Review of The Tiger Hunter (2017) by Penni E — 22 Sep 2017

I've seen this movie three times and laughed out loud every single time. Lena Khan's directorial debut is a revelation. Funny, touching, absurd, heartwarming and sentimental, this hits all the right notes. A feel good movie that'll leave you smiling.

Danny Pudi is charming as Sami, an engineer who heads to America to make a name for himself, so that he might live up to the legend of his father, the great tiger hunter, and also woo his childhood sweetheart Ruby. Karen David sparkles as the best friend/object of Sami's desire. You believe their friendship is real and their chemistry leaps off the screen.

Jon Heder and Kevin Pollack turn in fantastic performances as "coworker's" at Sami's depressing job (he works in the basement, drafting designs all day for a failing microwave business). But the real star amongst the dozen sidekicks is Babu, played with crackling glee by Rizwan Manji. Babu is the id of the movie, a gleeful immigrant living the American dream with his General Lee car and his "fiancée" Mary Tyler Moore. Babu is every college student moving out for the first time, into an apartment with their best friend (or 13), dead broke, but full of hope and excitement.

Seeing this film not only reminds you of how much immigrants have made the US what it is, but it also harkens back to a time when the American dream seemed tangible, romantic, and possible. Frankly, the world needs more Samis, Rubys, Babus, Alexes, Kareems, Rehans, Vikrams, Abdullahs, Parags and Siddeshes.

Go see this darling film.