teb@stat.Berkeley.EDU (Thomas E. Billings) (08/01/89)
WEST IS WEST
A film review by Thomas E. Billings
Copyright 1989 Thomas E. Billings
Synopsis:
A young man from Bombay arrives in San Francisco, hoping to gain admission to
college. However, his sponsor has left the U.S., and the Immigration and
Naturalization Service thinks he is a Sikh terrorist. He has only 24 hours to
get married to a U.S. citizen -- or be deported. Naturally, he asks the only
American woman he has met -- a thoroughly obnoxious punkette! A comedy/drama
of culture shock.
U.S.A., color, 1989, 80 minutes.
Director/Writer/Film Editor: David Rathod
Producer: Cristi Janaki Rathod
Principal cast: Ashutosh Gowariker, Heidi Carpenter, Pearl Padamsee
The film is the story of Vikram, a nerdish young man from Bombay, who
comes to San Francisco in anticipation that he will be admitted to U.C.
Berkeley. As things turn out, his sponsor has left the U.S. for an indefinite
period (returned to India). Vikram goes to one of the city's better hotels,
only to find that a single room costs $175/night, rather more than he can
afford.
He eventually ends up in a seedy hotel in the Tenderloin district (perhaps
the city's worst neighborhood). The hotel is owned by one Mrs. Shah, a
spirited ("salty" or "seedy" might be more accurate) immigrant from India. She
gives Vikram a menial job, and he begins to explore America.
In his explorations, Vikram visits a supermarket, and develops a taste for
junk food. He meets Sue, an obnoxious redheaded punkette, when she shows up at
the hotel with a punk rock band and some groupies, trying to rent a single room
for a "party." Later he runs into her at the movie theater where she works.
Sue then introduces Vikram to the San Francisco punk scene.
Vikram is soon visited by a zealous agent of the INS, the Immigration and
Naturalization Service. It seems that the INS thinks he might be a terrorist,
and they want him out of the country. Mrs. Shah seizes the opportunity to
offer to sponsor Vikram in the U.S., if only he will marry her niece. In an
act of desperation, Vikram asks the only U.S. citizen he knows, the thoroughly
vile Sue, to marry him, and the story continues from there.
This is the first feature film by its director, David Rathod, and it shows
at times. Additionally, of the 3 principal cast members, only one has
extensive acting experience, and this is apparent also. It's really not a bad
movie; perhaps the best description would be "weak."
The film is weak in the following sense. It is advertised as a comedy,
yet there is very little humor or comedy in the film. As a drama, it fares
better, although it has a rather slow pace (obviously it's not an "action
film"). The culture shock angle is used extensively in the film, but it is not
handled very well -- it generates very few laughs.
Overall evaluation: only fair. Consider for matinee price; really
not worth full price.
Reviewer: Thomas E. Billings, Department of Statistics
University of California, Berkeley
Reviewer contact: teb@stat.Berkeley.EDU