Review of Monsoon Wedding (2001) by Aliya D — 09 Jun 2008

This movie is an enjoyable introduction to Bollywood Indian movies without being one itself. It's much shorter than a Bollywood epic, and there are no choreographed music videos included as part of the story, even though there's a lot of singing and dancing.

The cinematography is beautiful in this film, with lush, vibrant colors throughout. The occasional use of handheld cameras throughout the film gives it the feel of a docudrama, at times, which is very effective, as the film is a voyeuristic look into a family.

Moreover, this filming technique adds to the cacaphony of feeling and emotion that abounds in this film. Colorful and cultural, the movie has its share of stereotyped Bollywood characters, but smoothly blends traditional values with modern settings.

It also touches on a lot of difficult subjects, and accomplishes this without affecting the overall lightness of the movie. This is another outstanding film by director Mira Nair, who has previously directed such wonderful films as Academy Award nominee Salaam Bombay, the lush and erotic Kama Sutra: A Tale of Love, and Mississippi Masala.

This is a director whose very touch turns all her films to gold. She is truly an artist, and her films are palpable with feeling and emotion that move the storyline.