The Republic of Love Director: Deepa Mehta Country: Canada/UK Year: 2003

CAST:
Bruce Greenwood, Emilia Fox, Edward Fox, Martha Henry, Jan Rubes, Gary Farmer, Lloyd Owen, Jackie Burroughs, Claire Bloom

Review by Shaun Mehta

The Republic of Love, based on the beloved novel of the same name written by the recently deceased Canadian author, Carol Shields, is both an enchanting romantic comedy and disenchanting romantic drama.

The first act - the romantic comedy - begins with a delightful scene with baby Tom Avery (Bruce Greenwood) being "adopted" by twenty-six in-training homemakers. Tom grows up to become the host of a Toronto nighttime radio show who discusses the intricacies and complexities of love. Faye McCloud (Emilia Fox), who lives in the same building as Tom, is a museum curator who yearns for that passionate bond of love that she is perpetually surrounded by, especially from her love-stricken parents. When Tom and Faye's paths finally cross it is love at first sight.

I was captivated by the fairytale romance between Tom and Faye, touched by the purity of the love they shared for each other. The first act was filled with many amusing moments, such as a scene where Tom's one-night stand has an orgasm as he is massaging her feet, an act that becomes extremely hazardous for Tom when his nose gets crushed between her toes during the climatic moment.

The second act - the romantic drama - revolves around the sudden breakup of Faye's parents. Faye's father (Edward Fox) feels smothered by his wife's (Martha Henry) love, and leaves her. Faye's world shatters, and disenchanted by love, breaks up with Tom. This is where the story falters. I was so convinced by the chemistry and love between Tom and Faye that I could not believe that she would leave him over her parent's breakup. Was their indestructible bond so vulnerable? As a result, that fairytale love between Tom and Faye loses its magical charm, especially when they are reunited in a predictable ending. The second act did have some touching scenes, especially the impromptu marriage in the hospital between Faye's Godmother and her dying life-long partner.

As in Bollywood/Hollywood, Deepa Mehta's bold colours and choice of Indian music that permeates throughout The Republic of Love adds vibrancy to the screen. However, there were moments where the Indian music felt inappropriate, such as when a tabla accompanies Tom and Faye as they travel north of Toronto to the trailer-park community of Duck Lake.

The Republic of Love is a beautifully acted movie with wonderful moments. Mehta does a marvelous job in casting her roles. I especially found it interesting that Tom was the undying romanticist - married and divorced thrice before meeting Faye, but still a believer of eternal love - and Faye was afraid of commitment and questioned love. The fact that the first half of the movie began with the couple falling in love and being together, and the second part focused on them being apart was a nice contrast to the traditional romantic movie formula.