Kama Sutra - A Tale of Love
Kama Sutra - A Tale of Love is directed by acclaimed filmmaker Mira Nair, which was one reason I wanted to see it, the other two being Rome's Indira Varma and Lost's Naveen Andrews, as the protagonist and the debauched king, respectively.
In the beginning of the film, the two girls Maya and Tara are friends, despite Maya being a servant girl and Tara a princess. When they grow up, Tara is engaged to marry king Raj, and on her wedding day she insults Maya, making her feel poor. In revenge, Maya sleeps with the king, a cause of action that will have ramifications for the rest of their lives. Maya is driven from her family and becomes a courtesan. Tara is miserable in her marriage, since the king neglects her for his drug habit and his concubines - among them Maya, whom he becomes increasingly obsessed with. Maya accomodates him, but doesn't return his feelings; instead, she's in love with a young sculptor.
The film is beautifully shot and has a very poetic (and sometimes erotic) atmosphere, but ultimately I found it too slow-paced for my liking. I also felt that while the story and characters held promise, neither were developed as well as they could have been. It's not a bad film, but I expected more of Mira Nair, having liked her Mississippi Masala and Monsoon Wedding.
The film is available for $10.99 on amazon.com and can also be seen on YouTube.
In the beginning of the film, the two girls Maya and Tara are friends, despite Maya being a servant girl and Tara a princess. When they grow up, Tara is engaged to marry king Raj, and on her wedding day she insults Maya, making her feel poor. In revenge, Maya sleeps with the king, a cause of action that will have ramifications for the rest of their lives. Maya is driven from her family and becomes a courtesan. Tara is miserable in her marriage, since the king neglects her for his drug habit and his concubines - among them Maya, whom he becomes increasingly obsessed with. Maya accomodates him, but doesn't return his feelings; instead, she's in love with a young sculptor.
The film is beautifully shot and has a very poetic (and sometimes erotic) atmosphere, but ultimately I found it too slow-paced for my liking. I also felt that while the story and characters held promise, neither were developed as well as they could have been. It's not a bad film, but I expected more of Mira Nair, having liked her Mississippi Masala and Monsoon Wedding.
The film is available for $10.99 on amazon.com and can also be seen on YouTube.