"Struggle? Look, I'm a black man born and raised in Mississippi. Ain't a damn thing you can tell me about struggle."
A story that seemed a little simple and formulaic early on, but which really blossomed as it played out. That was of course helped considerably by the palpable chemistry between the two leads, Denzel Washington and Sarita Choudhury. Their moments walking along the bayou, flirting over the phone together, and making love are electric in such easy, natural ways. The backstory of her family's time in Uganda - ancestors having been brought over by the British to build the railroads, then descendants expelled when Idi Amin took power - along with the considerations of race within both of their cultures added depth and meaning to the romance.
Along the lines of race, we get sentiments of solidarity between people of color, but also viewpoints of darker skin people (whether they're Indian or African) being less desirable, expressed both overtly and in more subtle ways, something which naturally churns the emotions. The film is focused there, but we get glimpses of white racism and power imbalance, like that wonderful scene in the bank, but director Mira Nair was wisely restrained on this front. She also gets a little humor in, like the grandfather at the BBQ who keeps saying "bring the food!" or the new husband struggling to consummate his marriage, accidentally getting whacked in the face for his troubles. Look for the performance from Konga Mbandu as well (he plays Okelo, the friend in Uganda); it's a small part, but he's brilliant. Fun soundtrack too.
A story that seemed a little simple and formulaic early on, but which really blossomed as it played out. That was of course helped considerably by the palpable chemistry between the two leads, Denzel Washington and Sarita Choudhury. Their moments walking along the bayou, flirting over the phone together, and making love are electric in such easy, natural ways. The backstory of her family's time in Uganda - ancestors having been brought over by the British to build the railroads, then descendants expelled when Idi Amin took power - along with the considerations of race within both of their cultures added depth and meaning to the romance.
Along the lines of race, we get sentiments of solidarity between people of color, but also viewpoints of darker skin people (whether they're Indian or African) being less desirable, expressed both overtly and in more subtle ways, something which naturally churns the emotions. The film is focused there, but we get glimpses of white racism and power imbalance, like that wonderful scene in the bank, but director Mira Nair was wisely restrained on this front. She also gets a little humor in, like the grandfather at the BBQ who keeps saying "bring the food!" or the new husband struggling to consummate his marriage, accidentally getting whacked in the face for his troubles. Look for the performance from Konga Mbandu as well (he plays Okelo, the friend in Uganda); it's a small part, but he's brilliant. Fun soundtrack too.