Bride & Prejudice (movie review)

Caste, gender, and contrasting cultures are explored in depth in this movie adaptation of “Pride and Prejudice”. Set in Amritsar, the Holy City of the Sikhs, the movie opens with the introduction of the oldest daughter of a middle-class Hindu businessman to an eligible Hindu bachelor, who has just returned from abroad after finishing his business degree from one of the top universities in England. This ideal match is stalled by the prejudices of the groom’s best friend. Incensed, the bride’s sister retaliates. In the process, the groom’s friend and the bride’s sister develop a tenuous relationship that is both annoying and endearing. As much as they want to hate each other, they can’t because they have so much in common. As a result, a grudging respect mutually develops and they begin to have feelings for each other. When a situation arises that threatens the wellbeing and dignity of her family, they join forces to protect their own. Triumphant, they both acknowledge that they are better together than apart.

Return to Me (Movie Review)

The majority of Americans see this film as a classic chick flick, because it contains relationship-based themes and is emotionally charged. Afterall, the storyline is quite predictable. A married couple who are very much in love go to a fundraiser together to raise money for a local zoo. On their way home, a car accident takes the life of one and leaves the other devastated. As an organ donor, the deceased donates her heart to a patient in need. A year later, this patient (a woman) has discovered a new lease on life. Moved, she decides to thank the man who made it possible and goes in search of him. When she finds him, she can’t find the right words so she remains quiet. In the meantime, a new love blossoms between them and they enter into a relationship. The redemptive quality of it is tested when the woman finally reveals the truth behind their first meeting. But Love and Fate win the man over and sends him on quest to reunite with her. Their reunion is riddled with the heartfelt romance of yesteryear.

But if you look deeper, the film touches on themes that society still considers to be somewhat taboo. A love that is strong enough to surpass Time and Space. The heart’s determination to keep beating even after it has been broken (both literally and figuratively). The Life Force within that will not surrender even when defeat seems inevitable. These are just a couple examples of the higher concepts explored here. Yet, they are completely lost on the average American audience. I find this tragic, because the movie-going experience could be greatly enhanced otherwise.

Message In A Bottle (Movie Review)

The movie version of Message in a Bottle, starring Kevin Costner and Robin Wright Penn, was released in 1999. The book Message in a Bottle was released in 1998. Thrown to the waves, and to fate, the bottle could have ended up anywhere. Instead, it is found just three weeks after it begins its journey. Theresa Osborne, divorced and the mother of a twelve-year-old son, discovers it during a seaside vacation from her job as a Boston newspaper columnist. Inside is a letter that opens with, “My Dearest Catherine, I miss you my darling, as I always do, but today is particularly hard because the ocean has been singing to me, and the song is that of our life together….” For Garrett, the message is the only way he knows to express his undying love for a woman he has lost. For Theresa, wary of romance since her husband shattered her trust, the message raises questions that intrigue her. Challenged by the mystery, and driven to find Garrett by emotions she does not fully understand, Theresa begins a search that takes her to a sunlit coastal town and an unexpected confrontation. Brought together either by chance or something more powerful, Theresa and Garrett’s lives come together in a tale that resonates with our deepest hopes for finding everlasting love. Shimmering with suspense and emotional intensity, Message in a Bottle takes readers on a hunt for the truth about a man and his memories, and about both the heartbreaking fragility and enormous strength of love. For those who cherished The Notebook and readers waiting to discover the magic of Nicholas Sparks’s storytelling, here is an achingly lovely novel of happenstance, desire, and the choices that matter most.

Off the Map (TV Show Review)

This new series from ABC Studios is a medical drama that follows the lives of the people who put their lives into the running of a nonprofit hospital in the wilds of South America. In need of more doctors, the founding doctor, Dr. Ben Keeton (Martin Henderson), advertises for medical residents to finish out their residencies in his hospital, in hopes of inspiring at least one person to stay on. Out of hundreds of applicants, he picks three. Dr. Mina Minard (Mamie Gummer) is an urban doctor who misdiagnosed a patient which consequently led to his untimely death. Dr. Lily Brenner  (Caroline Dhavernas) is an ER doctor who lost her boyfriend under her own scalpel. And Dr. Tommy Fuller (Zach Gilford) is a bright plastic surgeon who is satisfied with just getting by. Together, they form an unlikely bond as “the new kids on the block”. During the first season, we watch as Dr. Minard slowly lowers the walls she had erected around herself prior to arrival. Dr. Brenner discovers that she is still a competent doctor, and Dr. Fuller learns the importance of being earnest. But the real juice is in the stories that were playing out long before their arrival. Dr. Keeton has a deep dark secret and Dr. Otis Cole (Jason George) is a recovering addict. Emotions run deep as hope, love, and inspiration play out in the least likely of places!

28 Days (Movie Review)

There are many types of addictions. In the U.S., alcoholism is the most prominent. This movie centers around a young woman in the throws of an alcoholic life. After one too many disasters, she enters a court-appointed treatment center. Figuring she can kick the “habit” whenever she llikes, she doesn’t take her treatment seriously. When she finally does, she finds that it is not so easy. In the process of adjusting, she comes face to face with her darkest secrets and greatest fears. Sandra Bullock, Steve Bescumi, and Viggo Mortensen star in this sometimes-heavy and sometimes-light drama about a serious condition afflicting many in today’s society.

Magic Mike (Movie Review)

This takes the best of Dirty Dancing, Pretty Woman, and Working Girl, and rolls it into one fine showing of delectable beefcake. Channing Tatum plays an experienced male stripper who inadvertently becomes mentor to a young man who has become disheartened by his career prospects after losing a football scholarship and dropping out of school. Set against the backdrop of a “respectable” local strip club, some of Hollywood’s hottest actors heat up the stage and send audiences screaming and panting into the night!

Movie Review: Chocolat

The gypsy life has been a part of romantic folklore throughout history. Their strong characters, colorful clothing, and nomadic lifestyle, paint a fascinating picture for the staid communities of our society. This movie supports that frame of mind in a most unexpected and refreshing way.

The movie revolves around a mysterious woman who moves from town to town in the rurals of France, with her young daughter and cremated mother. Like a gypsy, she owns only a few things which she can pack up and carry with her wherever she goes. At the beginning of the movie, she and her daughter relocate to a quaint little village near a river. She sets up shop in the town square and goes about making the most amazing chocolate confections, using her mother's secret recipe, and selling them to the locals.

Then along comes a handsome young man sailing down the river, with a guitar slung over his shoulder. A gypsy in his own right, he moves from town to town along the riverbank, staying long enough to make a little money and stock up for his journey forward.

When Music meets Chocolate, it is love at first sight! The chemistry between Depp and Binoche grows ever stronger with scenes of necking on a houseboat in the moonlight, and images of floating candle lanterns, stormy weather, and arson. Nostalgia overcomes you as the innocence and sensuality of an older era comes to life on screen.

Movie Review: Hidalgo

Not since "Dances with Wolves" has a movie come out that portrays the emotional complexities of one who is caught between the love of his people and his alliegance to his country so eloquently. Viggo Mortensen tears up the screen as a man haunted by a past he longs for but has distanced himself from for the sake of survival. Set against the backdrop of the Arabian desert, the story revolves around an annual horse race that the main character has been invited to participate in. Ambition, lust, greed, and power, are all explored in this epic adventure. But the main focus is of a man who finds his way back to himself.