Mostly Sunny

The song goes, take the weather with you ... but you could say take Sunny with you. And nowadays that is not that difficult. On the other hand, if you took her with you (she's happily married so you would not take her literally with you but only her body ... of work), you should make sure your significant other is OK with that.

Now for those of us who may not have heard of this woman known as Sunny Leone (not her real name, that is revealed in the movie and it's also revealed in a beautiful and funny anecdote how she came up with that nickname of hers), hold on, because we have an adult porn star here. And you may ask what is so special about her? She achieved what many in the porn industry can only dream of. A career in the mainstream. So it is in Bollywood and maybe a lot of producers do cast her because of her past (very likely the case), but she made it. And she stayed down to earth, demystifying some of the clichés surrounding female adult stars. It's not the greatest documentary ever, but it is interesting ... and for fans of Sunny a must see - be it because they love her Bollywood films or her other work ...

I suppose I'd recommend this documentary to fans of Sunny Leone. It's a decent documentary about the career and life of someone who did make an interesting and surprising transition from adult films in the United States to a Bollywood actress.

That having been said, if you're only vaguely aware of who Sunny Leone is (like I was), there's not a lot here. It's not an entertaining film- more informative, and the story of her transition isn't exciting, it's more just a thing that happened. A lot of the film is about her life and family, which isn't likely to be of much interest to anyone who wasn't already a fan.

I hope it's not simply because I found the subject, Karen (porno name "Sunny"), to be so attractive and engaging that I enjoyed this film so much. Really, I am NOT in love with her. OK, maybe I developed a _slight_ crush, ahem; anyway... I had read that the she and her husband/agent(?) had had a disagreement about the content (specifically the sparse nudity) with the director that led to a lawsuit to remove it (which they lost), but I cannot imagine why, because the film overall makes her out to be an intelligent, articulate, hard-working, REAL person, and frankly, if there wasn't a little nudity, the movie would be incomplete (or at least a bit disappointing) ;). After watching "Hot Girls Wanted", another "inside look at the porn industry", I felt like I needed to take a (hot) shower. THAT poorly made "film" (video) verified the exploitation of girls by men who can only be described as pimps (and even calling them THAT is being kind) that the porn industry really is. Smoking, tattoos, drug use, profanity; just how one would imagine a bunch of (admittedly young, sexy) whores in a cheap, dirty hotel suite would behave. "Mostly Sunny" is quite opposite. The deep, sensitive, emotional human side - which would seem to be extremely elusive to evoke and capture from a woman who has not only acted in porn, but also been criticized thoroughly and maliciously, and who is now happily monogamous with a pleasant man who really seems to be her soul mate (if you believe in that; happens I do) - comes across just as well as her absolutely stunningly beautiful face in the many extreme closeups. The production value is far above what I expected, although the first half starts to drag a bit and I wish they'd included more of the perfectly choreographed dancing scenes they tease with.

I've mentioned "Sunny" (the character, not the film) to the last four Indian men I talked to and they all get this smirk and say almost exactly the same thing - "Oh yes, I've heard of her, who are we to judge her past?!". None had seen this movie; this is simply the Indian quality of forgiveness that's allowed her to reach the level of popularity among men AND women in Bollywood that she's reached. Nice, for a change. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

Honestly don't understand what all the bad ratings are all about. I came back tired from work all ready to watch some mindless cat videos on my phone and crash. My roommate just casted the documentary on our TV screen (Thanks Netflix!) and the film got me interested right from the start. Maybe it's because I went in with no expectations.

I loved the tiny details the movie goes into to show what Sunny might have faced while trying to enter Bollywood as a world-famous pornstar. I was very interested to see what worked for her team that was working on the rebranding of Sunny. Sunny Leone comes across as a meticulous businesswoman who is very aware of what her brand stands for. She's also adept at hiring talents that work tirelessly and passionately for her. Being an outsider in Bollywood is hard enough. I think it's unfair to consider whatever she has achieved till now as just a facade. The team has quickly realised she won't cut it as an actress. But they look like thick skinned business people who can take a hit if it comes their way, and although that's not surprising it's refreshing to see a documentary that shows things as they are.

The film also shows the dichotomy of India's conservative culture and the Bollywood that entertains that culture, through the brand of entertainment that Sunny is.

What I would have liked to see less of was all the emotional scenes connected with the death of her parents. It felt like they were interspersed just to make Sunny feel more ...I dont know...human? But we already know that. But I understand where the director is coming from. Although I couldn't stop myself from comparing those bits to the sob stories "reality" talent hunt shows come up with on Indian television.

Sound and editing are pretty nice. Made me Google for Dilip Mehta. And then I realised Deepa Mehta and David Hamilton have worked on the film. And then it all made sense. :)

Mostly Sunny abounds in poverty porn. I have no problem with showing Indian poverty if it makes sense for the script. Is this a social or economic documentary about Indian class differences? About Indian capitalism? No? Then why is the documentary peppered with poverty shots?

Is it to contrast Sunny's fortune with the country's unfortunate? Then, would a documentary about a rich Hollywood actor be filled with gratuitous shots of homeless white people or the white working class in the country?

It is almost a tourism of poverty. The camera watches poor people like they're in a zoo, on display for the director's viewing pleasure.

If a biographical documentary about Sunny Leone has to extend to economic inequality in India, show the rich and the poor people and areas equally. Provide context. Don't rely on racist stereotypes to fill in for your laziness. Do justice to the story of the individuals you're filming. Don't treat them like props you can sample as you choose.

Possibly the most jarring part was prostitutes on the street hurriedly covering their face as the camera films them. One of them yells her objection. This isn't about the freedom of documenting the truth. This is about filming vulnerable sections of society because as a middle class person, you can. This about exposing a shamed section of society to further shame, a targeted section of society to possibly further violence.