Outsourced

Outsourced stars Josh Hamilton as Todd Anderson, an affable salesman who is forced to train his replacement after his entire department is outsourced to India. Director John Jeffcoat, along with co-screenwriter George Wing, has fashioned a conventional fish-out-of-water tale that’s initially far more entertaining than one might’ve imagined, with much of the film’s success due in no small part to Hamilton’s effortlessly charismatic performance. Likewise, Jeffcoat and Wing have infused the early part of Outsourced with a number of genuinely funny cultural misunderstandings (including Todd’s suggestion that India start branding their cows). Problems emerge as the lightweight vibe eventually becomes oppressive; despite a relatively short running time of 98 minutes, the film starts to wear out its welcome somewhere around the one-hour mark. Jeffcoat’s inability to end the movie on a high note becomes increasingly problematic, as the entire thing just goes on and on (and on) until it finally peters out with a whimper. It’s too bad, really; there’s certainly plenty within Outsourced to enjoy, and the movie’s amiable vibe is, at the outset, virtually impossible to resist.

** out of ****