"Though occasionally overbearing, Mychael Danna's lush score mixes well with a half-dozen strong songs by prominent Indian composer A.R. Rahman, showcased in nicely handled montage sequences."
http://www.variety.com/review/VE1117928099?categoryid=31&cs=1 Water (Canada) A Mongrel Media release (in Canada)/Fox Searchlight release (in U.S.) of a David Hamilton production. (International sales: Celluloid Dreams, Paris.) Produced by David Hamilton. Executive producers, Mark Burton, Ajay Virmani, Doug Mankoff, Hamilton. Directed, written by Deepa Mehta. Shakuntala - Seema Biswas Kalyani - Lisa Ray Narayan - John Abraham Chuyia - Sarala Madhumati - Manorama Patiraji, aka "Auntie" - Vidula Javalgekar Gulabi - Raghuvir Yadav Sadananda - Kulbushan Kharbanda Rabindra - Vinay Pathak By EDDIE COCKRELL advertisement Sarala, foreground, plays the young widow Chuyia in Deepa Mehta's 'Water.' Film Jobs Audio Room Producer, Los Angeles, CA United States Fox Networks Group Vice President - Communications, TLC, Silver Spring, MD Discovery Communications Manager, Finance, Los Angeles, CA New Regency Productions More film jobs powered by BOX OFFICE TOP TEN Sponsored by: Weekly: Sep. 2 - 8, 2005* in millions1 The Transporter 2 $22.9 2 The 40 Year Old Virgin $19.1 3 The Constant Gardener $12.6 4 Red Eye $10.6 5 The Brothers Grimm $10.3 6 Four Brothers $7.3 7 Wedding Crashers $6.8 8 March of the Penguins $6.3 9 The Skeleton Key $4.6 10 The Cave $4.3 view full chart view box office news Deftly balancing epic sociopolitical scope with intimate human emotions, all polished to a high technical gloss, Deepa Mehta's "Water" is a profoundly moving drama about an 8-year-old Hindu widow sent to live in an Indian ashram with other widows who, in strict adherence with Hindu texts, are condemned to the same outcast fate. Final pic in helmer's thematically linked but dramatically unrelated "Elemental Trilogy" (1996's "Fire," 1998's "Earth""Earth"), this deeply satisfying film will flow from plum opening-night slot at Toronto fest to upscale arthouse berths beginning Nov. 4 in Canada via Mongrel Media. Fox SearchlightFox Searchlight can expect a similar welcome Stateside. Incredibly, pic shows no signs of being the second pass at production following a 2000 shutdown in the wake of on-set riots sparked by Hindu fundamentalists who objected to the film's portrayal of child widows' being prostituted. Rather, it appears that this strife, which prompted recasting and reshooting on locations in Sri Lanka under a fake production title, has toughened Mehta's focus. Gone is the tendency toward heart-on-the-sleeve emotions that marred both her previous trilogy entries and interim pics "Bollywood/Hollywood""Bollywood/Hollywood" and "The Republic of Love." Sentimentality is replaced here by a deep passion and calm confidence in the power inherent in this startling story (closing title card claims 2001 Indian census lists some 34 million widows). In 1938 India, as the progressive ideas of Mahatma Gandhi are working their way across the country, young Chuyia (Sarala) is told by her distraught father that the older man to whom she's been married has died following an illness. "Do you remember getting married?" he asks her gently. "No""No" is the solemn reply. The girl is promptly sent to a widows' home, but the unfamiliarity of her surroundings doesn't suppress the child's natural spunkiness and unforced charm. She soon settles in to ashram life among the 14 other widows, all of whom are shunned by society. Their house is ruled by the huge, foul- tempered Madhumati (Manorama), who smokes pot in the evening while condemning Gandhi's policies with local pimp and hermaphrodite Gulabi (Raghuvir Yadav). Together, Madhumati and Gulabi prostitute the beautiful young widow Kalyani (Lisa Ray), offering her to the rich Brahmins across the river; when she's not working, Kalyani prays to Krishna and shares her forbidden puppy with Chuyia. Much quieter is middle-aged Shakuntala (Seema Biswas), to whom Chuyia gravitates. When handsome and idealistic lawyer Narayan (John Abraham) helps Chuyia corral the puppy after it escapes, an escalating romance is sparked between him and Kalyani that eventually destabilizes the dynamic in the house, with tragic consequences. An unerringly stately pace infuses these characters with a quiet dignity that elevates the material and holds pic together across a running time that flirts with the overlong. Cast is terrific, highlighted at either end of the generation gap by newcomer Sarala's innocent resilience and an utterly charming turn by Vidula Javalgekar as an elderly, sweets-obsessed widow known as "Auntie." Though in the background for much of the film, Biswas becomes a force in the third act: Her climactic, frantic handing-off of Chuyia to Narayan on a train to freedom that Gandhi himself is riding on, and her final gaze back at the life to which she must return, reprep pic's finest moments. Tech credits are tops down the line, led by the shimmering blue-green palette of d.p.d.p. Giles Nuttgens, who first worked with Mehta on the final episode of "The Indiana Jones Chronicles"--where she first conceived of the story that would eventually become "Water." Though occasionally overbearing, Mychael Danna's lush score mixes well with a half-dozen strong songs by prominent Indian composer A.R. Rahman, showcased in nicely handled montage sequences. Camera (Kodak color, widescreen), Giles Nuttgens; editor, Colin Monie; music, Mychael Danna; songs composed by A.R. Rahman; lyrics by Sukhwinder Singh; production designer, Dilip Mehta; art director, Sumant Jayakrishnan; costume designer, Yusuf; assistant director, Dylan Gray. Reviewed at Toronto Film Festival (Gala, Opening Night), Sept. 8, 2005. Running time: 117 MIN. With: Gerson da Cunha, Ronica Sajnani, Meera Biswas, Waheeda Rehman, Buddhi Wickrama, Rinsly Weerarathne, Iranganee Serasinghe, Hermantha Gamage, Ronica Sajnani, Rishma Malik, Sanoja Bibile, Dolly Ahluwalia Tewari, Daya Alwis, Delon Weerasinghe, Seema, Francisca Mudannayake, Mulchand Dedhia, Isuru Navodya, Niroshan Wijesinghe, Vasanth Nath, Mohan Jhangiani, Zul Vilani (voice). (Hindi dialogue) ------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor --------------------~--> Life without art & music? Keep the arts alive today at Network for Good! http://us.click.yahoo.com/iuUuID/dnQLAA/n1hLAA/iyUplB/TM --------------------------------------------------------------------~-> Explore, Experience, Enjoy A.R.Rahman - The Man, The Music, The Magic. Only at arrahmanfans.com - The definitive A.R.Rahman e-community. Homepage: http://www.arrahmanfans.com Admin: [EMAIL PROTECTED] To Subscribe: [EMAIL PROTECTED] To Unsubscribe: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/arrahmanfans/ <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
