By Chlotrudis Independent Film Society
Rating: 2.5 cats
Director: Gurinder Chadha
Starring: Aishwarya Rai | Anupam Kher | Daniel Gillies | Martin Henderson | Nadira Babbar | Naveen Andrews
Country: united_kingdom, united_states
Year: 2005
Running time: 107
IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0361411/combined
Michael says: “Two days later, and BRIDE AND PREJUDICE is pretty disappointing. While I wasn’t expecting much more than
some sweet, fluffy, Bollywood-inspired fun, there was very little that has lasted these couple of days (except maybe the image of sexy Naveen Andrews [THE ENGLISH PATIENT]). Gurinder Chadha (BEND IT LIKE BECKHAM) has taken Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice and jazzed it up into part-Bollywood, part-pop musical, part lightweight, feel-good trifle. Translating the story to a village in India, where the two eldest of four sisters are single and of marrying age, Chadha ends up making comments on arranged marriages, and the importance of traditional Indian culture. The male suitors are an American, a Brit, and a British-raised Indian. The action spans three continents. There’s color and style to spare, and a couple of terrific Bollywood-inspired song and dance numbers, but the story is a little too treacly, and Mr. Darcy just isn’t a very convincing leading man… he’s a bit of a jerk, actually. As I mentioned before, Naveen Andrews shines as Mr. Bingley, throwing himself into the song and dance numbers with joyful abandon, but he disappears partway into the film. The daughters are all beautiful and perky, the mother appropriately manipulative in matchmaking, and the villain, appropriately handsome, but skeevy. I’m sad to report, that it just not worth it. Stick with LAGAAN, or even Deepa Mehta’s BOLLYWOOD/HOLLYWOOD if you want a taste of Bollywood fun. 2 cats”
Hilary says: “This *was* the perfect choice for a Valentine’s Day movie, but Michael is absolutely right — it just doesn’t hold up. Glad to know it’s not just me being my usual cynical self, since I seem to be one of the few people who really didn’t enjoy BEND IT LIKE BECKHAM, Gurinder Chadha’s previous film!
“It made me long for that authentic Bollywood movie a bunch of us saw after HOLLYWOOD/BOLLYWOOD. That had it all: a leading man with more than 5 fingers per hand, an alien, THE SOUND OF MUSIC-inspired scenes shot in Canada, and so much more.
“Four cats quickly fades to two upon leaving the theatre.”