REVIEW Delightful ride with gals on bus to beach KATHERINE MONK Sun Movie Critic KAY ladies, it's not often that we have the oppor- tunity to leave the oppressive patriarchy of our homes so let's have a visibly feminist day," says Simi or something close to it to her busload of -beach-bound women. There's nothing particularly hilarious in what Simi says. If anything, she's right to point out the fact all the women on the bus from the pregnant protege to the single mother are oppressed. So why then, is Gurinder Chadha's Bhaji on the Beach BHAJI Of so incredibly Starring Kim VI funny? Harkishin, Sari Because real comedy treads the Mo Sessay line between Caprice Threata tragedy and farce, and that's exactly what director Chadha succeeds in doing in her first, and expectedly inconsistent, full-length dramatic feature Bhaji on the Beach. Assembled from the storylines of six different women, Chadha stitch. es a touching tale of pain, intolerance and human compassion into a simple movie about the women of the Saheli Asian Women's Centre and their bus trip to Blackpool one of those cold, tacky tourist Meccas on the coast of England. 6 BHAJI ON THE BEACH Starring Kim Vithana, Jimmi Harkishin, Santa Khajuria and Mo Sessay Caprice Threatre. Mature. First on the bus is Ginder (Kim Vithana Ginder left 1 her husband Ranjit for reasons I A that aren't completely clear. Strug- gling with cultural exile and caring for her young son by herself, Ginder is considering a reconciliation. But Ginder isn't the only one who's confused. Hashida is the model THE BEACH child. At 18, hana, Jimmi she's on her way Kha to medical juria and school and fulfilling her par-Mature. ents' dreams except she just found out she's pregnant with her black boyfriend's child. While no less severe, Asha's struggle is entirely different. An older woman bound by tradition, Asha watches the next generation with disgust until she too finds herself swept off her feet by an older white man, to boot. With colorful characters like the feminist "protocaller" Simi, the boy-crazy Madhu and Ladhu, and Reldia, the Chanel-toting visitor from Bombay who challenges "Old World" thinking, and you've got all the ingredients for some extra spicy comedy. But watch out for the burn. As the women attempt to find themselves in the midst of Blackpool, the men get jealous and zoom off to find them. The gender split gives Chadha a line to play with not just in terms of plain, simple editing, but narrative development as well. Dancing back and forth on either side of the gender and color borders, treading the line with the grace of a belled fool, Chadha succeeds in lancing petty problems and the festering sores of domestic violence and gender oppression. It's not always funny, its not always pretty it's not even consistently well-shot but thanks to a wonderful cast and sincere direction. Bhaji an the Beach is a delightful film full of surprises that will stick in your heart like a deep-fried dumpling. EtITERTAIIIMPIT Vrkr BLACKPOOL-bound bus of women (above) head for beach tIOLLYWOODu38-12" Ini25 Leslie Neilson Pnscilis Presley 0,1 Simpson ai 's NAKED GUN 33 THE FINAL INSULT Suggestive scenes language. swearing violenCe 7:30 32 SHORT FILMS ABOUT GLENN GOULD Adults Students $3.25 OPLAZO 88 wow' ITHEffIRE tas4 1 OiNFRAD 2:15 75 IcavV16 140 I ITU The he (Row I ITU BUDDHA The (ROW ISIDNITE Gu SPECIAL Terrnml City Presents Fri. sat. my 9 12:11 ma $5 so rug' 0 hestootedtruel Bluth tholonee Throughout rpirro Sex BC WI Cl000rtrouon 1 4 niuccrommunq ---sA 1,, It sks It Yr ,4 Action with THE tIMAX hints are 10 it771: it i i .141 4, A-- '') 1 -N tr. i .4.4 N. peatn 't' of doWS'''- l't 11' 1 i 1 i t''' 14 A. AAN -1 il 11 1 4 I -I, 1 11 -C. '4, lf ----1 i q- 4:.. 1 ---1, 4.... .,1 ,,,,) s- -II z. tli i'l -4- 1,.....,:........,,,,,. 1 0
