Mississippi Masala (Mira Nair, 1991)
Mira Nair brings to bear her influences, academic and cultural, to craft a portrait of a community and its tribalist sensibilities. There is an ethnographic emphasis on faces here but also enough room for the story to be told through big emotions. In fact much of the movie is pictured through reactions to what unfolds: be it Jay’s obstinate idealism and eventual heartbreak, Okelo’s loss, Mina’s yearning or even the indignant reactions of the many uncles and aunties to petty gossip. Zooming out the camera is observant, unhurried. A story about immigrants and placelessness nevertheless feels situated. Even if the dialogue for most Indian characters often teeters on the edge of being a sort of reductive pan-Indian kitsch, the characters are specific, idiosyncratic enough to make this entirely believable. The research and care is evident but rather than make something cloyingly sentimental, this is a keen indictment of the immigrant Indian community in the US, who in the pursuit of being model minorities abdicate all racial and class solidarity in favour of alloying themselves with the ruling elite.
Unfortunately the movie is let down by a stiff Sarita Choudhury performance and a rusty Sharmila Tagore. The Indian supporting cast are aces but Denzel is effervescent and steals every scene he’s in. There is an electricity to him and I’m ashamed to admit that all these years I’d taken him for granted. I’ve learnt my lesson, cause even though I watched this with my partner, I felt single for the entire run time and after.