Based on Thomas Hardy’s classic novel Tess of the D’Urbervilles, acclaimed filmmaker Michael Winterbottom’s (The Trip, Tristram Shandy: A Cock and Bull Story) newest film stars Frieda Pinto (Slumdog Millionaire), who soars as Trishna in her most revealing performance yet.

Trishna lives with her family in a village in Rajasthan, India’s largest state. As the eldest daughter, she works in a nearby resort to help pay the bills. Jay (Riz Ahmed, Four Lions) is the wealthy son of a property developer. When he takes up managing a resort at his father’s request, he meets Trishna at a dance and their fates cross. Jay finds every opportunity to try and win Trishna’s affection and she accepts his efforts with shy curiosity. But when the two move to Mumbai and become a couple, Jay’s deep family bond threatens the young lovers’ bliss.

Beautifully shot and deeply moving, this bold new adaptation of Hardy’s cherished novel (the first big screen adaptation since Roman Polanski’s Tess in 1979), Trishna is a powerful look at the tension between ancient privilege and modern equality, between codes of urban and rural life and ultimately a hymn to both the glory and the tragedy that comes with beauty in all forms.

Opening at the Loft Cinema, 3233 E. Speedway, on Friday August 17. Check the Loft website for showtimes or call the recording at 520-795-7777.

This entry was posted on Wednesday, August 15th, 2012 at 8:09 am and is filed under Arts, Life. Tags for this post: Frieda Pinto, Loft Cinema, Michael Winterbottom, Slumdog Millionaire, Tess of the D'Urbervilles, Thomas Hardy, Trishna, Tristram Shandy: A Cock and Bull Story. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.