Some of the issues raised by critics are technically valid, but blown WAY out of proportion. There are a few plot holes and logical conundrums, for example, but nothing worse than what you'd see in "The Big Sleep" or "The Usual Suspects." Don't sweat it!
Yes, the tone is unnatural. It's a musical, not a John Cassavetes film! There are certainly nods to Bollywood, but the better analogy to bear in mind is the backstage musical genre of the 1930s. Those movies made no goddamn sense! They resolved plot conflicts in a pat or perfunctory way, left characters out to dry, and cut to musical numbers for no plausible reason whatsoever. They were nonetheless a joy and a glory to behold, partly on the strength of the ENSEMBLE ACTING. The best part of "Gold Diggers of 1933," for example, is not the (excellent but too short) Busby Berkeley dance number at the end. It's the performance of some of the best character actors of the vaudeville and early film era (Guy Kibbey, Aline McMahon, Warren William, to name a few) playing their parts to the hilt, as they try to out-scheme each other, only to find the sweet, warm parts of themselves overpowering their machiavellian drives-all with incredible timing and wit. The effect is so delicious it makes me weep.
None of the reviews of Basmati Blues I read even mentioned the ensemble of Indian actors that play supporting roles in this film, but they produce the same effect, and it's the heart of the film. I don't know when you'll get another chance to see these honed and gifted actors work in English, so don't take it for granted! It's a bit cornball at times, but-again-it's a musical! And the charm is real.
The film is also a welcome break from traditional subject matter and genre treatment. (Especially in our current MCU-dominated hellscape). Plot holes or no, style inconsistencies or no, you won't see a story like this unfold anywhere else anytime soon, nor hear dialogue that lets itself meander into divertive play for the sheer fun of it.
Finally, there is some nice thematic resonance under all the frivolity. Basmati Blues does a pretty nice job of conveying how essential American innocence is to the successful spread of neo-colonial capitalism across the third world. While Donald Sutherland and Tyne Daly's characters get some nice bond-villain mustache-twirling in, the way the "good guys" nearly enable a calamity just by believing what they are supposed to delivers a more potent and enduring truth.
Yes, the tone is unnatural. It's a musical, not a John Cassavetes film! There are certainly nods to Bollywood, but the better analogy to bear in mind is the backstage musical genre of the 1930s. Those movies made no goddamn sense! They resolved plot conflicts in a pat or perfunctory way, left characters out to dry, and cut to musical numbers for no plausible reason whatsoever. They were nonetheless a joy and a glory to behold, partly on the strength of the ENSEMBLE ACTING. The best part of "Gold Diggers of 1933," for example, is not the (excellent but too short) Busby Berkeley dance number at the end. It's the performance of some of the best character actors of the vaudeville and early film era (Guy Kibbey, Aline McMahon, Warren William, to name a few) playing their parts to the hilt, as they try to out-scheme each other, only to find the sweet, warm parts of themselves overpowering their machiavellian drives-all with incredible timing and wit. The effect is so delicious it makes me weep.
None of the reviews of Basmati Blues I read even mentioned the ensemble of Indian actors that play supporting roles in this film, but they produce the same effect, and it's the heart of the film. I don't know when you'll get another chance to see these honed and gifted actors work in English, so don't take it for granted! It's a bit cornball at times, but-again-it's a musical! And the charm is real.
The film is also a welcome break from traditional subject matter and genre treatment. (Especially in our current MCU-dominated hellscape). Plot holes or no, style inconsistencies or no, you won't see a story like this unfold anywhere else anytime soon, nor hear dialogue that lets itself meander into divertive play for the sheer fun of it.
Finally, there is some nice thematic resonance under all the frivolity. Basmati Blues does a pretty nice job of conveying how essential American innocence is to the successful spread of neo-colonial capitalism across the third world. While Donald Sutherland and Tyne Daly's characters get some nice bond-villain mustache-twirling in, the way the "good guys" nearly enable a calamity just by believing what they are supposed to delivers a more potent and enduring truth.