On C List of Movie Reviews

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City of Joy (1992)

Rate: 8
Viewed: 7/15

Cityjoy
7/15: City of Joy is the third film for me from Roland Joffé's oeuvre.

There's a constant application of his trademarks: a big-name white star, exotic locations, high realism by taking advantage of the native inhabitants, and a wrestle with morality. What I like is the human side of the story: how people manage to survive the slums in a third world country like India. When I think of it, overpopulation immediately comes to my mind along with the lack of infrastructure in depth.

Who can live this way in spite of the contaminated water and poor air quality? But they just do. It's why the movie makes for an arresting viewing. Although Patrick Swayze is the star of the show, Om Puri gives the most moving performance. In fact, if the movie was only about him and his family, it might have gotten a rating of '10' from me.

So, what went wrong? Well, for starters, the film is too ambitious. The problems are complicated, and to come up with solutions to finish off the film is impossible. That's why the fairy tale ending doesn't work. It's simple and neat, leaving many questions behind. The sub-conflicts don't flow well as they're unconnected to each other.

The other problem is Patrick Swayze. There's no transformation within his character. He's still himself throughout, no matter what. Either Patrick Swayze is miscast or isn't suitable for this type of picture. I don't like the moments when his character is forced to justify his actions because he has to feel bad about what the poor Indians are coping with; it's at once disingenuous and manipulative. On the other hand, Pauline Collins' performance is okay.

All in all, City of Joy is a noble filmmaking effort, but I wish Roland Joffé didn't have to tackle so much.