Monsoon Wedding (2001)
Directed by Mira Nair. Starring Naseeruddin Shah, Lillete Dubey, Shefali Shah.
This family drama, centred on a young bride-to-be’s impending nuptials, is rife with family secrets and discord, as well illuminating both the family’s and, in some ways, India’s delicate balancing act of keeping with and celebrating tradition, while welcoming globalisation and modernisation.
As with any family and their multitude of personalities and emotions, as seen in the film, Monsoon Wedding effortlessly sways from drama to comedy, darkness to lightheartedness, to finally conclude on a happy and hopeful note.
It’s colourful, engaging, well directed and well worth a watch, if not more!
Get Carter (1971)
Directed by Mike Hodges. Starring Michael Caine, Ian Hendry, Britt Ecklund.
This revenge thriller, set in a grey and dreary Newcastle, focuses on Carter, a man hellbent on finding his brother’s killer. His quest finds many a familiar face as the possible perpetrator which eventually uncovers ties to a seedy world of underground pornography.
For those only familiar with Michael Caine through his role as Alfred in Christopher Nolan’s Batman trilogy, this film will be quite a departure from the kind, elderly Caine you’ve grown accustomed to. Here, he’s angry, increasingly violent towards men and women, and completely consumed by his bloodlust.
Featuring plenty of action, sex, violence, and, of course, Caine’s iconic Cockney accent, the film is also beautifully shot, with clear influences from French New Wave cinema and Noir films of the 1940s and 1950s.
*Sidenote: Unfortunately, just as I’ve finished writing this post, Get Carter was removed from Amazon Prime UK, but definitely check Prime US or Netflix or any other streaming service or even the library for the film. You won’t be disappointed!
Monster (2003)
Directed by Patty Jenkins. Starring Charlize Theron, Christina Ricci, Bruce Dern.
Based on the life of infamous female serial killer, Aileen Wuornos, Monster tells the harrowing tale of a woman whose life was both marred and defined by constant abuse and neglect by the hands of her family, friends, law enforcement and the men that she sold herself to.
Charlize, who won the Oscar for Best Actress for the role, does an excellent job in playing Wuornos. She effortlessly dons the tough, street wise exterior that Wuornos was notorious for, while also depicting her lesser known softer and more vulnerable side.
This is definitely a much watch if you are interested in true crime films/ television, and, if so inclined, check out the documentary that inspired the film, Aileen Wuornos: The Selling of a Serial Killer (1992) and the follow up documentary that was released in conjunction with Monster, Aileen Wuornos: The Life and Death of a Serial Killer (2003). Both of which extensively explore Aileen’s early life and the circumstances that landed her in prison, as well as shedding light on the shady dealings of the Florida cops who arrested her and tried to secure the film rights to her story, soon after her arrest.
The film, and, especially the documentaries, paint quite a different picture of America’s most prominent female “serial killer”, and offer a rather sad and jarring look at the hell that was Wuornos’s actual, everyday life.
A Man Called Ove (2015)
Directed by Hannes Holm. Starring Rolf Lassgård, Bahar Pars, Filip Berg.
Based on the book by the same name, written by Fredrik Backman, A Man Called Ove, centres on the miserable Ove, a widowed retiree who spends his days annoying his neighbours and rigorously enforcing home association rules.
Though at first, Ove seems completely contemptible, he gradually softens and becomes a much more likeable figure, once more is revealed about his character. Think of this like an adult, Swedish version of Pixar’s Up.
Overall, it’s a rather heartwarming film about individuals getting to know each other and finding that they have a lot more in common than they originally thought, a message that everyone should get behind, but be warned, this film will probably make you cry!
I, Tonya (2017)
Directed by Craig Gillespie. Starring Margot Robbie, Allison Janney, Sebastian Stan.
This recent Oscar nominated film, which saw Allison Janney win for Best Supporting Actress, is based on the life of Olympic figure skater Tonya Harding. While Tonya is mostly known for the incident in which fellow skater Nancy Kerrigan was attacked with a police baton by an assailant who was found to have been linked to individuals in Harding’s circle, the film offers a much more extensive look at the trials and tribulations Harding suffered, from growing up poor, being raised in a broken home by an abusive mother, and later suffering domestic violence by her husband, Jeff.
Margot Robbie, as usual, does a fantastic job playing Harding and, overall, the film works well in balancing both the entertainment and comedic moments, with the darker and more serious subject matters, such as the abuse Tonya suffered by both her mother and her ex-husband.
I, Tonya is actually my favourite film out of all the 2017 Oscar nominated films. It’s a great 80s/90s period piece and it truly humanizes Harding, a woman who was routinely demonised by the press back in the day. The film dares to offer a different perspective on the classic good vs. bad female narrative, which is refreshing in an age where society is too quick to label and relegate individuals to roles based on their appearance and background.
I highly recommend this film, especially if you are into biographical films/ pop culture!
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