Movie Review: And They Eat Flowers
By Anne Bernays
In one respect “Monsoon Wedding,” directed by Mira Nair, a movie that came out almost twenty-five years ago, is a typical BollyWood production, including , among other things, a strong romantic current, dancing and singing like there’s no tomorrow, resident dangers, heightened emotional behavior and temperament, and background music night and day. Yet in spite of the familiarity of the plot, it manages to seem as fresh as the marigolds the principles swallow whenever they’re stressed.
This movie seems to transcend its own identity. Think of the difference between watching something happen in a movie and watching something actually happen. Everything in this movie seems to have outdone itself, including a cast so adept and truthful that the viewer almost feels as if they’re spying on a real family.
The movie opens with an argument between the father of the bride and the man he’s hired to be in charge of building a huge round tent out of bamboo. Apparently, this family is going all-out, although we soon learn that the father is worried about money.
After this argument, which sets a tone of muted anxiety, we meet the bride-to-be, who works at a TV station, smooching with her married boyfriend. Uh oh. Here’s the first sign of trouble between one generation and the next, the old and the new.
Up until now, the family has not wanted for funds. The patriarch runs a business, and all his relatives occupy the same rung in a society not known for its inclusiveness.
Over almost two hours, a brisk plot and subplot keep “Monsoon Wedding” moving steadily, with panache and a variety of stressful behavior. If this sounds like a soap opera, be advised that the emotional lives within the family are portrayed with the kind of artistic truth we rarely get to see. We BELIEVE them.
Sub plots abound. The best one concerns the weird-looking foreman of the wedding set-up crew, carrier of the clipboard and nattily dressed, who, after one look at the family’s maid, falls desperately in love with her, catching glimpses of her, unseen, while she washes the dishes.
Faithful to the overall scheme of this film, a villain, in the guise of a loving and generous uncle, who it turns out, has identified his prey In the form of a sweet little girl, a member of the extended family. Eventually the patriarch kicks the bad uncle out of the house and domestic peace is restored.
Meantime, the bride-to-be’s boyfriend shows his true colors by abandoning her in a fraught situation. This is all she needs to make her switch her love from the boyfriend to her fiancé. Reader, I bought it!
Director Nair, you might be surprised to discover, is the mother of Zohran Mamdani, soon to be mayor of New York City. At first, I was stunned by this coincidence. After giving it some thought I realized that whatever she put into her art, her son has enough of it to addle our president.
