Yes

Had I known this film was written almost entirely in rhyming couplets, I might have stayed home to watch NDTV's coverage of Mr. Singhania's voyage to the edge of space. I wanted to write about it anyway, though parts of the film were incredibly tedious. I found myself counting syllables to spot the Haiku. I certainly didn't love it, but I am glad I saw it because one must always be supportive of intention if nothing else. These are the things that I think I believe.

The one thing I did love about Sally Potter's Yes (2004) was the role of the housemaid. She reminded me almost of the chorus in Greek tragedies who not only narrate the plot and nudge it along but also uncover deeper truths and untruths of characters and situations, offering a sense of wisdom. They are generally faceless and without identity, omniscient and clairvoyent, sometimes townspeople and sometimes hooded hordes, and it was so fitting to see that the role of the chorus was being assumed by domestic workers in a film about contemporary issues and struggles. There was a whole class-difference aspect to the movie that wasn't given enough attention to because of the concentration on race/immigrant issues. I found it to be far more interesting and insightful than the dreadfully obvious He and She characters who each typically fit into Western and Arab compartments with neatly opposing yet harmonising viewpoints on love, politics and religion.

I think movies like this one are important both in terms of art and social conciousness, but its so hard to avoid crossing the line into pretentious babble and I think that maybe this movie might have crossed the line. But one ought to watch it anyway, for its intention.

Quote of the day: "the world would be a much better place if everyone had a hot arab lover." - IMDB message board user