| THE GURU |
 2002
- UK / France / USA
Director: Daisy von Scherler Mayer - Reviewed by Eric
In today's oversensitive/politically correct/goddamn crybaby society, ethnic humor by its very nature treads on thin ice. Not only that, but it's so frequently done wrong, people forget that it can be done right! Last year, My Big Fat Greek Wedding reminded us that humor stemming from ethnicity can be affectionate and "appropriate." Now here is The Guru, which doesn't venture as far into "drama" as Wedding does (which is to say, at all), but is just as sincere. I don't know if the fact that I went into The Guru with expectations as low as Julia Roberts's romantic standards had anything to do with how much I liked it, but like it I did. Bollywood meets Hollywood, and the result is extremely entertaining. The Guru doesn't in a single way deviate from the standard structural formula we're all familiar with in "comedies with prominent romantic subplots," but it is as original as a film can be within it. And we all know that structure: Boy meets girl, girl is engaged to the Wrong Guy but doesn't realize it, boy falls in love with girl while taking advantage of her without her knowledge, girl finds out and is pissed, boy makes speech about how he Really Loves Her, boy and girl live happily ever after. I know it seems like I've given away quite a lot, but I haven't, because everything between the narrative dots it so dutifully connects is infused with affection for its characters (and their culture) and a comic energy that easily keeps our attention for the (also standard) 90-minute runtime. The setup goes something like this: Ramu is a young Indian man who gives dance lessons (consisting largely of the Macarena) in New Delhi, but what he has loved ever since he was a child is American films. One day, he announces to his family that he is moving to America to become a movie star, citing his brother's rags-to-riches story as proof that he can make it. Unfortunately, when he arrives, he finds out that Vijay has been making up stories of financial success for his family and actually lives in a run-down apartment with two roommates. Somehow or another, Ramu finds himself pretending to be a Swami at an upper-class birthday party for Lexi (Marisa Tomei), thrown by her mother Peaches (the priceless Christine Baranski). Panicked and being implored for "wisdom," he simply reiterates a bit of sexual insight he was told by a porn star friend of his named Sharonna (played by Heather Graham). Of course he is hailed as a genius and he soon he is "The Guru of Sex," the next national fad somewhere along the lines of Deepak Chopra (mentioned in the film), or "The Rules" books. Ramu perpetuates the guru act by imparting to his clients wisdom he continues to acquire from Sharonna. And of course she has no knowledge that he is using her words like this, and of course they fall in love, but she can't be with him because she's getting married. You all know how it ends, but you'll want to keep watching anyway. Ramu is played by the immensely likable and adorably earnest Jimi Mistry, who not only brings loads of personality and charisma, but also a vulnerability and silliness that makes him an enormously appealing leading man. Every scene does nothing more than service the predictable plot, but Mistry all but makes you forget that. And sure, Graham's own acting skills are frequently about on par with those of an actual porn star, but this is a role that actually calls for her brand of acting; it keeps the movie from seeming like it's trying to take itself seriously. In the right movie (like Bowfinger, or this one), Graham actually displays a talent for comedy, and there isn't anyone else I'd rather have seen in this role. One of the keys to The Guru's success is that it doesn't oversimplify the natures of its characters. Sharonna is no innocent victim of Ramu's scam, she has her own contradictions to deal with. Not even Sharonna's Wrong Guy is a bad guy, just confused. It also does right by acknowledging the Indian stereotypes (cab driver, waiter) and seeing through them, rather than pretending they don't exist. It even makes you think a little: "Name one Indian celebrity in America!" one character asks the other. "That guy on The Simpsons!" is all anyone on the screen can come up with. Luckily (and realistically), nobody wastes time getting political and bitter over such matters. And have I mentioned the musical sequences? There are only a few of them in the film, but they are joyful, energetic, and exuberant marriages of Bollywood and Hollywood musical numbers; they are the one truly unique thing that The Guru brings to the table, and they were definitely my favorite parts of the movie. The Guru isn't a great or important film, but it is worthy of your time and money. Especially after something as criminally unfunny and joyless as The Hot Chick, it certainly is a relief. It is a comedy that is actually funny, one that makes us feel good, and one that does not resort to cruelty for laughs. The Indian theme is a fresh and entertaining one for a mainstream comedy, and I think you'll enjoy it. The rest of my audience sure did—they broke into applause afterwards! |
|
Home
| Currently Playing | For
Rent | Video Obsession ©2001 Moviepie e-mail us |
Before I say anything about this movie, let it be known that I am aware
how godawful the synopsis and ad campaign makes this movie look, and I
know just how badly you want to live the rest of your life without
seeing it. The only way I could convince myself to go was by promising
myself that if the first 20 minutes sucked, I'd sneak into 