"Bride & Prejudice" and a shipper's optimism about "SG1"
I stopped by the nearest multiplex as soon as I got out of church yesterday just on the off chance that something good might be starting (I'd neglected to pick up a new copy of the movie listings last week), and was so delighted to see "Bride & Prejudice" starting immediately that I didn't even worry about trying to find any other films to see that afternoon.
It was wonderful! Even though I used to re-read the Jane Austen novel at least once a year (I stopped after the 12th re-reading, I think, which makes me a bit of a slacker, I know) and therefore have a pretty thorough knowledge of the original material, I was still finding myself surprised and delighted by the unexpected ways that Gurinder Chadha's Anglo-American-Bollywood adaptation found to re-create and breathe new life into the familiar characters and situations, while maintaining the spirit of the original.
Since my only previous experience of a "Bollywood" film (complete with musical production numbers at key points) was watching a VHS of the very serious-toned "Lagaan" which a friend kindly lent me, I was caught slightly off-guard by the good-hearted cheeriness of the musical numbers in this film. Like a good, old-fashioned movie musical from the hey-day of Fred Astaire, Ginger Rogers, Gene Kelly, and Cyd Charisse, each number was entertaining in its own right, as well as conveying more quickly and interestingly than straight exposition could some important point of character or relationship.
Plus, you've got to love the way this film -- like Gurinder Chadha's earlier hit "Bend It Like Beckham" -- manages to turn a possible clash of cultures into a cross-cultural feast for the ears and eyes. The reprise of "Show Me the Way to Love" (Elizabeth/Lalita's song that she'd sung to herself in India, and which had seemed wholly Indian in tone at the time) in Southern California, with Mexican percussion added and a brightly robed black church choir developing the melody (with Indian-style musical accents added by the red-clad 'Baywatch' lifeguards!) was the most cheeky and effective way to underscore the common humanity of everyone.
And, since this is the early 21st instead of the early 19th century, I was pleasantly surprised by the fact that there was no pressure whatsoever to get Johnny Wickham to marry Lydia/Lakhi, this time around. Lucky Lakhi!
As with "Bend It Like Beckham", you want to stay through ALL the closing credits on this film, to enjoy the good-hearted hamming and out-takes. And Naveen Andrews (the break-out heartthrob on Lost, in many people's opinion) is absolutely delicious as the "Mr. Bingley" character. See this film, if you haven't already, and you will be very glad that you did.
And since I'm running out of time for tonight, let me just add how pleased I was with the direction things seemed to be taking on Stargate: SG1 last Friday (which I was able to watch with undiluted pleasure, thanks to my sister keeping her promise and mailing me the tape of last week's episode to watch on Thursday). Though the fact that there are yet two more hours of season finale coming leaves plenty of room for death and disappointment, if they decide to go that way, I'm feeling very hopeful about the possible resolution of Sam-and-Jack before Richard Dean Anderson becomes merely a potential guest-star next season.
As an ardent Sam/Jack shipper from way back, who'd just about resigned herself to the idea of having to rely on fanfic exclusively for any developments in that area, I was pleased as punch to see scenes that I'd read in one form or another on Sally Reeve's fan fiction site suddenly showing up ON THE SCREEN. No way I'm taping over this ep any time soon. And since I never wanted Sam/Jack to mess up Sam/Jack/Teal'c/Daniel (in the team/family sense of that dynamic), I was almost equally pleased with the way all four of the original team members ended up at Jack's non-fishing hole at the end.
As for Atlantis, I'm not a big Teyla fan (like her just fine as a person, but just don't feel invested in her character at all), so I found it an "okay" episode, setting up future developments in more interesting episodes to come, I hope.
And hurray for another Battlestar Galactica episode written by DS9 alums David Weddle and Bradley Thompson (who also wrote the first half of the Starbuck's-missing-in-action two-parter). More in-depth work on the family dynamics between Adama and Apollo and Starbuck and Laura Roslyn, and more insight into the theological underpinnings of the series. Yay!
It was wonderful! Even though I used to re-read the Jane Austen novel at least once a year (I stopped after the 12th re-reading, I think, which makes me a bit of a slacker, I know) and therefore have a pretty thorough knowledge of the original material, I was still finding myself surprised and delighted by the unexpected ways that Gurinder Chadha's Anglo-American-Bollywood adaptation found to re-create and breathe new life into the familiar characters and situations, while maintaining the spirit of the original.
Since my only previous experience of a "Bollywood" film (complete with musical production numbers at key points) was watching a VHS of the very serious-toned "Lagaan" which a friend kindly lent me, I was caught slightly off-guard by the good-hearted cheeriness of the musical numbers in this film. Like a good, old-fashioned movie musical from the hey-day of Fred Astaire, Ginger Rogers, Gene Kelly, and Cyd Charisse, each number was entertaining in its own right, as well as conveying more quickly and interestingly than straight exposition could some important point of character or relationship.
Plus, you've got to love the way this film -- like Gurinder Chadha's earlier hit "Bend It Like Beckham" -- manages to turn a possible clash of cultures into a cross-cultural feast for the ears and eyes. The reprise of "Show Me the Way to Love" (Elizabeth/Lalita's song that she'd sung to herself in India, and which had seemed wholly Indian in tone at the time) in Southern California, with Mexican percussion added and a brightly robed black church choir developing the melody (with Indian-style musical accents added by the red-clad 'Baywatch' lifeguards!) was the most cheeky and effective way to underscore the common humanity of everyone.
And, since this is the early 21st instead of the early 19th century, I was pleasantly surprised by the fact that there was no pressure whatsoever to get Johnny Wickham to marry Lydia/Lakhi, this time around. Lucky Lakhi!
As with "Bend It Like Beckham", you want to stay through ALL the closing credits on this film, to enjoy the good-hearted hamming and out-takes. And Naveen Andrews (the break-out heartthrob on Lost, in many people's opinion) is absolutely delicious as the "Mr. Bingley" character. See this film, if you haven't already, and you will be very glad that you did.
And since I'm running out of time for tonight, let me just add how pleased I was with the direction things seemed to be taking on Stargate: SG1 last Friday (which I was able to watch with undiluted pleasure, thanks to my sister keeping her promise and mailing me the tape of last week's episode to watch on Thursday). Though the fact that there are yet two more hours of season finale coming leaves plenty of room for death and disappointment, if they decide to go that way, I'm feeling very hopeful about the possible resolution of Sam-and-Jack before Richard Dean Anderson becomes merely a potential guest-star next season.
As an ardent Sam/Jack shipper from way back, who'd just about resigned herself to the idea of having to rely on fanfic exclusively for any developments in that area, I was pleased as punch to see scenes that I'd read in one form or another on Sally Reeve's fan fiction site suddenly showing up ON THE SCREEN. No way I'm taping over this ep any time soon. And since I never wanted Sam/Jack to mess up Sam/Jack/Teal'c/Daniel (in the team/family sense of that dynamic), I was almost equally pleased with the way all four of the original team members ended up at Jack's non-fishing hole at the end.
As for Atlantis, I'm not a big Teyla fan (like her just fine as a person, but just don't feel invested in her character at all), so I found it an "okay" episode, setting up future developments in more interesting episodes to come, I hope.
And hurray for another Battlestar Galactica episode written by DS9 alums David Weddle and Bradley Thompson (who also wrote the first half of the Starbuck's-missing-in-action two-parter). More in-depth work on the family dynamics between Adama and Apollo and Starbuck and Laura Roslyn, and more insight into the theological underpinnings of the series. Yay!