Monsoon Wedding

Mira Nair, India, 2001, 114 minutes

In a way that Crouching Tiger Spanking Monkey was THE Chinese Martial Arts crossover film, this has to Indian “Bollywood” cinema’s crossover film, which like CTHD .. breaks a lot of the local film making rules, making it geared to a Western audience. This is surely the mostly (Western) accessible Indian film since Satrijit Ray (and considerably lighter).

Nair seems to borrow heavily from Robert Altman’s multi stranded style, and as the title of the film suggests the action centres around the marriage of an Indian bride, with her American, Non Resident Indian cousin. Sounds Simple?

However this doesn’t take account of our would be bride’s different boy friend, singing family members, potential problems with an ominous uncle and – how could one forget – a flower eating bashful Wedding planner. (I don’t care what Jennifer Lopez’s hide is insured for, until she starts eating tulips, she ain’t worth s*$t when it comes to Wedding Planning!!)

Airing taboos which would never make it to the screen in Bollywood, this is a non-sentimental film which still manages to encapture the feel good factor and has parties where you can almost smell the flowers and incense.

Review by Stephen Brennan
Written for EUFS Programme Spring 2002