I’m perhaps fonder of both Bend It Like Beckham and Bride & Prejudice than the average critic since I happen to like both John Rhys Meyers and over-the-top-ness, but I’m at a total loss as to how Gurinder Chadha went from making Western-weighted meetings of India and the UK or US to something that looks as bad, and as stupid, as this:
It’s not really that funny to joke that a non-bombshell single girl must be a lesbian. The Mrs. Bennet-influenced incompetent schemer in Bride & Prejudice is a lot more subtle and interesting than this murderous woman who doesn’t appear to even like her daughter very much. I desperately hope there’s more to Sendhil Ramamurthy’s character than simply that devastating smile and a handsome suit, and that he’s more than the vehicle for smooches for our browbeaten heroine. This movie just looks unpleasant to watch, and I’m actively annoyed at her for having made it.