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Merchant's Cotton Mary divides American critics

J M Shenoy

In India, some Anglo Indian leaders are asking for film-maker Ismail Merchant's blood. They are furious that the film had shown their community in a bad light.

But in New York and Los Angeles, where the movie began its American run last Friday, some critics complained the movie was bloodless. Critics slammed the film in The New York Times, Daily News and Newsday, saying it was passionless.

Many complained against Madhur Jaffrey's performance in the title role, saying it was too shrill. A few reviewers, noting that this is the third directorial vehicle for Merchant, said he should stick to his usual role of being a producer, and let his partner James Ivory direct the films.

However, Jaffrey -- and the movie -- came for high praise from many other influential publications including the Los Angeles Times, USA Today and the Christian Science Monitor.

'Splendid.' noted Kevin Thomas in the Los Angeles Times. 'Among the finest films Merchant Ivory has ever made.' The team has made movies for more than four decades, and their hits include A Room with a View and The Remains of the Day, which were nominated for more than 12 Oscars.

'This riveting drama of a half-mad Anglo-Indian woman and the shattered memsahib whose life she tries to take over is a triumph for director Ismail Merchant,' wrote Karen Durbin in Mirabella.

'It's both a psychological horror story and an unsparing portrait of the way colonialism corrupts everyone it touches, the ruler and the ruled. The very fine Madhur Jaffrey, Greta Scacchi and James Wilby grace the film with what may well be their best performances ever.'

Andrew Sarris, the influential film writer, noted in New York Observer that Merchant's 'heart rendering portrait of Anglo-Indian snobbery and reverse snobbery' had been 'brought to luminous life' by the 'magnificent performances of Madhur Jaffrey and Greta Scacchi as two mutually dependent victims of the lingering curse of colonialism.'

The alternative, left-leaning weekly Village Voice wrote Jaffrey had taken up a daunting challenge and given a riveting performance.

Cotton Mary is being distributed by Universal Pictures across North America. Universal was the distributor of Heat and Dust, one of the earliest hits of the Merchant-Ivory team which grossed a decent $ 8 million worldwide in the 1980s.

Like in Cotton Mary, British India served as the background for Heat and Dust, which starred Shashi Kapoor and Scacchi. Jaffrey gave an arresting performance in the movie as an ever-conniving dowager.

Merchant will soon be seen in his usual role as producer when The Golden Bowl, a $ 12 million movie based on the Henry James novel, and starring Anjelica Huston, Nick Nolte, Uma Thurman, Kate Beckinsale and Madeline Potter, is released.

The 44th film from the Merchant Ivory team, it will be distributed by Miramax in the United States and the United Kingdom. Miramax is known for its high profile art house releases which are often commercial hits.

Among the hit movies backed and released by Miramax are Oscar-winners, The English Patient, Shakespeare in Love and the current Cider House Rules, which is nominated for seven Oscars including the best picture.

Merchant Ivory has successfully mined two other Henry James novels: The Bostonians and The Europeans.

He is also getting ready to direct his fourth film, reportedly based on a novel by V S Naipaul.

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