Each month, one of the sister-in-laws will pick a movie for the other two. For some reason, watching two movies each month was too hard (go figure). The chosen film will be described, briefly, in the post section, and the comments will be used by the others as a place to discuss.
Our archives will be left on the site. That way, if you're curious, you'll have a list of all our previous reviewed films for your pleasure.
This month, it's my turn, Lisa, and I have chosen Shades of Ray.
Here is the description from their IMDb page: American-born Ray Rehman comes home one night to find his Pakistani father on his doorstep. Ray's Caucasian mother threw him out. It's an awkward time for his father to move in as Ray just proposed to his Caucasian girlfriend - who hasn't given him an answer. While trying to get his parents back together, Ray meets a South Asian girl of mixed descent, just like him, and must decide where his identity truly lies.
I saw this movie during the 2008 Austin Film Festival. It was one of those movies that sounded interesting, but didn't really know anything about. I ended up falling in love with it. I connected with it because I am also of mixed race and have had the identity issue before. I really loved the way they addressed this confusion in a beautiful playful manner.
I'll save my full review and discussion points for when the girls have watched it. Hope you enjoy!
Thanks for posting, Lisa! I will definitely get to watching this movie.
ReplyDeleteWell, so looks like we failed again. We're trying, we're trying.
ReplyDeleteI'm going to go ahead and comment on this movie, whether or not the other two have seen it yet. Maybe they have and they just haven't commented yet. Who knows.
So, as I said in the description, I saw this movie during AFF 2008. This was one of the movies I saw without Jessica, which was our first year together and most of it was spent apart. It was shown in the makeshift theater at the Long Center with the director/writer in attendance. Sadly, Zachary Levi was not there.
I really wish he was. Okay, to be honest, I don't think it would of mattered as much as it would of now. I have a huge crush on him, be in nerd induced, and would love to meet him now. One day...
I really connected with this movie when I saw it, and actually think more so now 3 years later. I come from a mixed background, and while it's not as polar opposite as Pakistani and Anglo, you still feel pulled in two directions. I remember several times when I was little having to either defend or convince people of my heritage. I even brought an album of my dad's family to prove I was Latino. Things like that stick with you, and you always feel like you have to explain your background. One big explanation might be why you aren't participating in your said heritage.
Seeing Ray going through it helped me realize that I'm not the only one who has issues with it, and in a way helped me move past this to the mulit-cultural person I have become. Granted, relationships aren't the same as events, like having or not having a Quinceanera, but you still feel that pull.
The other element that has hit me later in life is that feeling that you own something to your parents, or that you should do something on their behalf. On the outside, before he really talked to his parents, Ray saw the troubles of their marriage based on their cultural difference. I wonder if part of the reason Ray dates Sana is because he saw his parents struggle.
Another good movie about this subject matter is The Namesake with Kal Penn. Luckily we've all seen that one! Right, Missy, you've seen it?
I tend to love the character films, the ones where unexpected growth happens. It's true to "real life" when you never know when something is going to disrupt your life and you're going to have to make a change. I appreciated the fact that this movie starts out with someone who seems put together, but changes, on his own to some extent. Sure, he is forced to come to certain terms of his life because of his parents relationship, but he also tests out theories for himself. Maybe it was just the way it was written and the character of Ray wasn't a douche so I wanted to watch him grow.
I'm interested to see what the others thought. I know they will bring out other observations and discussions with their comments.
Guys...guys...?