The Pool (2007)

The Pool is a gracious look at the severe class divisions in India. A hotel worker becomes infatuated with a wealthy family's pool and then the family itself. The relationship between the two parties grows and understanding starts to form.

I quite enjoyed it, mostly because the poorer characters were so interesting and risk-taking.

IMDB

Unmistaken Child (2008)

When a lama dies in central Asia, one of his disciples seeks out his reincarnated image in this fascinating documentary.

The film outlines the process of selecting a successor to a Buddhist spiritual leader and demonstrates the care and faith required to do so. The disciple becomes convinced that a toddler in a mountain village clearly demonstrates his master's qualities and presents him as the heir to this spiritual power. The child is presented with several objects, some belonging to the deceased lama, and if he can pick the right ones, he is clearly the new lama.

There are some rather heart breaking scenes - and perhaps they would be euphoric to a Buddhist.

IMDB

Heaven on Earth (2008)

This Canadian film explores the dark side of long distance arranged marriage.

Chand leaves her family in India to join her new future husband in a suburb of Toronto. She is quickly resented by her mother-in-law and is viewed as a liability in her new family. Chand copes with the abuse she suffers through fantasy and finds the strength to rise against her oppressors.

Official Site | IMDB

A Passage to India (1984)

This epic film tells the story of a colonized India that is nearly ready to revolt the the personal story of some Brit ex-pats and local nationals.

Adela travels to the interior of India to become engaged to a British city magistrate. She befriends an Indian professor who is so smitten by the fact that a white woman would take the time to befriend him that he decides to extend incredible hospitality to her. He invites her on a trip to see a set of caves. The result is catastrophic and the entire empire goes on trial.

It helps that the film is based on a thick novel giving it incredible depth. Some of the events are somewhat difficult to piece together, but the thread holding the film intact is the parallel of one people's subjugation of another and the one thing that can mend the brokenness.

IMDB

The Namesake (2006)

The Namesake is based on the novel by Jhumpa Lahiri and it shows because it isn't a traditional formulaic film, but rather one with several layers of tone and fabric and generations.

Young Gogol receives his name as an interim one from his Indian born parents. The name becomes his bane, just as he views his Indian heritage as he lives in the only country he really knows - the United States. The story begins with his parents marriage in India and rapid move to the States to start a new life. The focus later becomes Gogol as he grows up with a dual identity.

The story is powerful as it weaves heritage and adaptation into a rich tale of love and loss.

Official Site | IMDB

Youth Without Youth (2007)

Writer and Director Francis Ford Coppola uses his fame and money to put produce a film that perhaps only he can understand.

When an elderly Romanian professor is struck by lightning and survives only to become young again, but retaining all of his prior knowledge, people take note (especially Nazis who are after the secret of perpetual youth). As he no longer ages, he devotes himself to learning languages and science better than anyone else. A woman joins him on his quest as she experiences trances that bring her closer and closer to the dawn of humanity.

The story is very convoluted and some of the only redeeming factors are the great acting from Tim Roth and the hope that something will be explained in the end.

Official Site | IMDB

Slumdog Millionaire (2008)

"Who wants to be a millunaire?" Danny Boyle who brought us Trainspotting and 28 Days Later offers us a film of tragedy and triumph. 

Jamal is orphaned and grows up in the slums. He loses his childhood friend and decides to find her by going on the most popular show in India "Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?" He miraculously is able to answer the questions and we get to see the flashbacks that allowed him to know the trivia.

The film is charged up. The music is exhilarating. The setting is heartbreaking. The love story is innocent and pure.

Official Site ❘ IMDB

The Darjeeling Limited (2007)

Having greatly enjoyed Bottle Rocket, Rushmore, The Royal Tenenbaums, and to a slightly lesser extent The Life Aquatic, I was very excited to watch Wes Anderson's next chapter in his saga of quirky, rich, 30-somethings. The travels of three orphaned brothers through India is colourful, comedic and offers am interesting kaleidescope of dysfunction.

In typical Anderson style, the surroundings are surreal and the lines in the film dry and passionless. We are affected most by the fact that the characters seem resigned to being disaffected (until the end of course). The cinematic movements mirror his earlier films and

My one complaint, and this happened in The Life Aquatic, is that the characters have very little depth and it is difficult to empathize with them. I'm sure that a second viewing will justify giving this 9 stars instead of 8.

Truth: Life begins to have meaning when one places other people's needs ahead of his own. Someone authors our faith, we must decide who that will be.

Official Site | IMDB