All Slights Deserved

Although Bollywood cinema has risen in prominence in the west in recent years, the independent tradition, what's known as the Indian New Wave or Parallel Cinema, has a history that's nearly as long as its mainstream counterpart. Its most famous exponent is of course Satyajit Ray, whose Apu Trilogy remains one of the great landmarks of world cinema. But the independent tradition of making films that don't shy away from contemporary concerns and divisive issues continues - despite some ups and downs - to the present day. Released in 2002, Mr. and Mrs. Iyer , is an example of the more recent trend towards films made in English, presumably with an eye towards the international market. This perhaps accounts for some of its mildly expository tendencies, but that doesn't detract from a touching and sensitively told melodrama.   A road movie of sorts, it's the story of Meenakshi Iyer, a young Indian mother travelling with her baby son back to the city after a trip ...

When Italian neorealist director Vittorio De Sica agreed to work with David O. Selznick it was probably a disaster waiting to happen. Although the legendary producer had enjoyed great success with work such as Gone With the Wind , Selznick was also an infamous control freak, often clashing with his directors (including frequent collaborator Alfred Hitchcock) over control of the final edit. For De Sica, whose Bicycle Thieves and Umberto D. had brought world renown, one suspects the motive was mainly financial. Why else agree to shoot a film in English when you can scarcely speak a word of the language? Add to that Selznick's requirement his wife Jennifer Jones lend her attractive but insipid presence in the lead role and the term 'Faustian pact' springs to mind. Yes, Indiscretion of an American Wife is an inconsistent and disappointing slice of fifties cinema. The plot could almost be sumarised as the final station scene of Brief Encounter stretched out to (barely...