thomaswhickey

I saw "Good Morning Pakistan" at 4 Star Theatre in San Francisco, last night. This film felt like a lovely trip to a small town in Pakistan. I loved the cinematography with the sites and colors. The night scenes were especially captivating by the way they were lit and shot with natural light. The actors were amazing on how they brought to life their characters, which were so varied. I loved the Captain and his wife. The Captain was the beloved and respected patriarch of the town, and everyone stopped by to say 'hello,' which captured the quaintness of a small town. This film opened a window into Pakistani culture. Through the transgender character, Happy Heart, who provided much laughter, and Diya, a gypsy girl, who provided much compassion, I was surprised to know how they fit into such a Muslim society. I heard of gypsies in Europe; though, I have never seen or heard of them in Pakistan and/or India, where they had originated from.This film did not hold back on addressing current Pakistani social problems, rather the director Zee slapped these issues in the viewer's face. In a few scenes, the Captain reprimanded certain townsmen preventing them from killing their daughters because the men wanted a son to carry on the family name, and/or from throwing acid on their wives because they felt their wives had caused them to lose face. On a different note, the high pitched women singing at the beginning required some adjusting to, not being used to it in American culture; but I have seen a number of Bollywood films. 'Good Morning Pakistan' is one of my favorite films.