Republic of Love
It seems fitting that The Republic of Love marks Deepa Mehta's first film since Bollywood/Hollywood (Belfast Film Festival 2003), as it partly deals with the kind of idealised love that Bollywood movies are famous for. Set in Toronto, Tom is a charismatic late-night radio talk show host whose unconventional upbringing has made him a little too quick to fall in love and marry. Fay is an academic whose expectations are impossibly high as a result of the living perfection that is her parents’ marriage.
The central relationship is set against the experiences of other people who figure into the story, including the heroine's parents (Martha Henry and Edward Fox). Fox (best known for The Day Of The Jackal) is, of course, Emilia's real-life father and the blood relationship enhances the effect.
The film chronicles the giddy euphoria of the opening stages of that relationship and then the inevitable challenges that come with trying to sustain, enrich and deepen it.
Other films in this section:
9:30 PM , Monday 11th April
QFT
Adult £5.00, Concession £4.00
Director: Deepa Mehta
2004 Canada 95 mins