themoviecouch

The thing about this movie is that, as dumb as it is, it represents Indian Cinema becoming more westernized. Just the fact that the characters don't break into song every five minutes is a departure (There are only a couple of musical numbers in the film.) The film also pushes conservative, Indian, entertainment mores with some fairly explicit sexual content, although I don't recall any actual nudity. Beyond that, "Delhi Belly" is a pretty silly, predictable, action, gross-out comedy - basically an Indian "The Hangover."

Tashi, Arup, and Nitin are underemployed, immature, twenty- something guys living like complete slobs in a shared apartment. Tashi is engaged to Sonia, a sexy, Indian flight attendant who isn't very bright. When she helps out a friend by picking up a package from a nervous Russian at the airport, everybody's lives start to get interesting.

Watching a movie like "Delhi Belly" is like watching a rabbit run from a hound. Despite all the twists and turns, you know it is headed for that briar patch. In "Delhi Belly," all the major plot points are broadcast in advance, because we have seen them in American movies before. Still, you have to give the directors credit for making a pretty capable movie within a genre that is not standard Indian fare, that genre being foul-mouthed, risqué, action farces. There are any number of silly, American comedies that are better done than this, but if you are in the mood for something bizarrely exotic, I would say give "Delhi Belly" a chance.

Leni (Marian Aguilera) and Rafi (Guillermo Toledo) are freshly in love, and since both live in Spain they are unconcerned with the fact that Leni is Jewish and Rafi is Palestinian. Hell still breaks loose, though, when they visit Leni's family for the first time. Things are uncomfortable enough with Leni's Israeli-army veteran grandfather, her controlling mother, her horny sister, and her newly religious brother, but when an accident occurs, things really get out of control.

A Spanish, screwball comedy about the Arab-Israeli conflict sounds like a long shot, but "Only Human" makes it work. The comedic cast keeps the outrageous story crackling along. Guillermo Toledo is especially good in his straight-man role, and it is with him that we identify as we bump along from one crazy situation to the next. He reminds me of Ben Stiller in "Meet the Parents." The message of the movie, "Love conquers all," isn't exactly groundbreaking, and I don't think any light is ultimately shed on the Arab-Israeli conflict, but it's a fun time.