In a former episode of the BBC documentary Who Do You Think You Are? the journalist Anita Rani explored her family's experiences of the partition of India. It was a moving piece of television for it underlined the chaos , violence and misery the forced migrations of the Sikh, Muslim and Hindu populations as Pakistan was forged out of the India subcontinent.
The " story" how Lord Moutbatten oversaw this move to independence has recently been made into a film.The Viceroy's House, which we had the misfortune to sit through last night, is an attempt to show the human side of " Partition" through the experiences of the Indian staff who served the British hoi polloi.
Directed by Gurinda Chadra, the whole thing feels like a awkward mash up of Downton Abbey with a Bollywood melodrama as the Indian actors seem to overplay the drama whilst actors such as Gillian Anderson ( playing a rather forward thinking Lady Moutbatten) underplay beautifully.
And one is left feeling that the melodrama portrayed by the servants rather trivialised the real and very terrible tragedy Partition brought to two new nations.
The Prof harrumphed his way through The Viceroy's House and shook his head when this trailer was shown just before the main feature
Described thus
"A Dog's Purpose" shares the soulful and surprising story of one devoted dog who finds the meaning of his own existence through the lives of the humans he teaches to laugh and love."
The Prof could see me sobbing within the first minute and said gruffly
" Not one for you then"
I agreed
Anyhow to finish we have gay Disney! What a palaver over Gaston's fat little Queen side kick Le Frou! It's all been too much about nothing ,especially as the Russians have got their knickers in a
twist about it.......what no one seems to realise that Le Frou is the second gay character in Disney
No one has mentioned Ursula from The Little Mermaid!
Now if she wasn't a fucking drag queen my dick's a kipper!
Hey ho!
The " story" how Lord Moutbatten oversaw this move to independence has recently been made into a film.The Viceroy's House, which we had the misfortune to sit through last night, is an attempt to show the human side of " Partition" through the experiences of the Indian staff who served the British hoi polloi.
Directed by Gurinda Chadra, the whole thing feels like a awkward mash up of Downton Abbey with a Bollywood melodrama as the Indian actors seem to overplay the drama whilst actors such as Gillian Anderson ( playing a rather forward thinking Lady Moutbatten) underplay beautifully.
And one is left feeling that the melodrama portrayed by the servants rather trivialised the real and very terrible tragedy Partition brought to two new nations.
The dishy Manish Dayal with Huma Queresi
The Prof harrumphed his way through The Viceroy's House and shook his head when this trailer was shown just before the main feature
"A Dog's Purpose" shares the soulful and surprising story of one devoted dog who finds the meaning of his own existence through the lives of the humans he teaches to laugh and love."
The Prof could see me sobbing within the first minute and said gruffly
" Not one for you then"
I agreed
Anyhow to finish we have gay Disney! What a palaver over Gaston's fat little Queen side kick Le Frou! It's all been too much about nothing ,especially as the Russians have got their knickers in a
twist about it.......what no one seems to realise that Le Frou is the second gay character in Disney
No one has mentioned Ursula from The Little Mermaid!
Now if she wasn't a fucking drag queen my dick's a kipper!
Hey ho!
My idiot ex daughter in law is getting up a petition to boycott "Belle" because of the homosexual content. Age is not doing her brain much good. And you've just put me right off kippers.
ReplyDeleteI bet they never make a film of the true story of Edwina and Dickie Mountbatten.
My husband had a few very good long time friends who were gay. Some were gay and some were flaming queens :)
DeleteThey were my baby boys godmothers, they were my advisors when we were all going to the NYC Ballet or to the theatre ..
They argued constantly over the pros and cons of cutting my hair ..
They gave me the best Baby Shower there ever was and every summer we would go spend a month with them on Fire Island, NY .. where my baby boy would run around laughing and my daughter would keep asking me where was the Queen ... god bless her. .. my daughter not the queen .. although God Bless the Queen too <3
kippered = utterly defeated or outwitted
ReplyDeleteBetter than your walnuts being pickled!
ReplyDeleteOur English born local radio host dines on kippers at times. I think they smell bad and maybe not taste any better. It so easy to create tears with a sad dog story.
ReplyDeleteDisney will hi-jack anything to make money.
ReplyDeleteYep - Ursula looks like a mash-up of Divine & what Kim Kardashian will look like 40 years from now.
ReplyDeleteIf your Dick's a kipper shouldn't you be wearing a cod piece? :)
ReplyDeleteWell done. ;-)
DeleteIndeed!
DeleteLove the little mermaid!
ReplyDeleteFirst off, Disney has hijacked Grimm's Fairy Talea making them less morbid. Second, DIsney kills off the parents ALL THE TIME. So that is okay?? HAHA
ReplyDeleteThere are Christian groups up in arms here in America because it is "pushing a liberal agenda". No you morons, it is called telling a story and there are may different lives and different ways to live. Not everyone has religion dictate their lives.
These are the times I am so grateful to my mom, who sent me to Catholic school no less, and told me to form my own opinions about religion, regardless of what I was taught. Amen to that.
Also, the interview with Anita Rani sounds very interesting. WIll see if I can find it here.
DeleteDisney animated films have been bedazzled with Gay characters for years, and not just because there are quite a few gay animators; rather, Disney learned a long time ago there is much more money in equality than in inequality.
ReplyDeleteI hate people who boycott films.
ReplyDeleteFreedom of Speech, Freedom of Expression, Freedom !!! go live in Russia or Iraq if you don't want to see a naked gay cartoon character ..
My sons 2 Godmothers were gay .. not just gay, they were Drag Queens and I loved them like family, they thought they Were family ! All thanks to my husband who never saw people in color or sexual thinking or political thinking ... he saw them as humans.
And me being from the South ... had a lot to learn from him and I did.
I always wonder about these tight arsed people who see "Gay" in everything .. a children's story ? what is on that persons mind ... not what is on our minds, that is for sure.
You are sooooo right. They seem to go out of their way to see the evil, the heretics and never take the time to look for the good or positive. Must be exhausting to be so self righteous you know??
DeleteI was making a film once where, in the background, two french 'extras' had to greet in the middle of a large empty square. They threw their arms in the air, kissed several times, and shrieked with delight at their chance meeting. David Putnam (who was directing) made them do it again, and again, and again, and again. Eventually he gave up and cut them out.
ReplyDeleteOnly you cro...only you
DeleteIt would be wonderful if we could all go about our business without putting everyone in a box and labelling them. Come on people if you don't agree with the content of a film don't go to see it. Likewise if you don't like what's on the television switch it off. It's so painstakingly obvious!!!
ReplyDeleteYou crack me up :D x
ReplyDeleteThought about going to see The Viceroy's House, but will save it for later -- on the box!
ReplyDelete'Viceroy' is on tomorrow's agenda for me, but must admit I sigh with an "Oh dear!" every time (too often) I see the trailer, which has become one of those which puts me off from wanting to see the film, which I didn't particularly anyway. However, duty calls! ('Sigh').
ReplyDeleteDont both Raymondo
DeleteI'll close my eyes (which may not be a bad thing) and think of England, J.G.
DeleteFor a real sense of what happened before and during partition stick with The Jewel in the Crown. It's never been bettered.
ReplyDeleteYive never seen it
DeleteI haven't seen it either .. I think it must have been on while we were in Argentina ...
DeleteWith the other three books it was a joy only surpassed by the movie, which was shown only on tv, a medium I have never being attracted to but I forgot about the medium to adore the film. Of course my Scottish relatives were always saying something or another about that the story was just a film from the book and so not very real, intended I was sure to wash down the truth of the story , which of course in my perverse and arbitrary young mind did nothing else but to confirm that was exactly how it must have been. I love the book as well but that film was an invitation to come in, to share a cup of tea, so beautiful and real to me, and when she died I simply paled away, it brought so many tears then. I guess I have to get downstairs and find those four books because I am sure I kept them. Thank you Bel-Ami for the memories.
Delete**I just found out that can be found at Netflix so I guess I am going there now.
Want to see a fabulous film with wonderful music ( I am listening to it now ) ...
ReplyDeleteIn The Mood For Love
by Wong Kar Wei
I think there was a good review in the Guardian when it came out.
Tony Leung s quite a dish
DeleteIsn't he ?!
DeleteI'm not a movie goer (as I've probably said before) but I do love your reviews, John - they are entertainment in themselves!
ReplyDeleteSorry, my attention wandered after mention of Anita Rani....
ReplyDeleteI was a big X-Files fan, so I might watch that film just to see Gillian Anderson.
ReplyDeleteAs far as Disney goes, I've often wondered if Chip'n'Dale were gay.
I have seen her in a few films now, and she is very good.
DeleteI also think she is quite beautiful, her coloring, her not so Hollywood looking style ..
All chipmunks are gay, did you ever see one that look unhappy ?
ReplyDeletelol
John, I can't believe you have never seen "The Jewell in the Crown" and I hope they never try to remake it. It's my mother favourite besides "Hornblower" and I think she could recite both series.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the trailer of A Dog's Purpose which I hadn't heard of before. Definitely one for Mrs P the dog lover :)
ReplyDeleteFantastic one-liner at the end, I may be saying that a lot from now on (not that I have a dick, but I'm using it anyway :D )
ReplyDeleteI need to see 'A Dog's Purpose' .... I've never heard of it :-)
ReplyDeleteI am quite happily dickless, but if I don't remember your remark and use it myself in future, "My dick's a kipper!" -Kate
ReplyDelete