The overall rating of a review is different from a simple average of all individual ratings.
Advantages:
The photography is superb (includes the Golden Temple, the London Eye, the Grand Canyon); the casting was wonderful; it is an extravaganza of colour & culture in English !
Disadvantages:
If you dislike "Bollywood" musicals and dancing, Morris dancing or Romance you might not like this .
Recommendable
Yes:
Detailed rating:
Did you enjoy it?
Characters / Performances
Soundtrack
How does it compare to similar films?
StoryGood
Special EffectsOutstanding
How does it compare to others by the same director?Outstanding
+++ Another grandchild: Alyssia May Tarina James born 16:45, 16th Dec 2009 ~ Happy Christmas and New...
+++ Another grandchild: Alyssia May Tarina James born 16:45, 16th Dec 2009 ~ Happy Christmas and New Year to ALL ! ! ~ ♥ ♥ ♥ ~ I'm dyslexic, dyspraxic (but erudite and eclectic ) and physically challenged ♥ ~ jes ~ ♥
Member since:17.10.2002
Reviews:115
Members who trust:390
I have just come home from the BEST night out for a long time! In fact, even I was surprised as we came out of the theatre (after watching the 5:30 showing) that my husband had been so taken by the film we had just watched. It was only the fifth film we had seen together this year (and the second of MY choices).
Halfway down the road from the UGC Cinema to the main road, He said, "You know, I enjoyed that SO MUCH, I wouldn't mind seeing it AGAIN"
"You mean NOW?"
"Shall We?" - - - OH YES PLEASE! And so, we came out onto the main road, went round the roundabout, back to the movie theatre, without having the meal we had been about to go home to, once again queued, and bought tickets for the the last "advance premier showing" of BRIDE & PREJUDICE last night at 8:15.
The second time round was, if anything, better than the first.
I had wanted to see this film ever since I first heard a review on "front row" on Radio 4 - and heard that it was an adaptation (set in modern India) of Jane Austen's "Pride & Prejudice" - my favourite of her novels. In the Novel, the Bennetts are a middle class English family who have four daughters of marriageable age - and an eligible batchelor, Mr Bingley, and his sister come to live in their little village. His friend, a noble man of some lineage, Mr
Darcy, comes with him. His is the "pride" of the title, and Mr Bennett's second daughter, Elizabeth, has the "prejudice" against everything that Mr Darcy seems to her to be.
In the film, the culture of matchmaking which was so prevalent in England in Jane Austen's time is mirrored perfectly in the frenzy of Mrs Bakshi (played by Nadira Babbar) to arrange advantageous marriages for her four beautiful (but dowry-less) daughters, in order that the beautiful old mansion in which they live will not fall completely apart.
Bride & Prejudice opens with preparations for an arranged marriage in India. The best man, Balraj – a handsome and wealthy young man from the UK (played by Naveen Andrews) arrives in Amritsar with his sardonic sister Kiran (Indira Varma) and American friend William Darcy (Martin Henderson), heir to a hotel chain around the world. Balraj has eyes for no one but Jaya Bakshi (Namrata Shirodkar), who is equally struck by him. His friend Darcy finds himself drawn against his will to the second daughter, Lalita (Aishwarya Rai) – who is intelligent, independent, strong-willed and strong-minded, beautiful, accomplished and musical – and prejudiced against rich Americans, who she sees as arrogant - “know-it-all” - and condescending.
If you know the book by Jane Austen, you can delight in seeing how the updating of this 19th century classic English Literature tale of conflicting cultures has been transformed to the 21st century and a global stage. Without a prior knowledge, you can still enjoy, but the context of some of the scenes may mystify you.
The action moves from Amritsar – home of the Golden Temple – to Goa – back to Amritsar – on to London – with some fabulous aerial views – to Hollywood and Los Angeles – and back to London and India for the magnificent conclusion.
Along the way, you see a fantasia of colour – with every occasion an excuse for yet another colourful dance sequence - simple or exotic, Indian or English.
I loved the way that everything is "a cue for a song" (at least, eventually) with some haunting songs sung by Lalita, and some joyous choreography - for example: everyone participates in an exotic echo of the market scenes from My Fair Lady - only with the crowding and daytime bustle of Amritsar replacing the quiet of London's Covent Garden. As Lalita says, because of the wedding, "Everyone's gone mad!"
The contrast between the rich and the poor, the east and the west, different wedding customs; love coming first and love growing after time; and then the obligatory star-crossed lovers who live happily ever-after, make this a film I will not forget for a long time. I’d even love to own it and would happily see it YET again (and again) if I was given the chance.
Directed by “Bend It Like Beckham” director Gurinder Chadra [who first won acclaim in 1993 with “Bhaji on the Beach” – which she co-wrote with comedian Meera Syal] this is the English-language debut of the beautiful Aishwarya Rai. Other noted performances are by Nitin Ganatra as Kholi - famous quote “No life without wife!” - (the equivalent of Jane Austen’s Mr. Collins); and by Daniel Gillies (recognizable from Spiderman II) as attractive bounder Wickham. Three different crews worked on the set – British, Bollywood, and Hollywood with their different traditions and cultural spaces – each adding their own beauty to the final performance.
From the website: www.brideandprejudicethe movie.com: “Bride and Prejudice is a fully-fledged first. Living proof that by interweaving Eastern and Western filming traditions, acting styles and talent – both on and off camera – a film of universal accessibility and impact can be created.”
Original music soundtrack on Casablanca Musical Compact Discs - featuring tracks by Ashanti.
Pictures below are free wallpapers available from the website. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
large popcorn to share during first showing - £3.95
- total cost for two showings for the two of us - £10.95 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The reason I have not compared it to "similar" films is that I have really seen nothing similar - mixing so many different traditions - it could have been a total flop - but for me it worked. ≈≈≈≈{; -)-{{::::: |||||<
Pictures of Bride And Prejudice (DVD)
the obligatory moonlit dance
How helpful would this review be to a person making a buying decision? Rating guidelines
Production Year: 1999 - Music / Performing Arts - Original Language: English - Classification: Exempt - Starring: Donny Osmond, Joan Collins, Richard Attenborough
I watched this one last year and loved it and watched it again last night after watching the original pride and prejudice and fell in love with it all over again. Great review. Hina
Thecharmedones 17.07.2006 13:42
I watched this last night and i loved it! It is a great film : )
Discover the magic, feel the rhythm, and fall in love.From the creators of the smash hit ... more
'Bend it like Beckham', comes BRIDE AND PREJUDICE a romantic comedy with a Bollywood twist!Lalita Bakshi (Aishwarya Rai) is a strong-willed yet sensible young woma...
The exotic sounds, vibrant colours, and ecstatic dancing of Bollywood collide with the ... more
cunning storytelling of Jane Austen inBride&Prejudice(from the writer/director of previous East/West hybridBend It Like Beckham). When smart, outspoken Lalita Bakshi...
Postage & Packaging: £1.21 Availability: Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days...
The exotic sounds, vibrant colours, and ecstatic dancing of Bollywood collide with the ... more
cunning storytelling of Jane Austen inBride&Prejudice(from the writer/director of previous East/West hybridBend It Like Beckham). When smart, outspoken Lalita Bakshi...
Postage & Packaging: Free! Availability: Usually dispatched within 24 hours...
Bollywood meets Hollywood... And it's a perfect match! From the team behind international ... more
smash hit Bend It Like Beckham comes a Jane Austen adaptation like never before. Pride & Prejudice gets the Bollywood treatment and the result is a spectacu...
Postage & Packaging: £0.00 Availability: 3-5 working days
Advantages: Lots of colour, Insight to Indian culture, Lead characters make nice eye candy, Great scenes in India, America, London and Goa Disadvantages: Weak plotline, wooden acting, too many songs.
Donnie_Brasco 17.10.2004 (17.10.2004)
·
Read review
Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful
Review of Bride And Prejudice (DVD)
Advantages: Light and entertaining, colourful and vibrant, gives a light insight into Indian culture Disadvantages: If you don't like musicals, don't go
Advantages: Occasionaly brings a smile to the face with the odd funny remark. Disadvantages: A real let down, espescially considering the previous film (Bend it Like Beckham)
wolfer 11.10.2004 (11.10.2004)
·
Read review
Ciao members have rated this review on average: somewhat helpful
Review of Bride And Prejudice (DVD)
![Bride And Prejudice [2004] [DVD]](http://picnicb.ciao.com/uk/78506187.jpg "Bride And Prejudice [2004] [DVD]")
Oct 8th, 2004
exceptional by (11%):
very helpful by (86%):
helpful by (3%):
