India and saffron
Feb. 27th, 2005 02:25 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
jlhEventful weekend, full of Indian food (in Hoboken with friend W) and saffron fabric (the Gates, with Bow and Ziggy) and being mistaken for a hooker in a bar (with Val and Bow; that was mysterious). I've just rinsed dye out of my hair and am awaiting groceries; I'll do some writing before I start primping for a glam Oscar party I'm attending this evening.
Last night Val, Bow, Ziggy and I went to see Bride and Prejudice, which I just loved. An important caveat: I've seen enough Bollywood films to be familiar with their conventions, and I would say that if you are not down with the traditional musical where folks just burst into song as they walk down the street, then you are not going to be down with this film. However, if you've been looking for a way to ease into this whole Indian film thing, think of it as Bollywood with training wheels. It's in English, has a plot you already know and recognize, and most of the musical scenes are big group scenes of everyone jumping around.
Yes, Will Darcy and Johnny Wickham were a bit dull. Johnny's introduction—rising out of the surf—was amusing and I liked his transition from army officer to seemingly harmless backpacker, as it enables him to hit the same sorts of shallow, showy "right" notes for Lilita as Wickham does for Lizzie in the original. Because of some shifts in the plot, the way that his villainy is revealed is a bit rushed—Lilita doesn't know of his true character before he runs off with her sister—and, I thought, brushed over. I wanted to know, what happened to poor Georgie (Alexis "Rory" Bledel, looking lovely) after Johnny got her into trouble and ran off with her, and we didn't get one of my favorite small bits of P&P, the bonding of Lizzie and Georgianna. Johnny didn't ooze with as much charm as I would have liked, but he was flashily sexy enough, which would have to do.
The thing about Darcy—and Colin Firth talks about this in interviews about P&P—is that he's a bit of a cipher, and you need a very talented actor (like Firth or Olivier in the original film) to hint at enough of an internal life to make him work. (Mark Darcy of Bridget Jones is very different in that respect; he is recently divorced, a crusading barrister, has crazy parents and as we learn later was greatly wronged by his best friend.) We really know nothing of him, which allows us to project so much upon him. Martin Henderson is, sadly, not talented enough for this; he's blank. (As Dexter said of George, he's no tower of strength; he's just a tower.) Granted, all the part requires is for Darcy to wander around staring at Lilita, but still.
I think in this instance the P&P structure works against the Bollywood set up; I wanted Darcy and Wickham to have songs, but of course they could not, even as Bingley did. I loved the contrast between Bingley and Mr. Kohli, and the implication that one can move west and still be able to come back to India and shake a respectable tail feather.
For Bollywood fans: Dance in the fountain, check. Entire town comes out to dance with you, twice, check and check. Silly male character makes fool of himself at dance, check. Random shots of mountains, check. Sadly, no running around through the fields; I suppose the opener on the tractor will have to count. What was most interesting was that once the film moved from the small town in India to Goa, London or LA, the musical numbers all took place in dreams. Only back home do the characters walk down the street singing, as if this is something that happens only in India.
Oh, and that dream sequence of getting married in an English country church? RULED ME.
Last night Val, Bow, Ziggy and I went to see Bride and Prejudice, which I just loved. An important caveat: I've seen enough Bollywood films to be familiar with their conventions, and I would say that if you are not down with the traditional musical where folks just burst into song as they walk down the street, then you are not going to be down with this film. However, if you've been looking for a way to ease into this whole Indian film thing, think of it as Bollywood with training wheels. It's in English, has a plot you already know and recognize, and most of the musical scenes are big group scenes of everyone jumping around.
Yes, Will Darcy and Johnny Wickham were a bit dull. Johnny's introduction—rising out of the surf—was amusing and I liked his transition from army officer to seemingly harmless backpacker, as it enables him to hit the same sorts of shallow, showy "right" notes for Lilita as Wickham does for Lizzie in the original. Because of some shifts in the plot, the way that his villainy is revealed is a bit rushed—Lilita doesn't know of his true character before he runs off with her sister—and, I thought, brushed over. I wanted to know, what happened to poor Georgie (Alexis "Rory" Bledel, looking lovely) after Johnny got her into trouble and ran off with her, and we didn't get one of my favorite small bits of P&P, the bonding of Lizzie and Georgianna. Johnny didn't ooze with as much charm as I would have liked, but he was flashily sexy enough, which would have to do.
The thing about Darcy—and Colin Firth talks about this in interviews about P&P—is that he's a bit of a cipher, and you need a very talented actor (like Firth or Olivier in the original film) to hint at enough of an internal life to make him work. (Mark Darcy of Bridget Jones is very different in that respect; he is recently divorced, a crusading barrister, has crazy parents and as we learn later was greatly wronged by his best friend.) We really know nothing of him, which allows us to project so much upon him. Martin Henderson is, sadly, not talented enough for this; he's blank. (As Dexter said of George, he's no tower of strength; he's just a tower.) Granted, all the part requires is for Darcy to wander around staring at Lilita, but still.
I think in this instance the P&P structure works against the Bollywood set up; I wanted Darcy and Wickham to have songs, but of course they could not, even as Bingley did. I loved the contrast between Bingley and Mr. Kohli, and the implication that one can move west and still be able to come back to India and shake a respectable tail feather.
For Bollywood fans: Dance in the fountain, check. Entire town comes out to dance with you, twice, check and check. Silly male character makes fool of himself at dance, check. Random shots of mountains, check. Sadly, no running around through the fields; I suppose the opener on the tractor will have to count. What was most interesting was that once the film moved from the small town in India to Goa, London or LA, the musical numbers all took place in dreams. Only back home do the characters walk down the street singing, as if this is something that happens only in India.
Oh, and that dream sequence of getting married in an English country church? RULED ME.
