Lagaan: Once Upon a Time in India

Punctuating the films dramatic performances and riveting plotline are choreographed musical numbers to rival any Broadway production.....weaves a stunning group performance..... ... Full Review

the glory of the athletic endeavorThe film is set in the late 1800's in a small Indian village during the time of colonial British control.....weaves a stunning group performance..... ... Full Review

Still, there's no denying that when this film is good, it's very good. This epic-length period piece (it's a few minutes shy of four hours) was a blockbuster in its home country, but whether audiences here will be interested enough in the story to stick around that long or respond to the film's odd mix of romance, political intrigue and musical numbers remains to be seen. ... Full Review

What's genuinely fascinating is how director Ashutosh Gowariker follows the basic, linear structure of a Hollywood film while incorporating the stylish and often rhapsodic musical numbers of Bollywood musicals. Lagaan's" visuals are absolutely stunning: the compositions evoke the wide panoramas of Fox' classic CinemaScope productions; a rich panorama of earth tones, reds, and fiery amber - beautifully photographed at day or night - soothes the eyes; the film's $6 million budget also means every person you ... Full Review

Ashutosh Gowariker's glorious "Lagaan: Once Upon a Time in India" is to the Bollywood musical epic what Ang Lee's "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" was to the period martial arts action adventure: an affectionate homage to a popular genre that raises it to the level of an art film with fully drawn characters, a serious underlying theme and a sophisticated style and point of view. ... Full Review

The film is well directed. It's a one-track, do-or-die film. The long takes in the song sequences, and otherwise work very well. Mostly the film is on a high (it's a semi-comedy for chrissakes) and the lows are quite contrived. ... Full Review

On top of that, the film is a quintessential Bollywood production, meaning all those opulent song and dance numbers are in heavy supply. How shameful it is that it took an Academy Award nomination for Best Foreign Language Film to get Sony to see the light and give a theatrical release to the rousing and delightful Indian import "Lagaan: Once Upon a Time in India," which they had already consigned to the direct-to-home-entertainment market back in January. ... Full Review

LAGAAN: ONCE UPON A TIME IN INDIA Rated:PG For movie details, please click here . The film includes a half dozen expansively choreographed songs, the best among them a sort of rain dance that careens through the dusty village. ... Full Review

A pessimist might become disgruntled with the song and dance routines, which tend to interrupt tense moments; yet the lyrics to the songs are surprisingly poetic. On the other hand, if you really want to enjoy this film you cannot be afraid to laugh at it. ... Full Review

The signature tune Lagaan: Once upon a time has some good orchestration structured in the fashion of some Mozart-like symphony. His score for Aamir Khan's period drama Lagaan is a delectable blend of Indian classical music, folk melodies and jazzy snazzy tunes. ... Full Review