One of the many productions dealing with the offshoring of American jobs, but narrated with class and delicacy, with no clichés. There's plenty of culture shock, due to new food, busted infrastructures, and other cultural barriers but with a pace never seen before, in my opinion. It's funny but becomes a romance as well and has one of its best moments when the two leading actors imitate the stereotype of the other, with impressive results. Almost entirely shot in India, Outsourced is a truly tiny movie that ultimately says a lot about troubles crossing cultural divisions. Among many films handling the subject this is one of the best.
59 Reviews
From the heart.
BoudewijnUS27 September 2007
I had an absolute blast watching this movie today. It was funny, moving and most of all, sincere. It would have been very easy for the filmmakers to fall back into stereotypes while writing and shooting this movie, but they skillfully steered clear of any pitfalls that plague so many other movies out there, especially in this genre.
I got the chance to see this movie at a special screening at UW in Seattle today and join in a Q&A session with the writers (and director) John and George, Ayesha, who plays Asha, and a few of the producers. John, the director and co-writer, mentioned he had spent quite some time in Nepal and India during his student years. And although the story itself is a fictional one, the cultural shocks and experiences Todd goes through were largely based on John's own experiences during his time abroad. This seems to make for a very honest take on the nuances of this story. Luckily the movie not only focuses on Todd's shock of arriving in a completely new culture. The local people that Todd deals with on a daily basis also find they need to adjust to Todd's American way of running a call center. This makes for a balanced telling of a story about cultural differences and, maybe more importantly, the similarities.
It may not be a groundbreaking movie by any blockbuster standards, but the sincerity seems to be coming straight from the heart. And that's something you rarely see in movies nowadays. This movie deserves all the attention it gets. So go see it! And if you like it, tell your friends.
I got the chance to see this movie at a special screening at UW in Seattle today and join in a Q&A session with the writers (and director) John and George, Ayesha, who plays Asha, and a few of the producers. John, the director and co-writer, mentioned he had spent quite some time in Nepal and India during his student years. And although the story itself is a fictional one, the cultural shocks and experiences Todd goes through were largely based on John's own experiences during his time abroad. This seems to make for a very honest take on the nuances of this story. Luckily the movie not only focuses on Todd's shock of arriving in a completely new culture. The local people that Todd deals with on a daily basis also find they need to adjust to Todd's American way of running a call center. This makes for a balanced telling of a story about cultural differences and, maybe more importantly, the similarities.
It may not be a groundbreaking movie by any blockbuster standards, but the sincerity seems to be coming straight from the heart. And that's something you rarely see in movies nowadays. This movie deserves all the attention it gets. So go see it! And if you like it, tell your friends.
Outsourced -- the next "Big Fat Greek" movie?
radiobiggs8 March 2007
First, the bottom line: "Outsourced" is a fantastic film, that deserves a wide Hollywood release despite the lack of a celebrity actor. Why? It's just that good. Finally a feel good film about something almost nobody in the U.S. feels good about: outsourcing. I saw "Outsourced" at its debut at the Cinequest film festival in San Jose, and the audience response was simply overwhelming. It's funny, smart, romantic and manages to do all of this while teaching Americans valuable lessons about life in a globalized world. GO SEE THIS FILM! My overly-optimistic prediction is "Outsourced" will be the next "Big Fat Greek Wedding"...if Hollywood manages to look past the lack of a big-name actor. -M. Bigler
This is a "must see" romantic comedy
charlesdias27 November 2007
I am not a fan of romantic comedies, specially "Friends" like ones because I think it is too pasteurized, politically correct. I thank God there is some nice romantic comedies with another spice that taste great for me and this movie is an example of it.
Basically it show the cultural shock of a sad US call center manager sent to India to train an outsourced team. It is very nice how this movie shows the way the de-passionated yank finds the meaning of life in such different place and culture.
I am Brazilian and I know some US people that comes here to visit the country and decided to stay and adopted Brazilian way of life. This movies shows very well this happening.
If you want a very nice movie to watch when you are depressed with your work, pick this one ... and prepare yourself to be eager to travel to an exotic place after it ends.
Basically it show the cultural shock of a sad US call center manager sent to India to train an outsourced team. It is very nice how this movie shows the way the de-passionated yank finds the meaning of life in such different place and culture.
I am Brazilian and I know some US people that comes here to visit the country and decided to stay and adopted Brazilian way of life. This movies shows very well this happening.
If you want a very nice movie to watch when you are depressed with your work, pick this one ... and prepare yourself to be eager to travel to an exotic place after it ends.
a low-keyed charmer
Buddy-518 January 2011
"Outsourced" is a genial and charming fish-out-of-water tale about a young American telemarketer who learns that his job is being shipped overseas. To add insult to injury, the novelty company he works for has decided to send him to India to train his own replacement. The movie is a bit predictable and unoriginal at times, but only a complete curmudgeon could be totally immune to its spell.
Josh Hamilton is immensely likable as the nice-guy protagonist, and Ayesha Dharker is lovely and radiant as the freethinking co-worker with whom he has a clandestine dalliance. Indeed, all the actors are first-rate, and the striking settings and iridescent colors add to the movie's appeal.
Moreover, the culture clash aspects of the story are dealt with in droll and subtle terms, as the initially "superior" foreigner begins to loosen up and immerse himself in all that this strange and exotic world has to offer.
It's a dicey business trying to make a feel-good comedy out of a subject as controversial and serious as outsourcing, but writer/director John Jeffcoat somehow manages to pull it off.
Josh Hamilton is immensely likable as the nice-guy protagonist, and Ayesha Dharker is lovely and radiant as the freethinking co-worker with whom he has a clandestine dalliance. Indeed, all the actors are first-rate, and the striking settings and iridescent colors add to the movie's appeal.
Moreover, the culture clash aspects of the story are dealt with in droll and subtle terms, as the initially "superior" foreigner begins to loosen up and immerse himself in all that this strange and exotic world has to offer.
It's a dicey business trying to make a feel-good comedy out of a subject as controversial and serious as outsourcing, but writer/director John Jeffcoat somehow manages to pull it off.
interesting experiment with the subject
anuragr1 July 2009
There is a certain way of making movies about India – a tradition that has descended from great directors like Louis Malle and Richard Attenborough that helps us appreciate movies like Born-into-brothels, city of joy. Most of these movies present us the abject poverty of India, the absolute penury of its people. Yet, there seems a way out of this dejected existence – one that leads to happiness despite the misfortune of disease and untimely death.
Words may not be enough to express the genius of Louis Malle or Attenborough, but somehow too much water has flown down Thames since that image of India was believed in. The wilderness in East that we knew India as has experienced some major changes since World War II. With globalization, it is transforming into something else for better or worse.
I would remember this movie not because of what it had to say about outsourcing but because of its somewhat accurate representation of India. There are things about India that are despicable- to most Westerners. But the way the movie approached the subject was not through insulting humor the way American comedies usually do, but instead with an entertaining exploration into the very land of mystery. Although mild it is a comedy, but the script seemed very much educated about how India really is. That it never mixed up any Arab stereotype with the Indian ones is both surprising and commendable for an American movie.
The first half of the movie that takes time to build up the image of India perceived by a foreigner is actually quite accurate. There are things unbearable and overwhelming about India, but much the way the protagonist discovers, it all becomes much easier when you lose yourself into the wilderness that India is. Holi, a festival in India, is seen as a a metaphor to that - an act of curiosity met with a deeper involvement.
Of course, it is the wilderness after all that forms the appeal of India. There is this whole set of rituals, mythologies, beliefs and practices that evolved with complete disconnection from the West and offer an alternate reality to the foreigner. This dualism of disgust and curiosity flows parallel in the movie and achieves a sort of resolution in the end. There are very few movies that have chosen to explore this interest in India, without getting into yoga, kamasutra and henna.
This movie does not aspire to do in cinema what the book world-is-flat did in popular literature. It is not trying to tell you that the world is changing to the advantage of the Third world or argue on whether capitalism is the only hope for the poor. It mildly makes fun of this whole world that corporate culture has given us when it pokes fun at imitation of American accents and at how that becomes a career skill for some. It looks at outsourcing as the outcome of this commoditization of human experiences altogether. I was made to feel that outsourcing is a by-product of uneven growth that our current economic systems result in. The resolution is probably through not letting oneself become a product of one's circumstances – be it corporate policies or greed for money.
That resolution could've been expressed much better way- but unfortunately the movie fumbled in the second half. If I weren't really impressed with the first half, I might not have finished watching it. Sometimes it even appeared whether the movie was meant to be a comedy or something else. Still, overall this makes for an interesting experiment with India.
Words may not be enough to express the genius of Louis Malle or Attenborough, but somehow too much water has flown down Thames since that image of India was believed in. The wilderness in East that we knew India as has experienced some major changes since World War II. With globalization, it is transforming into something else for better or worse.
I would remember this movie not because of what it had to say about outsourcing but because of its somewhat accurate representation of India. There are things about India that are despicable- to most Westerners. But the way the movie approached the subject was not through insulting humor the way American comedies usually do, but instead with an entertaining exploration into the very land of mystery. Although mild it is a comedy, but the script seemed very much educated about how India really is. That it never mixed up any Arab stereotype with the Indian ones is both surprising and commendable for an American movie.
The first half of the movie that takes time to build up the image of India perceived by a foreigner is actually quite accurate. There are things unbearable and overwhelming about India, but much the way the protagonist discovers, it all becomes much easier when you lose yourself into the wilderness that India is. Holi, a festival in India, is seen as a a metaphor to that - an act of curiosity met with a deeper involvement.
Of course, it is the wilderness after all that forms the appeal of India. There is this whole set of rituals, mythologies, beliefs and practices that evolved with complete disconnection from the West and offer an alternate reality to the foreigner. This dualism of disgust and curiosity flows parallel in the movie and achieves a sort of resolution in the end. There are very few movies that have chosen to explore this interest in India, without getting into yoga, kamasutra and henna.
This movie does not aspire to do in cinema what the book world-is-flat did in popular literature. It is not trying to tell you that the world is changing to the advantage of the Third world or argue on whether capitalism is the only hope for the poor. It mildly makes fun of this whole world that corporate culture has given us when it pokes fun at imitation of American accents and at how that becomes a career skill for some. It looks at outsourcing as the outcome of this commoditization of human experiences altogether. I was made to feel that outsourcing is a by-product of uneven growth that our current economic systems result in. The resolution is probably through not letting oneself become a product of one's circumstances – be it corporate policies or greed for money.
That resolution could've been expressed much better way- but unfortunately the movie fumbled in the second half. If I weren't really impressed with the first half, I might not have finished watching it. Sometimes it even appeared whether the movie was meant to be a comedy or something else. Still, overall this makes for an interesting experiment with India.
two fish out of water stories
roedyg13 May 2012
This is not a comedy in the usual sense. It is more two fish out of water stories intertwined. An American goes to India without any knowledge of customs, sanitation etc. The Indian workers are completely baffled by American slang, consumer culture, and absurd corporate greed, but they have to learn it.
The India it presents shows many of the things that jarred me when I went to Bombay (now Mumbai) to work for 3 weeks in 1985. The movie is somewhat sanitised, and of course you can't smell anything it shows.
It sidetracked the overpowering odour of garbage everywhere and flies that people just ignore. Even the beggars look like well-dressed school children.
You watch India help the driven American relax into a more sane pace, while he simultaneously drives his workers with a giant up to the millisecond scoreboard of productivity.
Much of the humour comes from watching Indians trying to pass as American on the sales calls, and one politically incorrect scene when the American mocking pretends to be Indian.
It could be considered a video guidebook to give you a bit of an idea what to expect if you go to India. It is a light fun movie.
The India it presents shows many of the things that jarred me when I went to Bombay (now Mumbai) to work for 3 weeks in 1985. The movie is somewhat sanitised, and of course you can't smell anything it shows.
It sidetracked the overpowering odour of garbage everywhere and flies that people just ignore. Even the beggars look like well-dressed school children.
You watch India help the driven American relax into a more sane pace, while he simultaneously drives his workers with a giant up to the millisecond scoreboard of productivity.
Much of the humour comes from watching Indians trying to pass as American on the sales calls, and one politically incorrect scene when the American mocking pretends to be Indian.
It could be considered a video guidebook to give you a bit of an idea what to expect if you go to India. It is a light fun movie.
Terrific
Geof-427 September 2007
I went into this film thinking I would see a "nice" film that "deserved to be seen" (which is too often code for a boring movie). I laughed my ass off, as did the whole audience. This is the most entertaining movie I've seen in months -- time and again the filmmakers found a way to surprise me. A tight story. Terrific performances from the stars all the way down to the tiniest roles. Perfect pacing. Graceful, muscular directing. This is not a "good little movie" -- it's a good movie, period and it's a crime it's not getting wider distribution just because the male lead isn't played by the flavor of the month. A smart, funny film.
Simple, funny and one of the Best!!!!
afterbuddha19 January 2008
I watched the trailer of outsourced and thought on watch it. unfortunately there were not much cinemas playing the movie! Finally, I got to see the movie in a theater which was 25 km away from me!! One should not miss Outsourced as it is one of the best films made. I am not going into the film plot as i would advice you to watch it. All the characters are damn funny! Trust me, there are some scenes where you would laugh out loud!! The scenes are well planed and the cinematographer has done a wonderful job, specially in the festival scene. I film deserves to be released globally as a main stream Hollywood movie. This is a well made film and I appreciate Josh's acting and the director as he has made this film from his heart!!!
Delightful and kind of educational as well
kzoofilm19 September 2006
One of the happiest surprises of this year's Toronto International Film Festival was this delightful, beautifully shot comedy, which is not only funny and touching but actually offers a few insights into Indian culture as well. Josh Hamilton is terrific as Todd, an American businessman who is less than thrilled to learn his Seattle office is going to outsource its work to a call center in India. He's even more perturbed when his boss makes it clear that Todd will be in charge of training the Indian workers to efficiently handle orders while sounding as American as possible; that's important since the firm markets all-American knickknacks, such as miniature flags, hot dog toasters and Wisconsin cheese hats. The culture clash that results is beautifully played and wonderfully written. This has the potential to be another MY BIG FAT Greek WEDDING, if it's handled properly. I hope it is. I've been a big fan of Hamilton for years and he deserves a big hit.
Mostly a Contrivance Shrouding the Truth
amalalane18 July 2009
Yes, I admit I watched the whole movie. I've lived in India, work with people from there and wanted to see how this movie portrays this ancient and contemporary society.
Very stereotypical characters both amongst the Americans and Indians. While there were many truths conveyed about life and the social/economic issues, except for Asha's revelation that she can indeed do anything, the rest didn't come across in an organic, natural way. The whole film to me was quite awkward (due to the awkwardness of the lead male actor, and that wasn't just the character he portrayed).
Many of the Indian actors were very good and put up with the condescending script that was written.
Laughs were there, and even a tear for Asha and the conversation about cardamom, and the lead male leaving India etc. but not enough to recommend it. Sorry! Still, hope the next film comes out really great and that the filmmakers work more on script development.
Very stereotypical characters both amongst the Americans and Indians. While there were many truths conveyed about life and the social/economic issues, except for Asha's revelation that she can indeed do anything, the rest didn't come across in an organic, natural way. The whole film to me was quite awkward (due to the awkwardness of the lead male actor, and that wasn't just the character he portrayed).
Many of the Indian actors were very good and put up with the condescending script that was written.
Laughs were there, and even a tear for Asha and the conversation about cardamom, and the lead male leaving India etc. but not enough to recommend it. Sorry! Still, hope the next film comes out really great and that the filmmakers work more on script development.
Like going to India for 90 minutes
storybus31 May 2007
The sweetest movie I've seen all year, full of funny cultural misunderstandings and whiffs of the foreigner experience. Amazing performances by Indian actors, especially a certain "Auntie G" who is the "Hyacinth Bouquet"/"Hostess with the Mostess" of Bombay. The fellow who plays Puri charms as consummate straight man to cross-cultural business humor. Loved that the company's products are American patriotic crapola, and that they still mean something to the striving foreign vendors. Much poetic poignancy between the laughs in this film. Josh Hamilton's character's evolution is believable and rewarding, reflecting a journey many more Americans need to take. Don't miss this trip!
I really wish one of the director's read this from me
asheztodust6 September 2009
I have been an Indian for 28 years now, and have not seen my culture or country being made portrayed more awfully than this.
1. Shiv-lingam : Is not a phallic emblem. None of you would like an Indian movie which calls Jesus a bastard. How do you expect Hindus to digest this. Being the third largest religion in this world we deserve some respect for our beliefs, we aren't as aggressive as Muslims to blow bombs on this topic, but at least one could have researched on thi topic before making a movie.
2. The Indian BPO Industry : Is booming, doesn't mean that there are call centers even at places where there cannot be an internet connection, You ought to see few of our really nice call centers, due to economy of construction costs, they look much better than a lot of American companies. Location selected for this movie was pathetic.
3. Hindu Girls : Your Hero character did nothing to impress the girl, I mean come on, I have dated so many girls but I know it takes time man!, Its not like you go together book a room and "Asha can do anything"...its your exaggerated fantasy of getting a decent girl in a cheap and easy way. Try it yourself!, You can't even date an Indian hooker that easily, girls really do have a class here unlike anyone in US.
Please do some research before you make another freaked out Indian movie.
1. Shiv-lingam : Is not a phallic emblem. None of you would like an Indian movie which calls Jesus a bastard. How do you expect Hindus to digest this. Being the third largest religion in this world we deserve some respect for our beliefs, we aren't as aggressive as Muslims to blow bombs on this topic, but at least one could have researched on thi topic before making a movie.
2. The Indian BPO Industry : Is booming, doesn't mean that there are call centers even at places where there cannot be an internet connection, You ought to see few of our really nice call centers, due to economy of construction costs, they look much better than a lot of American companies. Location selected for this movie was pathetic.
3. Hindu Girls : Your Hero character did nothing to impress the girl, I mean come on, I have dated so many girls but I know it takes time man!, Its not like you go together book a room and "Asha can do anything"...its your exaggerated fantasy of getting a decent girl in a cheap and easy way. Try it yourself!, You can't even date an Indian hooker that easily, girls really do have a class here unlike anyone in US.
Please do some research before you make another freaked out Indian movie.
Great movie!
smitch898012 November 2008
Having just returned from a 3 week trip to India I found this movie to be absolutely delightful and so funny and so true. It was like I was transformed back to India. The culture shock when one first arrives in the country was beautifully portrayed as he stops to get a drink and then is over run with hawkers on the way to get a taxi and ends up in a motorized three-wheeler and the ride of his life. One has to experience it to know the feeling. Even the little nod of his head as he speaks has it nailed! And anyone who has had to call for computer help and gets their call sent off to a center in India will especially see the humor in this movie.
One night stands
sudraj28 October 2009
We liked the movie because it kept you continuously engaged. But do Indian girls like Asha sleep and have one night stand so easily ??? She even says her friend did the same thing running away with a classmate to Goa to have fun just before her wedding. And the worst part is that she says Todd should not show his physical attraction in public. This is so hypocritical. We thought Indian girls don't cuddle up naked in bed so easily before wedding and those who do invariably end up marrying the guy. Or many college girls get into petting and necking. Todd comes out with a very good idea of paying incentives to increase MPI and this shows he is professional but having affair with his subordinate seems so unethical. Do Managers simply have sex with staff so easily ?!
Okay comedy
therealkromaxtra6 May 2023
This show wasn't the best- it could have gone a lot further given the content. Outsourcing and call centre life is a common way of life for people and corporations around the world. There's certainly some comedic moments, but for a series that's meant to be set in a country as culturally rich and diverse as India, it fails to showcase this. You can easily tell you're not in India- besides the fact that most of the actors aren't born and bred in India, which has some bearing on their performances and characterizations.
Never the less, if you've got a bit of free time and want a few chuckles, the show is watchable.
Never the less, if you've got a bit of free time and want a few chuckles, the show is watchable.
Great movie about Indian and American cultures
seattlewausa18 June 2007
Really well written movie that pokes fun of both American and Indian cultures but with respect for each. Filmed partly in Seattle, but mostly in India. You see an American call center director has his section outsourced and he reluctantly travels to India to keep his job for a few weeks more till his stock options vest. He finds a culture he slowly comes to respect and embrace through an Indian woman he falls for and friendship with his coworker. The story plays out over many location shots in and near Mumbai. You almost feel you've been there by the end of the film. A great Indian cast really puts this one over the top with many laughs. Your next call with an Indian call center won't be the same.
Watch this movie only if you have half a brain
vivekjacob2512 March 2009
Couldn't bear to watch this movie for more than 30 minutes. Pretty boy, Josh Hamilton can barely act. He spends most of the time waltzing around with a dazed expression on his face. The movie is so full of inconsistencies. Believe that a call center will be set up in middle of a village with cows for company and you will believe anything. Most villages in India do not have access to electricity,let alone high bandwidth internet connections to support a call center. The tone is so supercilious. There was a very stoopid dialogue. 'Accept India and don' resist it'. (PUKE). Thanks, I must say for accepting us. We felt kinda lonely when you resisted us... That coy Ayesha Dharker was so irritating 'Youu neeed to learn Indian culture Todd'. Yeah baby, culture my posterior.
What happens at the end of the movie. Did loser Todd start working with coy Asha at the village or did Asha move to u.s with Todd. I am assuming they would have found each other endearing enough to get married.
What happens at the end of the movie. Did loser Todd start working with coy Asha at the village or did Asha move to u.s with Todd. I am assuming they would have found each other endearing enough to get married.
Outsourced - Terrific comedy!
dauntless-322 September 2007
I thought this was a terrific comedy. The dialog is well-written and believably delivered on the screen. It has clever comedy set-ups with payoffs late in the film, which is hard to do well and I really love when it is. It was genuinely funny all through the movie. I felt it captured a part of Indian culture not often seen elsewhere. This is not Bollywood! All the characters are well-acted and believable. The American versus Indian culture gap hits all the marks and is mined for comedic gems. The romance between the lead characters plays very well, both are wonderful and appealing. I left the theater feeling like I had just enjoyed a delicious Indian feast. Don't miss it!
Absolutely charming
louisecardinal17 September 2006
The story is one of our age, one of disappearing jobs, forced intermingling of different cultures, and what it means to learn and expand in our world view. Because others have told the outline of the story, I won't redo that here, but rather focus on why I so completely enjoyed the film. I too saw it at the Toronto Film Festival, sitting in the first row because I was in the "rush" line. It speaks to the warm, human, and entirely charming story that I was able to actually stay with it from the perspective being practically underneath the huge screen, looking up, making sure my eyes were looking through the right part of my glasses. As a westerner who has traveled, worked, and loved being in India, I found the writing true to life and always seen from a positive angle. Todd's openness and vulnerability contributed to his steep upward learning curve, and was essential to his success there. We too must be open and interested if we want to live in a world that is increasingly global and challenging. I'm not sure how the romantic part of the story will be received in India, should the film get a distributor there, as I have found that most are pretty conservative regarding what they want to see on screen. But I wish the filmmakers all the success, and I hope they make many more films like this one.
Neither pro-American nor anti-American, OUTSOURCED is honest, culturally respectful, and hilarious
tomhr15 October 2008
I expected this movie to show the American (Todd) as a jerk. Well, he certainly had his jerkish moments, but he was portrayed as a decent guy underneath. I expected this movie to show an American stereotype of India, and the American has to ride in and save the day. But instead of this movie's "India" being full of American clichés, the screenplay was filled with all sorts of little things that only a native or a long-time visitor would know about. I know nothing about India, and so I can't judge the screenplay's accuracy, but I spotted no bias or hidden agenda.
When I was a teenager, my family was stationed in Japan, and this movie brought back memories. When I was a teen, there was a moment when I "got it" that the Japanese people and their culture were worthy of respect, even though the Japanese "think weird." I'm glad that they showed a similar moment for Todd (the hamburger-brander scene).
And the movie was hilarious, on many different levels. The Holi scenes were _inspired_.
When I was a teenager, my family was stationed in Japan, and this movie brought back memories. When I was a teen, there was a moment when I "got it" that the Japanese people and their culture were worthy of respect, even though the Japanese "think weird." I'm glad that they showed a similar moment for Todd (the hamburger-brander scene).
And the movie was hilarious, on many different levels. The Holi scenes were _inspired_.
I'm your holiday in Goa?
lastliberal28 February 2009
Funny and educational, this is the story of outsourcing. Todd (Josh Hamilton) has to go to India to train call center workers in how to do it the American way. It is a riot as they try to learn American customs, and he has to learn Indian ways.
Ayesha Dharker (Queen Jamilla in Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones) really made this film. She was funny and pointed out Todd's errors and educated him in Indian ways. Of course, things do get heated between them.
A funny twist at the end causes Todd to reevaluate his life and focus on what is really important.
Ayesha Dharker (Queen Jamilla in Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones) really made this film. She was funny and pointed out Todd's errors and educated him in Indian ways. Of course, things do get heated between them.
A funny twist at the end causes Todd to reevaluate his life and focus on what is really important.
Surprised at how bad it was
42david4229 September 2009
I didn't have great expectations for this movie as the cover is cheesy and the back cover summary was uninspiring. However a friend talked me into seeing it and I haven't taken reccomendations from her since. The movie was terrible. The acting was bad - especially the lead role(Todd). The character was without personality. The Indian characters were much to stereotypical and exaggerated, which made the setting completely unbelievable. You never had the feeling of being in India, but just of being in a bad Hollywood cliché. The plot was thin and all the problems were enormously unoriginal (man is sceptical towards new developments in his life (moving to India), but changes his opinion). The love story is without emotion or nerve, the crises in the story are few and uninteresting and the jokes are corny and unfunny. So; if you wanna see a really bad movie - this is a great choice.
This is a corporate library MUST HAVE
dawna-612 October 2007
This movie walks you straight into the heart of India with its high family values and wonderful way of creating something functional out of anything available. It wraps its arms around the culture and lets you enter risk free as you experience the comedic elements of being immersed in the unfamiliar and the genius of creativity. If this does not receive wider distribution especially in the US then someone is seriously asleep at the wheel. Beyond application to corporate, what the world needs now is people who can shift perspective in a nanosecond and change world views so that the assumptions are smoked out. This movie helps develop the capacity to see the world through a different lens. Buy it-watch it-laugh and learn. Congrats to the whole production team for using Indian talent making this even more respectfully done!
Out of ideas for a good movie "in"? Get Outsourced and you will be happy
inkblot1128 July 2010
Todd (Josh Hamilton) manages a call-in order center for a novelty item company. But, one day the west coast firm informs him that they are outsourcing the call center to India. Naturally, they will save a boatload of dough and don't care that all of Todd's underlings will lose their jobs. And, what about Todd? HE gets chosen to train the new workers on the other side of the planet. After that, his future is undetermined with the company. Quelle nightmare! Arriving in India, Todd runs into difficulties with transportation and an interfering but kindly landlady who pronounces his name "Toad". Also, the food is strange, even McDonalds serves veggie burgers because, of course, eating beef is forbidden. Worst of all, his young workers are enthusiastic but have heavy accents. Todd urges them to tell a white lie and say they are in Chicago but one lovely worker, Asha (Ayesha Dharker) doesn't really what to be deceptive. Yet, since their primary customers will be Americans, who upset easily over "foreigners" and the concept of jobs leaving North America, there must be compromises. In truth, Asha is one lovely lass and Todd recognizes her potential as an assistant manager and, perhaps, a future girlfriend for himself? Now, wait, isn't she already engaged to a fellow Indian, having been so from a very young age? Additionally, Todd can't go back home or onto the next job until the workers learn to handle calls in a timely manner. So far, they are not close. Will it happen? This is a very enjoyable and unusual romantic comedy. The cast is nice, with Hamilton making a good looking and charming star as the fish out of water boss. Dharker, too, is most beautiful and the other cast members do a wonderful job as well. Naturally, the scenery in Indian is exotic and fascinating, as are the costumes and camera work. The script is all too true, as many Americans encounter foreign folks answering the phones for many a company in recent years, and the direction is lively and sure. Are you, dear viewer, out of ideas for a nice romantic comedy to watch this evening? Try to find Outsourced and it will be problem solved.
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