Fire (1996)
Tomatometer
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Reviews Counted:21
Fresh:18
Rotten:3
Average Rating:6.7/10
Runtime: 1 hr 49 mins
Genre: Foreign Films
Synopsis: Sita and Radha are young Indian women whose husbands choose celibacy or mistresses over their wives. The two women become friends and grow closer together, forming a forbidden but liberating... [More]
Starring: Shabana Azmi, Nandita Das, Kulbushan Kharbanda, Jaaved Jaaferi
Director: Deepa Mehta
Reviews for Fire
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One of the most powerful achievements of Fire is to represent a form of desire which is not an escape, but a political challenge. Full Review |
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3/5 |
Audacious, yet sensitive, Fire may shock traditionalists but might well win Indian cinema a whole new audience. Full Review |
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3/4 |
Fire lights its spark beautifully Full Review |
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B |
should spark interest in India's modern culture even if it doesn't satisfy those who think a lesbian love affair should burn more explicitly Full Review |
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3/5 |
No review available.
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3.5/4 |
Click to read the article Full Review |
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 2/4 |
Although the acting is pleasant enough, the script by the director suffers from a paucity of ideas. His characters are handsomely outlined but never adequately filled in. Full Review |
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3/4 |
Click to read the article Full Review |
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A compelling drama set in India about the boundlessness of desire. Full Review |
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4/5 |
A sensuous visual experience, thanks to the collaboration between cinematographer Giles Nuttgens and Mehta. Full Review |
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2/5 |
More soap opera than anything else, full of wringing of hands and lots and lots of talking. Full Review |
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Mehta's direction of her unusually intimate film is delicate. The acting is notably good, especially from Azmi. Full Review |
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3/4 |
Works because it doesn't come off as a lofty diatribe but actually mixes humor with its pathos. Full Review |
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3/5 |
Fire may be a film, but its story of frustrated desires, love-starved women and the stifling bonds of tradition makes it resemble one of those fat best-selling novels that can fill a summer day at the beach with hours of undemanding pleasure. Full Review |
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3/5 |
Fire's flat-out depiction of average middle-class existence in New Delhi is eye-opening. Full Review |
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The pieces don't all work perfectly, but the whole is gently affecting.
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3/4 |
Speaks tellingly about individual freedom for women versus social expectations and arranged marriages. Full Review |
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