Books read recently

A Long Way Down by Nick Hornby: This is an excellent read, because it handles serious, thought-provoking subjects with humor, in a unique way. It's really amusing , and it covers a wide range of emotions. It's easy to relate to the characters, who are very humane, flawed and believable, while also being fascinating. I think their voices weren't very well-handled: sometimes they sounded all the same, but the use of their voices made me understand exactly what was going inside of their heads. The cultural references and criticism to our society was interesting.
The Tale Of Despereaux by Kate DiCamillo: This is a good children's book. It has a simple story that reminds you of fairy tales, while using more modern, simple, even if beautiful and language. The characters are convincing, I just thought Miggery Sow was too badly treated. The storyline was interesting, with a simple, interesting story, various points of view, mystery and suspense and a good climax. The illustrations are gorgeous and they focus on the differences between light and darkness, a subject that's important in the book.

The Ivy Chronicles by Karen Quinn: This book was really very bad. It reads like the dreams of an immature, ignorant, disinteresting 40-year-old, filled with descriptions of being rich and very lucky without deserving it (that last part is my opinion). It is so ridiculous it's laughable. The leading character is shallow and despicable (I felt like slapping her, and you are supposed to relate and like her) and all the others are boring and lack dimension. It's badly written, without beauty or feeling: it feels like a telegram. The narrative is very fast and some aspects are forgotten and then picked up far later. The only fine aspect was the leading character's professional aspect, with funny characters such as the kids and their parents: this is not explored enough, though.

The Sheltering Sky by Paul Bowles: This is a great, innovative, impressive piece of fiction. It tells a gritty, thought-provoking story using precise, descriptive, and at the same time ethereal writing. The characters are fascinating, as is their quest for a perfect zero, perfectly mirrored in the arid desert's descriptions. The foreign culture is well-captured, with detail and a personal vision. This is not an easy read: it's disturbing, very thought-provoking, innovative and brilliant.

A Home At The End Of The World by Michael Cunningham: I liked this book, even if it's one of Cunningham's worst. The writing is poetic and beautiful, but not as much as in his other books, the characters are fascinating and their point of view is interesting, but this isn't as gripping as his other stuff. I blame this on the storyline, which drabs a bit at the beginning and doesn't develop the most interesting subjects here. The characters were a bit annoying sometimes, also. I had high expectations and I was disappointed, but this is still a good book.

The Hiding Place By Trezza Azzopardi: I enjoyed this book. The story of a poor family of immigrants facing trouble has been told many times, and this isn't unique. Even so, it is interestingly written: the entire book is composed of few important, detailed scenes that chronicle the progressive deterioration of the family. The writing is somewhat poetic and metaphoric, giving the story an ethereal feeling. The characters are mostly developed and very humane, except for the father, who's a cliché. The storyline is fine, but not any original. It's worth a read, but by no means an obligatory book.

Life Of Pi by Yann Martel: I liked this book a lot. It tells a surprising, scary, gripping, hugely imaginative tale with security and intelligence. It uses a wild, gory adventure that seems perfectly believable (thanks to the writing) to create a profound reflection about animals, men's capacity to survive and religion. It has affecting segments, with hallucinations and a shocking ending twist that leaves you thinking about what actually happened. The leading character is interesting, the descriptions are breath-taking (you see what's described) and the action keeps you hooked. It's a great book.


Extremely Loud And Incredibly Close by Jonathan Safran Foer: I adored this book. It made me cry, it made me laugh, it made me think. This has a very beautiful message about family, grief, growing up and love, which is reached in a non-sappy, very touching way. Besides, it's also a subtle meditation on the open wounds of today's society. The characters are realistic, flawed and very likable, their voices are humane, distinctive and unique, the relation between them is subtly portrayed and affecting. I found the book very innovative: there were several different points of view, pages with only a sentence, others with numbers, photographs (the ending is breathtaking), colored words and underlining, amongst others. It's a gripping, moving read that I wholeheartedly recommend.

Movies watched recently 4

Volver: This is a very beautiful, original movie. The screenplay is great: realistic characters and emotions, a melodrama feeling, a burlesque comedy background and a satire to Spanish society. It's very well-shot, in a way that highlights the characters emotions, it has an excellent cinematography, very lively and gorgeous. The acting is brilliant: Penelope Cruz shows vulnerability with ease ad gives a very natural performance; all the rest of the cast is also excellent and very believable. The music is fitting and the editing keeps the pace interesting. This is a beautiful story.

Le Dernier des Fous: I HATED this movie. There's no plot, no characters (just sketches), no meaning, and it's predictable, boring and over-cooked. The screenplay is a piece of turd: not just it's meaningless and lacks characters, the dialogs and scenes don't make sense. The editing makes it dull and the scenes seem just sticked in no particular order. The acting was very bad, specially the leading kid who held the same expression through the whole movie.The only redeeming qualities were some beautiful shots, the cinematography that transmits the boiling hot temperature and the choice of not adding any music (makes the movie atmospheric).

Angel: This is an original dramedy about a delusional young woman who lives in a fantasy world. It's very well done: it gets you into her point of view, being appropriately sappy at times and very funny. The screenplay is good, with interesting characters, dialogs and scenes. As the action is a mix of imagination with the real world, it escapes the clichés of historical/biographic films. The direction is unique and it's the core of the movie: the shots seem luxurious, but at the same time dream-like. The cinematography captures the strong tonalities of Angel's imagination. The acting is good: Romola Garai captures the essence of her character in an intriguing way.It's a very original, worthwhile pic.

Traffic: Traffic is a good movie about drug traffic, though it has some fragilities. It covers almost all the parts of drug traffic, with different approaches. I liked the different colors and style used in each segment, because it made each story look more realistic. Soderbergh did an excellent job at directing. The screenplay is of variable quality: I thought the Benicio del Toro segment was contrived and with a complicated plot, but all the others had very interesting characters, dilemmas and plot lines. The acting was always very good: Catherine Zeta-Jones shows her character evolving believably, Erika Christensen is impressively expressive and Michael Douglas creates a very humane, real character. All the others are also worth watching. The editing is fast and it works. The soundtrack helps expressing what's happening. This is worth watching.
Coffee and Cigarettes: This is a group of shorts with people talking while having coffee and cigarettes. It's not an equilibrated movie, because some segments are far better than others. Mostly, the dialogs are interesting and the characters are believable. It's by turns funny, sad or bittersweet. The direction is very simple but effective, the cinematography is beautiful, and there are a few really good performances (Cate Blanchett is the best). It's fun to see famous actors and singers in small parts playing themselves: Iggy Pop, Tom Waits, Bill Murray, Alfred Molina, Steve Coogan, Cate Blanchett, The White Stripes, etc.

Rumble Fish: It's a great movie about being a teenager, trying to find yourself and relationships between people. I haven't read the original novel, but I found this screenplay very interesting: the characters are tortured but feel real, the plot had a lot of double-meanings, and the relationships are developed. The direction is brilliant: the shots are atmospheric, and the choice of black and white with only colored fish works as a metaphor and gets you in The Motorcycle Boy's point of view. The acting is great: Mickey Rourke gives a unique performance as the mentally affected older brother and Matt Damon is perfect as the impulsive younger brother. The soundtrack and sound manipulation give the movie its alienated feeling, and the cinematography captures the dirty lives of these people. It's an intriguing piece of cinema.
Dear Frankie: This is a beautiful, typically British movie about family relationships and growing up. It will make you feel good: the screenplay presents flawed but lovely characters, a happy ending that's not sappy, and mostly believable dialogs. Frankie's voice-over gives the movie sweetness, and all the acting feels authentic; the actors seem to truly love their characters. My favorite was Emily Mortimer. The direction and cinematography capture gorgeous scenery as well as day-to-day life and emotional moments. The soundtrack is fitting, and the editing gives the movie an involving pace. Don't miss it, it's a sweet, honest story.
Se7en: I was very disappointed by this movie. I was expecting a brilliant, original thriller with a surprising end and a fabulous direction. I found the first part of the movie, before the chases start, a Hitchcock-ian tension build-up, with good character development and shot with precision. The story was interesting and horrifying, it sent a chill down my spine. Then, with all the chasing, the movie lost all credibility and I was pulled out of it. I started laughing at the wrong times and I guessed the twist. The direction, the editing and the screenplay are variable in quality, the acting is quite good (Morgan Freeman gives another strong performance, creating a very humane character) and the cinematography captures the feeling of fear. Overall, it's technically good but very over-hyped.

Kurt Cobain: About A Son: This is an intriguing film. It's narrated by Kurt Cobain, though it's not about him but about his generation and growing up in America at that time. It mixes the haunting narration with images of day-to-day life in the places Cobain was. These images are poetic: it's a beautifully shot documentary, with a dream-like color and good editing. The interviews are well-chosen and Kurt's voice is perfect for this. The soundtrack is very well-chosen and it has magnificent rock songs.

Caro Diario: This movie is very pleasant and funny. It has a truly enjoyable story, with really funny moments that will have you laughing out loud. Besides, as it's autobiographical, so the dialogs and characters feel natural. Moretti's voice and quirkiness give the movie its identity. It's beautifully directed, with lovely shots and the lively color is perfect.

Bonnie and Clyde: This story, based on real life bank-robbers Bonnie and Clyde, is a fascinating object and a romanticized metaphor of the hippie movement. The characters are original and feel true, the story develops at an exciting pace, and there's a lot of food for thought. The climax is really violent: the movie develops in a spiral of violence, it gets bigger and bigger. The direction is mind-blowing: every shot is perfect and the climax is haunting. The acting is brilliant: there's a great supporting cast and the two leads create fleshed-out characters that are fascinating. The cinematography helps to create the suspenseful ambiance, and the editing keeps the pace chilling. This is an innovative, unforgettable movie.

Room Service: This is a fine short dark comedy. The characters are sweet, the situations they cause and their way of solving them are hilarious, but sometimes it gets repetitive. There are some great, highly quotable lines. The acting by the Marx brothers is really quirky and fun, and all the other actors are enjoyable too. Overall, this is not great, but it's a nice, forgettable film.



The Grapes of Wrath: This is a good adaptation of a great novel. It's not as good as the book, but it keeps its atmosphere and major plot, reducing the book to the essential. Even if it's once or twice preachy and some of the characters should have been better developed, it's still a good screenplay. The acting is great, with Henry Fonda and Jane Darwell delivering powerful, realistic performances. The direction works perfectly- the wide shots of the sky give the movie an epic feeling, and the cinematography captures the grim, dark times of the story. The soundtrack helps us understand the characters' feelings and doesn't feel sappy.This should not be missed.

Bend It Like Beckham: This is a great, fun feel-good movie about following your dreams and about British society. The screenplay is a gem: well-developed characters, funny moments and a satire to Indian culture in the UK. The acting is universally great, with a strong cast, that mostly delivers fresh, believable performances. The soundtrack misses decent bubblegum pop with traditional Indian music, reaching a great effect. The technicals aren't particularly good. This will make you feel happy, it's just a delightful movie that begs to be watched.

Black Cat, White Cat: I didn't like this surrealist comedy. It barely didn't make me laugh, even if the characters are burlesque and some situations have potential, I found it a bit gross and it lacked magic. It's well shot, with good, with natural acting, a decent soundtrack and a good cinematography, though it's not an enjoyable movie and it hasn't much to say.
Citizen Kane: This is a great, innovative film about capitalist societies and how money affects people. It's technically very innovative, with the use of flashbacks, original shots, inventive cinematography and editing. The screenplay is very interesting and the characters feel real; the direction is inspired and beautiful; the acting is great by everyone, capturing the characters perfectly (Welles is the best); and the technicals are very well-handed, particularly the editing, which is ahead of its time. This is a true masterpiece and it hasn't aged.

Movies watched recently 3

The Crying Game: I hated this movie. I found it meaningless and I couldn't think of a single reason to shoot this story. The IRA part of the plot (the first part of the movie) is interesting, but not great and the Dil part just sucks. I didn't find it realistic, the characters annoyed me, the story rushed and it was predictable. I enjoyed Forest Withaker's acting, but as I found the rest of the characters irritating, I also didn't like the acting. The cinematography and direction are good, but I just couldn't stand this movie.

Johnny Guitar: This is a pure classic. It's ambitious, beautiful, technically perfect, and a joy to watch. The screenplay is able to get realistic characters and issues into a story with a lot of surreal moments. The acting is great, particularly by Joan Crawford, who creates a strong, believable character. It's very well-shot , with breath-taking images filled with meaning.

Groundhog Day: This is a genuinely funny, sweet story, that asks a lot of good philosophical questions. The acting is remarkable, particularly Bill Murray's unforgettable comic timing. The screenplay is truly outstanding, offering an original concept, that's well developed, laugh-out-loud scenes, quirky supporting characters and a cute love story. This is an unmissable comedy.

Mars Attacks!: This is a fun movie, a parody to the action movies and the sci-fi from the 50's. Its silliness will have you laughing out loud,a nd that's about it. The direction is good, as is the acting: a great cast with a good comic timing. I recommend this is you want to watch something entertaining and hilarious.

Secrets and Lies: This is pure british cinema and about the best of it. It's a character-driven story about families and, as the title says, their secrets and lies. The dialog is very strong and the characters are real people. The acting is mind.blowing, specially by Brenda Blethyn, who lives her character. The chemistry between actors is great, and you learn a lot about their relationships without any speaking. This is truly beautiful and original.
The Shawshank Redemption: This is a beautiful stroy about redemption. It's a calmly good movie, that explores life in prison decently and has a lot of sweet moments. You like the characters and the ending is beautiful. The acting is great by everyone, but the best were Morgan Freeman and Tim Robbins, who perfectly capture the essence of their characters. The technical aspects are good.

The 25th Hour: This is a morally ambiguous, uncomfortable, but poignant tale. The screenplay perfectly explores modern society, the characters are very realistic and the final solution is poignant and touching. Edward Norton, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Rosario Dawson, Barry Pepper, Brian Cox and Anna Paquin all give amazing performances, the best being Ed Norton and Philip Seymour Hofman, whose performances are just exceptional.The direction bravely captures fear, anxiety, paranoia and other feeling in our society. The cinematography and editing are also fine.

A Fish Called Wanda: A comedy classic, this has one of the best screenplays ever. It's hilarious nad you won't stop laughing for a second . The actors do an excellent job and create unique, subversive characters. All the technical aspects are good, this is a true gem and a favorite. You need to watch it to understand.
Corpse Bride (re-watchment): This is one of my favorite animated movies. The gothic ambiance is fascinating, the characters are lovely and the story is heartbreakingly poetic. The voice-overs are perfect, and the screenplay also has a lot of genuinely funny moments of satire. The sets, music, gorgeous camera angles and color make this movie a huge joy to watch. I just love it.

You Can Count On Me: This is a very beautiful, honest movie about ordinary lives and human relationships. The screenplay is excellent with great character development, realistic dialogue and situations. The acting brings the movie the life: Laura Linney creates a character to whom you can relate without overacting, Mark Ruffalo gives Terry a painful rawness which is rarely seen in movies and Rory Culkin delivers a very natural child performance. The direction is good, giving the movie an intimist feeling.
The Piano: The Piano is avery acclaimed movie, and even if I didn't like it it's a technically well-made movie. All actors deliver very good performances: Holly Hunter can express her feelings without saying a word and Anna Paquin shows a lot of talent in a dificult part. It's beautifully shot and it has a gorgeous cinematography, but I disliked the screenplay. Even if it has some interesting ideas about dealing with love and adapting to a different culture, its secondary characters are very flawed, and I found many scenes pointless and repetitive in a pretencious way.

To Have and To Have Not: This Hollywood classic is a movie with a lot of charm and sensuality. The story is a typical adventure of the 40's, which is not great, but the acting and direction make this a thrilling experience. Lauren Bacall gives one of the sexiest performances ever and delivers her lines perfectly: she's the best thing about the movie. The camera angles are often beautiful, and the black and white color gives it a lot of glamour.

Aprile: A very sweet movie about life. It's easy to relate with the people portrayed, and the story is quite touching. There are a lot of funny moments, and technically this movie is great: gorgeously shot, with fitting music, beautiful cinematography. This will make you smile with its positive, colourful view of life.

Sleepy Hollow: This is pure Tim Burton: tongue-in-cheek horror with a beautiful romance, wonderful sets and lots of funny characters. The direction is very good, keeping you excited, the acting by a group ofaclaimed actors is excellent and delivers laughs and twists, the screenplay is very funny and, at the same time, romantic and frightening. The cinematogrpahy, special effects, music and sets are all just amazing and create an unique ambience. It's a true joy to watch.

Movies watched recently 2

The Purple Rose of Cairo: A particulary sweet and original Woody Allen movie about innocent love and Hollywood, working equally well in both aspects. The screenplay is flawless, with beautiful characters, a very funny, intelligent satire to movies and an interesting, imaginative development of the story. The acting is very good, particulary by Jeff Daniels, who's simply charming and shows how versatile he is and Mia Farrow, playing the sensitive heroine with emotion. This movie has just a perfect nostalgic feeling about it and it's very original.

The Others: This is defenitely a scary movie, and one of the good ones. It doesn't use blood, gore or violence, yet the sound of a door opened frightens you more than you'd think possible. The movie has great performances: Nicole Kidman shows once again why she's considered one of the best of her generation, portraying a woman on the verge of madness while trying to protect her children; Alakina Mann and James Bentley give realistic child acting, making you believe their characters.The screenplay is effective: there aren't flaws in the plot, it's deliberately slow-paced, making you want to know more, the characters are well-written, nothing is what it seems and there's a truly thought-provoking analisys of religious obsession. The use of light and dark creates an original athmosphere and the direction and shots are very suspenseful.

Babel: This is truly an amazing movie which is also very powerful and emotional. It's excellent in all aspects: the actors are all brilliant (Adriana Barraza, the moroccan boys and Rinko Kikuchi are the best, but all the others are also mind-blowing); the screenplay is flawless, tackling difficult subjects such as lack of communication intelligently and having the stories complement each other with many layers of depth; the direction, that portrays different cultures so well; the editing, that makes the four stories flow gently along and adding the movie notion of time and keeping you hooked; the cinematography, capturing the different aspoects of the world and the music, capturing more emotions out of the scenes. A true work of art not to be missed.
Babette's Feast: This is a lovely movie with a beautiful message about how we must enjoy our lives. The story is very simple and subtle, with well-written characters and it's slow-paced, but fascinating, character sudy. The acting is very good by everyone, and the standouts are4 the direction, with the beautiful wide shots and the cinematography, giving the movie a dream-like feeling.
Rabbit-Proof Fence: This is a very moving, touching story about three very corageous girls and the racism against australian aboriginals. It's an intimist story, with excellent acting from the three girls, who are very natural and realist, beautiful music, interesting direction (shooting both the faces and the huge landscapes), close to perfect cinematography (the frightening desert) and organic editing. The screenplay is simple but effective, making you feel for the characters without being sappy.
Duel: This movie will keep you on the edge of your seat , without cheap thrills. It builds its suspense slowly, with the ennerving music and atmospheric direction,without gore and physical violence. It's very intense and it shows Steven Spielberg's talents. I found it better than Jaws, because it doesn't rely at all in special effects. The screenplay is simple and in the hands of the director, very powerful. Dennis Weaver gives a good performance showing the character's feelings.
The Devil Wears Prada: This is just an enjoyable, funny comedy, with some elements that make it special. The story, even if banal, has an interesting message about private vs. professional life, satyrical characters and hilarious, highly-quotable sentences. The acting is the best thing about the movie, with Meryl Streep presenting us with an excellent, very charismatic performance, Anne Hathaway, playing a sweet, intelligent young woman with quirks and some realism and Emily Blunt, who delivers a very good supporting performance. The rest of the movie is just a common romantic comedy.

El Laberinto del Fauno: Not just this movie is gorgeous (you can see that by the beautiful poster, can't you?), but it also has an amzing story about innocence, horror and evil. It's truly original, with both parts of the story (the real and the fantasy world) complementing each other. The acting is excellent, particullary Ivana Baquero, giving one of the best child performances, very real, affecting and easy to connect with and Sergi Lopez, playing a sadic, violent man to perfection. The direction, editing, special effects and cinematography are out-standing and some of the best I've seen, pulling you into the movie. It's very violent, but it's never exploitive.
Hotel Rwanda: This is a beautiful story about survival and how one person can make the difference. The screenplay avoids the biggest clichés, it's very touching and all the characters are well-developed. The acting by Don Cheadle is amazing and he has very good support by Sophie Okonedo and Nick Nolte. The direction is subtle and it pulls you into the movie and the cinematography captures the warm, envolving color. Recommendable to everyone who's looking for a very well-done and honest tear-jerker.

Movies watched recently

Lisbon story: this movie is too slow and it doesn't work because it has almost no fascinating elements. The monologue about cinema is funny, the acting is natural and the music is beautiful. The camera angles are well chosen and it gives you a fine idea of Lisbon, close to reality.
Night at the museum: clichéd and with the typical moralism. Still the visual effects are excellent, the acting is funny and some of the jokes work well. This is nice if you're looking for a decent kids' movie.


Scoop: typical Woody Allen comedy. Hilarious and very quotable. Well acted, enjoyable and thought-provocking. Watch this and Match Point together.


The squid and the whale: one of the best indies I've watched. Its subject matter is realistical, the characters are profoundly humane and flawed, the screenplay is touching and sometimes painfully funny. The acting is brillinat, without any false tone and the music is beautifully used.

Fellini's Roma: exotic, original and poetic. Even if the directing is breath-taking, all scenes are enjoyable and meaningful and together they give a good portrait of Rome , I think the lack of a storyline made this a bit confusing. It's still worth watching and beautiful.
Arsenic and old lace: Laugh out loud screwball comedy with a lot of original characters. THe dialog is superb and amusing. The acting and direction are also excellent.


Mar Adentro (The Sea Inside): great drama. It will make you cry and it's affecting, but it's never manipulating. Dealing with a complicated subject, it never takes sides. The direction is beautiful, the acting is very strong from everyone , the music and the photography are great.

The Brooklyn Follies

This is the second Paul Auster novel I've read, and I personally found it better than The Book of Ilusions, which had some excellent moments and some terrible ones. This is an heartwarming tale (or should I say several tales) about redemption and the beauty of life. It's a pleasure to read, with all the funny twists, intelligent dialogue, interesting life stories, realistic characters, and uplifting conclusion. The ambience varies between tragic and comic, and it always feels right. I loved the unravelling of the story, with the characters changing and developing naturally. They are all very original and beautifully described, with unique charactersistics. The relationships between all the characters are realistic and, in the end, positive, with people really connecting with each other. Even if sometimes this is too hopeful, it always feels warm and it's enteretaining. It obviously follows Paul Auster'ps typical obsessions and situations, but it's a wonderful read.

Specimen Days by Michael Cunningham

I read three books by Michael Cunningham: The Hours, which is my favorite, Flesh and Blood and Specimen Days, which is my least favorite. I really liked it, almost loved it, but I loved the others in all aspects. This one has three stories, starring each a man named Simon, a woman named Catharine (or a variant) and a boy named Luke (or Lucas). There's a victorian ghost story, amodern day cop thriller and a sci-fi love story, by thids order. The first one was my favorite, it reaches Cunningham's other books greatness. The characters are fascinating, the writing is poetic, beautiful and haunting, The twists are intelligent, the pace is exciting and at the same time reflective, and the ambience is uniquely strange. It's filed with gorgeously dark descriptions, and I was absorbed by this. It made me think about life, death and love. The second story is still very well written, but the dialogue was unrealistic and the subplots weren't developed enough. Even so, it builds a convincing athmosphere, you can feel the fear of the characters, and the children are brilliantly sinister and evocative. The ending leaves you wanting to know more and thinking about the story. The last one was the one I liked the leaqst. Even if I liked the characters, the settings were terrible, very clichéd and typical. Besides, why are ETs always green humanoids with some distinctive feature, but still able to speak, walk andreacting like humans? This had too much action, and Cunningham obviously doesn't really know what to do with sci-fi, creating alien words and an apocalyptic, unbelievable version of a near future. But I loved the painful ending and the love that Simon is unable to express. It's good to compare the stories and see the similarities, that go beyond the names and Walt Withman. Together, they create a beautiful mesage about the power people have to heal and love each other. This is a very original read, but it's not a good book if you're just starting this author's work.

Monsoon Wedding

Monsoon Wedding is the first indian movie I've watched, and I found it very original, vibrant and exuberant. The screenplay is very good. A traditional indian marrige in the 21st century is the beginning point on a study on human relationships and a country trying to find an equilibrium between modernity and tradition. The approach isn't very subtle, but the message isn't forced or repeated like absolut truth either. The characters are believable they are just people and they talk, act and think like it. The stories are well built, give you a good insight on lifes of different people and have a good pace, this movie never becomes boring.

The acting is very good. As I didn't know any of the actors, they automatically became the characters they were playing. Vasundhara Das, who plays Aditi, the bride, gives her character grace, beauty and sensibility, never overacting in a quietly remarkable performance. Naseeruddin Shah plays the father very well having a few remarkable scenes. Tilotama Shome, who plays Alice, should have had more screen time, but she still had a great chemistry with her romantic pair. The cast is consistent and believable.

The direction is good. The camera angles capture sensuality and at the same time an everyday feeling. The digital photography works and gives Monsoon Wedding bright, clear colouring. The music is indian, but in all styles and types. This sometimes benefits the scenes, but it might make them sound like a soap opera. The wardrobe is beautiful and appropriatte, I loved some of the traditional costumes. Overall, this is an original movie with a very interesting subject.