Der Super-Guru

In India, the dance teacher Ramu Gupta (Jimi Mistry) decides to move to New York to become a famous actor. He believes in the American Dream and wants the follow the example of his friend Vijay (Emil Marwa), who moved to USA and in accordance with his letters, has a Mercedez Benz and lives in a wonderful penthouse. When Ramu arrives in New York, he realizes that Vijay indeed is a complete loser, working as a cab driver and waiter in an Indian restaurant, and sharing a simple apartment with two other friends, one of them illegal. While looking for a job as an actor, the naive Ramu ends in a porn movie, and he meets the porn star Sharonna (Heather Graham), who teaches him some secrets to have a good performance in front of the camera and the shooting crew. Later, in the birthday party of Lexi (Marisa Tomei) in the wealthy house of her parents, he pretends to be a guru, and becomes very successful as the Guru of Sex, using the advice of Sharonna. This silly and delightful story is a great homage to Bollywood and a very good entertainment. Like in the Indian movies of Bollywood, there are lots of songs and numbers of dances, and the cast is very nice and enjoyable. Heather Graham and Marisa Tomei are beautiful as usual, and there are many funny scenes. It is impossible not liking such a sweet romantic comedy. My vote is seven.

Title (Brazil): "O Guru do Sexo" ("The Guru of the Sex")

I enjoyed it ... I didn't go into the theatre with super-high expectations, and its not Academy Award material obviously, but it made me smile for a couple of hours, tap my toes to the (too infrequent) musical numbers, and enjoy the eye candy that is Jimi Mistry :-D A pleasant piece of fluff and I always like the opportunity to see the very funny Christine Baranski (underused in Chicago).

I had no idea what the plot of the Guru was before I saw it. And afterwards, I was glad I saw this unique love story that for some reason, never got much press when it was in theaters. The story revolves around a young India man who moves to New York to make his dreams of becoming rich and famous a reality. He tries out for a movie role, not knowing it was for a porn. On the set of the porn, he meets a girl, whom ends up giving him advice about sex. She thinks it is for working in porns, but he is using the advice to advance his career as the Guru. Of course, the two fall for each other and how they finally get together makes this movie worth while.

FINAL VERDICT: A lot of music, and a much better plot than most romantic comedies now days. This was much better than any of Sandra Bullocks lame romantic comedies. I recommend this unique, not-so-well-known, gem.

THE GURU tells of a an Indian dance instructor (Jimi Mistry) who comes to the U.S. to become a movie star. His first gig is in a porn film, where he meets porn actress Heathe Graham. She teaches him a thing or two, which he puts to excellent use as a phony guru performing at a posh birthday party for the very spoiled and libidinous Marisa Tomei. She falls for him and they have lots of sex. He teaches her everything he learns from Graham, and Tomei eventually becomes a celebrity herself. What happens to our pretend guru makes up the rest of this reasonably funny movie, which includes some big musical interludes done Bollywood style. Graham and Tomei are both incredibly sexy in this adult comedy. The British actor playing the supposed guru is woebegone in a pleasant way, but I must admit a little of him goes a long way. Keep your eye on the two gals and the musical numbers.

Not many people will be attracted to The Guru; if for no other reason that the movie poster (or DVD box, if you will) would suggest that of an Indian film that may be too ethnic for the casual moviegoer. And that is too bad, for The Guru is one of those small gems of a film that through word of mouth will eventually get its due as an entertaining, light comedy.

Directed by Daisy von Scherler Mayer (1998, Madeline), the movie stars Jimi Mistry as Ramu Gumpta, an young Indian man that moves to America in hopes of obtaining the American dream; that of fame, fortune and celebrity. His hopes are soon dashed however, when he realizes that the land of opportunity is not awaiting his presence with open arms, and he must find work as a waiter and then a reluctant actor in porn films in order to pay his quarter of the rent.

As chance would give, Ramu finds himself at an upper class house party where a guru has been hired as the entertainment. When the guru passes out due to excessive drinking, Ramu assumes his role and uses logic obtained on his movie sets to enliven the guests in the first of three musical numbers within the film. At this gathering, a young, compulsive female named Lexi (played by Academy Award Winner Marisa Tomei), falls for the guru's sexual teachings and soon uses her connections to get him set up with one-on-one client visits and eventually television spots.

But alas all is not well in guru land. The teachings and mutterings by Ramu are actually words from a porn actress named Sharona, (played with normal ditziness by Heather Graham), who thinks that she is giving him lessons on how to be a better porn star and asks only that he tells no one of the information they share. Later Ramu must is put in a ‘we-can-see-this-coming-a-mile-away' scene where his teachings to a mass audience are witnessed by Sharona and he must try to win her back after betraying her trust.

The Guru is very light entertainment, but it delivers by offering nothing more than a few laughs and musical numbers that will have your feet tapping the floor. There are plenty of ethnic jokes and stereotypes (Indians driving cabs, ha ha), but nothing offensive or off color. Daisy von Scherler Mayer keeps things lively by providing us with just the right amount of sex, music and humor to keep us enthralled.

The Guru is by far a perfect movie and a 7 out of 10 would be about the proper rating if I was asked to rate it on such a scale, but considering the amount of comedies out there and the lack of laughs they provide, I think you will agree that The Guru will at least keep a smile on your face for 90 minutes. Thumbs up!