#42 - FILM: Bollywood to Bubba

my frazy music, movies and books!



Lots of time on my hands this week to sit down with the DVD player for a little entertainment and enlightment.

Here's the scoop:

Bride & Prejudice (2004)

If you are not big on foreign films, this is a delightfully romping silly introduction to Bollywood.

You will probably recognize one of the stars, Naveen Andrews, of LOST fame.

I thoroughly enjoyed the predictable plot and romantic angst of the young lovers in this story and the fretting parents.

Director, Gurinder Chadha, (Bend It Like Beckham) uses the plot of Jane Austen's Pride & Prejudice (complete with Mr. Darcy) to introduce American audiences to romance India style.
One of the highlights of this film are musical numbers that are vibrant and somewhat corny (think GREASE) and sweet.

I could easily see this film turning into a musical.

PG13 - Storyline is about romance, but compared to most American PG-13 films, nothing to worry about here.



Being Julia (2004)

Annette Bening and Jeremy Irons grace this adaptation of W. Somerset Maugham's tale called "Theatre".

Here's my theory on films like this...

Don't bother making a film unless there is no other way to reveal the story.

This plot could have been (and SHOULD have been) a stage play. A live audience may have served it better.

This film survives only due to the amazing performance of Annette Bening. She received a Golden Globe for her presentation of Julia in this film. She is a gifted American actress whose subtlety may very easily be overlooked when thrown into the throngs of starlets desperately grabbing for attention.

If you really want to see Annette Bening at her best check out Richard III (1995).

Being Julia is burdened with a predictable plot which feels more like a chore than an escape into entertainment. Here's the short and skinny, a middle aged actress falls for a young lover who is a cad and uses her terribly. Cad gets his comeuppance in final scene.

R rating - Sex


Bubba Ho-tep (2002)

This has got to be the third time I have viewed this film.

It is an absolute gas!

Each time is funnier than the last.

The plot revolves around Elvis and JFK saving a nursing home from a mummy's curse.

It is well worth your time.

R rating - Lots of bathroom and old man humor; not appropriate for the delicately inclined.

Girl with a Pearl Earring (2003)

There are a lot of good reasons to see this film.

I wish I had seen it on the big screen. The cinematography is breathtaking. If you are an admirer of Vermeer's artwork, you will easily see the detail given to light and making the simplicity of life breathtakingly beautiful.

For the visual treasure that this film is, I recommend it... but, I will tell you this...

the book by author, Tracy Chevalier , is infinitely better when it comes to storyline. The filmmakers cut away the subplot of the book.

If you have never read the book, your experience of this film may be different than mine.

I was disappointed in the lack of depth given to Griet, the beautiful woman of the famous painting, Girl With a Pearl Earring.

The film is slow-paced, which I enjoyed, my husband did not.

If you are curious about the details of medieval life, then you will surely enjoy this film as a treasure trove of historical information.

Scarlet Johansson is breathtakingly beautiful in this story, Colin Firth plays Colin Firth in period costume (as usual) and the supporting cast is flawless.

3 Oscar Nominations and 2 Golden Globe nominations were given to this film. Definitely worth a look see.

Rating PG-13 - Scenes depicting sexual assault

Dogville (2003)

This film, starring Nicole Kidman, is shocking and stark.

I love it... that is not the correct term. I am passionate about this film.

We saw the red carpet premiere of Dogville during the Toronto International Film Festival, complete with an appearance by Nicole Kidman.

Even in the balcony of the huge Pantages theater, Ms. Kidman is radiant.

And her beauty as the tormented, Grace, in Dogville makes this film disturbing.

Director, Lars von Trier, is known for his minimalist work. And such is the case with Dogville.

The set is stripped away, taking place on a soundstage with just enough scenery to tell the tale. Scenes are created by lighting, a few props and intense performances.

The first viewing of this film left me feeling overwhelmingly confused by the powerful emotions stirred up. My husband became so upset over the plot, that he actually walked out of the theater during a scene, returning later.

Here's why.

Rape happens in this story.

And there is nothing Hollywood glamorized about it.

Nor is it something that any voyeur would enjoy.

The plot shows rape for what it is... a horrendously brutal act of anger against a vulnerable victim.

And for that, Dogville is something worth viewing.

The story shows how women who are victimized may not run away from an attacker, they may not fight back, they may just do what they have to do to survive.

The theme of this film also addresses the shadow that lies within each of us. When presented with having power over someone else, would we also victimize?

I viewed the film for the second time this week, and saw the film in a different light than the first viewing. I was so shocked by the unexpected turns in the plot, that my first viewing left me overwhelmed.

The second viewing, now knowing what was going to happen, I was able to focus on the characters... and Lars von Trier has definitely defined the darkness that lies waiting in each of us.

This film is not for everyone, and definitely did not get the recognition it deserves... thus, the reason it was not released to mainstream audiences. But, if you want to learn something about the human heart... you may want to consider watching this film.

Rating R - Explicit Sex, Violence