CURRY MUNCHERS [VINDALOO EMPIRE] (2011)
tvnz.co.nz
Not a lot of movies can claw their way back from a truly terrible title. It’s going to put an audience off from the minute they see it on the poster. You might say it’s bold for a film about Indian immigrants in New Zealand to be titled Curry Munchers, admirably taking back the derogatory term, but you’d hope there was some substance to back it up. That’s sadly not the case with this cross-cultural comedy from Chilean-NZ director Cristobal Araus Lobos.
Curry Munchers (alternatively titled Vindaloo Empire, vague but not nearly as bad) tells the story of Sidharth (Aunanda Naaido) and his family’s relocation from their affluent New Delhi home to the less-than-glamorous state housing of Auckland. The shock of downsizing his lifestyle leaves Sidharth with just one goal, earning enough money to buy a motorbike, and reclaiming the symbol of his popularity and social relevance back home in India.
Against the will of his parents, who only wish him to study for his engineering degree, Sidharth takes a night job at a local Indian restaurant, only to discover a new feeling of worth amongst the motley kitchen staff and beautiful blonde waitress Mary (Alison Titulaer).
Curry Munchers (alternatively titled Vindaloo Empire, vague but not nearly as bad) tells the story of Sidharth (Aunanda Naaido) and his family’s relocation from their affluent New Delhi home to the less-than-glamorous state housing of Auckland. The shock of downsizing his lifestyle leaves Sidharth with just one goal, earning enough money to buy a motorbike, and reclaiming the symbol of his popularity and social relevance back home in India.
Against the will of his parents, who only wish him to study for his engineering degree, Sidharth takes a night job at a local Indian restaurant, only to discover a new feeling of worth amongst the motley kitchen staff and beautiful blonde waitress Mary (Alison Titulaer).
youtube.com
If it sounds trite and predictable that’s because it is - painfully so. What is hard to get across in a synopsis of Curry Munchers is how awkward the whole film is. From the sluggish, asynchronous editing, awful sound mix, and synthesised karaoke-like score to the broad racial humour and hackneyed slapstick, any moments of attempted emotion or authentic exploration of the NZ-Indian immigrant experience are suffocated at every turn.
Now, it’s arguable that Curry Munchers is a film made for a specific audience, being people who have experienced in the past or are currently experiencing the same plight of Sidharth and his family. From that standpoint a film such as this is important, and it’s encouraging to see other cultures within New Zealand having a chance to express their voices on our screens. That said however, very little feels genuine in this tired, cut-rate Mr. Bean meets Ratatouille clone.
Now, it’s arguable that Curry Munchers is a film made for a specific audience, being people who have experienced in the past or are currently experiencing the same plight of Sidharth and his family. From that standpoint a film such as this is important, and it’s encouraging to see other cultures within New Zealand having a chance to express their voices on our screens. That said however, very little feels genuine in this tired, cut-rate Mr. Bean meets Ratatouille clone.
Curry Munchers is available on DVD from Mighty Ape.
