I just couldn't relate to this film-everything is over-the-top & cliché-ridden. Particularly the American part is filled with the stereotypical distorted view of America many Indians have-street crime committed by minorities, homosexuals, constant drinking & throwing up, gun-toting cops shooting a fleeing suspect & the racist, homophobic Bengali-turned ugly American. And of course the Bengali girl who becomes a slutty American teenager. I doubt any American successful businessman, no matter what his real feelings are, would openly spout such racist & homophobic nonsense in this day and age. The Kolkata part wasn't that much better either, it sure gives the feeling all older generation Bengalis are losers & younger generation are all aping the West, again stereotypical characterizations. Andy-the paragon of idealism-comes off as a mixture of an idiot and a snob. One other thing. I doubt Rahul's girlfriend Sheela-with her obvious Westernized ways, would be so averse to going to America. The less said about Hasan the better. The one character I liked was Rakesh...the mixture of neither feeling he belongs in America fully, but at the same time knowing he cant go back, and dealing with both realizations is indeed something many expats go through (altho' I haven't heard the term second class citizen too many times these days). While one may forgive Andy's naiveté at thinking Kolkata is still the Baul music city of his dreams, his lecturing to people right & left about how to live comes off as annoyingly snobbish rather than an artist reaching out.
Review of The Bong Connection
