Movie Review: Offshore - Page 2

It's at this point in the film that the characters, who have thus far come off as real folks, veer sharply into caricature and stereotype, which is unfortunate. Carol comes off as so filled with rage, and her co-workers turn so racist and ugly, that it's difficult to sympathize with their plight. The Indians, by contrast, are sympathetic and earnest almost to a fault. There's even an Indian-American among the Fairfax employees who's forced to make an uncomfortable choice between his native countrymen and his co-workers. To say more of the plot at this point would give too much away, but suffice to say there's a slight twist at the end of the tale, and some winners and some losers. The losers are, of course, the displaced workers, and it's their plight that isn't really addressed here, but then that topic is perhaps outside the scope of this one film.

None of this, however, detracts from the film's main point, which is to give voice to some good questions about outsourcing. What are the limits of a company's obligations to its employees, and how does it balance those obligations against a shrinking bottom line during difficult times? How can we expect developing countries to develop without making an impact on our own lives in this global economy? These topics are very timely — New Haven's alternative weekly, The New Haven Advocate, went so far as to outsource an entire issue just to make a point — and Offshore will certainly give you some food for thought.

Offshore opens in limited release in New York on May 29 and will expand to several more cities in June. You can learn more at the film's official website.

Article Author: Lisa McKay

Lisa McKay is Blogcritics' Executive Editor. At BC she can usually be found hanging out in the film section. She recently started food blogging at Will Kill for Food.

In her spare time, she watches movies, listens to music, reads, and caters to the whims of two spoiled cats. …

Visit Lisa McKay's author page — Lisa McKay's Blog