When I rented this, I'd only seen Mira Nair's debut film SALAAM BOMBAY, which is a real stunner, and was impressed by her flair for detail. With MONSOON WEDDING I didn't know what to expect - it looked like the usual romantic comedy; a genre I usually avoid. I was very pleasantly surprised to get a film that very nicely reinvents the genre.
This noted it should be said that MONSOON WEDDING tries awfully hard - as the Bollywood mainstream (from what I've seen) is more geared towards escapism and spectacle, this film (in response) packs a lot of issues into it's elaborate plot, and it almost seems a bit overloaded. However Nair - with great skill - keeps it from veering completely out of control, and the results are rich and occasionally touching.
*MINOR SPOILERS*
I loved the overall story, which is presented as a rather rambling mix of frazzled drama and comedy (the tight orchestration of a sprawling cast does evoke Altman), but certain other threads were very interesting: the child-abuse subplot (which - though seeming tacked-on, does evoke the sense of unflinching realism seen throughout SALAAM BOMBAY), the delicate romance between Alice and the wedding planner (the oft-mentioned 'marigold heart' scene is utterly sentimental, but it's also a completely beautiful moment), and Nair's casual reflection of diaspora reality - family members all over the globe reuniting in India for a traditional ceremony pulled together in the face of debt, shifting values and unbelievable stress is yet another glimpse of her knack for detail.
This diaspora aspect of the film does deserve a film of it's own, as there were a number of fleeting moments of intrigue (a family member visiting from Australia is quite ambivalent about his own roots, and is once referred to as "foreigner") on this front, but MONSOON WEDDING could only accommodate so many issues, and Nair does forge something of a path for other independent Indian or Indian-expatriate filmmakers to delve into.
Very rich and rewarding, especially upon a second viewing.
This noted it should be said that MONSOON WEDDING tries awfully hard - as the Bollywood mainstream (from what I've seen) is more geared towards escapism and spectacle, this film (in response) packs a lot of issues into it's elaborate plot, and it almost seems a bit overloaded. However Nair - with great skill - keeps it from veering completely out of control, and the results are rich and occasionally touching.
*MINOR SPOILERS*
I loved the overall story, which is presented as a rather rambling mix of frazzled drama and comedy (the tight orchestration of a sprawling cast does evoke Altman), but certain other threads were very interesting: the child-abuse subplot (which - though seeming tacked-on, does evoke the sense of unflinching realism seen throughout SALAAM BOMBAY), the delicate romance between Alice and the wedding planner (the oft-mentioned 'marigold heart' scene is utterly sentimental, but it's also a completely beautiful moment), and Nair's casual reflection of diaspora reality - family members all over the globe reuniting in India for a traditional ceremony pulled together in the face of debt, shifting values and unbelievable stress is yet another glimpse of her knack for detail.
This diaspora aspect of the film does deserve a film of it's own, as there were a number of fleeting moments of intrigue (a family member visiting from Australia is quite ambivalent about his own roots, and is once referred to as "foreigner") on this front, but MONSOON WEDDING could only accommodate so many issues, and Nair does forge something of a path for other independent Indian or Indian-expatriate filmmakers to delve into.
Very rich and rewarding, especially upon a second viewing.