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Monsoon Wedding (2001) More at IMDb Pro »

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195 comments in total

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32 out of 35 people found the following comment useful :-
The Best in a long time, 4 September 2002

Author: Kieren J. Valente from Evora, Portugal

I went to to see this film almost by chance and I was rewarded by a gem. A truly sublime mix of musical, social comment and romantic movie-making at its best. Unlike many others I was not familiar with Mira Nair's work at all, but after having seen how she delicately handles child-abuse, pre-arranged-marital-infidelity, growing old and trying to be different as an upper middle class Indian boy, being a flirtatious, bored but basically settled non-resident Indian housewife, or being a too well-doing for your own class "wedding-parties producer" desperately seeking for love - I have surrendered!

This is a Great Film by a Great Director and you might not want to miss it...

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27 out of 32 people found the following comment useful :-
An absolutely irresistible triumph for all involved, 18 August 2004
Author: Graham Deans Williamson (gdwilliamson@deathsdoor.co.uk) from Middlesbrough, England

I've seen a lot of great films recently, but this has to be one of the best, one of the upper crust, one of the elite. Inspired by Thomas Vinterberg's 'Festen' (1998) and Robert Altman's 'A Wedding' (1978), this massive ensemble drama goes through the preparation, planning and execution of a wedding at the height of New Delhi's rainy season in touching, hilarious and exciting fashion. Even if the plots may occasionally get a bit melodramatic for some viewers, there's a welter of compensatory pleasures.

The gorgeous soundtrack showcases Indian music of all stripes - pop, folk, dance, you name it. The dance sequences are exuberantly wonderful. The digital cinematography makes the abundance of primary-coloured clothes, tents and plants glow. The central romance pushes itself to the front of the pack of proudly unironic modern romances. The lead actress, Vasundhara Das, is one of the most beautiful women I've laid eyes on recently. Must I go on?

Apparently, I must. I don't know how many times I'm going to have to tell people that Mira Nair is one of the best directors in the world today. She elevates a web of superior soap opera plots to an incisive, brilliant portrayal of India as a country struggling between its traditional roots and modernising influences, and never loses sight of the human dimension of her story either. Dealing with a potentially problematic subplot about child abuse seems no more difficult to her than staging a comic sequence with the contractors hired to raise and decorate the tent.

The whole film can be best summed up by a line from one of its most touching scenes, as stern patriarch Nasseruddin Shah looks at his sleeping daughter and niece and says he has "more love for them than I can bear." Fortunately, a wider audience is about to see precisely why Nair is so brilliant with her forthcoming adaptation of 'Vanity Fair' (2004). The poster alone hints at a fascinating mix of Indian and English styles. She'll have to go a long way to top this film, of course. But won't it be fun to see her try?

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29 out of 36 people found the following comment useful :-
emotional, 29 April 2002

Author: TL Resident from san francisco

If you're expecting an "exotic India" kind of movie, you'd be better off not seeing it. This is a contemporary film, and it's made with love. Acting is terrific, and it becomes obvious that actors had so much synergy while working on the movie. Only a very cynical person wouldn't be emotionally touched by the story and the characters. A great film to see with your significant other on a weekend. Warm fuzzy feelings all the way!

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21 out of 23 people found the following comment useful :-
One of the most brilliant movies I've ever seen, 15 February 2005

Author: Simon Young (simonisntsoyoung@gmail.com) from New Zealand

Monsoon Wedding was perhaps one of the most brilliant films I have ever seen. It took me somewhere I'd never been, and by the time two hours were up, I felt at home.

A lot of the film's success was in the acting. Talented portrayals of deep complex characters who can make you laugh and cry in just minutes. I was amazed how easy it was to keep tabs on no less than 5 separate subplots without getting the characters mixed up or losing interest.

Another key to Monsoon Wedding's success was how the camera told as much story as the actors and dialogue. Lingering shots on a character who doesn't seem part of the action revealed so much more than dialogue could.

And the most amazing thing - this film was made in 30 days!! Couldn't believe it. Fantastic production values, mind, not like many other Indian movies I've seen. And down-to-earth realistic, not like Bollywood. Yes, there is singing and dancing, but in context, not every five minutes!

I don't have anything against Bollywood, but I'm glad to see that there is a higher standard of Indian film-making out there.

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22 out of 26 people found the following comment useful :-
Best Movie of the Year, 19 February 2003

Author: KritterJ from St. Louis, Mo., USA

I really loved this movie. It was the first DVD I bought when I got a player. The story is rich and full of meaning, the actors are wonderful and the music is awesome. As another reviewer mentioned, I am trying to pass the word about this movie to everyone I can. PLEASE just don't compare it to My Big Fat Greek Wedding! That movie was cute and maybe more people could relate to it, but that is because it lacked any real substance. I didn't hate it, but it doesn't begin to touch Monsoon Wedding's issues: family, trust, abuse, love, grief, joy, tradition and oh so much more. When you are done seeing this movie, you want to see it again. And my first time I did just that. I watched it one evening and got up and watched it again the next day. Now, I consider this a really substantial movie, but I have to be petty for just one moment and say... hot Indian guys! I mean HOT! All right,I digress. This is the best movie I have seen in a LONG time.

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25 out of 32 people found the following comment useful :-
Happy India, 25 January 2002

Author: p.elle (p.elle@virgilio.it) from Milano, Italia

This movie is full of joy. Happy, cheerful, with so many characters, and most of them good, interesting ones. It is the story of a wedding in upper class Delhi. A large family spread all over the world reunites for the big event and all the ties and feelings between siblings, cousins, parents, friends are shown and expressed in a light but touching way. Love, friendship, envy, pain, sorrow, loneliness, passion and hope in a nearly perfect mix. This movie is full of colours and music, and it is an accurate portrait of modern India (the wealthier part of it at least). All actors are good, and some of them are gorgeous too. Very refreshing as there are no super stars, no blood, no perfect special effects, no sex. Mira Nair you are great ! Hope you'll give us many other movies this good.

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17 out of 19 people found the following comment useful :-
Exactly and approximately superb!, 24 January 2005

Author: Dehlia_ from New York

In Delhi, the wealthy father of the bride (Lalit, played by N. Shah) prepares an elaborate wedding. We meet his extended family, arriving from as far as America for the wedding, beginning with a formal engagement party 4 days before. Several subplots are followed: Additi, the bride, has chosen an arranged marriage instead of waiting for her married lover to leave his wife. Ria, her cousin, has never married and is being pestered by all concerned. We learn that Ria's father, Lalit's big brother, has passed away and so Lalit is her father-figure as well. Dubey, the wedding organizer, becomes smitten with Alice, Lalit's maid. As the days pass, family joys and family secrets are revealed.

I cannot praise this movie enough. First of all, kudos to N. Shah for a sensitive, complex portrayal that never, for a moment, feels like acting. Without hand-held camera pretensions, Monsoon Wedding nonetheless feels more like meeting a family at a big affair than watching a movie. It is real and intimate, yet magical. All the performances are good; Rajat Kapoor as an uncle with a secret is particularly powerful, and bears a striking resemblance to a younger Donald Sutherland.

We see Indian society as India sees it. My coworker, Sreeman, tells me that everyone attends neighborhood weddings; that an average wedding has 800–900 guests, and his had 1200. Traditionalism matters, but modernity matters as well. At one point, Lalit and Dubey argue over the wedding tent; should it be white, the modern (Western) way, or should it be colorful? Lalit demands color and Dubey orders "the old kind." The struggle between modern and traditional ways is one of the primary undercurrents of the film, embodied by Additi's choice, in fact, we meet her married lover as the host of a TV talk show discussing traditional versus modern ways.

Another undercurrent is finding love, impediments to love, and choices about love. Additi, Dubey, Ria, and another cousin, Rahul, all have barriers to overcome before they have a chance at happiness.

But the main theme is family, and this huge, chaotic family is a wonder to behold. You can't always tell who's related to whom, but you get the sense that they can't either, and coming from a large, extended family myself, I know that's how it is. Family is everything to Lalit, yet he communicates harshly with a son he doesn't understand, and calls nephew Rahul "idiot." Yet his love and devotion are clear, and he is the real hero of this film, coming through for everyone and stretching himself to the limit.

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16 out of 18 people found the following comment useful :-
a lovely piece, 18 July 2003

Author: mleilani14 from Provo, UT

*** This comment may contain spoilers ***

This weekend I rented 'Monsoon Wedding' from director Mira Nair. I had heard good things about it, so I picked it up.

I had no idea what to expect, but between this and 'Bend It like Beckham', I think my new addiction might just be Indian cinema. 'Monsoon' is the story of a family celebrating the arranged marriage of their only daughter to a well-off (and hot) young man who has been working for the past few years in the States and came home so his parents could pick him a bride. The bride is trying to get over a recent indiscretion with a married-and famous-man by throwing herself into the marriage, though it seems pretty clear she would rather be anywhere else. The film gives a fascinating overall view of the amazing intricacies of a traditional Punjabi wedding-four days of festivities!!-while deftly presenting several dramatic and touching stories, from the obnoxious wedding planner falling for the maid, to the cousin who is trying to deal with having been abused as a child, only to end up facing her abuser at the wedding. The cinematography is gorgeous; a lot of handheld shots give a strong sense of realism, and what a color palette! Over the weekend I rented this I watched it three times, and I'm going to have to buy my own. Definitely an A picture.

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12 out of 14 people found the following comment useful :-
Irresistible Combination of Realism and Good Spirits, 6 December 2005

Author: noralee from Queens, NY

It's only March, but I already nominate "Monsoon Wedding" as one of the best movies of the year.

Yeah, we've seen ethnic weddings/family gatherings before ("Lovers and Other Strangers," "Wedding Banquet," "The Godfather," "Avalon," "What's Cooking," "Tortilla Soup," among others), but this is still an original.

Not just because it takes place in India, not just because the characters come in from the Indian diaspora of IT jobs in the U.S., Australia, and the Middle East to the old homestead, and switch between Hindi and English mid-sentence, and switch comfortably between tradition and modernity.

But because these are completely wholly-formed, original characters and a sophisticated story. Yeah I was confused sometimes about who's related to whom, but from the rebellious teen-age boy dreaming of being a chef, to the bride with a secret lover, to the Houston engineer come home for an arranged marriage, to the complicated intra-family obligations and past positive and negative interactions, to cousins, aunts and uncles who genuinely love each other -- all are fully realized and completely believable, being both very individual and very universal.

Only a smidgen of a coincidence in the last moments of a too neat happy ending for a very sympathetic character mars the story, but understandably the audience cheers at the end.

A bonus is the wonderful use of Indian music -- I have zero idea if it's folk or Bollywood music they're singing but the soundtrack is exotic and exuberant as the characters use it to liberate thoughts and feelings within the structure of wedding rituals, with dancing as well. Stay through the credits as the ritual continues.

I'm ready to go see it again any time I'm feeling down.

(originally written 3/11/2002)

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12 out of 14 people found the following comment useful :-
Delightful visual and emotional experience, 24 May 2002

Author: joycepw from Honolulu, HI

I really liked this film. As the movie progressed I quickly formed a bond with the characters and felt they were all my close friends and I was somehow involved in the story. I truly got caught up in the emotion and the evolution of the story and frequently laughed and cried. Although the wedding was the climax of the film, it was not what the film is about. The colors were exquisite, the music and dancing delightful and the people gorgeous. The acting was superb. If there was anything negative to say, I did have some trouble understanding some of the dialogue because of the accents and fast talking. But I intend to see it several times more. Thanks for a great film.

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