Review of City of Joy (1992) by Sfg 7 — 19 Jul 2009

Joffe's epic movie filmed on location in India is a really good glimpse at another culture. It is a beautifully filmed story about an American doctor who is fatigued with the medical system in USA and goes to India on "trek". There he has a series if incidents which finally involve him in a free medical clinic in Calcutta's poorest slum. I wanted to like this movie as it is beautifully told and filmed. However Swayze's Dialogue and responses to thing that happen are so crass barbarian as to be insulting to the intelligence. Not sure if it was the screenwriter or Swayze's influence which created all the horrible American slang and Americanisms in Swayze's dialogue. What would have otherwise been a four or five star movie is a two star movie due to this horrible dialogue. His speech and mannerisms are offensive to me as an Educated American. (A medical doctor talks and reacts like this?? NO) This film is emotional and compassionate and has a nice ending but somebody has to take the blame for the horrible string of words that come out of the role of the doctor played by.

Swayze. from eberts review: " City of Joy seems a little too "written," too conformed to the rituals of Hollywood screenplays. There's so much interesting stuff in the movie we are prepared to forgive that, but still, thinking back on the film, it wouldn't have suffered if the entire plot involving Swayze and Collins had been dropped, and Joffe had simply told the story of the rickshaw man. He, and his dilemma, will be there in Calcutta long after visiting surgeons and dedicated nurses have been absorbed into the city's relentless flow." 2 stars.