"City of Joy" has a lot going for it: A great director ("The Killing Fields," "The Mission"), a great cast (Patrick Swayze, Om Puri) and outstanding locations/sets (Calcutta). It's a worthwhile film with a lot of good and it's clear that 2008's "Slumdog Millionaire" borrowed from it, but it's not a standout picture.
Why? Because great films take you into the world of the characters to the point that you forget you're watching a movie. While I think "City of Joy" works in some ways, it failed to do this for me. Too often I was conscious of the fact that I was watching actors in a movie.
Another problem is that the story jumped around without a good sense of flow. For instance, near the end with about 25 minutes left, the story jumps to the monsoon storms and the salvation of someone, which takes a few minutes; it then jumps right back into the main story. If you had gotten up to go to the kitchen you'd have missed it. Bad flow.
Regardless, this is a film that can have a positive effect on your life. Suddenly, your life doesn't seem too bad and you find yourself exceedingly grateful for your lot in life. I literally wept through parts of the first half, which is a sign of an effective film, even if it's a mixed bag.
This one needed more time & effort to develop, but sometimes filmmakers pull the plug prematurely to just "get the job done," and it shows.
The film runs 2 hours, 12 minutes.
GRADE: C.
Why? Because great films take you into the world of the characters to the point that you forget you're watching a movie. While I think "City of Joy" works in some ways, it failed to do this for me. Too often I was conscious of the fact that I was watching actors in a movie.
Another problem is that the story jumped around without a good sense of flow. For instance, near the end with about 25 minutes left, the story jumps to the monsoon storms and the salvation of someone, which takes a few minutes; it then jumps right back into the main story. If you had gotten up to go to the kitchen you'd have missed it. Bad flow.
Regardless, this is a film that can have a positive effect on your life. Suddenly, your life doesn't seem too bad and you find yourself exceedingly grateful for your lot in life. I literally wept through parts of the first half, which is a sign of an effective film, even if it's a mixed bag.
This one needed more time & effort to develop, but sometimes filmmakers pull the plug prematurely to just "get the job done," and it shows.
The film runs 2 hours, 12 minutes.
GRADE: C.