How 'Outsourced' Charmed Me to Pieces

***

I had heard of the TV show Outsourced, but not the movie. Oh man, was I missing out. A possible contender for infiltrating my Top 5 movie list, I fell in love with everything about this movie. Outsourced bends your mind to experience new traditions, without being preachy.

The premise, as you can guess, is about call center jobs being outsourced to India, along with the American manager of that call center, Todd. What ensues are candid and endearing moments between two cultures clashing.

In one of the first scenes, Todd is explaining to his new Indian employees how Americans brand cows. As cows are sacred to India, looks of disgust form on all their faces, to which Todd tries to clarify,"Don't worry, we only do it to baby cows."

This prompts Asha, the lead female role, to tell Todd, "You have so much to learn about India."

***

And that's the lesson here. What follows are glimpses of Todd embracing a culture other than his own. He finds out that some countries have holes in the ground that act as toilets (I've experienced this!) and throughout the movie he loosens his tie to undo the restraints of first-world consumerism and allow his lungs to breathe in a new life.

The plot is mirrored in one scene where Todd and Asha are sitting in a taxi when he notices a curious statue on the dashboard and asks, "What is that?"

"That's Kali, the Goddess of destruction," Asha replies.

"Why would you want the Goddess of destruction in your car?"

"Well sometimes destruction can be a good thing. She ends one cycle so another can begin."

I don't want to give up too much, but even if I explained every happening in the plot, it would still be so-very-worth it to watch. Oh, and I also really want to take a trip to India now, but that's the pesky wanderluster in me.

Outsourced can be watched instantly on Netflix.