Mississippi Masala (2022)

Absolutely the worst movie.

A brilliant film that helped define a genre

A bit overrated, but still an amazing film

It is both painfully honest and laugh-out-loud funny at the same time.

One problem have with most directors I have met is that they purposely choose the worst scripts in order to make something more out of them.Here, we have such a director. Mira Nair does a great job of directing. The script isn't "poor", but it is very bland. The story line is pretty weak. The characters are good, however, and that saves it for her.The story is weak because it is about a family forced to flee a country. If the family was "down and out" it would be a good story, but the family is almost royalty.That doesn't make them bad people, but it makes for a dull story.However, Nair must have made directing a passion. She utilizes what she has to make the most of. Here, Nair looks like the MacGyver of directing, able to take the dullest settings and make them appear interesting. Nair could take a street sign, and plant it in an artistic way. For example, much of this is set in gardens, airports, motor vehicles, businesses, streets, groceries, the dullest arenas you can imagine. Nair does well to make them appear larger than life.The story here has a "larger than life" appeal. That's because of the pretty well written characters, good acting, and polished work all around, from director down to the part time stage hand. All did excellent work.However, I couldn't rate it very high because it still bored me. I need some excitement in my story. This is not exactly a "chick flick", because the characters appeal to men. The chick is the weird one, while the lead male is the obviously sane one, the one people could identify with.The embellishment of scenery probably can make most viewers enjoy the movie more than I. I'm just a little bourgeoisie for that. What the movie suffers from is constant drag. It is twice as long as it should be. Had the movie been cut in half, I would give it 2 more stars easily. Still, that does make it a good movie for those of us who don't cheat and "pause" when we leave the room.

This film begins in the early 1970s in Uganda. Idi Amin, the insane dictator, has just announced that all non-blacks must leave the country. So, a young Meena and her parents are forced to leave the only place they've ever lived. While they are Africans, their heritage is Indian.The film picks up two decades later. The family now lives in Mississippi of all places--in a small Indian community. They work for an Indian-owned motel. Meena (Sarita Choudhury) meets a nice young black man, Demetrius (Denzel Washington). And, after dating a very short time, they sleep together...and are discovered by her relatives. The family is incensed--presumably because Demetrius is black. And, lots of chaos and repercussions occur.My feeling is that the script missed the point a bit. While only idiots might be angry at the interracial angle, I guess I'm old fashioned and can see the family getting upset that Meena is spreading her legs after only two dates. In movies, this is a good thing--in real life, pregnancy and STDs might be the result. So, had Meena and Demetrius had a deeper connection before they were discovered, the film would have made a lot more sense--and the conflict would have been much more interesting. As it is, the relationship between Meena and Demetrius is unconvincing and makes little sense. And, speaking of that, the film ends very, very, very abruptly and left me feeling very flat. Overall, a film with some real possibilities but that just didn't come together well. A bit of a disappointment.

By the order of Ugandan strongman Idi Amin all Asians were forced to leave Uganda in 1972, since it was felt that they were draining the wealth of the country. Jay (an Asian Indian), his wife Kinnu, and young daughter Mina were victims of this forced emigration. Jay was a lawyer and Ugandan native who had deep roots in the country and did not want to leave and held out to the very end of the 90 day deadline. The first act of "Mississippi Masala" takes place in Uganda and details the frightful details of the expulsion of Jay's family.Next we jump some twenty years where we find Jay's family in Greenwood, Mississippi where they are living in a community of Indians who are running a motel. Jay and Mina are doing odd jobs around the motel while Kinnu is running a small liquor store. The story only really gets underway after Mina runs her car into the back of Demetrius Williams' truck. After the accident they exchange cards, and in that exchange is also exchanged a spark of interest that quickly develops into an intimate relationship. Since Demetrius is a black man it is not long before the Indian community is dead-set opposed to the relationship and the black community follows suit after the Indians boycott Demetrius' carpet cleaning company. It is here that the movie has some deep things to say about racism. Apparently bias exists even within races-- among the Indians Mina is considered too dark to marry well. Even though Jay's family was victimized in Uganda because of their race, they cannot seem to rise to the acceptance of Mina and Demetrius' relationship. It is a bit of irony that Mina has lived in Africa while none of Demetrius' family has ever been there.Going beyond the racial undertones, we are treated to a look at how Indian immigrants to America find themselves as strangers in a strange land. It is interesting to see how an immigrant culture integrates itself into Amaerica. The older people understandably cling to the old ways while the younger people are more flexible. For the most part both cultures are ultimately enriched.This movie encourages further pursuit of its themes. Maybe studying a bit of Ugandan history or seeing movies like, "Général Idi Amin Dada: Autoportrait," or "The Last King of Scotland." For further insights into the Indian immigration experience see, "The Namesake," or "The Journey" (which also stars Rohshan Seth). For racism in America, among dozens there are, "In the Heat of the Night," and "Guess Who's Coming to Dinner."

As an Indian residing in another country, the story pulled some familiar strings in me. The movie wonderfully captures and eloquently describes the battles fought by an immigrant or a foreign resident. The racism, prejudice, exposed to, and how a confused citizen - between cultures - tries to adjust is well brought out. A gripping story, dispassionately told. While passionate love stories between two diverse cultures, are not altogether new, the way the director keeps us attentive is very impressive. Kampala to London to Mississippi. Childhood to adolescence to adulthood. Passion to Patriotism to Prejudice. Devotion to dilemma to disregard. Excellent!