Indian diaspora.

Mira Nair, based in New York,  is one director who has been there and done that.  She has to her credit movies like Salaam Bombay, Kama Sutra: A Tale of Love, Monsoon Wedding and Vanity Fair. The response to the movie adaptation of Jhumpa Lahiri’s The Namesake was positive across the world.

Deepa Mehta who immigrated to Canada is another example of a thinking director. She has handled controversial issues adeptly. She’s brought to the cinema goers movies like 1947: Earth‘ which was about the Partition; Water about the widows in India and Fire about homosexuality.

Both the ladies have used Bollywood actors as well as international stars like Reese Witherspoon and Naveen Andrews.

On the other hand, M Night Shymalan, who was born in Pondicherry and grew up in Philadelphia, has worked with some of the biggest Hollywood stars like Bruce Willis, Mel Gibson and Sigourney Weaver. M Night Shyamalan’s movies belong to the supernatural and thriller genres. His movies like The Sixth Sense, Signs and The Village open to an internationaal audience.

I just found out a friend of mine is headed to India for a few months for work. Ever heard the phrase green with envy? Well, color me chartreuse.

Hey, India. Call me, okay? I'm free on Friday.

Ever since I was little girl, I’ve had a love affair with India in my head. Officially, it started with a  TV movie called Night Train to Kathmandu, in which a young Milla Jovovich goes on a hunt for the mysterious “City that Never Was.” As an adult, I realize that the film is actually about Nepal but my 10-year old brain knew little of India’s strained relationship with its neighbor to the north.

Even as I get older and have come to understand the difference between Nepal and India (and Pakistan, too) and even as America’s tunnel vision of this ancient place is populated with nothing but job-stealing customer service representatives and telemarketers, I remain transfixed.

As the years have gone by, Hollywood (and all those Saturday morning Bollywood movies on cable that I can just barely understand the plot of) has done nothing but strengthen my fascination. From City of Joy to Monsoon Wedding, A Passage to India to Kamasutra, and Train to Pakistan to Slumdog Millionaire, I see a place that is often poor of pocket but rich with history, language, food, music, history and color. Always color.

How could a girl not be mesmerized?

Friday Follies [n., pl.] postings on Fridays about fashion and food in film from guest bloggers with impeccable taste.

No guest blogger today, so I thought I’d fess up to the most recent movie I’ve seen, Bride Wars. It is every bit as horrifying as the above photo suggests. My friend Billy texted midway through, warning “Bad movie. Just pop in Breakfast Club instead and b inspired by Claire Standish.” As always, I should’ve listened to Billy, but instead sat through the train wreck until the tortuous end. The movie’s only redeeming quality was Vera Wang, who designed both Kate Hudson’s and Anne Hathaway’s dresses. (In general, though, Hudson looked like a total freak show.)

But it got me thinking about other celluloid wedding moments…the good, the bad, and the brutal. Let’s start with the latter:

Vivienne Westwood dress / Sex and the City

I love Vivienne Westwood, and am sure the dress would’ve been amazing on a more feminine bride. But I can’t talk about this bird-in-the-hair situation—or this movie—without getting really worked up. By the way, if you haven’t already checked out this site, sarahjessicaparkerlookslikeahorse.com, here’s a taste of what’s on offer:

Another contender for jaw-dropping wedding garb. What’s worse? A bluebird on your head or a top hat and veil. Tough call:

Molly Ringwald / Betsy's Wedding

In the “kind of blew it but we’ll forgive you because your lashes are incredible” category is the wedding that wasn’t in The Graduate. Though I dig everything Anne Bancroft wears (or doesn’t wear) in the flick, the contrast of her daughter’s frumpy wedding dress is just too heavy handed. The neckline on Katharine Ross’s frock has to be the work of Gunne Sax. 

And yet, with an equally conservative neckline, look at how RIGHT Connie (Talia Shire) gets it in my all-time-favorite movie wedding scene, from The Godfather. 

And I can’t help loving Vasundhara Das’s red in Monsoon Wedding. How gorgeous is she?

Can anyone think of any other really good wedding dresses? I can think of plenty more bombs (and could devote an entire oeuvre to Julia Roberts as bride, both onscreen—Runaway Bride, Steel Magnolias, Notting Hill—and off: Lyle Lovett, Daniel Moder)…

Seen quite a few movies over the last couple of weeks, whether on a plane, on holiday in Derbyshire or back here over the Bank Holiday weekend. To sum up -

Frost/Nixon - Great little thriller, with Ron Howard pulling the Apollo 13 trick and making a story with a known ending still be entirely gripping. Brilliant performances and pleasantly subtle in its politics. Kept me awake from Gatwick to Cincinnati, which is saying something.

3:10 to Yuma – Seen it before, but watched it again with Nadia and Hena in our little cottage last week. Really old fashioned and with a fascinating portrayal of hard men and men trying to be hard. Bale trying to win the respect of his son gets me every time.

Monsoon Wedding – Brilliantly colorful film full of memorable characters. The paedophile subplot seemed a little unnecessary, in that there was already more than enough drama in the wedding preparations/affairs/etc without needing something so overtly melodramatic – although it did give the uncle a chance to show how he prioritised family above his financial needs (though I do worry about what happened with his debts after the film ended!). Best thing about the film was Dubey and his comedic – and heart-warming – antics.

Wanted – This has officially replaced Casshern as the most ridiculous film I’ve ever seen, and has arguably dethroned xXx as the worst film I’ve ever seen. Although xXx was woefully terrible, it at least had the good sense to recognise its own b-movie silliness, embracing it for maximum effect. It didn’t capture that fun, 80s-style escapism that Rob Cohen nailed in the first Fast & The Furious, but it knew what it was, to a degree. Wanted is seemingly completely unware of its shitness and stupidity. Having glanced at the comic, it would seem that they completely misinterpreted it, heightening the ludicrous action sequences while discarding the superhero setting that acts as the necessary justification for the hijinks. Also, they quite clearly missed a trick by calling it the Loom of Fate instead of the Loom of Doom.

The Golden Compass – Again, seen it before, but watched it for the 2nd time last night. I stirred up a bit of a storm on Twitter and Facebook by claiming to really like it, incurring the wrath of both fans and non-fans of the book. To clarify, I’m well aware that it completely misses several of the points of the books and I’m aware that it is very kiddified, absurdly rushed and a complete mess in its final third due to studio interference. However, when it gets things right – Oxford, London, daemons, zeppellins, Mrs Coulter, Scorseby – it gets them really right. As such, it works as a kind of visual compendium of memorable elements from the book. As a standalone adaptation it doesn’t work: as a scrapbook of visual elements it’s exciting, as long as you bring all the story and significance from your knowledge of the book itself.

This dreary weather is pretty depressing. Why not brighten your day with a cool new umbrella ella ella? Check out Toxel.com for more info.

Some of my favs!

Bamboo…functional and green

Take a walk to Park Place with this Monopoly-board umbrella

When you’re feeling anti-social

Electrifying electric umbrella

Mira Nair went to Oscars with her first film Salam Bombay. Mira’s every film is a sensation. Her concepts mostly revolve around facts and problems. She mostly works with her best friend Sooni Taraporevala’s scripts. She has been working mostly for international projects but has never forgot Bollywood. Monsoon Wedding (2001) is her second movie in India after Salam Bombay (1988).

Mira was born in Rourkela, Orissa. She did her schooling in Shimla and went to Delhi unversity for higher education. There she joined theatre arts. With the scholarship from Harvard unversity she went to U.S.A. There only she met Sooni and a photo grapher Metch Epstein. Later she married Metch. There she started working for documentaries.

Her documentary India Cabret won award in the American Film festival. Then she returned back to India and worked for Salam Bombay. This movie went to many international film festivals and got official entry for the Oscars. At the Cannes film festival she won the Golden Camera award. Recently she directed The Namesake.

Mississippi  Masala is her another good movie which deals about Indian-Americans and African-Americans.  Her movie Kamasutra : A Tale Of Love became controversial for the name and was not released in India.

MIRA NAIR

I helgens Musikfoto är temat “årstid”.
I går såg jag den underbara filmen “Monsoon Wedding” och eftersom monsunsäsongen är en årstid och indisk musik svänger på ett alldeles speciellt sätt väljer jag en låt från den filmen.

Jag har inte orkat scanna mina gamla bilder från Indien, men på väg hem från affären i går såg jag det här romantiska trädet. Blommor har dessutom en speciell roll i filmen, så det passar ju utmärkt som illustration.

Länkar till andra bloggar om: musik, indisk musik, Monsoon Wedding, musikfoto, foto, fotografi, fotografering, fotobloggar, fotoutmaning, bilder, bild,

Randeep Hooda was born in a small village called Daseya in Rohtak district of Haryana to a Hindu Jat family. His mother, Asha Hooda, is a social worker and his father, Dr. Ranbir Hooda, is a surgeon by profession. When he was 8 years old, he went to a boarding school MNSS in Rai, Sonepat, Haryana. He then went to Delhi Public School in RK Puram, New Delhi, before moving to Melbourne, Australia in 1995 for higher studies. He got a Bachelors in Marketing and a Masters in Business Management & Human Resource Management.

During that time he peeled onions in a Chinese restaurant, worked in a car-wash, waitered-tables, and drove taxis for 2 years.

In 2000, he returned to India and got a job in the marketing department of an airline and was acting in stage theatres.

Film career

He made his film debut in Monsoon Wedding (2001) where he plays an NRI (Non Resident Indian). He got the role in Monsoon Wedding primarily because of his Australian accent rather than his acting skills or good looks.

However,even after a powerful performance in Monsoon Wedding he had to wait for 4 years to get a second project. He finally got lucky and Ram Gopal Varma cast him as lead in the gritty gangster flick D (2005). “D” was a turning point in his career and he suddenly became a household name across the country. The “D” which supposedly portrays Dawood Ibrahim’s real life gave Randeep Hooda a grand entry into tinsel town. He loved the reefer.

For the first time, he played the lead role in a romantic movie named Ru-Ba-Ru(2008)

Filmography

Mere Khawabon Mein Jo Aaye (2009)

Rang Rasiya (2009)

Ru Ba Ru (2008) Love Game (Randeep Hooda, Sadha, Rituparna Sen, Riya Sen, Divya Dutta, Kalpana Pandit, Jessie Randhawa and Rakhi Sawant)

Risk (Randeep Hooda, Vinod Khanna, Tanushree Dutta)

Darna Zaroori Hai ( Amitabh Bachchan, Ritesh Deshmukh, Mallika Sherawat, Anil Kapoor, Bipasha Basu, Randeep Hooda, Sunil Shetty)

D ( Randeep Hooda, Sushant Singh, Chunky Pandey)

Monsoon Wedding

Rang Rasiya is a forthcoming Indian drama film that is based on the life of the 19th century Indian painter Raja Ravi Varma.The film, which is directed and co-produced by Ketan Mehta, stars Randeep Hooda, Nandana Sen and a newcomer Triptha Parashar in the lead roles.Mehta saw Hooda’s previous films Risk and D and he thought that he was a skillful actor. In this film, he played the role of Raja Ravi Varma in two phases — first as a 60-year old and then as a 20-year old in a span of 10 days. As a preparation for his role, Hooda tried to learn the basics of painting. He was happy working in the film and said that his acting skills were well-groomed by Mehta’s filmmaking abilities.

He never had a problem being called a Naseeruddin Shah protégé, a Ram Gopal Varma product or Sushmita Sen’s friend. Randeep Hooda always knew he have my to sculpt his own identity.

Si terrà a Firenze dal 4 al 10 dicembre 2009 la 9th edizione del River to River, Florence Indian Film Festival.
Nato per la prima volta a Firenze nel 2001, è stato il primo Festival nel mondo completamente devoto al cinema Indiano. Conosciuto solamente nel suo paese di origine, il cinema Indiano ha raggiunto un grande traguardo con la vittoria del Leone d’Oro di Mira Nair con Monsoon Wedding al Festival del cinema di Venezia nel 2001.

Negli ultimi anni in Europa e in tutto il resto del mondo, il cinema Indiano è stato meglio conosciuto con il nome di Bollywood, con il suo grande budget di film, canzoni, danze e, ovviamente, grandi star. Allo stesso tempo, accanto all’invasione colossale della Bollywood cinematografica, si è sviluppato un cinema indipendente e parallelo: il cosiddetto River to River. Il Florence Indian Film Festival ha lo scopo di promuovere proprio il River to River, proiettando ogni anno i più importanti film recenti, cortometraggi e documentari. Proprio a Firenze arrivano registi, attori e produttori di questo cinema indipendente, che presentano i loro lavori al pubblico e alla stampa.

INFO

Romantic love scenes in movies, some might say they’re cliché, corny or just bad. I think though, without love and romance –corny or not– this world might just be a cold hard place…

Here are a few snippets that I feel capture those sexy and/or romantic moments of love. You may not agree with me but I’m sure you’ll enjoy watching it all the same. And I have discovered that men do like these flicks…in secret. Get the popcorn and get cozy with yourself or that special someone… In no particular order some top romantic love scenes:

Romeo & Juliet (1996)
- The coy exchanges between Romeo and Juliet through the aquarium
- When he steals her away from the crowd and passionately kisses her
- The fluffy sheet scene…

Rear Window (1954)

In the Mood for Love (2000)
I actually found the entire movie a romantic tragedy… 
…and I‘m just absorbed by the love theme from it…

Monsoon Wedding (2001)
I love the pomp and pageantry, the vibrant colours and music of this film. This movie has several memorable scenes but my favourite is when the wedding planner (who’s secretly in love with the maid), secretly watches the maid trying on the bridal jewellery (at 1:25).

Romeo and Juliet (1968)

P.S I Love You (2007)
The I-can’t-sleep-without-you scene…oh yes and Gerald Butler.

A Walk to Remember

The English Patient

I also yearn for the scene where he promises: “I’ll come back for you”.

Love Story (1970) 

Nuovo Cinema Paradiso

Kiss in the rain…who doesn’t want to.

Braveheart

The secret wedding is also worth to dream of.

The Way We Were (1973)

This scene okay…I chocked. The way she sees him and they can’t be together you get it.

Hope you check these out if you haven’t already seen them. I could go on forever but I’ll stop since the post is already getting too long.

later.

Last Winter we visited India for my brother in law’s wedding. Indian Marriages are complicated. They are more complex than 40 spiders weaving their webs within a foot of a distance. There are joys, festivities, lights – plenty of lights, quarrels – plenty of quarrels, lots of color and lots of food… Now this would include almost every state of India, North – south, East or West, they may have different rituals and religions, languages and traditions, but marriages in India, dont bond two people, they bond two H U G E (in many cases )  families.

Attending this marriage from Dubai, We completly loved everybit of the wedding. We participated in every ritual and enjoyed the weather the most –icy  cold cold Delhi.   

My husband’s family reside in the older part of Delhi, the part with narrow lanes and bylanes, the part where mouth watering delicacies are available at any given time, a part where kite flying is the most common site in the skies, a part where sundays, the main street is converted into a book mela – a second hand book market – where I can easily get lost for a couple of good hours .. This is Darya Ganj .. names like Kucha Chelaan, Gali Chuia Maem, Kamra Bangash, Choodi Walan  and what not !   The sky is always viewed thru the network of a gazillion wires which is remarkable how an electrician ever finds his way around. I love Delhi in winters .. Come July,  I’m out

So anyways, here are just a few of the photos. It was a joyous trip and it shows :

Director: Ishaan Trivedi
Starring:Irrfan khan, juhi chawala

A large Hindu wedding and an overeager TV crew recording the event for posterity… those are the two sides aligned in the same range of vision in debutant director Ishaan Trivedi’s quirky and often corny look at the lighter of side of ritualistic Hindu events.

The joints in the joint family creak and lapse into a giggle occasionally and then groan to a grinding halt. Trivedi’s thesis is largely lacking in thunder. He repeatedly gives away his antecedents on television by making the characters stand taller and off the boundary lines of credible characterisation. The surfeit of passionately perky people who populate Trivedi’s films look like a cross between sitcom stereotypes and stand-up comics.

There are seeds of a glorious comic romp in the satire. Shoddy dialogues and an enormous appetite for catching characters pretending
to be off-guard weigh down most of the laughter.

The TV newshounds look like they’ve been watching too much news on TV. Everyone behaves like a veejay or a newsreader. There are seeds of an amiable romantic satire here. The way the bride of the family is caught red-handed by TV cameras planning to elope with her lover on the eve of her wedding is a straight spoof of Mira Nair’s “Monsoon Wedding”. But it is given strange slapstick treatment by a director who is neither a romanticist nor satirist, but a voice grappling to put together the grammar of giggles and social comment in a coherent collage.

Stinging comments on the role of the electronic media in the violation of privacy do have a delectable edge to them. But juhi Chawla played a journalist with far more chutzpah and charm in “Phir Bhi Dil Hai Hindustani”.

Good to see the habitually grim and anguished Irrfan Khan playing an uncomplicated and goofy wheeler-dealer in a large joint family of caricatures. The duo’s bantering courtship is smattered with silly dialogues.

The film supports none of the actors. More guillotined than goofy, the humour of “7 1/2 Phere” is more inviting in principle than practice.

This is one ludicrous wedding you’d rather not attend.