Flos Carmeli

The movie had good points . . . but I *hated* the English-language songs.

The lyrics sounded like they were written by someone who's first language was NOT English . . . and that this writer decided not to consult a native speaker either.

Very awkward, annoying lyrics :-(. It made the rest of the movie hard for me to enjoy.

Sorry, I prefer my Hindi movies in Hindi.

The movie had good points . . . but I *hated* the English-language songs.

The lyrics sounded like they were written by someone who's first language was NOT English . . . and that this writer decided not to consult a native speaker either.

Very awkward, annoying lyrics :-(. It made the rest of the movie hard for me to enjoy.

Sorry, I prefer my Hindi movies in Hindi.

sorry for the double post

....Moving this up to a higher slot on my Netflix queue.......

Dear M. Thakur,

No problem about the dupe. If I get around to it, I'll remove one of them.

I did want to say, though, I did not get the same sense you may have of the songs. I found them delightfully straightforward and to the point. They really resonated with me for the sheer joy they conveyed (appropriate to the tone of the film). They may not have been what they might have been in Hindi, but I found them truthful in a way many such songs are not.

Interesting the way our perspectives diverge. As to watching the film in Hindi, I must admit to having a prejudice against reading my films, and a I reserve it only to a few very carefully chosen works. This doesn't normally extend to Hindi films for two main reasons (1) my profound ignorance and (2) the enormous length of many Hindi films. I remember watching one (was it called Lagaan) that went on for four and a half hours about a cricket match--longer even than the match would be. I enjoyed much of it, but it was a bit much for me.

Nevertheless, I'm always in the mood for self-improvement--if you've some suggestions for particularly good films to see, I would appreciate it.

shalom,

Steven

I have to say that the cobra dance was one of the funniest things I've ever seen (and, not that you care since you haven't read the book ... but it was spot-on for that sister who was very unaccomplished but did everything with great vigor). Glad you liked it. :-)

Dear Julie,

Sorry if I gave the impression I hadn't read it. Indeed, I've read it several times. It is among my very favorite books. Did I mix up the heroine's names? That's one of my great downfalls, I've read Jane Austen so many times the stories blend together into one turn-of-the Century Great Britain.

shalom,

Steven

Oh, got it. I took "not so concerned with coordination with the original plot line" to mean you hadn't read it. Which, now that I think of it, is an absurd thing to think of someone who has read and enjoyed Georgette Heyer's books. :-)

My college-aged daughter, who is a huge Jane Austen fan*, enjoyed the movie but thought the song and dance numbers were cheesy. But for someone (me) brought up on American Musical Theater movies, I couldn't help but crack a huge smile as soon as the music broke out. While she was analyzing which character mapped to the original book characters, I was sitting back just enjoying the spectacle. I don't understand why some people (read my kids and their contemporaries) think it's goofy when somebody all of a sudden breaks into song in the middle of a movie. I think they are missing something when they require that their media must mimic real life exactly or at least believably.

Oops, forgot to ad the footnote to my asterisk up there.

*She has almost all the movie and BBC versions of the books as well as all the books which she has read multiple times. She made me buy her a subscription to Jane Austen Regency World Magazine last Christmas and I'm sure is thinking about overseas study just so she can attend the Jane Austen Festival they hold every year in Bath, England.

Dear Mr. Canny,

I tend to agree with you. Even in the Indian movies I've seen that were not musicals people tend to break into song and dance at utterly unexpected times. Personally, I see that as a grace. After all we're told that David danced before the Lord--if it was good enough for David, perhaps I should be considering how infrequently I do it. Which makes me think the frequency with which the Indians seem to do it is much more in line with God's thinking.

(But I really, really liked it in this movie--along with all of the bright costumes--simply beautiful, simple, and delightful.

Thank you for stopping by. I shall look you up shortly.

shalom,

Steven