Customer Reviews

Marigold

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(11)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(5)

 

 

I am probably one of the few people on this planet who saw this film in a movie theater. It bombed at the box office, mostly because the movie was given zero promotion from the studio. Still, as a fan of Bollywood movies, I really enjoyed it.

This movie is in English, making it a good choice for anyone looking to check out Bollywood for the first time. It follows the classic Bollywood love story formula, which a lot of people have ridiculed it for. Yes, it is predictable. But it is still done well. Personally, I prefer "predictable and done well" over a lot of Hollywood movies that have absurd swerves and surprises that don't make sense.

Anyway, the film has Bollywood superstar Salman Khan and American actress Ali Larter from the TV show "Heroes". The musical numbers are done pretty well as is the dancing. Overall, the movie is a lot of fun. The two of them make a nice couple, and I actually bought the love story. I highly recommend the film.

If your not sure about Bollywood or those kind of crazy, perky, jump into song and dance Indian movies that seem to run forever, this might be a good intro or, at least, a more palatable choice.

Synopsis: A barely B-movie grade, unhappy, crass, American actress(Ali Larter) gets stranded in India. There she discovers friendship, work, love and a chance to be her true self. Her love interest Prem(Salman Khan), a choreographer teaching her to dance, holds secrets of his own, and the story unfolds in typical Bollywood fashion with musical numbers, comedy and romance. Add a few gentle twists and gorgeous, Indian scenery, and you have a very pleasant, although predictable( aren't they all!), romantic comedy.

Ali Larter makes no bones about lack of dancing ability which matches her character. She's done a few obscure movies and lots of TV and modeling(recently seen tastefully attired on a Cosmo cover). And she does a good job transforming from B-word diva want-to-be to sensitive, vulnerable heroine. She also sings and learns to dance. In the extras, she comes across very down to earth and sweet in what indeed had to be a most challenging role. Hopefully, we'll see more of her.

Her famous Indian co-star, Salman Khan is an amazing and somewhat peculiar sort. According to Ali, he hardly rehearses, learns the dance steps lickety-split, and he's a bit difficult to work with. I think his low toned, suave voice would suit radio perfectly. I love the secondary actors best for their comedy. Their sense of timing along with that accent always cracks me up.

American director Willard Carroll who studied tons of Bollywood flicks puts it together nicely. The 'Making of Marigold' in the extras sums it up in a fascinating display of cultural clashes and glitches: like trying to film at the Taj Mahal, piece mealing the extravagant, musical numbers together, shooting on location and avoiding mob scenes and overall, trying to present an American tolerable movie that's still reflects the Bollywood/Kollywood/whatever format.

If you're into true Bollywood, this movie will probably annoy you; otherwise, enjoy a musical, romantic romp along with a tour through a mystical land.

I have seen few Bollywood movies in Hindi before despite the fact I don't speak the language so I was delighted to see an American-Indian co-production on the genre. Salman Khan is hot, ladies! He is emotional in this movie and I wish the producers would have inserted an interview of him on this particular work in extra. The documentary on Marigold is very insightful though. I found Ali more likeable as the film went on but not so at ease in the dancing scenes. It is a joyful movie with emotional moments and funny lines. You will enjoy it!

I absolutely love this movie and have lost count of how many times I've watched it now. This movie was the first time I'd ever seen either one of the two lead characters (Larter and Khan) and I loved them both in their roles.

Khan is an incredible dancer and he has the most soulful eyes--the camera truly loves him. His acting was excellent, and I thought he played his role convincingly and was quite romantic. Larter played her role in a convincing manner as well, and I enjoyed watching her undergo a dramatic transformation due to Khan's unwavering love for her.

The musical numbers were excellent, with one particularly steamy performance by Larter. There was plenty of comedy, which included poking fun at how Bollywood movies are supposedly made. There was also a lot of beautiful Indian scenery and costumes, which made it a feast for the eyes.

I'm loaning this dvd to my daughter, who has never seen a Bollywood movie before. I think this movie would be excellent to watch as an introduction to Bollywood movies because it is in English, it's not really long, and yet it has the flavor, or essence, of Bollywood.

I can't recommend this movie highly enough. It's brilliant.

Hollywood meets Bollywood in the '07 film 'Marigold', an enjoyable romp through Bombay starring Indian luminary Salman Khan and American actress Ali Larter. The movie begins rather slowly but as the relationship between Salman and Ali builds you'll find yourself slowly drawn into the storyline. Definitely not a classic but it does provide a solid evening of entertainment with exotic scenery, colorful costumes and music that is pure Bollywood. If you're unfamiliar with Indian films or reading subtitles this English language production will serve as a solid and painless primer on the Indian cinematic experience that may intrigue the audience enough to explore this ever-growing phenomenon further.

My Rating: -3 1/2 Stars-.

I first saw this film in the cinema and I was very disappointed as it was in dubbed in Ordo with English subtitke!

This DVD version is much better as the film was origanaly filmed in English!

As for the film itself, if you like a bollywood fantasy then you'll enjoy it very much! It has every thing that you'd expect in a typical bollywood film: romance, drama, dancing, fantastic custumes and scenary and the typical bollywood ending with the wedding ceremony that ends with someone happely giving up his spouse for the hero or heroen!!!

Overall a good east meet west movie! With good chemistry between Salman Khan and Ali Larter.

The DVD is good but laks subtitles!!

American actress Ali Larter (perhaps better known for her roles such as in Heroes) and well-known Bollywood star Salman Khan play the main characters in this movie. Created by Willard Carroll, an American director who said he studied tons of Bollywood movies before making this one, it could be considered a nice introduction to the Bollywood style of movies.

The story is straightforward and perhaps predictable, but it is well-told, well-acted, fun, romantic, and has a lot of surprising little pieces of originality sprinkled throughout. (The bar scene between Salman Khan and Marigold's ex-boyfriend alone is worth seeing the movie for!)

THE STORY

Marigold (Ali Larter) travels to India because she has been signed on to star in yet another B movie. On her arrival, however, she finds that the movie has been canceled, and she is stranded. Through a series of events, she ends up being hired to act in a Bollywood movie in a very small part that gradually grows as her talents start to show. The choreographer (Salman Khan) is taken by her right away, and of course they fall in love. Complications arise when it turns out that he is basically a prince and so might not have the freedom to marry where he wishes. Even more complications arise when her ex-boyfriend shows up to try to win her back. Throughout the movie, we see Marigold's character unfold, like a flower blossoming.

WHY I LOVE THIS MOVIE

I love this movie in a large part because the people portrayed in it are good. The love story is wonderful, but it isn't just a love story. There isn't a bad guy in the traditional sense, and even the people you might want to (or expect to) dislike are likeable. Each character's good nature and concern for other people simply because they are human beings touched my heart. Also, the songs are well integrated into the movie and some of them have become favorites. (There is also a soundtrack, by the way.)

Ali Larter does her own singing and dancing in this movie, and might surprise you with how good she is.

If you are a fan of well-done romantic comedies and happy endings, whether or not you have ever seen a Bollywood movie before, please give this movie a try. Also, you might want to try two award-winning Bollywood movies: Monsoon Wedding, which has a bit more serious tone, and Dil Chahta Hai, which has a more usual Bollywood running time of just over 3 hours.

It's Bollywood meets Hollywood in this fantastic movie. It has everything you'd expect from a Bollywood musical. It's a story about a Hollywood actress who goes to star in a Bollywood film. What starts off as just another movies role evolves into a life-changing experience that will leave you begging for more.

I saw this movie on HBO and loved the scenery and so I had to have it . I am into Bollywood movies now.

I love Bollywood, but this is one of the best. The Music is Beautiful,& Romantic. The Actors are Great'' Why can't some of our American Movies be like this'' I GET
SICK OF THE ROUGH & READY SEX, This was a Delightful & Fun Movie.The Costumes were Beautiful too'''