Tony Robbins: I Am Not Your Guru

Don't trust the pointless, academic negativity you see here. Directed by Joe Berlinger of critical darling "Paradise Lost," "TONY ROBBINS: I AM NOT YOUR GURU" is a powerful piece of vérité about a most unconventional, controversial man. The naïve negative reviews you see here for this film are simply bad because the reviewers are reviewing the "man," and not the film. There are pointless accusations that Robbins believes he is "cool," because he uses foul language. What, on earth, would that simplistic point, an inference, no less, mean in a documentary? Maybe he should have created a less complex portrait by cleaning up his language for the first- graders who saw this by accident. There are pointless slams about his lack of psychological education, when that entire industry—has anyone seen the mental gymnastics it took to explain the latest, wildly wrong- headed DSM by a psychiatric and psychological community who have expressed embarrassment about the discipline's lack of direction—and, again, this has nothing to do with the film. Neither does denying that some individual could experience cathartic change from the oddness of the Robbins event put under a microscope in this film—from its planners and facilitators to the bizarrely American come-from-nothing story of Robbins himself, a man who knows the significant abuse many of his followers have come to share (we are talking genuine abuse: murders; rapes; abandonment—not tiny things). The film, in a sense, poses a question can someone articulate, a genuine communicator, who has suffered and risen above enormous pain—is someone like that, even when that individual becomes a cottage industry onto himself—better than an academic who has only sat outside true pain and does his or her best to understand what that other, the patient who has endured the unspeakable, has gone through? For a strong portrait of a uniquely individual American, see it; if you're a die-hard skeptic—I double welcome you. But grade the film—not the man or what you believe is possible.

Lets start by saying I AM A FAN of the techniques that Tony Robbins offers those willing to have a go at improving some aspect of their lives. For me these techniques work, I apply them everyday and they have kept me above water and focused on some of the more important things i wish to achieve in life. So am i biased when it comes to recommending this movie? Probably.

What intrigues me is the resistance and cynicism with which some approach this man. We all have some areas in our lives where we know we are falling short. But how many of us ever actually spend the money, get on an airplane and go and try and figure these things out? Very few is my best guess. It is however, easier for those who choose to avoid such personal issues to dismiss or be critical of the approach.

I don't love everything at a Tony Robbins event. In fact there are things that can sometimes be annoying (such as groupie fans that hog the microphone just to hear the sound of their own voice and perhaps feel relevant, or "Significant" as Tony might say).

Why I recommend this movie is because of the 'taste' it provides of a man who is genuinely motivated by the desire to help others improve their lot in life whilst actually offering a few tools that work in the real world. Whether he makes money out of the process is irrelevant to me. In fact, he should charge for what he does as the audience member then has 'skin in the game' and might actually be more motivated to make the changes which ultimately will enhance their own lives....which is the whole point. Is $5000 really too much money? Is it? What if it rekindles your relationship with a cousin or a sibling who you haven't spoken to in several years? Is it to much money to help a couple who live together but have basically stopped communicating properly? Is that $5000 better spent on a holiday where you can continue the lack of communication but only this time with a cocktail in hand and a palm tree in the background?

I know a fair few people who proudly assert their religious, spiritual or atheistic nobility who unfortunately have deeply fractured relationships with loved ones, are difficult to sit next to at work or who just don't seem to be very happy in life (sorry for judging). Personally, i challenge any of these people to attend one of Tony Robbin's seminars and not come away with just one life changing adjustment which in turn has an amplified effect on one's sense of well being or fulfillment.

The emotions we see in the film are real. What the film unfortunately fails to convey is the length of time, the effort, energy with which one man on the stage manages to speak about how we can improve aspects of our lives for 12-14 hours straight (with only momentary breaks). What the film also fails to convey is how during this time - however cynical you may have been going into one of these events - that you too are still sitting there 10 hours in, with more energy and hope for the future than you had before you came in. Donna Karan said it best when she said that even though there are 3000 people in the room, for some reason it feels like he is just talking to you. The dialogue that he expertly encourages, is the one you ultimately end up having with yourself. Going to an immersive event is what forces this inner conversation...otherwise it's all too easy to just sit back and watch the next episode of Game of Thrones.

If the film leaves you with a curiosity to see what the event is like in person, then it has served its purpose. The real value is in attending and participating, not sitting back in an arm chair and criticizing. I have read that some say it's just a glorified commercial for an event. This - in an of itself - doesn't meant that you wont derive something of immense value by actually attending.

We all have areas in our lives where we can do better. I appreciate the way this man has chosen to make his money....it's certainly more admirable than the way I have chosen to make mine (or lack thereof!)

My Rating : 6/10

A controversial watch. The constant cussing can be a genuine turn-off.

Not exactly a 'documentary' but more an advertisement of Tony Robbins' philosophies.

Comes across as a bit of a cult but an intelligent viewer can take away something meaningful from it.

I thought I'd learn about this charismatic motivational speaker known far and wide. This is just a super long infomercial. How is this a documentary when there is no critical analysis of this powerful speaker. I was entertained, but didn't really learn much of anything.

An interesting insight into one of Tony Robbins multi-day seminars. It is a pretty revealing look into Tony Robbins, his philosophy and the audience that attends his shows.

It is certainly not for everyone, as it comes off a bit cult-ish and he tends to display his hyper-agressive alpha style of dealing with issues, and the documentary doesn't explore any opposing viewpoints (so in that sense, it is more of and advert), but I found it fascinating just to explore that world and what motivates people to attend a 6-day, 12-hours a day hyper-energized seminar.