Review: 'Meet the Patels' an adorable doc about Indian dating

Meet the Patels is a documentary that would not work if its subjects, actor Ravi Patel and his family, weren't so entertaining to watch. Ravi's sister, Geeta, who directs the film, lucked out, in that her brother is both photogenic and charismatic by profession.

Ostensibly, Meet the Patels is about Ravi - who has a supporting role in John Stamos' forthcoming Fox sitcom, Grandfathered - trying to find a wife. His mother and father, Champa and Vasant, met through an arranged marriage, and are intent on hitching up their son, who they think has never had a girlfriend. Not true. For two years, he was in a relationship with Audrey, who is not Indian, but he never could manage to tell his parents about the woman for whom he still pines.

So, Ravi takes up the task of finding himself a life partner. That means signing up for Indian dating sites, traversing the country meeting women based on their bio data (think a dating resume), and even going to a convention for people with the last name Patel that includes a night of speed-dating games.

Yet, just as Meet the Patels is about Ravi's love life, it's also about the push and pull of being the children of immigrants. Ravi says he essentially grew up living two different lives: one in which he spoke Gujarati with his parents and watched Bollywood movies, and another in which he played football, spoke English, and watched American films.

Ravi knows his parents love each other dearly, but he does not see the same value in marrying a girl he has known for only 10 minutes. His parents don't see the rub in this arrangement. After all, it worked out well for them.

Ravi is an affable guide through the world of Indian dating, and Champa and Vasant are adorable and hilarious. But the best part of Meet the Patels is when Geeta turns her camera on surprisingly vulnerable moments, for instance filming her doubts about her own viability as a mate and her ability to find a partner. Those times when Ravi, Champa, and Vasant show genuine emotion might not have been captured were Geeta not holding the camera. Meet the Patels is better for it.

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Directed by Geeta Patel. With Ravi Patel, Geeta Patel, Champa Patel, Vasant Patel. Distributed by Alchemy.

Running time: 1 hour, 28 mins.

Parent's guide: PG (thematic elements).

Playing at: Ritz Five.EndText

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