Gareth Wigan Movies

A feature film debut for Indian director Piyush Dinker Pandya, American Desi centers around Krishna Reddy (Deep Katdare), who calls himself Kris to escape the traditionalism of his Indian family. Desiring to be an all-American type of guy, Kris enters college with good friend Eric (Eric Axen) and begins a new world of freedom away from his protective family. As soon as he arrives on campus, he learns that he has been roomed with three Indian roommates: Jagjit (Ronobir Lahiri), a budding artist, Salim (Rizwan Manji), an old-fashioned believer in Eastern ideals, and Ajay (Kal Penn), who immerses himself in Afrocentric culture. Kris also meets a young student named Nina (Purva Bedi), with whom he falls instantly in love, but fails at first to realize that she too is Indian. An unforeseen opponent, Rakesh (Anil Kumar), threatens to separate the two, with his appreciation of the lifestyles Kris has often rejected in favor of a more American bent. Through his relationship with Nina, Kris begins to get in touch with his heritage, finding that the Western adoptions he has clung to his whole life have prevented him from discovering his true identity. ~ Jason Clark, All Movie Guide

Released several years after it was filmed, this standard Peter Sellers comedy focuses on Dick Scratcher (Sellers), a bumbling, roughly-hewn chief cook on a pirate ship trying to keep an unsteady control of things after he murders the captain. Once the captain is dead, Scratcher is the only one who knows where the pirate's stash lies hidden and that is the source of his control over everyone, even the second mate Pierre (Anthony Franciosa). Into this precariously balanced situation comes little Jeremiah (Richard Willis) who wants to learn all about sailing the high seas and becomes a third factor in the struggle for control of the ship and the hidden treasure. Meanwhile, Bill Bombay (Spike Milligan), another pirate captain, is also out for the same treasure, complicating everything. Both Sellers and Milligan launch into improvised routines -- but in general, the acting is frenetic and underpar while the story runs aground instead of pulling into port with a reasonable ending. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide

Originally made for television, this production features divorce from two perspectives: in the first half, the husband (Richard Burton) explains his perspective of his failed marriage, while the second includes that of his wife (Elizabeth Taylor). ~ John Bush, All Movie Guide