Ok the Moviepass has served me well. In the past 48 hours, I've watched seven movies.
I will review each for you here:
Saawariya: Saawariya is like any typical Bollywood film. Man wants girl, something goes wrong, music ensues. The only thing that makes THIS Bollywood film different, is that it's the first one to ever be produced by a Hollywood production company -- Columbia Pictures/Sony Entertainment. And it certainly shows. The sets, the lights, the shots -- it's all very un-Bollywood. And I could honestly see this film being turned into a Broadway show. It was a bit annoying, however, at times -- there were five songs in the first half hour. My mom kept giving me the "Why did you rent this" look. If you are a Bollywood lightweight, or a longtime connoisseur, Saawariya isn't a bad choice - I definitely recommend it. The soundtrack wasn't terrible, there were even a few songs that I'd love to add to my collection! 4/5 stars
Fire: One of the controversial films directed by Deepa Mehta, Fire depicted the story of two sisters-in-laws who have to hide their Lesbian relationship from a society who could never accept an alternative lifestyle. It was banned in India! What do I have to say about it? It was pretty good. It was a bit slow at times, but it was well executed. It really went where no other Indian film had gone at that time. It didn't try to sugar-coat anything about their taboo relationship. I'm not particularly fond of Drama films, so I am sure I didn't appreciate this film as much as I should have. 3/5 stars
Water: The next controversial film by Deepa Mehta. I enjoyed this film much more than Fire. It shows the story of a girl who was widowed by the age of eight and sent to live in an ashram for widows (as was customary in accordance with Hindu texts). It is set in the time of Mohandas Gandhi's revolutionary movement in India. And the woman who played Kalyani is absolutely gorgeous. The movie shined a light on a facet of India I didn't know existed -- one that plagues the country even today. I enjoyed this film very much! 4/5 stars
Moulin Rouge: It seems everyone has seen this movie, so I find it pointless to write anything about it. It was fun, dark, and glamorous. It almost made me cry, and made me want to get up and sing along. Musicals are always a safe bet with me. And I love Ewan McGregor (watch Down with love!!!!!). Nicole Kidman isn't really on my list of favorite actresses, and she sure wasn't put on this planet to sing, but I guess I can accept it just this once. It's not a bad film, and I love the demonic circus/bordello type of decor and whatnot. Period clothes are a definite plus in my book. I'm surprised I waited this long to watch it! 4/5 stars
La Cage Aux Folles: This is the French 1979 film that lead to the American remake "The Birdcage" staring Nathan Lane and Robin Williams. The Birdcage is one of my favorite films, and I've seen it numerous times. Imagine my surprise while viewing La Cage Aux Folles. The Birdcage was an exact replica of the original. Each scene, almost all of the jokes/punchlines, even some of the decor involved was the same as the American version. If I had seen this film before I had seen the American version, I would have loved it. But since I've seen the Birdcage so many times, nothing was really shocking (aside from the fact that Agador Spartacus has been replaced by a black man -- which honestly provided for some crazy outfits and a hearty laugh or two). For the record, I prefer the Birdcage much more -- besides, there's no reading required! 5/5 stars (only because I love the Birdcage so much and they are essentially the same movie)
American Graffiti: I purchased the soundtrack to American Graffiti about 6 years ago at a yard sale because I wanted records. I have not, since then, come in contact with or purchased a record player, so I haven't heard my purchase being played. But I know a lot of the music on it already, so I'm glad I purchased it anyway! One day, I'll buy a record player and listen to it, but until then, I'll have to settle for having seen the film. I wasn't impressed. It jumped around, and had so many (some would argue too many) storylines. Of course, it kept me interested, but I just wasn't feeling it completely. The soundtrack, however, was beyond amazing. If you love classic oldies from the 50s-60s, you'll love this film. 4/5 stars
I will review each for you here:
Saawariya: Saawariya is like any typical Bollywood film. Man wants girl, something goes wrong, music ensues. The only thing that makes THIS Bollywood film different, is that it's the first one to ever be produced by a Hollywood production company -- Columbia Pictures/Sony Entertainment. And it certainly shows. The sets, the lights, the shots -- it's all very un-Bollywood. And I could honestly see this film being turned into a Broadway show. It was a bit annoying, however, at times -- there were five songs in the first half hour. My mom kept giving me the "Why did you rent this" look. If you are a Bollywood lightweight, or a longtime connoisseur, Saawariya isn't a bad choice - I definitely recommend it. The soundtrack wasn't terrible, there were even a few songs that I'd love to add to my collection! 4/5 stars
Fire: One of the controversial films directed by Deepa Mehta, Fire depicted the story of two sisters-in-laws who have to hide their Lesbian relationship from a society who could never accept an alternative lifestyle. It was banned in India! What do I have to say about it? It was pretty good. It was a bit slow at times, but it was well executed. It really went where no other Indian film had gone at that time. It didn't try to sugar-coat anything about their taboo relationship. I'm not particularly fond of Drama films, so I am sure I didn't appreciate this film as much as I should have. 3/5 stars
Water: The next controversial film by Deepa Mehta. I enjoyed this film much more than Fire. It shows the story of a girl who was widowed by the age of eight and sent to live in an ashram for widows (as was customary in accordance with Hindu texts). It is set in the time of Mohandas Gandhi's revolutionary movement in India. And the woman who played Kalyani is absolutely gorgeous. The movie shined a light on a facet of India I didn't know existed -- one that plagues the country even today. I enjoyed this film very much! 4/5 stars
Moulin Rouge: It seems everyone has seen this movie, so I find it pointless to write anything about it. It was fun, dark, and glamorous. It almost made me cry, and made me want to get up and sing along. Musicals are always a safe bet with me. And I love Ewan McGregor (watch Down with love!!!!!). Nicole Kidman isn't really on my list of favorite actresses, and she sure wasn't put on this planet to sing, but I guess I can accept it just this once. It's not a bad film, and I love the demonic circus/bordello type of decor and whatnot. Period clothes are a definite plus in my book. I'm surprised I waited this long to watch it! 4/5 stars
La Cage Aux Folles: This is the French 1979 film that lead to the American remake "The Birdcage" staring Nathan Lane and Robin Williams. The Birdcage is one of my favorite films, and I've seen it numerous times. Imagine my surprise while viewing La Cage Aux Folles. The Birdcage was an exact replica of the original. Each scene, almost all of the jokes/punchlines, even some of the decor involved was the same as the American version. If I had seen this film before I had seen the American version, I would have loved it. But since I've seen the Birdcage so many times, nothing was really shocking (aside from the fact that Agador Spartacus has been replaced by a black man -- which honestly provided for some crazy outfits and a hearty laugh or two). For the record, I prefer the Birdcage much more -- besides, there's no reading required! 5/5 stars (only because I love the Birdcage so much and they are essentially the same movie)
American Graffiti: I purchased the soundtrack to American Graffiti about 6 years ago at a yard sale because I wanted records. I have not, since then, come in contact with or purchased a record player, so I haven't heard my purchase being played. But I know a lot of the music on it already, so I'm glad I purchased it anyway! One day, I'll buy a record player and listen to it, but until then, I'll have to settle for having seen the film. I wasn't impressed. It jumped around, and had so many (some would argue too many) storylines. Of course, it kept me interested, but I just wasn't feeling it completely. The soundtrack, however, was beyond amazing. If you love classic oldies from the 50s-60s, you'll love this film. 4/5 stars
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