Filmlover-l@mtu.edu

[filmlover-l] Movie this wednesday: Firaaq

Monday, December 07, 2009 8:07:42 PM

From:	tbco@mtu.edu
To:	filmlover-l@mtu.edu

Hello everyone,

This week, we are showing an Indian movie "Firaaq",
directed by Nandita Das. (more details below).

Please feel free to pass the message around and
invite your friends. The more the merrier.
Hope you can join us.

Regards,

Tom Co

===================================================
Title: Firaaq

Date and Time: December 9, wednesday 6:30-8:30pm

Place: 308 Cooper Ave, Hancock

Director: Nandita Das

Partial List of Actors:
Naseeruddin Shah
Deepti Naval <------- first cousin of Michigan Tech's MechEng Prof Madhukar Vable! (Wikipedia on Naval)
Sanjay Suri
Tisca Chopra
Shahana Goswami
Paresh Rawal
Raghuvir Yadav

US Rating: Not rated (I think it is PG13 bordering on R)

Language: Hindu, Urdu, Gujarati (with English subtitles) and English

Length: 101 mins

Media: DVD, color

Summary: (by Val Kermode, via www.eyeforfilm.co.uk)

  "In Gujerat, India, in March 2002 a shocking episode
  of sectarian violence saw some 3000 Muslims brutally
  murdered and countless women raped. This film is based
  on those real events...

  "...First-time director Nandita Das ambitiously tries
  to bring together the stories of several fictional
  characters one month after the riots. A young Muslim
  couple with a baby return to their home to find it
  burned out. A Hindu housewife is struggling with her
  guilt because she failed to open her door to a desperate
  Muslim woman. A wealthier couple in a mixed marriage
  have issues of identity. An aged musician cannot take
  in what is happening around him, and a group of young
  Muslim men plot revenge..."

My Comments:

  A sincere effort by the director. The movie-making was
  good, considering it is her first film, and the
  acting were generally good with some few exceptions.
  Unfortunately, the script was quite one-sided and
  simplistic. However, it does merit a watch and some
  discussion. Sadly, incidents like the Gujerat riots
  happen too often ...

  So far, movie critics are mixed, some really like it,
  some don't. Despite its flaws, I do find this movie far
  better than "Slumdog Millionaire" (mainly because I was
  not impressed by Boyle's film), but I think most might
  disagree with me.