Monsoon Wedding
Watched Monsoon Wedding yesterday. What a splash of colour, music and joy!
The plot centres around a modern and affluent Punjabi family who is preparing for their daughter’s wedding. It highlights the elaborate rituals that precede the ceremony, and the family tensions that surround the festivities. All this seen through the saffron coloured veil of the marigold flowers that permeate the wedding location. Next to the complex relationships of the families of the affluent couple, another simpler romance develops between Dubey and Alice that is tender and touching.
What I really liked was the excellent character development. Each persona was real, and the story revolves around each of them in turn, without losing its balance. The unfaithful fiance, the abused cousin, the angry father - all acted out in perfection.
To keep the pace going were the colourful ceremonies and beautiful singing. Each had its roots in Indian tradition, and for a non-Indian, it had an air of mystery around it.
Excellent movie.