India, 2002
Directed by Mira Nair
I know that posting a French poster on an English language review of an Indian film doesn't make a whole lot of sense - but that poster captures the vibrancy, the color, and the overflowing spirit of Monsoon Wedding the best.
A middle upper class, modern Indian family gathers together to celebrate a traditional Punjabi wedding, an arranged marriage between a couple who hardly know each other. Their enormous family converges from all over the world - including different states of India, Australia and the United States. Monsoon Wedding zips between its many characters at this elaborate, four-day celebration, including the workers setting up the wedding and house servants. It is a constantly busy movie, rich with incidents small and large. Multiple character arcs unfold simultaneously. There is comedy, budding romance, and even some serious drama, as an appalling family secret is revealed. Although Monsoon Wedding is deeply culturally Indian, the stories it tells are universal. It is all about the frustration and joy of family. Warm-hearted, ebullient and accessible, this is the type of foreign film that even those who hate reading subtitles may end up loving.
Monsoon Wedding belongs in a tradition of of exuberant, messy wedding movies like Father of the Bride or My Big Fat Greek Wedding. Stylistically, it is reminiscent of Robert Altman. The camera is always roving about, moving between characters, around the house and its grounds, through the crowded streets of Delhi. The screen is teeming with life - conversations overlap, people weave in and out of scenes. However, in its attitude Monsoon Wedding couldn't be further from the cynicism of Altman. In spirit, it reminded me of the recent films of David O. Russell. Like Russell's films, Monsoon Wedding is irrepressibly energetic, an explosion of cheerful vulgarity and healthy sentimentality. And like The Fighter and Silver Linings Playbook, it acknowledges the hardships and annoyances of family, but is ultimately a joyous celebration of familial love and togetherness.
Monsoon Wedding should be relatable to viewers of any cultural background, but it is specifically and uniquely Indian. It shows not only many family members coming together, but many different facets of India. Modernity and tradition, poverty and wealth, English and Hindi languages all mix together in a microcosm of contemporary India. Writer and director Mira Nair clearly made Monsoon Wedding as a love letter to her home city of Delhi, and it is gorgeous. Every scene pops with color and patterns - of henna, of marigolds, of bright saris. The Bollywood-influenced soundtrack is toe-tapping and infectious. Delhi looks so beautiful, and so rich with life, through Mira Nair's camera that I felt transported. I've never seen India, but now I ache to. This is the danger of watching foreign films, in particular ones as vivid as Monsoon Wedding - they can make you homesick for places you've never been!
It's always a delight to watch a feel-good movie that is not insipid or shallow, but earns its good vibes through sincere generosity of spirit. Monsoon Wedding is lively and heart-swelling, bursting with stories of family tenderness and courage, and swooning romanticism that makes most Hollywood romances look timid and stingy. What a joy to watch!
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