Just Married (2007)

The honeymoon of an arranged marriage couple. Very awkward. (Unfortunately I didn't take any screen shots of this. Sorry.)

Abhay (Fardeen Khan) is the groom -- a playful, kind man. Abhay is written to be very likable, I think, but something about the way Fardeen Khan played him was off-putting to me -- I didn't like him much. Ritika (Esha Deol) is the bride -- an accomplished, educated woman, but one still very uncomfortable around men, her new husband included. Being somewhat socially backward myself, I related probably too well to Ritika's freezing up at physical contact.

The two of them are sent off to honeymoon in Tamil Nadu at a resort, and they become friends with the other couples honeymooning at the same hotel. Everybody has a story, and all of them combine to give a portrait of love and marriage.

And awkwardness.

I watched this with my Mom and Dad, and I think they liked it fairly well. As far as I was concerned, though, what wasn't awkward was pretty forgettable. Still, it looked like a fairly accurate portrayal of the way an arranged marriage might start, so if that interests you, don't let me get in your way.

Umrao Jaan (1981)

Some adjectives that come to mind for this movie are beautiful, well-crafted, tragic, sensual, and unsatisfying.

The courtesan in this movie is about the same as the courtesans in Benazir, Devdas, and Mangal Pandey. She's gorgeous, well spoken, elegant, graceful, tragic, and hungry for love. Her love affair does not work out, in spite of her best efforts. The difference between this one and the others is that this one has the family story, too, which is also sad.

Artistically, it's a well-made film. The beginning and end mirror each other, the way jewelry and mirrors are used is significant, etc. The costumes, the songs, and Rekha are all lovely.

My least favorite part of the movie: the plot. I don't go in for tragedies that much. Especially ones about courtesans. (If it has to be a tragedy, I prefer something noble, as long as it isn't also pointless and stupid.)

My favorite part of the movie: definitely the songs. They were lovely, especially this one. Unfortunately, I couldn't find a version of it with subtitles, which are part of what I enjoyed about this song, but it's still lovely without.