Le gourou et les femmes

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!

I had read a review of this that said the sex bit was quite low key and it was actually quite a good comedy. Indeed it was, not great, but quite watchable and good fun. Jimi Mistry was very good, and the female leads, Marisa Tomei and Heather Graham were funny and sexy.

The Bollywood dance sequences were well done, and Mistry proved he can move very nicely. There were several laugh out loud moments and overall it was a feelgood movie.

It wasnt the best sex comedy I have seen, and the laughs could have been more frequent, but that didnt spoil an otherwise light hearted and amusing film.

For an evening in with nothing else to do, worth watching!

There are times when one should think much thematic depth and dramatic exposition in a motion picture. But this is not that film. Though, it is one hell of a entertaining flick.

I say, throw your artistic caution to the wind! Accept "The Guru" for what it is, a light fluffy movie that can charm your socks off anytime.

This is one of the most entertaining feel-good film I have seen in a very long time. Thank God (or Ganesha, with all due respect) for giving us this confection of a guilty pleasure.

Fantastic, go see it!

I caught this film late at night on Starz and decided to watch it. I was bracing myself for something stupid a la "Master of Disguise", but this is a good movie.

A young Indian goes to America in hopes of becoming the next John Travolta. He ends up working odd jobs while still searching to be discovered. He eventually does, but not as he had hoped. Marisa Tomei is psycho and Heather Graham is surprisingly good in this role. The ending is terrific. Leaves you feeling good. Everything has a good outcome.

It's too bad this movie bombed at the theatres. It's a good offbeat romantic comedy. I cracked up at quite a few parts. It's a light-hearted film with great music (traditional and modern). I recommend this to couples who want to spend a great evening inside with a bowl of popcorn.

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")