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Too much of everything

Excellent, Without a doubt!!

A Masterpiece!

Let me be very fair here, this is not the best movie in my opinion. But, this movie is fun, it has purpose and is very enjoyable to watch.

Lucia Lane (Jennifer Kendal), self-absorbed and demanding, is a British author who has come to Bombay to research her next novel. She falls in love with Vikram (played by Kendal's real-life husband Shashi Kapoor), a younger, popular Bollywood hero. The already complicated relationship is worsened by the fact that Vikram's wife (Aparna Sen) knows of the affair, and that his friend, Hari (Zia Mohyeddin), is in love with Lucia, and roiling with jealousy.Ruth Prawer Jhabvala has written a screenplay that is both credible and compelling, with dark undertones. One simply can't like Lucia and Vikram, and yet one must continue to watch as they head towards disaster. As with many Merchant Ivory films, this one relies heavily on the actors' facial expressions to show emotions and set the mood, and these four main actors do an excellent job. Overall, it's a rather unpleasant movie that will simultaneously grip and repel, and keep the viewer watching till the very end.

I love the Merchant Ivory films and I love the 70s aesthetics, so I was quite drawn initially into this movie. The initial sequence around the giant typewriter is spectacular. Unfortunately, it just fizzled out from that moment onwards. I just couldn't bring myself to care about any of the characters: the guys are stupid, the female lead vain, narcissistic and self-centered to the point of implosion.It remains somewhat watchable as a document of an era, but it's a surprisingly poor movie.

I don't know of many films that explore behind the scenes of the prolific Indian film industry, but I love the view into a new world offered by this one. In general, I like the films of Merchant-Ivory- they are almost always beautiful, well-crafted, well-acted and excellent at handling delicate subject matter, subtle emotions, and stories of character growth and psychology. I think BOMBAY TALKIE is one of the best, on par with the later triumphs of A ROOM WITH A VIEW, HOWARD'S END and REMAINS OF THE DAY. Visually, the movie has that stunning, crisp, breath-taking combination of color, light and space that made every frame of A ROOM WITH A VIEW so wonderful to watch- and the beauty of the film's (BOMBAY TALKIE)visuals are especially nice considering it was made in 1970. The use of music, singing and dance also bring an interesting quirkiness to the film, and help present the world of the characters- all of whom are interesting, especially the hero, his wife Marla (who gives a stunning performance), and his ex-girlfriend (the scene between her and the hero, once Lucia has left him to follow a guru, is one of the most beautifully executed late night conversation scenes I've ever seen, and gives so much insight into a relatively insignificant character's life and relationships- on par with the drinking scene in Hal Hartley's SIMPLE MEN). Most fantastic about this film was the screenplay- one of Ruth Prawer Jbvala's better ones, well-directed (as usual) by James Ivory. It is poetic, when it needs to be, sinister when the moment calls for it, and it ties nicely into the ending with excellent stops along the way to comment on Hollywood film making, sham-spiritualism quests by Westerners in India, the loneliness of art, the stupidity of petty, fear-controlled people, and the destructive quality of unhealthy obsession. A fine, enjoyable film, not at all dated, not for everyone by any means, but worth looking into if you're interested in seeing something different.

This 1970 movie starring the then Indian heart throb Shashi Kapoor, and his long time wife Jennifer Kendal, or Kapoor (billed with one or the other name in her films)is in a time warp. An early merchant-Ivory production, it shows how far this duo and their other usual collaborators have come. On another level, to see what Bombay looked like 30 years ago, compared to what it is today is a shocking experience in time travel. To see Shashi Kapoor as a slim youthful sex symbol today, when one has been seeing him in the 90s, say, in 'IN CUSTODY.' as an incredibly obese old dying man with now lightened hair, is also one of the most striking transformations of any former sex symbol in history. Marlon Brando resembles his former self much more than Kapoor, just to hint at the transformation. Another step back in time is to see Kapoor's long time wife (married from 1958 until her death from cancer in September 1984) in essence playing herself. Except for the refreshing, nostalgic look at Bombay, the other subjects this film features are best left alone, like the dead. What you will see is very depressing. And the entire theme of the movie, already weak in 1970, is completely irrelevant now. Spare yourself the pain. I only got through it because I didn't realize the youthful, healthy Kapoor was the monstrously looking creature he is today. And even when the utter bitchiness of the late Jennifer Kendal had me on the edge, I stuck it out through the rest of the film. But it is an experience I would not recommend.