I am not the biggest fan of Indian movies; I normally find them over-melodramatic and too artificial. I can handle some of the songs, but most of the time they only get in the way of the story (if there is one).
So, it's rather unusual for me to be watching a lot of Bollywood movies in quick succession. What is more unusual is that I enjoyed these movies. All the movies were recommended to me by others. Perhaps my enjoyment of them has something to do with the place from where the recommendations originated:
Lagaan: recommended to me by a guy whom I met in Provo, Utah.
Om Shanti Om: recommended to me by a friend who was living in Provo, Utah, at the time.
Kismat Konnection: recommended by a friend who is currently living in Provo, Utah.
Since when did the denizens of Provo, Utah become authorities on Bollywood movies?
8 Comments:
Hahahaha For real Om Shanti Om is like the best movie ever! I think that I was born into the wrong culture. I should've been Indian!
Love it!! I'm glad you enjoyed Kismat Konnection! And didn't you know Provo is the center of all things international?
I watched Hera Pheri a couple years ago on the recommendation of a local store. I liked it.
But you're right; it still had it's over-melodramatic and artificial moments, and cheesy musical numbers shoe-horned into a movie whose premise is not a musical.
Bollywood has a lot of growing up to do. Some of the actors were pretty good though.
Perhaps I've learned how to sit through cheesy and sometimes amateurish movies. You have to look for the good things, and if you focus on the good the bad won't affect you as much.
And as long as the movie "moves" from good point to good point, and doesn't go too long between good scenes/lines, it can maintain your interest and keep you pulled in.
Western audiences are used to a high level of quality in writing, directing, acting, and production values. But you don't have to spend millions of dollars.
Look at what low budget movies have done, like Blair Witch Project, Napoleon Dynamite, Saints and Soldiers.
Provo is Zion. :o)
All right! If you recommend them I will watch them. HA! Jeremy says "I can feel the estrogen now!" Since you remarked about their melodrama & songs!
Shankar: the nrifun web site mentioned in a previous comment is a malicious web site that installs (or tries to install) viruses on your computer as soon as you visit it.
Bookslinger,
Much obliged for your warning. I hadn't bothered to check the nrifun site before, and I hope no one else was led astray.
Lagaan is an ace film! Granted, I didn't sit for the WHOLE of it (I fidgeted during Titanic!) but the closing scenes are Fantastic! (It is the one about Cricket and tax, isn't it?)
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