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21 out of 25 people found the following review useful: a few things people need to know..., 26 January 2004 Author: eman_kazmi from United Kingdom
For all those who felt the film was not the most fabulous or felt it wasn't a representative of the Bollywood industry etc., then you need to know this:1) This movie was sold as a spoof of the Indian film industry like 'Not another teen movie' was a parody of 'Chick Flicks' and as the 'Scary Movie' series are for horror films; this film was meant to be exaggerated and outrageous.2) Also to understand the humour of this film, you need to a know a lot about the Indian film industry and the references to the 'gossip' and films; even the music that is played as a score are insinuations to various Indian films. The transvestite driver, 'Killer Khalsa' sequence are a citation to a lot of stereotypes; Indian movies have transvestites as they are a part of society and as for the 'Killer Khalsa' sequence, the allusion to the food and the absurdity of the matchmaking are ever present in Indian films.3) The segments of the film where it is obvious that Deepa Mehta's first language is not English are the segments where there are references to Indian sayings or style of speaking and that is true of many N.R.I's.I am astonished at the people who disliked it; the audience should be aware of the context of this movie because admittedly there are people who appreciate Indian style films (in which case that audience should not have watched this film). Deepa Mehta is renowned for her art films ('Fire' (1996), 'Earth' (1998) and the upcoming 'Water') and this movie was created for a satirical view of the current films, especially the N.R.I. films.What is commonly seen as a flaw of this movies is actually a part of the sardonic look at Indian films; of course if there are are filming discontinuities, I have not noticed. I give this film a 9 out of 10 due to the technical flaws (for example, 'Kim's' accident and the 'ghost' sequence) and also because of Lisa Ray's stylists' lack of fashion IQ as she was made to look pretty horrid through out this movie.
10 out of 12 people found the following review useful: Witty, whimsical, wacky - wow., 11 October 2004 Author: Shirin-3 from Vancouver, Canada
I am a fan of satire, and this movie has not been appreciated for what it is - a spoof, not only of the high flying Bollywood musicals with weeping widows and on-cue dance routines in full costume but it is also a subtle rendition of Shakespeare's own comedy plays of mistaken identities and the "play within the play" feature which was witfully alluded to by the comic relief Indian Grand-ma in sneakers who bemoans "All the world's a stage" often enough to wrangle out a grin. I found it delightful and light which doesn't disappoint in wrenching out a smug smile and leaving one feeling good. Much needed therapy for all sub-continents nowadays. Don't expect Bollywood - or even Hollywood - when settling back to take in the action as it flies at you full throttle - but a magical space in between in suspended disbelief.
4 out of 4 people found the following review useful: Hilarious Bollywood parody, 1 September 2003 Author: hprill from Austria
One caveat: if you have never seen a Bollywood movie, you probably won't find this very funny. The point is, director Deepa Mehta has taken just about every Bollywood cliché, exaggerated it, swirled it around and mixed it with a Hollywood love story and created a perfectly funny Bollywood parody that had me in giggles from the weepy deathbed scene at the beginning through most of the movie.Depth? Don't expect any. This is about as lightweight (and sometimes silly) as comedy can get, with the usual suspension of disbelief necessary for Bollywood movies.The title doesn't really have anything to do with the plot; it's more of a programmatic statement, as Mehta tries to intertwine Bollywood and Hollywood elements into a musical romantic comedy.The Bollywood bits are the more successful, as Mehta sems to have the necessary expertise to exploit them for parody and quirky humour; sadly, the weakest point of the movie is when the Bollywood/Hollywood formula shifts too much towards the Hollywood side and tries to incorporate too much of the typical Hollywood 'romantic comedy' storyline. All of a sudden the script seems to take itself too seriously, and the whole thing, which had been very fresh and entertaining up until then, suddenly tastes very stale, and we get the umpteenth reprise of "love in danger through misunderstanding", and whereas the Bollywood melodrama had been masterly turned into brilliant parody, the Hollywood drama just stands as it is and is presented at face value, which is a major disappointment.However, the 75 minutes of hilarious Bollywood parody will more than compensate for those 15 minutes of Hollywood lameness. So will the excellent Bollywood-inspired (and Hollywood-compatible) music. Just don't expect depth.
5 out of 6 people found the following review useful: Parody? Yes. But With a Kicker, 18 January 2005 Author: rlelias from United States
B/H stands up as a comedy AND an affectionate parody of Bollywood formula romances. The very title underscores the love-hate relationship many contemporary South Asian filmmakers feel about the Hollywood hegemon (see http://www.thefilmjournal.com/issue9/bollywood.html ). As such, it offers a sly reworking of the Pretty Woman formula, with an Indian twist – which raises the question of why Mehta's writers chose THAT Hollywood movie to build a comic plot upon. One answer requires examination of how women, especially young women, are depicted in Bollywood movies, which valorize – even enforce – Ramayana-like ideals of female purity versus the reality and problems of female identity in a modern world. Compare Mehta's Fire. The comedy and parody in B/H offers a different take on a Mehta theme. The Shakespeare-quoting grandmother reflects another aspect of the film's comic concern with the clash between tradition and modernity – here, the kind of British-inspired education the grandmother would have received, which often required students to memorize whole scenes from Shakespeare (whose plays were and are very popular in India). The comic turnabout at the end might be examined in light of equally sudden turnabouts in movies like DDLJ, the difference being that the main blocking character at the end of B/H is Sunita herself. Her father, minutes before, reverses himself BECAUSE he has seen movies like that one. A very "filmi" intrusion into the comic plot, but (true to Mehta's sympathies) it is Sunita herself who becomes – for a moment – the blocking character whose needs must be recognized. It's a matter of HER identity, albeit within the framework of Bollywood comic romance. As such, her situation offers, for the perceptive, a bittersweet comic take on a question Mehta raises more seriously elsewhere. B/H is a parody, yes, but it has a serious side as well. Think about this while you laugh.
6 out of 8 people found the following review useful: Almost a spoof of Bollywood AND Hollywood..., 24 February 2003 Author: leask81 from adelaide, australia
Took me a while to click into the humour of this one, have only seen a few Bollywood films but this one struck me as almost a spoof - combining traditional Hollywood romantic comedy themes with Bollywood flair and musical transgressions, it's actually a thoroughly enjoyable show.The musical numbers are by far the best parts of the film; much of the other humour is intentionally forced, but the fact that it's intentional doesn't necessarily translate into hilarity.I felt it needed a bigger twist at the end to compliment the continual twists throughout, but all in all I was pleasantly surprised by one of the few Canadian independent films I've seen - most of the others have been Australian coproductions.R:7/10.
3 out of 3 people found the following review useful: Lively and colorful, 19 November 2002 Author: LeRoyMarko from Toronto, Canada
This homage to Bollywood movies is actually a melodramatic farce with vibrant colors and a just dose of romance. The movie does have some charm and is funny in more than one way. But more musical numbers would have been nice. Good to get a taste of what life is for the Toronto's East Indian community. Nice way to address the culture clash of Toronto's multi-cultural facade. The acting is good by Rahul Khanna and gorgeous Lisa Ray.Out of 100, I give it 80. That's good for *** out of ****.Seen in Toronto, at the Alliance Atlantis Cumberland Cinemas, on November 3rd, 2002.
4 out of 5 people found the following review useful: What was she thinking??, 2 November 2005 Author: zeinalhayat from Toronto, Canada
I am a devoted fan to Deepa Mehta's Earth, Water, and Fire trilogy which I have found deeply moving. However, this film I could barely sit through. I have seen a few (quite a few) Bollywood films and it would be difficult to create a send-up of a genre that is already a send-up itself. Bollywood films are already exaggerated, colorful, and dramatic and brimming with stereotypes. Deepa's film, I'm sad to say, was a terrible disappointment. It lacked any kind of originality, insight, or even good dance/song numbers (the best part of the film I thought was the rooftop number)which is the essence of Bollywood films. Given the power and intensity of her other films, this was an embarrassment. What was she thinking???
5 out of 7 people found the following review useful: A Good Laugh!, 28 June 2004 Author: Sasha from Miami, FL
If you like Lisa Ray and Rahul Khanna, this film is totally for you. I first saw Rahul Khann doing VJ work for AVS and I saw him in "Earth" with Aamir Khan and was totally blown away by his performance. When I first heard about B/H I thought it was going to be completely stupid and senseless, but, even though it can be called a spoof of Indian cinema, it is any but the aboved mentioned. It was a nice light laugh, especially with the Shakespeare-rattling grandmother called the first girlfriend a "white whore" and always referring to the "levitating accident". I couldn't stop laughing. Some of the characters were extremely stereotypical, but that's okay, because it only adds to the films appeal and a light hearted refreshing approach to an east-west fusion film. This is definitely much better than "American Chai" and merits up there with the likes of "Bend it Like Beckham". For another great Lisa Ray film, definitely check out "Kasoor", she'll blow you away. After seeing a film like "Raaz", it really makes you think that Bipsha Basu's performance was somehow based or gathered closely from Lisa's in "Kasoor". A definite step into dramatic/crime Indian cinema. Bollywood/Hollywood is a great film, and you should check out the films from the director too, "Earth", "Water" and "Fire."
2 out of 2 people found the following review useful: Charming and funny, 8 December 2003 Author: SilentDeb from Vancouver, BC
I enjoyed this film immensely, and found it a humorous take on second-generation Indo-Canadian life. The songs were enjoyable (my only complaint about the film is that the songs weren't subtitled - a bit frustrating for those of us that don't speak Hindi!), and I recommend the film highly - great fun!
2 out of 2 people found the following review useful: Laboured Comedy, 9 January 2003 Author: whoz_thiz_guy from India
Humour is obviously not Deepa Mehta's forte as she ambles through a painful comedy that barely has any humour in it. The production values of the movie are low. The movie is intended to poke fun at traditional Indian value systems like arranged marriages and Bollywood masala movies and songs. But the dialogues and situations are so humourless it becomes a pain to sit through the movie. The dialogues also give away the fact that it was written by a non-native English speaker. The first 20 minutes are slightly funny with Dina Pathak quoting Shakespeare and Moushmi Chatterjee weeping. But this continues right throughout the movie. As for the positives, there is one good song in the movie. Lisa Ray is beautiful, well endowed and not coy about kissing. Thats just about all you get.
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