Customer Reviews

Bollywood/Hollywood

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(6)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

A really interesting movie, there's not anything like it (movies like Pardes are pure Bollywood, aimed at a native audience). The acting was generally terrible and the movie was often amateurish - the opening titles looked cribbed from a kid's video project, for instance. Sometimes it was difficult to tell if the jokes were really that bad, or if the cast's utter lack of timing ruined them. The plot is charming but instantly predictable.

Then at other times, the movie's great - I liked the idea of people viewing themselves in terms of movies. And, combining a Hollywood movie and a Bollywood movie to poke fun and enjoy the cliches of each is such a great idea that I fully expect to see more movies doing that. Lisa Ray is attractive (and supposedly making the transition to Bollywood). Akshaye Khanna is really cool in a dance sequence. It's paced smoothly and has the bright colors and fun songs that help define Bollywood. So despite its large faults, it's still a fun movie worth watching.

this film not only is a spoof of our beloved bollywood, but also holds many other humerous twists in it. It follows the lives of a conservative indian family, with not so conservative second generation. the music is also kick!

this is an excellent film- perfect for indian immigrant parents and their kids to enjoy together. once again deepa mehta takes serious issues, adds some humor, and makes a wonderful film

This is by far the best satirical movie on Indians in the west. The movie used different tactis for laughs - not the heavy handed stereotypes used in "American Desi." Most Indians would find each of the characters in their extended families or circle of friends.

This tries to be a tongue in cheek or wisely knowing commentary on the whole Bollywood phenomen as transferred to and experienced by NRIs (non resident Indians) in North America (specifically Canada). There is a dominating grandmother, weepy and manipulative mother, good elder son, dead father, Canadianized and pregnant engaged sister,and lost younger brother. This family is kept in comfort by their cross dressing chauffeur cum butler. Then into the mix enters Sue, a NRI who works as an escort to thumb her nose at the expectations of her culturally traditional father. She poses as Rahul's, the elder son,fiancee in order to make his mother happy and to enable his sister's marriage to go forward. The movie, in the true tradition of Bollywood, is pretty straightforward in terms of plot and there isn't a lot of depth to the characters. The exception is Sue, though by the end she has conformed to the most basic expectations of any good Bollywood heroine. While the movie is cute, has likeable characters, and pokes self knowing fun at the role of Bollywood in the lives of NRI Indians, it isn't as unique or special as it would like you to believe. There is little of the Hollywood element to be found anywhere. Several things that are meant to be satirical dramatic devices, such as screen overwriting to introduce songs, etc., turn out to be annoying distractions. Also, less forgiveable is the low quality of the music, in particular the dancing. One of the great pleasures in watching a Bollywood film is the amazing and colorful musical interludes. This movie has its characters doing dancing that any average person could do as an underlying support to its overall themes; but thereby losing an important aspect of a Bollywood film. The music often seemed to be remixes from other Bollywood movies which makes the viewer wish that she was actually watching THAT film!

Many of the other reviewers will list the many faults in the plot. Finding a lack of verisimilitude in Bollywood films is not that difficult. I judge my Bollywood experience by how many dance numbers are in the film: the more there are, the more I like it.

When all is said and done, the few dance numbers in the film are good ones--even the drag queen sequence is a lot of fun. I just wish there had been a few more. I didn't even mind the on-screen kissing or the news of premarital pregnancy or the idea that the beautiful star was a prostitute. Go with the times if you must. I just wanted more song and dance.

This DVD combines the eclectic mix of Bollywood and Canadian filmmaking. Once you embrace the origins of the movie, you can begin to enjoy the sudden dance and song numbers that dot it. This is a perfect characature of Indian NRI life. The family members personalities are exageratted, but that just makes them more fun to watch. Arranged introductions, modern Indian women, and family traditions, this movie has it all.

Don't take it too seriously. This nonsensical parody has a lot of the trappings of my favorite Bollywood films: sense of humor, twisted plot, overacting, bright colors and fun music. Yet, somehow Bollywood-Hollywood loses me. I could barely finish the film, but kept replaying "Bride and Prejudice" (the first Bollywood film I saw) over and over again like a kid with their first Disney film.

"Bollywood/Hollywood" comes by way of Canada and is part of a recent spate of quiet, sneaky-good films that speak to that country's increasingly multi-cultural populace. As a result, we get the following nice group of small, low-budget, enjoyable films:

- Mambo Italiano
- Touch of Pink
- Friends and Family (my personal favorite)
- Bollywood/Hollywood

You can't take Bollywood/Hollywood too seriously...it's a cute little parody. The drop-dead beautiful Lisa Ray, a product of your basic Polish/Indian parentage, is just making the transition at this point from modeling to acting. Rahul Khanna is like Tommy Aaron to brother Akshaye's Henry. But still, this is an enjoyable film. Some of the reviewers are expecting too much, I think. Director Mehta isn't looking to top 'Lagaan' here.

The movie's standout scene: real Bollywood royalty Akshaye Khanna paired in a classic song and dance piece with Ms. Ray's character 'Sue,' at that very moment revealed to be quite Indian (and not the Spaniard Rahul had taken her for). It's a scene that would rank with the best of any movie from Bollywood. Brilliant stuff.

At a 105 minutes, Bollywood/Hollywood is a nice small diversion on a Friday or Saturday evening.

OK, so Deepa Mehta has made films like Earth/Fire/Water with a strong social undertone. Bollywood/Hollywood is just another- but lighthearted and fun, especially to Indians living in Toronto!
I say that because the humour is only appreciated if you're Indian originally or have seen tons of Bollywood films- it's a parody of that.
So having sorted out THAT- the story is about an Indian family now living in Ontario (yours to discover). Rahul has to get married, which means finding himself a good Indian girl or else be happy with the one Mummy chooses. He decides on the former, and promptly decides to hire a suitable girl. What ensues is Lisa Ray portraying a convincingly indian girl of good values and morals also living in Ontario, being introduced to Rahul's family amid some singing Bollywood style (ofcourse).
This film touches on double standards (you've got to find out exactly what), some beautiful poetry and romance. Torontonians will have fun trying to recognise and pinpoint different locations/venues filmed.
Highly recommended- along with Monsoon Wedding.