How lovely of you to remember this post and actually return to comment! Indeed, I must admit that, apart from the dreadful shortcut in resolving Sonny's problems re the arranged marriage, I could rather live with the shortcuts.
Funnily enough, I do seem to recall seeing quite a bit of the reasons for their trip to India. Mostly in Wilson's scene at the hairdresser - she's reading the brochure and mentioning the beautiful palaces and luxury that is promised. It was clear to me that she expected something infintely superior to the bungalow, and her enthusiasm on meeting the judge, "just the kind of person one hoped to meet", underlined it even more.
And Muriel is told quite clearly that she'll go to India - one presumes that her local hospital, that collaborates with the Indian one, will arrange this - and she expects hell.
But I do agree that I would have loved a good close-up of that brochure.
I quite agree on Patel. He does as good a job as possible and has some excellent moments, but the part is written as a bit of a caricature.
Though I did think the script took the easy way out by having her be the one to break off the relationship with Douglas. True. Though I must say I like the reason. The row they've had in which he tells her what a dreadful person she has become must have had quite an impact, and then she has to choose between him and getting out. And I find it believable that she chooses getting out. When she says he's too decent to make the break himself she actually believes that at the time, but a lot of it is bad faith, of course. England and some money and no husband. That's what she wants.
But I'm glad you liked the movie overall. I was just wondering - which parts felt like colonial nostalgia to you? You mentioned that in your post. I didn't see it myself, but I may be blind to it, since the Netherlands have quite a colonial history themselves. So I'd be interested to hear what you think.
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regna
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Date: 2012-05-19 02:02 pm (UTC)Funnily enough, I do seem to recall seeing quite a bit of the reasons for their trip to India. Mostly in Wilson's scene at the hairdresser - she's reading the brochure and mentioning the beautiful palaces and luxury that is promised. It was clear to me that she expected something infintely superior to the bungalow, and her enthusiasm on meeting the judge, "just the kind of person one hoped to meet", underlined it even more.
And Muriel is told quite clearly that she'll go to India - one presumes that her local hospital, that collaborates with the Indian one, will arrange this - and she expects hell.
But I do agree that I would have loved a good close-up of that brochure.
I quite agree on Patel. He does as good a job as possible and has some excellent moments, but the part is written as a bit of a caricature.
Though I did think the script took the easy way out by having her be the one to break off the relationship with Douglas. True. Though I must say I like the reason. The row they've had in which he tells her what a dreadful person she has become must have had quite an impact, and then she has to choose between him and getting out. And I find it believable that she chooses getting out. When she says he's too decent to make the break himself she actually believes that at the time, but a lot of it is bad faith, of course. England and some money and no husband. That's what she wants.
But I'm glad you liked the movie overall. I was just wondering - which parts felt like colonial nostalgia to you? You mentioned that in your post. I didn't see it myself, but I may be blind to it, since the Netherlands have quite a colonial history themselves. So I'd be interested to hear what you think.