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The Mystic Masseur "Rich
and absorbing! Subtle, humorous, illuminating!" "Mandvi
delivers a charismatic performance – and Indian film great
Om Puri is a hoot!" "Rich
in the humor of human nature. If you liked Monsoon Wedding you're
probably going to like The Mystic Masseur too." "Engrossing!
Capture the book's bracing humor and humanity." "Enjoyable!
Aasif Mandvi is excellent as is the great Om Puri." "Charming,
vibrant! The Mystic Masseur features delightful performances." "Funny
and affectionate…a movie that pleases! Marvelously played by
Aasif Mandvi." "Aasif
Mandvi is a feisty charmer in the title role." "A
charmed and frequently charming journey." "****
Delightful! Merchant's delicious fable makes you think and
laugh out loud, often at the very same time!" "Brims
with affection!" "Gently
ironic. A bustling comic performance from Om Puri!" "Atmospheric!
Strong performances." "An
enchanting piece of work!" "Totally
original and a delight!" "Affectionate
and engaging!" "…real
humor welling up from the heart and from human nature." "A
marvelous film!" "Ismail
Merchant manages to imbue the unmistakable, fine-tuned set pieces
and period perfection that the Merchant Ivory label is famous
for, with the lush, topical accents of the West Indies. The
Mystic Masseur provides a rare and welcome peek into this
hardly-seen corner of the world, the Indian immigrant community
of Trinidad which V.S. Naipaul first chronicled. With great cast
performances, beautiful cinematography, and an excellent musical
score, the richly layered Masseur is an enchanting piece of work."
"The Mystic Masseur warmed the souls of its audiences and sent them blinking and smiling back into the mountain sunshine." - Roger Ebert Chicago Sun-Times (Tuesday, September 4, 2001) ". . . it is rare to see a rags-to-riches story in which we are so intimately involved with the characters, so sympathetic to them, and led so easily to understand that riches may not always be a good trade for the happiness of youthful ambition." - Roger Ebert Chicago Sun-Times (Tuesday, September 4, 2001) "A
terrific, endearing movie, full of laughs and unforgettable characters...a
feel-good movie and a powerful story!" "...The
movie also harkens back to the kind of solid, humanistic storytelling
that Hollywood has largely drifted away from in favor of effects
gimmickry and nihilistic comedies and melodramas." "...What
makes the movie so compelling are the hilarious, savvy performances
by a veteran cast." "Mandvi,
a New York-based Indian actor, marvelously transforms himself into
mystic masseur and pandit. His skill at mimicking the singsong island
accent and creating striking behavioral tics is more than equaled
by his ability to dig deep into his character's psyche to find the
things that motivate that character and drive him through the entire
movie." "Puri
and the radiant Dharker shrewdly play members of Ganesh's acquired
family, who come to realize that his ambitions often pull him away
from his values." "Cinematographer
Ernie Vincze captures this colorful period milieu with the sensual
earth tones of aging postcards of island settings." "Longtime
Merchant Ivory composer Richard Robbins is aided by world-renowned
composer-musician Zakir Hassid in producing a soundtrack that splendidly
evokes the excitement of a small community in turmoil." "Lushly
mounted with a confectionery color palette, ‘Mystic Masseur'
recalls foreign arthouse hits of the pre-1960s." "Best
of all are the vibrant visual components, with eye-filling contribs
from costumer Michael O'Connor, production designer Lucy Richardson,
lenser Ernie Vincze, and the verdant tropical locations themselves." "A
pleasure - a gentle, witty film; Om Puri and Ayesha Dharker are
delightful." "Vivid
and amusing." "Irrepressible
good humor; a series of gorgeous colorful images the performances
are immensely likeable." "Brilliantly
funny." |
