India

There are hints of understated charm and elegance sprinkled throughout The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel. Moments when two people, battered and bruised by life, share some genuine insight about the human condition. Unfortunately, those moments are lost amid a frenzy of unnecessary storylines and cartoonish complications. It’s a treat to see these veteran actors playing off each other, but you’re better off staying at a different hotel.

Charulata Written and directed by Satyajit Ray India, 1964 Adopting an understated approach, Satyajit Ray tells the story of Charulata the young and beautiful wife of an older man, Bhupati Dutta, who is the editor of a political newspaper. Centered on her restless days and introspective nature, the film takes place almost exclusively within the …

“Sure, if you want to do it the easy way,” Gonzo retorts to Fozzie Bear in an early scene in 1979’s The Muppet Movie, when the latter suggests that going to Bombay, India isn’t the smartest avenue to being a big movie star. India is home to, Fozzie’s scoffing aside, a massively profitable film industry that may seem foreign to many people in North America.

Dir. Robbie Hart, Luc Côté (2010, Canada, 104 min.) Turning 32 asks an impossible but fascinating question: what parts of growing up are universal? A sequel to the 1992 television series Turing 16, this film reconnects with the principal characters of that series and traces the direction of their lives. It jumps back and forth …