Balle Balle! Amritsar to L.A.
User Score
7.6 out of 10

Generally favorable reviews- based on 60 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 48 out of 60
  2. Mixed: 1 out of 60
  3. Negative: 11 out of 60

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  1. KetraM
    Mar 4, 2005
    2
    The premise of this movie is absolutely ridiculous - having only a superficial basis or connection to actual Indian culture (yah right a traditional Indian family living in the Punjab region of Indian would openly allow their daughter to travel with a young, unfamiliar male that she is not related to prior to marriage and allow another daughter to romance a male in her own home!??? Has this director even been to India?). There are so many cliches in this movie that it is embarassing - nothing seems to actually get resolved, the movie jumps around alot, skimming over everything that happens without spending any time exploring the situations that present themselves (e.g the younger daughter running away, Lalita falling in love with someone outside her culture....) - if you can't do these incidences justice, don't put them in the film. The Indian culture and people are truly beautiful AND diverse - I find it funny that Lalita rebels against the idea the other characters have of the typical Indian - yet the movie itself bases all it's characters on stereotypes. The 'musical' numbers are painful at best. I found that Ash (who I think is stunning and great in Bollywood films) comes off as overacting throughout the majority of the movie. The male lead, Darcy is horibbly acted. Unlike other reviews on this site, I do not believe that this movie reflects my culture whatsoever and I found it silly and not funny at all after the first half. The movie is great eye candy, so go see it for that reason alone, other than that it is definitely a renter.… Collapse
  2. SantoshS.
    Jul 5, 2005
    1
    Awful. if this is the kind of film & performance ash is depending on to make it in hollywood god help all of us.
  3. RickB.
    Feb 22, 2006
    1
    Yet another movie where asians(in this case INDIANS) are trying to be accepted by, lets see how should i say this, Caucasian. Lets face,when you look at a movie like this, that's what it comes down to. Alot of Chinese, Korean and Indian movies have this...You want an in your face real look at race and lack of a better word "issues", take a look at a little movie called CRASH(one of the best movies ever made). I don't know watching Indian movies is just getting more and more embarrassing to watch.-First, Aishwarya Rai was huge and not in a good way. Yes her looks are amazing, but makeup is even more amazing. They really need to pay makeup artist more money. Martin Henderson could not have been more boring, I mean come ooon did they really have to put such a white guy, they could have picked a normal looking white guy who could act, and suited the part, instead we get a guy that could run for president. The music was annoying compared to other indian movies, and the pace was slow and drawn out. Nothing important and nothing that really interesting, just the same old Sh!t hollywood and now BOLLYWOOD keeps farting out. Alot of white folks i came in contact with really like this movie, I mean who wouldn't like a movie where someone is giving up there culture for you. You know how that feels, wow, i wish they would make a movie of a Chinese girl falling in love and giving up everything for an Indian guy. I would give that movie a 10. But the movie has a good moral point to it thats why i gave it a 1, which is if we all try hard enough you too can end up with a white guy. Please look for my other reviews, a good one is Princess Mononoke. Oh right yea i am asian so please don't get angry(like if i care).… Expand
  4. StevieG
    Feb 10, 2005
    0
    I saw this film at a preview this evening. I loved "Bend It like Beckham." So I was very enthusiastic about this film. I really hated it. The only people who will enjoy this movie are those who really enjoy "Indian Cinema" and the retarded. While there are a few good laughs, a number of gorgeous Indian women and alot of pretty colors, this is the worst movie I have ever seen. I love movies. This was awful. The story was corny and predicatable. The writing was lazy and stupid. The acting was stilted. Did I mention that there were gorgeous women? While it is nice to see Indian culture being so prominently displayed . . . While it is clear that this film is a an homage to Indian cinema . . . While this is a film bereft with good feelings and a warm heart . . . While the beauty of Indian women is the central redeeming asset . . . This movie is so insipid and ordinary that I felt ripped off that I saw it for free. What a disapointment.… Expand
  5. Seema
    Mar 26, 2005
    3
    Bad movie. critics seem to ignore how bad aishwarya's acting was. she's used to being a beauty queen, she has no grasp on how to act truthfully instead of striking a beautiful pose. the movie poorly adapted the original pride and prejudice because it tried to capture every little plot turn. like lalita's sister's affair with wicker---so underdeveloped and lacking any sense of emergency. ooh, darcy's sister got pregnant...and now the sister is taking pictures with wicker in london! the horror! all of that drama was revealed and neatly cleaned up in a span of fifteen minutes of watching rai clumsily run through London, pretending to look worried and scared. some good writing and note-worthy lines. i liked the mother's, father's, jaya's and nerd-sister's performances. henderson looked like he was drowning in a bad plot..which he probably was. terrible songs!… Expand
  6. TaylorC.
    Apr 16, 2005
    0
    Worst movie i have ever seen. i don't know where to start. the plot is horrid. the acting is insanely bad. stupid stupid stupid! the songs are completely random. BAAAAH.
  7. JaspreetS.
    Feb 10, 2006
    3
    Horrible movie to say the least. The acting is so over the top, and all the musical numbers are forced in there. Pure waste of Aishwriya and Naveen Andrews.
  8. KeithH.
    Mar 19, 2005
    1
    It was really bad. I honestly could not stay until the end. The only enjoyable thing about it was the colorful clothing.
  9. nishacan'ttell
    Apr 16, 2005
    0
    This movie is so stupid. I wish people would stop basing an actress on her beauty rather than her performance. Alot of the actress and actors who win awards in hollywood do so because they can act. The bollywood fans don't care about an actors performance...it comes only second to their looks. And by the way....I'd like to see dark skin indian actresses represented more. A majority of Indians are brown last time I checked. About this movie.....it was horrid. I dont know what the hell this director was thinking. It doesnt represent a real Indian family whatsover. Last time I remembered.....anytime an Indian girl falls in love with someone out of her race..her father would give her a good beating...or threaten to kill her........they should put that in the movie. It wasn't realistic at all.… Expand

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
55 out of 100

Mixed or average reviews - based on 34 Critics

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 19 out of 34
  2. Mixed: 12 out of 34
  3. Negative: 3 out of 34
  1. Los Angeles Times
    Reviewed by: Kenneth Turan
    70
    Aside from the singing and dancing, it is the color and pageantry of India as filtered through the work of cinematographer Santosh Sivan that captivates us.
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  2. Washington Post
    Reviewed by: Desson Thomson
    70
    Works because of its heedless, heart-on-its-sleeve spirit.
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  3. Seattle Post-Intelligencer
    Reviewed by: Paula Nechak
    67
    Here's yet another take on "Pride and Prejudice,"...but all spiced up as colorfully as a dish of curry.
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