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Reviews
Amu (2005)
Melodramatic story that could have been so much more.
I went to a recent screening of this movie because I had heard interesting things about it. The one word that I can best use to explain the movie: contrived! The story is waferthin yet dealing with quite an important issue that I had no idea about. Yes, a filmmaker with passion and patience deserves applause but ultimately the film needs to back that up. This film dramatizes elements of the 1984 riots in such a way that if you didn't know about them, you are frustrated by the lack of being in the know and if you do know about it, it's far too trivial and over-dramatic. The lead actress played by Konkona Sen is a great heroine. The only problem is that her supporting team is horrible. Maybe something gets lost between the English the characters speak and my understanding but it's so pretentious and completely distances the audience. Her love interest is beyond words - horrendous. The mother is strictly okay. I liked the director's intent and her fierce drive. That is 100% missing on screen. The only thing I left feeling for AMU was sorry that I couldn't better understand her needs and her past. It's a shame because the film highlights a part of history that is not well known in the western world. Perhaps realizing that got lost in translation.
Water (2005)
Well acted, well planned film
I'm not a huge Deepa Mehta fan. I thought Fire was okay. Earth was better but not great. I was pleasantly surprised by Water though. The last of the trilogy had a surprisingly convincing ensemble cast and a sensibility to the storytelling and execution that made the film standout. Recently, I watched the film AMU and couldn't bare the contrivance and poor characterizations. Here, I was able to overlook both simply by the power of execution. While both films are very different, Water seems to go the road less traveled by offering us various perspectives rather than just one, perhaps the problem with AMU.
The young widow was convincing (and beautiful) and the lawyer seemed wooden but managed to do okay. I think Water is a terribly sad film but offers something spiritual in its execution.
Well done.