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Universally beloved Vulture critic and Hit Factory all-star Roxana Hadadi returns to close out Denzember with a hefty chat about Mira Nair's 1991 romantic drama 'Mississippi Masala', a story of identity, the generational pursuit of belonging, and the possibility of new futures through the radical expression of love without boundaries.
We discuss the career of the undersung Nair, from her start as a documentarian through her more recent narrative features like 'The Namesake' and 'The Reluctant Fundamentalist'. Then we discuss the film's wholly singular voice and level of representation; how it refuses simple binaries about a diverse set of cultures, and why extricating a white perspective allows the story to detail difficult realities of non-white experiences. Finally, we discuss the film's impossibly alluring romantic thread between Denzel Washington and first-time performer Sarita Choudhury and the honesty that can be revealed through the pairing of a veteran actor's craft and a non-actor's authenticity.
Roxana's Top 5 Denzel Washington Performances:
Honorable Mentions: The Pelican Brief, Much Ado About Nothing
1. Mississippi Masala
2. Malcolm X
3. Man on Fire
4. The Mancuiran Candidate
5. Inside Man
Aaron's Top 5 Denzel Washington Performances:
Honorable Mentions: Philadelphia, Crimson Tide
1. Malcolm X
2. Training Day
3. Deja Vu
4. Flight
5. The Tragedy of Macbeth
Carlee's Top 5 Denzel Washington Performances:
Honorable Mentions: Malcolm X, The Hurricane
1. Ricochet
2. Crimson Tide
3. Training Day
4. Flight
5. Mississippi Masala
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Our Denzember theme song is "FUNK" by OPPO.