Reel Critics

Allen MacDonald

“Monsoon Wedding” is the kind of viewing experience I hope for every

time the lights dim in a movie theater: a refreshing and true cinematic

achievement.

Director Mira Nair has constructed an insightful and textured

exploration of family, culture and love. It never steps wrong during its

two-hour running time. Unlike most Hollywood-factory products where you

can see the plot machine churning, “Monsoon Wedding’s” narrative flows

organically. The characters leap from the screen, alive with the rich,

nuanced details of human interaction. This movie surprised me at every

turn and continuously reversed my expectations.

Taking place in contemporary India, “Monsoon Wedding” depicts the

nerve-rattled days leading up to the arranged marriage of one family’s

daughter. It is a time for celebration and joy, but also of personal

reflection and troubled cash flow.

We follow a large ensemble of interconnected characters. At the center

is the bride-to-be, whose anxiety about marrying a stranger is enhanced

by lingering feelings for the married TV-personality she has recently

broken free of; two young people who are usually ignored romantically

take notice of each other and engage in a slow, sweet mating dance; a

cousin of the bride comes to grips with the reasons she has never allowed

herself to fall in love. These are but a few of the threads weaved into

the sensual fabric of this film.

What is so intriguing is the way Nair comments on the cultural issues

“Monsoon Wedding” raises. It could have been an angry indictment of

arranged marriages, but instead, it views them as an alternative, albeit

more traditional, route to happiness. One couple falls in love all by

themselves, the other is orchestrated by the father and starts off shaky;

but the bride and groom establish a bond of trust through shared honesty

and soon also find themselves in love. No matter how they came to be,

both couples choose to be together, both require an element of risk.

Another well-developed aspect of “Monsoon Wedding” is the way in which

the modern world has leaked into the older Indian culture -- the bride

sleeps with an issue of Cosmopolitan wedged under her arm, cell phones

often interrupt the wedding festivities, but ultimately it’s possible for

the old world to coexist with the new. This family is liberated, not

constrained, by tradition. Healthy sexuality is seen as a sign of

confidence rather than a hindrance. Nair is even brave enough to explore

a darker question that defines the limit of family loyalty and

forgiveness.

This movie is complex, beautiful, flawless -- a rare treat. It is one

of the best movies of the year. See it. Go now.

*Allen MacDonald amacdonald@afifellows.org