Movies

A mini–Short Cuts for the upwardly mobile Indo-American professional class, Flavors juggles four story lines loosely connected by the wedding that bookends the film. Unfortunately, the constant cell phone chatter and pervasive split screen do little to prop up a limp, poorly structured screenplay. It's typical of the movie's aversion to dramatic conflict that a brewing showdown over whether the American bride-to-be will wear a sari for the ceremony is avoided when she simply changes her mind with no explanation, acquiescing to her Indian in-laws. The Americanized characters are little more than the sum of their possessions, defined almost entirely by palatial suburban houses, laptops, designer clothes, etc. Dedicated to the pursuit of conspicuous consumption, Flavors is a film about immigrants that proudly displays its faith in the American dream.