Mehta's adaptation of Selvadurai's novel is beautiful and lush and heartbreaking. The story of Arjie, a young Tamil homosexual man is both classic in its narrative of queer people finding their peace in a world that won't accept them, and uniquely Sri Lankan, in its attention to detail of the specific culture of this man.
I understand the film makers had trouble telling a gay Tamil story both in terms of where they could physically film the movie and in finding a Tamil cast. The topic remains so taboo, even a Canadian film maker cannot find a cast willing to tell it. It is that queer by definition and that dangerous.
But with Mehta's experienced and gentle hand, Funny Boy becomes a beautiful story. I can be a bit jaded towards coming out stories like this as it feels like a narrative that has played out time and again, and we've had to suffer through it time and again. But in some ways that's the beauty and importance of these stories, and the universality of them. Still, there is much for western audiences to learn about the specific nature of this Tamil story which adds more colour to the queer rainbow of narratives.
Funny Boy
Starring: Arush Nand, Brandon Ingram, Agam Darshi, Ruvin De Silva, Nimmi Harasgamma, Rehan Mudannayake
Director: Deepa Mehta
Writers: Shyam Selvadurai, Deepa Mehta
No comments:
Post a Comment