Arranged Marriage (2022) Film Review
In Anoop Rangi’s Arranged Marriage, there are several scenes during which you will feel the need to press stop for a few minutes. Not because of the violence, or any of the elements that would usually drive you to pause a film and breathe, but because you will need to discuss with yourself about the kind of film Rangi set out to make. I will admit that at first, you will have a hard time with this.
Perhaps, after a few hours of thinking about Arranged Marriage will allow you to radically change your mind about it. Give yourself the chance to do it because this isn’t an easily digestible film. You can and you will probably have to ask some questions about it and all the answers point to satire territory. Apparently.
Each minute of its running time brings along more and more elements to the story and in the end, the solution depends on you, the viewer, who may or may not get the “joke”. Leaving this in the hands of people who aren’t familiar with your take can be risky. In Arranged Marriage it’s so problematic, it could be considered a cinematic sin.
Arranged Marriage is Kamali’s story. She’s been traumatized by tragic events in the past and also by her family’s traditions. If you think these can’t be compared, guess again. When Kamaly goes to a family gathering, an arranged marriage is represented through an emotionally violent montage of culture that will make you want to throw up. Kamali is adamant to accept this. Her father won’t accept it.
Around this very basic premise, the film moves at a pace reminiscent of thrillers with hints of comedy. If there are any films like this out there, I would love to know about them. I would love to know how that conflict is solved. Rangi’s resorts are comedy, murder, and winks at South Asian culture. Kamali’s journey into discovering how far her family will go to force her to stay within their boundaries, is a handful of horrible ideas that aren’t funny or interesting. They’re just ideas. Imagine sitting down and writing a list of terrible things a religiously radical family will do to conserve tradition and I can guarantee you won’t write any of the things Rangi writes in the script.
Yes, Arranged Marriage can be a satire if you want it to. But it’s only a very sharp intuition that will make you understand that’s how you need to see it. If you don’t recognize this at first, this one will make you feel uncomfortable, unsettled, and disturbed at a director’s idea of funny stuff. Even if you feel the story’s filled with comedic elements, the third act and resolution turn the tables. You won’t guess what happens and you won’t be prepared.
I was shocked by Arranged Marriage because of how it proposed its story and where it took to. I wasn’t fascinated by the execution, and I admit I didn’t see the satire element right away. Dancing killers made me choke, but then its horrific ending made me observe an insight the film never clarified. I was dumbfounded, uncomfortable and almost ashamed. No film should ever make me feel like this.
If there’s one thing to be asked after Arranged Marriage, it’s “is there another cut?”. One that’s framed into something more logical and less playful. I wonder if there’s another version of Kamali’s fall down the rabbit hole.
