Kal Penn faces the greatest problems of assimilation as he is torn between tradition and modernity in this new drama.
All's fair in love and war... Based on William Thackeray's 1828 novel Vanity Fair introduces Becky Sharp (Reese Witherspoon) a poor but well educated girl born into a 19th-century society offering little in the way of career advancement for women. She becomes a governess for Sir Pitt Crawley (Bob Hoskins) and aims to find a rich husband. True to the novel's tone everyone in Vanity Fair is deliciously devious throughout.
Though it contains several erotically charged and explicit love scenes, Kama Sutra - A Tale of Love is not a sex film, but a tragic romance set in the royal court of 16th century India. It is Princess Tara's (Sarita Choudhury) misfortune to marry the debauched, increasingly opium-addled Raj Singh (Naveen Andrews), and servant-girl Maya's (Indira Varma) fate to become the object of the Raj's desire, though she in turn loves the sculptor, Jai (Ramon Tikaram). The Kama Sutra itself is already hundreds of years old at the time of this tale, but it provides the love lessons by which lowly Maya learns to become a royal courtesan. Varma dominates the film in her first starring role, displaying a determination, quiet intelligence and sensuality which offer compensation for the often overly languorous pace. This is certainly a beautiful film, with a deeply evocative score by Mychael Danna, but as a drama it only really comes to life in the last half hour. Both Anna and the King (1999) and Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000) are more effective Eastern historical romances, while the overlooked Heat and Dust (1982) introduced Greta Scacchi alongside Julie Christie as two Western women discovering the erotic pleasures of 20th century India. --Gary S. Dalkin
A vivacious, sensual and ultimately moving ensemble piece about a Delhi family's preparations for a wedding.
A young Pakistani man is chasing corporate success on Wall Street. He finds himself embroiled in a conflict between his American Dream, a hostage crisis, and the enduring call of his family's homeland.
The vibrant cultures of India, Uganda, and the American South come together in Mississippi Masala by MIRA NAIR (Monsoon Wedding), a luminous look at the complexities of love in the modern melting pot. Years after her Indian family was forced to flee their home in Uganda by the dictatorship of Idi Amin, twentysomething Mina (Homeland's SARITA CHOUDHURY) spends her days cleaning rooms in an Indian-run motel in Mississippi. When she falls for the charming Black carpet cleaner Demetrius (The Tragedy of Macbeth's DENZEL WASHINGTON), their passionate romance challenges the prejudices of both of their families and exposes the rifts between the region's Indian and African American communities. Tackling thorny issues of racism, colourism, culture clash, and displacement with bighearted humour and keen insight, Nair serves up a sweet, sexy, and deeply satisfying celebration of love's power. Product Features New 4K digital restoration, supervised by director Mira Nair and director of photography Ed Lachman, with 2.0 surround DTS-HD Master Audio soundtrack on the Blu-ray New audio commentary featuring Nair New conversation between actor Sarita Choudhury and film critic Devika Girish New interviews with Lachman, screenwriter Sooni Taraporevala, and production designer and photographer Mitch Epstein English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing
Shakespeare In Love (Dir. John Madden) (1998): When Will Shakespeare (Joseph Fiennes) needs passionate inspiration to break a bad case of writer's block a secret romance with the beautiful Lady Viola (Paltrow) starts the words flowing like never before! There are just two things he'll have to learn about his new love: not only is she promised to marry someone else she's successfully impersonating a man in order to play the lead in Will's latest production! Marie Antoinette (Dir. Sofia Coppola) (2006): A decadently imaginative interpretation of the life of France's iconic teenage queen Marie Antoinette from her betrothal and marriage to Louis XVI aged 15 to her reign as queen at 19 and to the termination of her royal tenure and ultimately the fall of Versailles in the French Revolution... Vanity Fair (Dir. Mira Nair 2004): Becky Sharp (Reese Witherspoon) is a poor but well educated girl born into a 19th-century society offering little in the way of career advancement for women. She becomes a governess for Sir Pitt Crawley (Bob Hoskins) and aims to find a rich husband.
A vivacious, sensual and ultimately moving ensemble piece about a Delhi family's preparations for a wedding.
A look at the life of legendary American pilot Amelia Earhart, who disappeared while flying over the Pacific Ocean in 1937 in an attempt to make a flight around the world.
Reese Witherspoon stars as the most calucating, funny and manipulative anti-heroine of English literature in a big-screen version of William Thackeray's classic novel.
Meera Nair's Salaam Bombay was her first film, and one of only three Indian films nominated for an Oscar (the others being Mother India and Lagaan). The deceptively simple documentary style hides a meticulously planned feature in which nothing is left to chance. Real street kids play the leads alongside veteran actors, such as Nana Patekar and Shaukat Azmi, as we follow Chaipau, the urchin who wants to save his 500 rupees to "go home", and his encounters with prostitutes, thugs and drug addicts among whom he finds love and companionship. The story avoids sentimentality by endowing the characters with humanity while never romanticising their plight. Nair eschews the obvious "city of contrasts" theme, presenting only the view from the street, shooting in real locations of Grant Road and its environs. This is one of the greatest presentations of Bombay to date, comparable across genres to Raghu Rai's photography or Vikram Chandra's fiction. On the DVD: Salaam Bombay on DVD includes a compelling scene-by-scene commentary, in which Nair discusses the problems of location shooting, training the children and the impact of the film on the lives of so many of its characters. The film is in Hindi with English subtitles. --Rachel Dwyer
According to the Kama Sutra sex without love is completely natural and very rewarding but sex with someone you love can be so much more - holy divine even spiritual. Tara is a princess Maya is her servant. Both these women were raised as childhood friends and rivals and each uses the unique teachings of the Kama Sutra in a game of sexual chess.
Mira Nair (Monsoon Wedding) adds her angry voice to the cinema of forgotten children in this wrenching drama of an 11-year-old boy (real-life street child Shafiq Syed) who heads to the big city and joins a sea of homeless children and down-and-out adults scrambling to survive the pitiless streets. The fantasy of Bollywood dreams hangs just out of reach in posters movies and radio tunes momentary respites from the hard reality of a world ruled by brutal pimps and drug dealers. Academy Award nominated for Best Foreign Language Film this is a gritty look into the underbelly and plight of Bombay's poor street children who call the gutters of its filthy urban streets home. It is filled with the sights and sounds of this urban nightmare. This highly acclaimed film allows the viewer a peek at another culture only to find that basic human needs and desires are universal.
An exuberant family drama set in Mira Nair's beloved Punjabi culture, where ancient tradition and dot-com modernity combine in unique and perfect harmonyAs the romantic monsoon rains loom, the extended Verma family reunites from around the globe for a last-minute arranged marriage in New Delhi. Monsoon Wedding traces five intersecting stories, each navigating different aspects of love as they cross boundaries of class, continent and morality. The film celebrates a contemporary India never seen before.
A young Pakistani man is chasing corporate success on Wall Street. He finds himself embroiled in a conflict between his American Dream, a hostage crisis, and the enduring call of his family's homeland.
It's 1987 New Jersey and two girls search for Mister Right. Best friends Debby and Beth have issues with men namely their inability to find good ones. Constantly scouring the 1980's working class New Jersey world of diners and local bars the two girls stoop to desperate yet hilarious measures in their unrelenting attempts to find Mr Perfect. Then there's Beth's mother who is also trying to find a meaningful relationship that will give value to her own mundane existence. It's going
Shakespeare In Love (Dir. John Madden) (1998): When Will Shakespeare (Joseph Fiennes) needs passionate inspiration to break a bad case of writer's block a secret romance with the beautiful Lady Viola (Paltrow) starts the words flowing like never before! There are just two things he'll have to learn about his new love: not only is she promised to marry someone else she's successfully impersonating a man in order to play the lead in Will's latest production! Marie Antoinette (Dir. Sofia Coppola) (2006): A decadently imaginative interpretation of the life of France's iconic teenage queen Marie Antoinette from her betrothal and marriage to Louis XVI aged 15 to her reign as queen at 19 and to the termination of her royal tenure and ultimately the fall of Versailles in the French Revolution... Vanity Fair (Dir. Mira Nair 2004): Becky Sharp (Reese Witherspoon) is a poor but well educated girl born into a 19th-century society offering little in the way of career advancement for women. She becomes a governess for Sir Pitt Crawley (Bob Hoskins) and aims to find a rich husband.
This film is a unique and extraordinary response to the catastrophic events in New York City that shook the world on September 11 2001. producer Alain Brigand invited 11 renowned international directors to look towards their own cultures their own memories their own stories and their own language and create a film lasting eleven minutes nine seconds and one frame - 11'09''O1 - around September 11 and its consequences. The thought-provoking results - made with complete freedom of
Vanity Fair (Dir. Mira Nair 2004): Based on William Thackeray's 1828 novel Vanity Fair introduces Becky Sharp (Reese Witherspoon) a poor but well educated girl born into a 19th-century society offering little in the way of career advancement for women. She becomes a governess for Sir Pitt Crawley (Bob Hoskins) and aims to find a rich husband. True to the novel's tone everyone in Vanity Fair is deliciously devious throughout. Sense & Sensibility (Dir. Ang Lee 1995): Sense and Sensibility is the story of two sisters; pragmatic Elinor (Emma Thompson) and passionate wilful Marianne (Kate Winslet). When their father Henry Dashwood dies by law his estate must pass to the eldest son from his first marriage. Suddenly homeless and impoverished his current wife and daughters find themselves living in a simple country cottage. The two sisters are soon accepted into their new society. Marianne becomes swept up in a passionate love affair with the dashing Willoughby (Greg Wise) while Elinor struggles to keep a tight rein on the family purse strings and to keep her feelings for Edward Ferrars (Hugh Grant) whom she left behind hidden from her family. Despite their different personalities they both experience great sorrow in their affairs but they learn to mix sense with sensibility in a society that is obsessed with both financial and social status. Shakespeare In Love (Dir. John Madden 1998): Triumphant winner of 7 Academy Awards - including Best Picture - this witty sexy smash features Oscar-winning Best Actress Gwyneth Paltrow and an amazing cast that includes Academy Award winners Judi Dench Geoffrey Rush and Ben Affleck! When Will Shakespeare (Joseph Fiennes) needs passionate inspiration to break a bad case of writer's block a secret romance with the beautiful Lady Viola (Paltrow) starts the words flowing like never before! There are just two things he'll have to learn about his new love: not only is she promised to marry someone else she's successfully impersonating a man in order to play the lead in Will's latest production! A truly can't-miss motion picture event with outstanding critical acclaim to match its impressive collection of major awards - everyone will love this funny behind-the-scenes look at the writing of the greatest love story ever told!
This Box Set contains the following films: Atonement: On the hottest day of the summer of 1935 thirteen-year-old Briony Tallis sees her older sister Cecilia (Kiera Knightley) strip off her clothes and plunge into the fountain in the garden of their country house. Watching Cecilia is their housekeeper's son Robbie Turner (James McAvoy) a childhood friend who along with Briony's sister has recently graduated from Cambridge. By the end of that day the lives of all three will have been changed forever. Robbie and Cecilia will have crossed a boundary they had never before dared to approach and will have become victims of the younger girl's scheming imagination and Briony will have committed a dreadful crime the guilt for which will colour her entire life. Elizabeth: Golden Age: The story of one woman's crusade to control love crush enemies and secure her position as a beloved icon of the western world. As Elizabeth's cousin Mary Stuart conspires with Philip of Spain to topple the throne Sir Francis Walsingham Elizabeth's trusty advisor works tirelessly to protect her from the many plots and conspiracies against her. Preparing to go to war to defend her empire Elizabeth struggles to balance royal duties with an unexpected vulnerability in her attraction to Sir Walter Raleigh. Shakespeare In Love: When Will Shakespeare (Joseph Fiennes) needs passionate inspiration to break a bad case of writer's block a secret romance with the beautiful Lady Viola (Paltrow) starts the words flowing like never before! There are just two things he'll have to learn about his new love: not only is she promised to marry someone else she's successfully impersonating a man in order to play the lead in Will's latest production! Vanity Fair: Based on William Thackeray's 1828 novel Vanity Fair introduces Becky Sharp (Reese Witherspoon) a poor but well educated girl born into a 19th-century society offering little in the way of career advancement for women. She becomes a governess for Sir Pitt Crawley (Bob Hoskins) and aims to find a rich husband. True to the novel's tone everyone in Vanity Fair is deliciously devious throughout. Pride And Prejudice: The five Bennet sisters - Elizabeth or Lizzie Jane Lydia Mary and Kitty - have been raised well aware of their mother's fixation on finding them husbands and securing set futures. The spirited and intelligent Elizabeth however strives to live her life with a broader perspective as encouraged by her doting father. When wealthy bachelor Mr. Bingley takes up residence in a nearby mansion the Bennets are abuzz. Amongst the man's sophisticated circle of London friends and the influx of young military officers surely there will be no shortage of suitors for the Bennet sisters. Eldest daughter Jane serene and beautiful seems poised to win Mr. Bingley's heart. For her part Lizzie meets with the handsome and it would seem snobbish Mr. Darcy and the battle of the sexes is joined. Their encounters are frequent and spirited yet far from encouraging. Lizzie finds herself even less inclined to accept a marriage proposal from a distant cousin Mr. Collins and supported by her father stuns her mother and Mr. Collins by declining. When the previously good-natured Mr. Bingley abruptly departs for London leaving a devastated Jane Lizzie holds Mr. Darcy culpable for contributing to the heartbreak. But a crisis involving youngest sister Lydia soon opens Lizzie's eyes to the true nature of her relationship with Mr. Darcy...
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