Two Films about India

Both these films pack lots of subplots into the two hour span. I happen to like that, but it can get a little confusing.

Monsoon Wedding

I love cultural diversity. In the case of Indian food, not so much, but other ethnic foods alone would make me love all the different ways people live. Here we are treated to the Indian tradition of arranged marriage.

What would it be like to meet your husband on the day of your wedding? What if you're not sure you want to go along with your family's wishes?

I've seen class differences before, yet no quite so clearly defined. The poorer folks seem to have a bit more choice in an odd way. The pressure on the family to provitde a proper dowry for their daughter bends their financies.

Then there's the sub plot of a child molesting family member. Finally people start to stand up against him and reject his advances. That takes amazing courage.

Check out this fine different film from Coos Bay, Bandon or Mrytle Point.

IMDB
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0265343/

City of Joy

Patrick Swayze in a film about India? He plays a hot head disillusioned doctor who goes abroad to find himself. Though the story truly revolves around a poor family new to the big city. Om Puri plays the patriarch.

Om Puri's character lost his farm in the country and came to the city to try and make a living. He lives on the street and saves the doctor from some hoodlums. The doctor gets taken to a place called the City of Joy, hence the title. It's a clinic that treats the locals. Joan (Pauline Collins), the proprietress finds out he's a doctor and tries to talk him into helping her.

Swayze seemed poor casting to me. Maybe the point that he appeared to be a fish out of water made the character act the way he did, I don't really think someone who would GO to India would act that way. I think a person like him would be too selfish. It was too much of a change. Even so, I enjoyed the film.

There's some mafia/poverty/western conflict that really explains what I believe to be realistic stress when people come from outside to involve themselves in a culture they may not understand. The filmmakers showed all this without awkward scenes of people explaining. People just went about their business being a godfather or poor neighbors and it was obvious who they were and what they were about.

Pick up this fine DVD in Myrtle Point and the VHS from Coos Bay.

IMDB
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0103976/
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