UNindian

This movie begins with a young woman named "Meera" (Tannishtha Chatterjee) waking up from a nightmare, and after going downstairs, finds that her mother is busy lighting incense as part of a Hindu custom to help inaugurate her new house. Having become "westernized," both Meera and her preteen daughter, "Smitha" (Maya Sathi), are somewhat embarrassed by the old ways, but they cope as well as they can. The film then shifts to a scene where a young man by the name of "Will" (Brett Lee) is teaching a small class of immigrants how to speak English like Australians. Seeking a change of pace, he then accompanies some friends to an Indian festival being held not too far from his apartment in Sydney, where he happens to meet Meera. Although he becomes quite smitten with her, there are a few things he doesn't know, and he soon discovers that the cultural divide makes any possible romance between them very difficult. Now, rather than reveal any more, I will just say that this was a humorous movie which benefited greatly from the exotic Indian culture and the performance of the aforementioned Tannishtha Chatterjee. That said, I have rated this movie accordingly. Slightly above average.

A lot of people have been saying that you will not find this movie funny unless you have lived with, or are part of a Indian family. I am neither of these cases, and I really enjoyed the film.

The plot line was genius, and gave people a real insight to Indian families, and put a hilarious spin on weddings in general, especially when the two families don't get along.

The acting was...okay, however. I think that they could have got a lot better actors in. The music fitted into the film well.

I'd recommend this film to anybody getting married, or just married, or anyone who knows any Indian - in fact, forget that, I'd recommend it to anyone with a sense of humour!

Meera is an Indian woman living with her parents and daughter in Sydney, Australia. Her parents are constantly trying to set her up with eligible Indian men. Will teaches "Australian English" to immigrants at a University. Will meets Meera and is immediately smitten by her. After some initial reluctance, Meera gives in to Will's charms. However, their relationship is unlikely to be plain sailing - Meera's parents wouldn't approve of her seeing a non- Indian man and are likely to try to sabotage the relationship. So they have to keep the relationship a secret. Meanwhile, Will is being followed by a mysterious stranger...

Underwhelming. Pretty basic, weak and predictable plot. The writer had some good intentions, showing the (refreshing) lack of boundaries between different cultures and ethnic groups. The movie also tackles individualism and free-mindedness over blind tradition and meddling older generations.

However, it is all so clumsily and patronisingly told, and really doesn't go anywhere you didn't expect. Characters are quite one- dimensional and largely stereotypical.

Former cricket star Brett Lee, in his first acting role, isn't too bad as Will. Not entirely convincing but some of this is due to the script and he could have been a lot worse. Best performance comes from Tannishtha Chatterjee as Meera. Other performances are a mixed bag, with the Indian parts generally being played well and the Anglo- Saxon parts played lamely. Even John Howard (not the former PM) in his small part seems unnatural and unconvincing.

Only worth watching if you're a cricket fan and want to see if Brett Lee can act. Turns out he's okay but certainly no Marlon Brando.

This is not a sports film as viewers might expect looking at Brett Lee. The film is a nice love story between an Australian 'Aussie language' teacher and an Indian entrepreneur based out of Sydney Australia. This is a good film to watch with entire family. Australians and Indians will love it equally. Brett Lee has done a wonderful job off the cricket field. Tanishtha has played a balanced character very well. The supporting cast is excellent. It is great to watch Australian and Indian actors working together. The new bunch of second generation Indian actors is excellent. They have performed their part effortlessly. Overall the film is delight to watch. Go for it.

I'm very fond of clash-of-culture films, especially those with an Indian element. And so this film seemed like just the sort of thing I'd enjoy. And indeed it has a very good premise: an Indian woman living in Sydney (Meera) once married and now divorced, is being set up by her parents with all manner of eligible Indian bachelors. But she falls in love with - oh horror! - an Aussie bloke.

First the good. Meera's parents are well portrayed by Supriya Pathak and Akash Khurana, with acting that is not overdone, and with just the right amount of histrionics. The formidable Binky Aunty is a small part which is played to perfection by Kumud Merali. Arka Das as TK is another standout.

But none of these can overcome the wretched woodenness of Brett Lee. The man simply cannot act. He wanders through this film with a slightly abstracted air as though he was thinking of something else ("I should've put Smitty in to bowl for the second over ... should've opened the batting with Johnno ... ") and with an expression that seems hardly to ever change. Not one for any emotion on-set; the most we get is a sort of quizzical look as though wondering whether to have jam or marmalade on his toast, and occasionally a slightly pained look, as though he was going to sneeze. It's a wonder this film ever made it past the initial pitch to its backers.

I also think that Meera was miscast - she is supposed to be quite glamorous, and Tannishtha Chatterjee's portrayal seemed lacking in glamour. Maybe she was trying to bring herself down to Brett Lee's level by being ordinary. A nice contrast was a scene in which Meera is sitting next to her friend Shanthi, played by the truly glamorous Pallavi Sharda. Why was she not chosen to play Meera?

If you can stomach the non-acting, then it's not a wholly bad film. But the good actors in it, and the story itself, deserved far far better than they got.