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It’s a
New Year and I might be expected to write something new. But I won’t do that
considering the fact that nothing really changes in the New Year, unless of
course, you make a conscious decision to bring about some alterations in the
way your life pans out in the days, weeks, months and year(s) to come. During
breakfast hour today morning, I was seated opposite my mom and I found myself
digging into a hot plate of puttu, which she had lovingly prepared for me, in
spite of not being in the pink of her health.
The contents of my breakfast menu
demanded to be softened by the application of pummeled banana pulp to the
mixture of steamed rice powder and grated coconut. I had only lately begun to
enjoy this combination of puttu and pazham, something that my brethren had been
relishing with gay abandon from time immemorial. As the semi-solid mixture
found its way into the corridor of my mouth, finding bylanes and shortcuts
through the megalopolis of my gapped teeth, I found myself arguing with my dad
over some inane topic.
As the two of us made our cases
concerning the exact age at which a child starts becoming selfish, my mom
supplemented us with data that said babies/infants were exempt from any such
self-serving classifications. This prompted me to dissect the etymology of the
word ‘selfish’ – much like the family patriarch from My Big Fat Greek
Wedding, who swears by his belief that every word known to mankind has its
origin in the Greek language. Fair enough, for as soon as I put on the best
Greek accent that I could muster, my mom set off on a most welcome tirade
expounding the cool factor of that film.
As we began reminiscing on some
fond memories pertaining to the film, my mom regaled me with her pick of the
most loved scenes from this gem of a romantic comedy. One of our common
favorites is the scene “What do you mean he don’t eat no meat?” The
dialogue takes place when the heroine of our film, Toula, played by the lovely
Nia Vardalos brings home her lover-cum-fiance Ian and he refuses to eat a
certain meat-based dish offered to him. His attempts to convince Toula’s
headstrong aunt that he’s a vegetarian elicits a nonchalant consolation from
her as she tells him, “Don’t worry. I make you lamb.”
And that was it. I told my mom then
and there that the new blog post, the very first of this New Year is going to
be based on films where weddings assume the central theme. I have picked my
movies from a diverse lot – steering clear of predictable Hollywood
fare and sticking to the larger canvas of world cinema with wedding-centric
films. Needless to say, since the germ of the idea was unleashed by my mom,
this blog post is also dedicated to her. I Love You Mommy – this one’s
just for you.
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My Big Fat Greek Wedding: This is my
quintessential guilty pleasure chick flick and I have absolutely no qualms in
endorsing the feel-good factor of this film. Everything about this film is
cute. From the gingerly fashion in which Toula steps out into the real world to
her blossoming into a woman of her own, finding her true love Ian and sticking
to her decision of marrying the foreigner, or as her father refers to Ian, a
Xeno, the film is a layered and heart warming look at the things
that makes us unique and the forces that bring us and keep us together.
The
aforementioned ‘eat no meat’ scene is accompanied by several guffaw-inducing
moments that showcase the strength of the family and the bond shared between
these flawed but lovable Greeks. There are plenty of verbal gags and a few
masterpieces of slapstick as well. The aunt that I had mentioned before is one
of my most beloved characters from the film.
Pay special attention to the scene
where she, aided by Toula’s mom, tries convincing Toula’s father as to why his
daughter should be working in the aunt’s travel agency. While providing
insights into the blueprint of the male ego, the scene amply demonstrates how
women get things done their way with a bit of tact. Gather the whole family for
this invigorating and romantic romp of a film – there’s no other way of watching
it.
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Monsoon Wedding: How do I even begin telling you about Mira Nair’s delightfully quirky family drama? I remember watching the film for the very first time at a really small theater in Kochi called Little Shenoy’s. I had no idea what I was in for, just a premonition that it would be something fun and memorable, because the director of Salaam Bombay was at the helm of it. But, boy – was I charmed beyond words or what? From the hypnotic background score by Michael Danna to the exhilarating soundtrack and the honest-to-goodness performances from Naseeruddin Shah, Lillete Dubey, Tillotama Shome and above all, a revelation in the form of Vijay Raaz – the marigold-chewing, potty mouthed wedding planner, the movie was a heady trip in every sense of the word.
In fact, I remember rushing into Music World immediately after the movie got over, to get myself an audio tape of the film (yeah, those were the days – we used to buy our music, not torrent it). And I also remember calling up my cousins and telling them how they just had to watch this new film. Heck, I almost felt like getting married after the movie, or at least being invited to a North Indian /Punjabi wedding. The film takes a realistic look at what really goes on during the preps for a marriage – the politics and dynamics that surface upon the arrival of certain members of the tribe and the jubilation of marital union.
It’s a feel-good flick, it has its heart in the right place and it’s got some of our country’s most brilliant actors giving us what seems like the most effortless performances of their careers. Oh, and it’s got Vijay Raaz voicing the choicest expletives way ahead of his ‘Aye Loondry’ turn in Delhi Belly. Do you need any more reasons to soak yourself wet in this brave new gust of indie spirit?
Rachel Getting Married: For the longest time, the DVD of this Anne Hathaway starrer lay neglected on my shelf, gathering dust and begging to be sampled. Having read rave reviews of the film, I had decided to watch the movie on a day when I could give it my undivided attention. Five minutes into the film was all it took me to realize what a fool I had been to not have seen Jonathan Demme’s handheld docu-styled, warm concoction of a days-before-the-wedding drama. To put it lightly, I was moved, having gone through the experience of this film.
I felt emotionally alive on so many different levels and in such brilliant ways. It’s hard to isolate a single scene that had not been responsible for bringing a lump in my throat or a tear to my eyes. It might be an ensemble piece, but it’s Anne Hathaway’s uninhibited performance as a recovering alcoholic that is at the core of this masterpiece. Anne’s turn as Kym, the non-proverbial black sheep of the family, headed back to normalcy, while the rest of the family is caught up in the throes of the wedding preparations of her sister Rachel, is a bravura bit of inspired filmmaking. Jonathan Demme, the man behind Philadelphia and The Silence of the Lambs – two films that couldn’t have been more dissimilar, once again proves his mastery of the medium and the human condition as he pulls off all stops and careens headfirst into the lives of his only-too-humane characters. The piece-de-resistance of the film, in my humble opinion, is the scene where the father of the bride is pitted against the groom-to-be in a dish washing challenge set in the arena of the household kitchen. Rest assured, you’ll be going back to this scene over and over again, just to immerse yourself in the spirit of the moment.  Sibel Kekilli and Birol Unel in Head-On
Head-On (Gegen die Wand): This brash, unapologetic German-language offering might not be a purely wedding-centric film. But, the institution of marriage does play an important role in Fatih Akin’s biting take on freedom, individuality and the pointlessness of love set against the backdrop of the river Bosporus. Fatih chronicles his saga of love through the lives of the star-crossed lead pair – essayed with poignant grace and painful honesty by Birol Unel and Sibel Kekilli. The suicidal lovers settle for each other in a marriage of convenience – the former, owing to his need for someone to pay the rent and cook for him, while the latter, owing to her need to get away from her protective Turkish family, who just wants her married to a respectable Turk.
I won’t be delving on what happens next. But you can take my word for it – you won’t know what hit you. Powered by a killer, punk-laced soundtrack, featuring artists as varied as Depeche Mode, Agir Roman and more, the film packs an emotional wallop, the likes of which you might not have experienced in a long, long time. Certain scenes are predestined to form an impenetrable layer on your subconscious. A case in point is the heroine’s first night out after getting her belly pierced. As the opening chords to The Temple of Love, by Sisters of Mercy sets the mood for the night that will play out to the audiences, we know for a fact that it’s going to be one cathartic sojourn. The acting is in a class of its own with the protagonists aiming for the jugular in their go-for-broke approach to their parts. Love, loss, longing, anger, jealousy, pride, indifference and an almost masochistic disdain for self preservation – our lovebirds experience and endure it all. And the audiences are left with memories of one of the most affecting love stories ever committed to film. | ||
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