CLASSICS REVISITED: The Bridges Of Madison County

We are what choices we make in life. So when a girl chooses to spend rest of her life with someone […mostly in marriages], in one way, she starts her life but in other, she stops too. Priorities change. Preferences change. Dreams get suppressed. Passion takes shelter in some dark remote corners of the house. And in such times when she probably has nothing left within to describe as her own individuality, a sudden breeze of love and care coming from outskirts evokes emotions that are hard to hold.

Extra-marital affairs are something we shun to discuss while enjoying our meals on dining table but still it exists and may be very much in the house, in the inner-self of our loving partner. Now, without being judgmental on the subject, I can say Clint Eastwood’s THE BRIDGES OF MADISON COUNTY is one of the most poignant love-story between two individuals stuck badly in their ‘far from each others’ respective lives.

A loving wife & mother of 2 teenage kids [Meryl Streep in a mesmeric superlative performance] accidentally gets to meet an National Geographic travelling photographer in his sober age [Eastwood himself] and soon, in a short-span of 4 days, they both discover strong emotions towards each other that may change the way their life should have been if they haven’t met at the first place! Years later, once she is dead, her kids are made known to this ‘embarrassing’ story that explains about the decision her mother made with her life and why.

As a matured love-saga of different kind, if the film really belongs to someone, it has to be the immensely expressive and natural Meryl Streep. With those parched eyes filled with emptiness, she never misses a shot to make you feel for her. Watch her while answering a simple question as if she really likes the life she’s in. Or in a scene where she lets Eastwood in her house but still not very sure and convinced about her submission to the thought. Clint just creates some magical flare of romance on screen as a competent actor, brilliant writer and equally amazing director. The climax scene where both the lovers are left on a crossroad to make a last choice to be united or take a u-turn to their diverse lives, is for me, the most touching rain sequence on screen ever.

Mahesh Manjarekar’s ASTITVA has impersonated same emotions in a quite Bollywood manner but DO NOT MISS Clint Eastwood’s THE BRIDGES OF MADISON COUNTY as it is pure in emotions, clean in thoughts and lyrical in passion. ABSOLUTELY RECOMMENDED!

AUGUST: OSAGE COUNTY: Emotionally multi-layered, gravely funny and deeply-moving at some parts! [3.5/5]

Towards the end, when a moody, erratic, unstable mother [Meryl Streep in a tailor-made role] confesses to one of her daughters that she had always known that her late husband had a secret affair with her own sister and even they both had a son together, little she knew that the daughter has already fallen in love with the same cousin who’s none else but her half-brother. Moments later, the daughter walks off the place crying and the mother asks in plain inexperience, “Who’s the injured party here?”

John Wells’ family-drama or rather dysfunctional family-drama AUGUST: OSAGE COUNTY has plenty of such good black humor illustrations coming out from left, right and centre with the exposé of dark secrets everyone in the family holds. Supported well by an imposing cast, AUGUST: OSAGE COUNTY is an emotionally multi-layered, gravely funny and sometimes a deeply-moving film to watch!

Soon after the accidental death; also suspected as suicidal affair of Beverly Weston [Sam Shepard], everyone related by blood and affinity to the third degree joins Violet [Meryl] in her sufferings to deal with the current loss and an incurable illness to fight for. The visitors include her eldest daughter Barbara [Played by Julia Roberts] with her separated husband [Ewan McGregor] and teenage daughter, second daughter Karen [Juliette Lewis] with her latest boyfriend, youngest daughter Ivy [Played by Julianne Nicholson] and the family of Violet’s sister. At first, it may seem and sound a strong emotional family re-union that comes together in the times of despair but soon you enter their lives, you get amazed by the dark secrets and the darker inner of their characters. The best part is that it never attacks to make you feel sorry for them, in fact the plot unravels itself in such a delectable manner that you would bound to smile till you burst in giggles.

Meryl Streep plays a drug-addict fighting with mouth-cancer and that appears totally in-sync with her loud-mouthed, mean and morose housewife who never stops being argumentative about things and blasting on others. She even doesn’t miss any of chances to put others down, no matter how close she/he is to her. Her intensive mood-swings are worth watching. 

Julia Roberts’ Barbara can equally be judgmental, dominating and ruthlessly practical. Watch her on the dining table scene where she jumps, bumps and wrestles with her mother to seize the addictive tablets from her. She is perfect to her part. On others, Juliette Lewis manages to create some comical ‘oh, how can you be so dumb’ moments. Julienne Nicholson gives a sensible performance in her cutely amusing love portions with her cousin in the film, the nervous, anxious but overtly emotional soul ‘Little Charles’ played by Benedict Cumberbatch. Though he’s there in just for a couple of scenes, still he grabs yours attention with a sincere performance.

Overall, it is a film that establishes no one is pure, no one is what he/she looks like and no one is so simple to deal with but then, that’s life. It’s complicated, intricate, difficult but in your face. Dark humor subtly weaved in the plot and a charmingly beautiful cast makes it a good sight for eyes with a constant smile! Watch it. [3.5/5]