Mrs. Chatterjee vs Norway: emotional but melodramatic

Saw it on Netflix. I know it's based on a true story but it was too melodramatic for my taste. Yes, the emotional moments were there and it was heart-wrenching to see a mother part with her kids in such abnormal conditions, but the sentiments were over-the-top. I couldn't connect, somehow.

Rani has done a tremendous job and stays true to the character, but somehow, I just couldn't evoke sympathy for her as much as I should have. Why? I can't put my finger on it.

At a system level, the movie is a stark reminder of how painful cultural differences are and how delicately one has to navigate the system when one is staying abroad. Racism (overt or subtle) overlaps with the post-colonial need for agency. There's plenty of food for thought, but the movie just couldn't present a nuanced story.

There's lots of room for critique, I guess. fairly disappointed.

Thoughts???

I disliked it. 

Rani over did it. 

The story of course has been exaggerated. 

It’s not as simple to take kids away unless the parents are being abusive or endangering the kids due to negligence. Children welfare wouldn’t take such drastic step just because the house is dirty and the father is always busy or the mother feeds the kids with hands. 

There’s of course cultural differences and the asian parents have different style of parenting which I don’t really believe is necessarily worse than the Westerners but the movie was unbelievable for me. 

Those who are saying rani overdid it , I think you were expecting her character to be raised in SoBo or south Delhi who would purr and cry in calculated copious tears when her children are snatched away..

She’s playing a hyper… expressive and unapologetically in your face Bengali tigress from Budrwan, a small town in West Bengal. Have you ever heard or seen any woman from a small town in WB? Those who go to Bengali medium schools in small town , talk like that . I have met women like Debika in my life . She’s an extrovert and maybe that’s why you feel she overdid it . In my opinion , it was a brave , uninhibited and courageous performance, if Rani wanted then she could have taken the subtle route like she has done in umpteen films(remember Talaash ? Where she cried in silence in similar circumstances)… 

 I love Debika,she does questionable things but is as real as it gets. Now I understand that it’s hard for people to like someone like her. Many would call her anpad loud woman but that’s who she is in the film😊

I recommended this to  a Norwegian guy, he watched the movie in theatre and liked it.😉 

I found debika spectacularly annoying …

There were several points where I legit wanted to tell her to stfu and not make things worse for herself and her kids..

Yes I know she’s disturbed coz of what has happened to her …and I don’t expect her to stay calm and composed …but she does not learn from her mistakes and keeps repeating them ..

Jim sarabh was the most sensible character in the whole movie and the one i ended up rooting for the most, strangely enough…

the people who play ranis parents were also nice and evoked far more empathy with their plight 

I enjoyed the movie. It was not practical as mothers aren't practical or expected to be one when their child is involved. They go crazy when their child is hurt even slightly and this was the case when the children were taken away from her for years. May be Rani was a bit OTT but the reaction was justified and logical.

I think it's normal reaction of a mother whose both children have been taken away and moreover in a new n different country. She doesn't have a good relation with her husband. A mother is not able to control herself when she sees her children in pain but here they were snatched from her and tried to do everything she could to get them back.

Originally posted by: pathaka

I found debika spectacularly annoying …

There were several points where I legit wanted to tell her to stfu and not make things worse for herself and her kids..

Yes I know she’s disturbed coz of what has happened to her …and I don’t expect her to stay calm and composed …but she does not learn from her mistakes and keeps repeating them ..

Jim sarabh was the most sensible character in the whole movie and the one i ended up rooting for the most, strangely enough…

the people who play ranis parents were also nice and evoked far more empathy with their plight 

The character was annoying. She made it worse for her kids. I don't expect a mom to remain calm after her child has been taken by the authorities. But could she realize what she was doing was making it worse? How stupid can you be to try to elope with them? 

Also, someone should tell them that attorneys on the side of the defendant do not cross-examine them. They direct examine them. The opposing counsel cross-examines them. Basics of legal principle. 

Rani is such an amazing actor. I cried buckets load of tears. 

Movie is melodramatic. Debika tested patience at lot of places. Direction was fine but there were lot of open ends. It didn’t dive in deep. 

Although I just couldn’t see them taking her kids away like that. Especially when you live abroad and could relate to these things. 

All in all, I liked the movie. Hats off to the mother’s relentlessness. And to that minister. I believe it was Sushma Swaraj. Correct me if I am wrong.

Rani is bringing such fine stories on screen at her age. Being a wife to studio head gives her good opportunities and she makes use of them. I liked her Bengali -Hindi. Such fine balance. Keep entertaining us, Rani.