Review by Justin Waldman for Mr. Will Wong
Meet the Patels is the perfect documentary for people who tend not to like documentaries as well as fans of the medium. This is because the Film does not come off a way that feels like a Documentary; rather that it projects itself as a self-finding romantic comedy. It is incredibly funny and self-aware, as it should be, but does not feel exploitative or redundant as it tells the story of nearly 30-year-old Ravi Patel on his mission to find love.
Ravi was dating a nice American girl for approximately two years before he ended things because he thought they were too different for one another in terms of culture and whom he wanted to marry. Upon this break up, Ravi turned to his parents and family for help to seek an appropriate partner for him the traditional Indian way. As the documentary continues, Ravi starts to realize that he himself is slightly unsure of what he is truly looking for in life and more so in love as his love life starts to unravel and potentially settle down.
What makes Meet The Patels such a fun and interesting Documentary is the style that the Film takes. When Ravi is talking to his sister and co-director Geeta Patel is their sessions for most of the Film were done in this fun cartoon style that separated it from the live action and created a different atmosphere to convey story points that had to be told to progress. Another aspect that made the Documentary engaging was that there was a lot of comic relief throughout the film, some of which came from Ravi himself who has proven in his roles as an actor that he is genuinely funny and can deliver when need be.
Meet The Patels is extraordinarily fun and focuses on love and how tradition and family customs can dictate our lives and more importantly love lives if we allow it to. The Film is filled with heart and truth that will turn ever the most closed off people into believers of connection.
D Films releases Meet the Patels in theatres on Friday, October 16, 2015
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