Rating: 
Summary: Monsoon Wedding is extremely boring, but I loved it!!
Review: Mira Nair has accomplished the impossible - she has created a movie with a totally uninteresting plot, uninteresting dialogue, a totally annoying cast of characters all played by mediocre actors, mediocre camera work, etc... and she has made it all watchable! Nair's earlier Kama Sutra was equally horrible/watchable, but with Monsoon, she has taken the art of horrible/watchable movie-making to a new level. You watch this movie and you have no sympathy for any of the characters, you can't identify with anything that's going on, but at the same time, you're sitting there thinking, yeah, I can identify with that. But really, you can't identify with any of it. Like that chubby cheeked girl who's getting married - she's fooling around with a married man just days before the wedding - she gets caught by the police fooling around. You're thinking, hey, that's me up there. But it's not, really. And then there's the nephew from Australia and the young good-looking girl who take an immediate physical interest in each other. You're thinking, hey that's me, but it's not really. It's hard to explain. It's basically a horrible movie that you can't stop watching. Actually, you could stop watching, but since everyone is saying how brilliant and original it is, you can't stop watching, just waiting for something brilliant or original to happen.
Rating:
Summary: love and marigolds
Review: i see this movie about once a week. it is absolutely gorgeous and has opened my eyes to a culture that reminds me a bit of my own, but it also so different from mine, and that excites me. the woman especially are so naturally beautifully, they put average american chicks like me to shame!the love story between dubey and alice is especially touching, and makes me cry every time. this movie will touch every nerve in your body.
Rating: 
Summary: Rent it and decide for yourself
Review: I really liked this movie when I saw it. It was colorful and the love story was quite touching especially the one between the wedding planner and the house maid. However, when discussing it with very well rounded, intelligent, highly educated women I know who was born and raised in India, she said it was to much like a "soap opera" and there were better Indian moves out there. I thought that this was supposed to be some great indie movie but is it really just a "cheesy romance" disguised in America as a trendy "foreign film?" I guess you will have to be the final judge. For the record, I liked it.
Rating:
Summary: Extravaganza!
Review: "Monsoon Wedding" is unlike any other wedding movie you have ever seen -- funny, sad, romantic, sexy, and full of whirling music and color. With superb acting and a lovingly fragmented storyline, this is an amazing movie. You'll feel all warm and fuzzy after seeing it. Love is in the air in Delhi! An extended Verma family is overjoyed when Aditi, the daughter of the house, agrees to an arranged marriage with a young man now living in Texas. Unfortunately, she is only doing this because she doesn't believe her married lover will get divorced and marry her. As the wedding preparations swirl around her, she wobbles on the line of rebellion -- especially when she begins to really like her future husband. Like the charming "Waking Ned Devine," this is one of those great movies that doesn't use a single stereotype; you could imagine these people in any part of the world. And like "Waking," the main plot isn't the only one: There is a charmingly hesitant romance between the harried, marigold-munching wedding planner and a shy young maid, a frustrated young boy's hopes to become a chef, a young woman trying to keep her niece safe, and a budding attraction between a pair of very photogenic teenagers. Of course, there are the staples of a wedding movie -- first everyone is giddy and love-obsessed, then they're freaking out because the tents aren't waterproofed. One of the funniest scenes has Aditi's frazzled mom going out shopping with curlers in her hair. The direction in this movie is exquisite. Nair manages to capture actions as small as a girl tucking a flower in her hair, and makes it a vital element in the plot; at the same time, there is the camera swooping and ducking as a girl does a sexy, rollicking dance for the wedding crowd, cutting between a sweet, intimate wedding ceremony and the bouncing, joyous bigger ceremony. The colors of the movie are dazzling without ever being garish. The biggest problem is that often handheld cameras are used, and the result was making me dizzy. And English, Hindi and Punjabi are all spoken, sometimes shifting in mid-sentence, so keep your eye on the subtitles. The actors are one of the best elements of "Monsoon Wedding." You don't get acting like this in most movies. The actors often will go through a scene with only one or two words, but their faces and eyes eloquently show what the characters are feeling. Vasundhara Das is pretty good as the conflicted Aditi, although she is probably the weakest performance of the film; Parvin Dabbas is charming and sensitive as her very tolerant fiancee; Naseerudin Shah is wonderful as Aditi's father, who is put in a horribly difficult position while under wedding stress; and Shefali Shetty crackles with repressed emotion as Ria. Tilotamma Shome is adorable as the maid Alice, and Vijay Raaz is delightful as her suitor. There is some profanity, not really any violence. There is a bit of smut, but nothing too substantial -- the most disturbing element is a serial child molester going after Aditi's young cousin, and former victim Ria speaking out against him. These scenes are the only ones without a trace of humor or sweetness, and it makes them all the more intensely sad and powerful. And the soundtrack is outstanding, a mix of traditional Indian music and rollicking pop that had me bouncing in my seat. "Monsoon Wedding" is a charming, delightful romantic comedy that makes the whole tired "wedding fiasco" plot seem fresh and charming again. So bring out the marigolds!
Rating: 
Summary: the 'subplot' is the best part
Review: the small sweet thing between alice and dubey is surreal and nice and real and fantastic all at once. I especially like the character Dubey. I think he is by far the best actor in the movie. Comfortably eating marigolds, fighting, talking on the phone, going home, finally dancing. I thought more could have been done with the boy from australia and the cute girl. I somewhat agree about the forced nature of "the bad thing," though it leads to a very good scene between the father and that girl. Overall, the movie is a great spectacle, lots of energy and color and all that stuff. Not corny like Kama Sutra was. (was that her movie?? not sure.) The soundtrack is wonderful, too.
Rating:
Summary: Good movie if you want to see what India looks like, I guess
Review: If you enjoy movies with no plot or intigue or surprising twists, then you may enjoy this movie. I will grant that it is a lively depiction of big-city life in India. But there is absolutely no story here - just people getting ready for a wedding. There are little bits and peices of uncaptivating drama thrown in, but basically, it is little more than a travelogue. Previous reviews have compared it to a documentary. But even a good documentary has something going on that will hold your interest besides colorful scenery and upbeat music. I think a more appropriate comparison would be to a home video - as if someone with pretty good camera skills took their camcorder to a relative's wedding in India and just shot some scenes here and there. And I guess you could say that this is a good thing - that nothing seems scripted or staged. Everything seems extraordinarily ordinary. Not much interesting stuff going on here as far as a plot. But you will feel like you've just seen some home video of someone who just visited India - you know, kind of like the travel channel, except without the scripted narrarative. Not necessarily a bad thing.
Rating:
Summary: A delicious slice of life and love!
Review: MONSOON WEDDING turned out to be one of the best movies of the year. A wonderful and joyous film about the hectic going-on's trying to plan a traditional Indian wedding. Part FATHER OF THE BRIDE, part Bollywood, and part ensemble drama, but all brilliant. The gifted actors bring the unique characters to life, for a truly memorable and emotional film. The film starts off light and turns more serious in tone when a series of family secrets are slowly revealed. ...the film is a crowd-pleaser if there ever was one. Some light comedic touches, amazing performances, and electric musical moments (with some amusing songs) add to the fun, making MONSOON WEDDING an extremely unforgettable and deliciously clever film...I practically danced my way out of the theater when it was over...this one is highly recommended! Don't miss it!
Rating:
Summary: When it rains, it pours....
Review: "Monsoon Wedding" is a gorgeous, engaging film on a number of different levels. It follows the Verma family as they prepare for their daughter Aditi's wedding to an Indian who had been living in Houston and working as a computer engineer (a common theme throughout the film is the Indian diaspora to Western countries in order to have a better chance at success, such as cousin Rahul, the family "idiot" just back from years in Australia (note: the Australian accent of actor Randeep Hooda is real: he obtained both his bachelor's and master's degrees in business management in Melbourne). The film is full of the hectic moments that can only come before stressful family gatherings such as weddings: shopping for wedding saris, building outdoor canopies, guest lists, preparations....compounded by the pouring rain of the monsoon season. "Monsoon Wedding" beautifully captures a vibrant modern India, at home in Hindi, Punjabi and English, turbans and T-shirts, and the showstopping spectacles of Bollywood. Music plays a large role in the film as a background element and also as dance numbers at the wedding, and Torontonian Mychael Danna (who also scored "Monsoon Wedding" director Mira Nair's "Kama Sutra") strikes a comfortable blend of Indian instruments and modalities with piano, bhangra rock, and several very catchy Bollywood tunes. The film is aided not only by the beautiful, exotic scenery, but also by the diverse cast of supporting characters: the scheming wedding planner Dubey, "idiot" cousin Rahul, just back from Australia and apparently an all-Australian boy, having shed most of his Indian customs and past, a sensitive younger brother more interested in cooking and dance than in sports or studies ("Let's find him a nice boy," the cranky father snaps), a cousin abused by a family member who must confront her past, and a myriad of shopkeepers, workers, and ordinary people that bring Delhi to life, much like Bombay in Manil Suri's excellent first novel "The Death of Vishnu." There are a number of humorous moments, tender exchanges between the bride and groom-to-be, who, as participants in an arranged marriage had never met until days before the wedding, lively dance numbers, and moments in daily life that could take place in any corner of the world, which make the story universal in spite of some cultural differences. The varying English accents can make the film at times difficult to understand (Randeep Hooda's Australian accent was surprisingly one of the easiest for me), and older family members especially only converse in Hindi and Punjabi (there are English subtitles). A most unusual love story on a number of levels: the renewal of love between an aging husband and wife, new love between the newlyweds, a heartfelt declaration of love from a wedding planner to a maid, budding love between those who have just met yet are instantly attracted. Add to that the exotic scenery, catchy Indian pop music and dance, beautiful saris and everyday touches of India, and a quirky cast of characters, and you have the exuberant whirlwind of sensations and emotions that is "Monsoon Wedding." Enjoy!
Rating: 
Summary: wonderful tribute to indian upper-class pomposity
Review: Most average Indians, whether living in India or abroad, will surely recognize these characters - these self-absorbed, "upper-class", "westernized" Indians, who have their funny, annoying way of speaking English and every word they speak seems to be a demonstration of their class superiority. It is a very bizzare phenomenon, the popularity of these movies about rich Indians who seem to love themselves so much and are so pre-occupied with their looks and their English-speaking ability. The most successful Hindi movie in recent times ""Khabi Khusi Khabi Gham" was an extreme example of this - nothing but a bunch of good-looking people dressed fashionably and running around singing and dancing in a huge English mansion supposedly in Bombay. I guess these movies will go over well with foreign audiences because it's something they don't see all the time. But why Indian audiences are raving is a complete mystery. I agree that Indian movies are colorful, but that certainly has little to do with the director's film-making skill. Anyone with a camcorder will get the same vibrant colors - that is India - you cannot take a bad photo. And all this over-acting and nauseating spewage of over-blown English all over the place. Who would invite any of these people over to dinner? They're all so stuck-up and irritating. I just don't get it.
Rating:
Summary: Comes Out in the Wash
Review: This film is sort of a My Big Fat Greek Wedding for those of the Indian middle class, with fewer outright laughs but just as much heart. That said, the similarities are scarce, mostly because the cultures are so different - actually, the culture of MBFGW is American and that of Monsoon Wedding is Indian - and partly because the characters are not well known American types. Where Monsoon Wedding succeeds, and I think brilliantly, is in making these unfamiliar character types seem like comfortable, old friends. In spite of the trilingual communication (English, Hindi, Punjabi), and perhaps because of the universal appeal of a story that mixes them, if they don't exactly conflict, the old-world values work with the modern-day mores and technology. The plot is simple: Aditi Verma (Vasundhara Das) accepts a marriage arranged by her parents (Naseeruddin Shah and Lillete Dubey) to a computer programmer from Houston she has never met (Parvin Dabas), after a failed affair with a married TV producer. The wedding planner (Vijay Raaz) is smitten with the Verma's maid (Tilotama Shome); a family benefactor is found to be a serial child molester; and a new romance develops between Aditi's attractive cousin Ayesha (Neha Dubey) and Rahul (Randeep Hooda). That all this works so well is a credit to excellent ensemble acting and, of course, to director Mira Nair's sure hand (she directed Mississippi Masala, 1991). It is missing the point to say that things eventually work out in the end. It's the getting there, even in the monsoon rain, that's most of the fun.
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