The Mystic Masseur

Starring:Om Puri, Aasif Mandvi, Ayesha Dharker, Jimi Mistry, Sanjeev Bhaskar, Zohra Sehgal, Sakina Jaffrey, Rez Kempton, Pip Torrens, Albert Laveau, Grace Maharaj, James Fox, Michael Cherrie, Maureen Thompson, Dinesh Maharaj, David Sammy, Eddie Yearwood, Danesh Khan, Lisa Bissoon, Rhea Suedeen
Director: Ismail Merchant
Studio: Sony Pictures
Product Type: DVD

Amazon.com

The first film adapted from a novel by Nobel Laureate V.S. Naipaul, The Mystic Masseur follows the rise and decline of an ambitious young man in the expatriate Hindu community in Trinidad. After his father dies, Ganesh (Aasif Mandvi), an aspiring writer, goes to his father's village and takes over his massage business. Though his writing efforts nearly break up his marriage with Leela (Ayesha Dharker, The Terrorist), the publication of his first book brings them back together--but opens up all kinds of other troubles. With the help of a little showmanship, Ganesh builds a reputation as a healer and a wise man; but when his reputation leads him to get into politics, he loses his path. Despite strong performances, the movie's leisurely pace undercuts an already unfocused storyline. Also featuring Om Puri (East Is East, My Son the Fanatic). --Bret Fetzer

Customer Reviews:

disappointing.......2005-12-06

I watched it twice, almost in a row. The accents put me off. The way the Indians and British Indians tried to get the Trinidad accent at times seems to be mocking. And while I suppose there aren't a whole lot of big Indo Caribbean actors, there is something offputting about an entire cast and not one single Indo Caribbean actor in a major role. Not unlike some people's impatience with Chinese leads in the Speilberg Geisha movie.

And Ismail Merchant as director is no James Ivory. The film is just too artificial in its lighting, in its flowing wardrobe. The main guy, Ganesh, played by Aasif Mandvi, gets better as the film progresses. I think it was a pretty good job, in fact. Every time I see Om Puri in an English-speaking role, I get more tired of him.

I haven't read the novel in ages. I don't doubt that the dialogue in this movie is much worse. A woman named Caryl Phillips did the screenplay, and there are too many W.Indian cliches that I don't recall in Naipaul's work. Also, Naipaul paints Trinidadian poverty in an uglier way. It's not the kind of squalor that makes up "poverty porn" literature, but there's something else, in the way he distinguishes urban poor children (pants with no shirts) and rural poor children (frocks with no pants). An allusion to bad toilets and the like that is fully missing from the film. It's just too pretty for my tastes.

The "humor" in this film is very different from Naipaul's. People criticize Naipaul as sort of demeaning and ridiculing the third world or something like that, but most of the times when you read him, you see that there is a complexity involved, an impatient inescapable sympathy and interest. Here, it's more minstrel show a simple exercise in Watch the ingnorants act like fools.

Disappointing overall.......2003-10-15

I saw the "Mystic Massuer" recently. As a Trinidadian I eagerly looked forward to seeing a cinematographic presentation of a work by one of our finest writers. I was sorely disappointed. The acting fell far below what I'd expected - with the actors seeming to merely go through the motions. The story dragged and lacked development (what about Ganesh's wife not being able to have a baby!!) and, after all that, the film ended too abruptly. Costuming was unreal, historical facts were distorted (steelpan music on the radio!!), and accents seemed to come and go. I look forward to seeing a cinema showing this part of the world using Caribbean actors. Please do something about making the story move - just because pundit meanders through his life, doesn't mean I want to feel like I'm spending a lifetime meandering through this film. The best thing I can say is: Thanks for paying tribute to writer V. S. Naipaul. Had some nice scenery.

THE RISE AND DEVELOPMENT OF A PUNDIT..........2003-04-23

This is an unusual Merchant/Ivory film that focuses on the Indian community of Trinidad from 1943 to about 1954. It focuses in particular upon a young teacher, who takes a wife, outfoxes her wily, grasping father, and lives in the country, desiring only to write books. Still, he has to earn a living, so he becomes a masseur, which is not a masseuse, but rather, a healer. He also writes a books on Hinduism, which he publishes himself. He becomes known as the Mystic Masseur and develops a country wide following.

His book and those books that follow are quickly bought up by a now adoring public who revere him as a Pundit. A brief career in politics soon follows, only for him to discover that an adoring public can turn fickle. The film meanders along, as does this pundit's life. With first rate cinematography and stellar performances by the entire cast, this is a very good, though unusual, film. Those who are interested in other cultures will find this film of some interest. If you are not so inclined, deduct one star from my review.

quite intriguing.......2003-03-26

i agree with the comments made about the lack of storyline and the slightly abrupt ending to the movie. frankly though, the time period and culture depicted in the movie was engrossing enough to make me forget about the storyline. the language, the scenery, the characters, the blend of cultures, the simplicity and the quest for little pleasures, all of that came together to make a movie, quite superbly different than most of the stuff i have seen recently. i smiled, and occassionally laughed, through the whole thing. it really isn't about sending your brain circuits on fire while looking for "so what happens"...its just about that movie watching experience, one that sends you off onto a journey to a different place in a different time where all these characters become your friends (and foes) and maybe the pace and climax of the movie is because its originally a book. i truly recommed it to all.its refreshing!

An absorbing, engrossing story with no Ending!.......2003-03-02

When my wife and I look for unique movies we are quite often disappointed! But on occasion we strike it rich. For our first night, I was a bit too tired to stay awake thru thirty minutes, but she stayed with it for over half. The next evening we both finished it with an absorbing interest... Yet we had questions about the length of timing from the beginning in Oxford all the way thru Ganeesh getting married to writing his first book, the dabbling with politics, becoming a famous healer, then his fame as author and political figure leading him back to Oxford.

We commented on the good acting, the scenery of Trinidad, their cultures and great contrasts with England and India. Yet we still had questions about the central personalities and the unique images of their change from "country-like common people" who suddenly matured into readers with a quickly developed background to give them remarkable powers of healing, judgment and wisdom. All in all, I have a temptation to pass the movie off to three friends who might have some interest in suggested Theology of their Hindu thinking about the spiritual gifts of Pundit in his ability to heal both body and spirit!

It may well be that leaving the story open-ended was intentional with potential results of allowing more questions for discussion and word-of-mouth advertising of such an engrossing story!

Amazon.com

Customer Reviews:

disappointing.......2005-12-06

Disappointing overall.......2003-10-15

THE RISE AND DEVELOPMENT OF A PUNDIT..........2003-04-23

quite intriguing.......2003-03-26

An absorbing, engrossing story with no Ending!.......2003-03-02

It may well be that leaving the story open-ended was intentional with potential results of allowing more questions for discussion and word-of-mouth advertising of such an engrossing story!

Retired Chaplain Fred W. Hood

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