Stevecorp Don't listen to the negative reviews

MoPoshy Absolutely brilliant

ThedevilChoose When a movie has you begging for it to end not even half way through it's pure crap. We've all seen this movie and this characters millions of times, nothing new in it. Don't waste your time.

Voxitype Good films always raise compelling questions, whether the format is fiction or documentary fact.

CasualBuff1956 A fairly large proportion of this films detractors could not even find India on a map, and probably still believe the nation had a hand in Custer's massacre.This is a light hearted musical comedy about Bollywood meeting America, and Bollywood is all about song, dance, bright costumes and boy meets girl. The ending is always happy. If you've never seen a Bollywood movie then you need to explore new horizons, especially if you gave this a truly bad review because you are speaking from ignorance.For those Indians who hate it and use words such as 'negative typecasting', please read the second paragraph again. This film is portraying B.O.L.L.Y.W.O.O.D. and Bollywood is part of Indian culture and presented to the world, by India, as such.

Turfseer The Guru is one those pictures which is more interesting watching the film with the commentary on DVD than watching the film without it. Actually there are two sets of commentaries on the DVD: one with the director, Daisy von Scherler Mayer and screenwriter, Tracey Jackson together and another with the film's star, Jimi Mistry. There are all kinds of facts about the making of the picture that are quite fascinating (for example, the director decided to leave in a scene of a real-life paparazzi taking a picture of Heather Graham as the film was being shot!).On the plus side, The Guru has a strong cast which includes the extremely funny and talented Michael McKean (I loved him in 'Coneheads'), Christine Baranski (she was excellent in the recent Broadway production of 'Boeing, Boeing') and the very versatile Marisa Tomei who steals the show here as a spoiled, neurotic daughter in a upper-crust New York family who pursues eastern spiritualism without giving up her western decadence and sense of entitlement.Despite the potential, The Guru ends up as lightweight fare, the kind of entertainment you will soon forget about after a first viewing. While the plotting is more than acceptable, the problem is that the story simply isn't funny. This is mainly due to a lack of inspiration on the part of screenwriter Jackson. She readily admits that she intentionally softened up some of the more unsavory aspects of her story—particularly in her treatment of the porn industry, in order to lighten the overall mood. By doing so, she dumbs down her characters into sentimental cream puffs so that the humor no longer has an edge. No one clear-cut antagonist emerges for Ramu Gupta (The Guru) to oppose. Instead, the focus is more on his internal arc in which he battles the seduction of crass materialism.Even if we are willing to accept the screenwriter's distorted but 'affectionate send-ups', the Guru has a more serious problem. If you think about it, The Guru is a story that could actually happen. How many times have we heard stories about various Svengali-like figures seducing masses of gullible people? Even though the Guru is supposed to be an exaggerated tale of seduction, the method by which the seduction is executed must be somewhat credible. When the Swami passes out at the catered party and Ramu has to pretend that he is now the all-knowing Guru, he first breaks into a dance which immediately seems to mesmerize the group of pretentious New York intellectuals who have been waiting for their next spiritual mentor to open up their chakras and show them 'the light'. It's a farcical moment, not very clever, but something we're willing to accept in order to see what comes next.As it turns out, Gupta relies on his muse, Sharrona (Heather Graham), the porn star masquerading as a substitute teacher, for a string of aphorisms that somehow turns everybody into cult-like followers. The aphorisms aren't clever at all. Sharrona coughs up such profundities as "Fear is cold, it freezes up"; when we come, we let go of our fears"; "my pussy is the door to my soul". The point is that the pretentious intellectuals are so stupid that they fall for these inane pontifications. It's obvious stuff and in screenwriter Jackson's dumbed-down world, the Guru has it TOO easy seducing these buffoons. Jackson's satire has no bite since she has created no credible targets to satirize. The Guru's victims needed to be more fleshed out, real people and the Guru needed a much more clever, original and believable plan rather than merely spouting a few trite aphorisms that sway everybody to him.Toward the end of the film, the Guru jokes have worn out their welcome (they weren't funny at the beginning of the film too!). The Guru devolves into standard romantic comedy fare with Sharonna suddenly realizing that she was meant for Ramu all along. The Guru cannot be accused of not being good-natured however. In a plea for tolerance, Sharrona's fiancé realizes that he too (all along) has been in love and at the movie's end he's fallen for his gay firefighter boyfriend.The Guru was filmed on location in New York City as well as some of the early scenes on location in India. It's a colorful film, well-acted including some lively dance numbers. Nonetheless, The Guru is so lightweight that it lacks the main ingredient for comedy: laughs!!!

insomniac_rod This is a witty and sexy romantic comedy that isn't offensive by any means. Don't think that it pokes at Hindu culture or any racial situations; it only tries to entertain the audience with sexual humor and the occasional American humor combined with nice choreography and crazy dialogs.The main character played by Jim Ministry is really fun and does perfectly the Hindu accent. It's like watching an episode of SNL but only better.The situations are funny and sometimes over the top but that's what makes this movie unique. Don't label it before watching it and you will surprise yourself.Heather Graham looks really sexy and cute, and actually, delivers a fine performance when she needs to.Marisa Tomei is one hot woman and in this movie she looks wonderful and still manages to deliver a believable performance.So I recommend this movie for those who enjoy romantic comedies with black humor and sexual situations.The ending is a blast.

buzzedman_ie I wasn't expecting much from this movie, but I was surprised. It is light entertainment, and it has something for everyone. For those thinking this is simply an attempt at "Bollywood" trying to go mainstream, it's more than that. It's a comedy, love stories, satire, and self-help all rolled into one. The entire cast does a great job turning a trite farce into something more.One expects a little extra from the likes of Marisa Tomei, Heather Graham, and Christine Baranski, and this film delivers. Baranski does a great job with what otherwise might be a forgettable role; Tomei adds an intelligence to her character that might have been missed by other actors. Graham and Jimi Mistry are wonderful as the leads, who both respectively lead double lives.