Film
What's on at the cinema plus reviews of the latest movie and DVD releases
Bookmark this pageThe Guru (2002)
Director: Daisy von Scherler Mayer
Movie review
From Time Out Film Guide
A fluffily lightweight culture-clash farce, this is a full-on showcase for East Is East star Mistry. He's Ramu Gupta, a snake-hipped Delhi dance instructor who travels to Manhattan aiming to emulate his idol John Travolta. Soon discovering that the reality is very different from Saturday Night Fever, he stumbles into a low budget porn video operation, where he's taken in hand by leading lady Sharonna (Graham). But when 'Rammy' is mistaken for a holy sage by gullible poor little rich girl Lexi (Tomei), he rides his luck to fame as the 'Guru of Sex'. Graham and Mistry look like they're having an absolute blast, and their energy is infectious, especially in a show-stopping fantasy number that segues from a full-fig Bollywood parody into 'You're the One that I Want'. But the uneven script and direction undermine the performers' boisterous energy. Whole lines, scenes and subplots don't work, with Tomei especially ill-served by a role that is a thinly veiled pop at fad-chasing celebs. Which is a bit rich, coming from a film so blatantly desperate to cash in on the current trend for all things Bollywood.Author: NY
Cast & crew
Director: Daisy von Scherler Mayer
Producer: Tim Bevan, Eric Fellner, Michael London
Cast: Heather Graham, Marisa Tomei, Jimi Mistry, Michael McKean, Christine Baranski, Sakina Jaffrey, Bobby Cannavale, Sanjeev Bhaskar full cast
Genre(s): Comedy
Duration: 95 mins
Most popular on this site
Top Stories
Stephen Poliakoff discusses 'Glorious 39'
Stephen Poliakoff’s ‘Glorious 39’ is his first film for cinema since ‘Food of Love’ in 1997. Dave Calhoun met him
Is 'Paranormal Activity' the new 'Blair Witch'?
How does a film go from DIY experiment to box-office smash? 'Paranormal Activity' director Oren Peli explains
Steven Soderbergh on 'The Informant!' and 'The Girlfriend Experience'
We talk to Steven Soderbergh about his two forthcoming films: one featuring a porn star, the other a chubby Matt Damon
A gateway to all things 'New Moon'
In anticipation of 'The Twilight Saga: New Moon', Time Out is offering the chance to pick up a limited edition pack with three exclusive magazines and a free poster.
London Children's Film Festival
Read our exclusive reviews of films playing at the 2009 London Children’s Film Festival
The films that deserve a TV spin-off
With Roland Emmerich suggesting he'd like to make a '2012' TV spin-off, we propose some more movie-to-TV serialisations
The Coen brothers discuss 'A Serious Man'
Masters of contrary comedy, Joel and Ethan Coen have struck gold again with their latest, ‘A Serious Man’
Michael Haneke discusses 'The White Ribbon'
Dave Calhoun met with Michael Haneke in Munich to mull over the details of his Palme d'Or winner, 'The White Ribbon'
Ten inspirations behind 'Avatar'?
Time Out ponders the influences behind James Cameron's anticipated space-opera on the basis of the trailer
Time Out's 50 greatest animated films with commentary by Terry Gilliam
In celebration of the release of Pixar's 'Up' and Wes Anderson's 'Fantastic Mr Fox', read our rundown of fifty classic feature length animations
What do you think?
Post your review now