One thing about Bride and
Prejudice, Gurinder Chadha’s Bollywood
version of a Victorian classic, is certain: It’s really different.
And, may I add, it’s audacious, lavish, and enthusiastic — more
than enough to help the film over a few rough spots.
Chadha’s take on Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice plays
out as a clash of classes and cultures. Lovely Lalita Bakshi (former Miss
World Aishwarya Rai) meets wealthy American Will Darcy (Martin Henderson)
when he comes to her hometown — but the meeting is far from love at
first sight. Lalita’s traditional Indian values run counter to
Will’s all-consuming work ethic, but the pair eventually come to
realize that far greater forces are at work that will allow them to bridge
this culture gap. Her pride and his prejudice are no match for true love,
yet Lalita and Will’s eventual union is stalled by the advances of
Mr. Kholi (Nitin Chandra Ganatra) and Johnny Wickham (Daniel Gillies), both
of whom have their eyes on Lalita. Creating even more tension for the
Bakshi family is the fact that Lalita’s sister Jaya (Namrata
Shirodkar) has fallen for Balraj Bingley (Naveen Andrews), who happens to
be Will’s best buddy.
This certainly isn’t supposed to be a serious
adaptation of Austen’s novel. Devotees of classic literature are
encouraged to simply sit back and appreciate Bride for the good-natured romp that it is. Chadha makes
her intentions clear with the film’s enthusiastic opening song,
“No Life without Wife,” performed by the Bakshi sisters with a
twinkle in their eyes. The musical numbers become more and more lavish as
the film continues, eventually reaching the point of self-parody.
This film gets by on charm, and the cast has that in
spades. Gillies and Ganatra, as Will’s rivals for Lalita’s
affections, steal nearly every scene they’re in; Andrew and Shirodkar
make for an attractive secondary couple; and it’s good to see
American actress Marsha Mason pop up as Will’s overbearing mother.
Chadha burst onto the international scene with the
phenomenal success of her crowd-pleaser Bend It
Like Beckham. On the basis of the success of
that film, she was able to finally produce Bride, the project she’s wanted to make for more than a
decade. It was a smart move, for the opportunity to make a film as unique
and personal as this with a Hollywood budget doesn’t come along every
day.
Also in theaters this week. . .
Hostage [R] A botched
convenience story robbery forces suburban police chief Jeff Talley (Bruce
Willis) to rely on his hostage-negotiator skills. ShowPlace West, ShowPlace East
Ice Princess [G] Casey
Howard (Michelle Trachtenberg) pursues her dream to be a champion figure
skater. Parkway Pointe, ShowPlace East
Moolaadé [Not
rated] Female
genital mutilation in Africa (see “Night & Day” p. 19). White Oaks
The Ring Two [PG-13]Rachel
Keller (Naomi Watts) becomes involved in another case of death by
videotape, causing her to dig further into the mystery surrounding its
origin and power. ShowPlace West, ShowPlace
East
This article appears in Mar 17-23, 2005.
