MovieChat Forums > The Reluctant Fundamentalist (2013) Discussion > Erica... Seems Weird That She Would Do T...

Erica... Seems Weird That She Would Do That To Him


Liked the movie. Not great, but the lead performance is extraordinarily subtle.

The weakest part of the movie was Erica. I haven't read the book. I've known women vaguely like her character, but I have a tough time accepting that she would be -that- insensitive as to do that show---or if she was that he wouldn't recognise it and end the relationship long before that. I get that she's supposed to be somewhat spoiled but she seems almost pathological in her lack of empathy.

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I completely agree with every word. I watched this last night, and I felt that they played it as if Changez was overreacting a little. I sat there and was thinking, "well, he's not wrong".

However, that series of scenes endeared the character much more to me. If that was the true intent then I must say it worked; but I am uncertain if that was the film's intent with that scene. I think they were going for an overreaction; particularly with how he called her out on her recklessness - and again I was left thinking, "well, he's not wrong..."

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That kind of insensitivity is common, especially among the pseudo-intellectuals and self-proclaimed cultural people. I've known many of them and there was always a point where it was proven they simply perceived their minority friends as tokens as if trying to prove they were open-minded, or they had some sort of ulterior motive in the friendship or relationship. Every time.

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Well, as one of 'those' people :D , I totally get her being insensitive... but not in that overt a manner. Self-involved people totally screw their friends... but not like -that-. -That- scene is a contrivance that screenwriters do to make a movie. Real life thoughtlessness is just as painful... just not as 'cinematic'.

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A not very good movie that went totally off the rails with that art show. Was the point of her exhibit to drive him insane? And since when was she a neon/text artist?

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See I thought it was a -very- good movie until then.

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Well she was sorry for it after the event. I reacted as Changez did when he first walked into the exhibition and hated Erica for her use of him as a labelled thing 'a man from Pakistan'. I thought his line that she could do it because she was reckless was great.

Regardless of how well the scene worked or her character was I thought it clever to show that whatever level of New York society he was a part, Changez felt like 'the other' who was used by all.

Movement ends, intent continues;
Intent ends, spirit continues

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If my "artist" girlfriend dared to do that to me I would totally freak out. I would leave her on the spot, since she apparently did not even understand that she did something wrong. "Act of love" my a$$. She must have been living in an ivory tower all along to be so thoughtless and stupid.

Fanboy : a person who does not think while watching.

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She must have been living in an ivory tower all along to be so thoughtless and stupid.
Well her society was cosseted. This action certainly questioned Erica's feelings towards Changez as she treated him like an object.
I give my respect to those who have earned it; to everyone else, I'm civil.

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Well, Kate Hudson can do the upper class spoiled role pretty well considering she has famous parents, only has flown private charter and no less than first class her whole life, along with millions and millions of dollars, and is driven where she goes.

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I'm not an expert on Kate, so let's just focus on the character she played, Erica.

I quite liked the movie and haven't read the book, but found Erica was one of the least well drawn characters in the film. Yes, understand that she is in "mourning" (for what seemed like years), but some of her outbursts and behaviour (such as the exhibition, not consulting Changez at all) just seemed contrived and forced, making you wonder what he saw in her in the first place.🐭

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I saw her mourning as a convenient excuse to avoid admitting her real problem with Changez which was that she had no interest or empathy for pakistani culture. She was a less caustic version of disgraced NBA owner Don Sterling who liked bedding down with women of color but never, ever, would have even remotely considered marrying one.

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As someone who was involved with a Pakistani, having to take on the culture was fairly offputting. Mine pretended to be modern and tolerant but his fundamental belief was that as the woman my job was to run the house (even if I had my own work). As time went on, he started nagging me about cooking biryani and getting upset that I wasn't doing enough cleaning, though he'd lived in filth before I was around. When he screamed at me about a wrinkled sheet I knew the relationship was doomed. His friends all went out to bars and clubs and left the wives at home. One said that his wife was complaining and he'd provided an apartment with cable TV so he couldn't understand what she was moaning about.

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Liked the movie. Not great, but the lead performance is extraordinarily subtle.

That guy is an amazing actor. If he was white or even black, he would have had a gigantic career already. He was also brilliant in The Cell

The weakest part of the movie was Erica. I haven't read the book. I've known women vaguely like her character, but I have a tough time accepting that she would be -that- insensitive as to do that show-

That's because you're sticking to the protagonist's point of view. She's an artist, she works things out through her art. She wasn't trying to be insensitive and she wasn't insensitive. She just failed to see his point of view just like you're failing to see hers.

For every lie I unlearn I learn something new - Ani Difranco

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LOL. That implies that 'artists' are entitled to act like jerks for 'the sake of art!' I've known a lot of artists who would agree with that.

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In the book she kills herself but he isn't allowed to goto the funeral by the family. That weird photo shoot never happens

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I actually thought he was hallucinating. What sane person would do something like that and think it's normal! And to protest it was an expression of her love. She was completely deranged.

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