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Review #654 of 365
Movie Review of The Love Guru (2008) [PG-13] 88 minutes
WIP™ Scale: $7.50
Where Viewed: Harkins Ciné Capri at Northfield 18, Denver, CO
When Seen: 20 June 2008
Time: 3:30 pm
DVD Release Date: Unscheduled (please check back)
After the Credits: There is nothing after the credits.
Film's Official Website • Film's Trailer
Soundtrack: Download now from 
- or - order the CD below
Directed by: Marco Schnabel (debut)
Written by: Mike Myers (Austin Powers in Gold Member) • Graham Gordy (War Eagle, Arkansas)
Featured Cast (Where You Might Remember Him/Her From):
Mike Myers (Shrek the Third) • Jessica Alba (The Eye) • Justin Timberlake (Shrek the Third) • Romany Malco (Baby Mama) • Verne Troyer (Austin Powers in Goldmember ) • Meagan Good (One Missed Call) • Manu Narayan (Two Men in Shoulder Stand ) • John Oliver ("Green Wing" ) • Stephen Colbert ("The Colbert Report") • Jim Gaffigan ("My Boys") • Ben Kingsley (The Wackness) • Telma Hopkins ("Half and Half")
Cameos By: Jessica Simpson as herself, Kanye West as himself, Deepak Chopra as himself, Mariska Hargitay as herself, and Rob Blake as himself
Click for 'Review Lite' [a 150-word or less review of this film]
Click to see photos or video coverage from the Premiere of The Love Guru
Click to read the spoiler points for The Love Guru
Should the film be boycotted on the grounds of religious discrimination, perhaps, yet above and beyond that, it should probably be avoided on the grounds that it's a huge disappointment. Given the obviously huge budget for talent (great cast and cameos), special effects (the best one of which was the digital fusion of Mike Myers's adult but made up to make him look younger with make-up on the body of a young boy to make him look like a little kid—a whole movie with this technique could be an amusing proposition), sets, locations, and two elephants, one would have thought the film would be a grand success. Instead, it's a tribute to Hollywood largesse and the notion that ego should come before substance. The main reason to hate this film is that it really had potential were it not for the fact that in nearly every instance where a comedic choice was to be made, the lower road was taken. If you're not a religious person, even you might feel the need to confess some sins after seeing it. No doubt there were some very creative and funny parts, but you have to sift through so many other un-funny or shouldn't be funny parts as to make the film something Dieter himself would have said, "You've grown tiresome." And admitting this is fairly painful for a couple of reasons: 1) Who doesn't want to see another great Mike Myers film—come on Austin Powers was brilliant, and 2) Who doesn't want there to be at least one really brilliant, commercially successful, non-Judd Apatow enhanced, non-animated, ROLF comedy this year? We'll have to keep waiting.
The basic story is that of a pop, #2 (behind Deepak Chopra) Guru and spiritual leader named Maurice Pitka (Myers)—the son of traveling missionaries, who, through Morgan Freeman voice-over, narrates his own story about a Guru who in solving a life crisis of his best pupil finds his own way toward love for himself.
…a huge disappointment.
Perhaps to grasp the potential pitfalls for determining if the film is offensive, one has to imagine for a moment that the top Bollywood comedic actor has decided to make a film called, "The Love Monk" who rides around on a donkey and gets hired to bring together a professional cricket player and his wife using methods he learned from his days in the Monastery near Rome where he grew up when his Hindu parents were killed on a Hindu mission to Italy. He's now famous as a spiritual leader and guide known for such books as Mother Theresa Was A Saint, but Even She Knew How to Kick Up Her Heels and phrases like "Quit yoUrself, Risk Alienating No one™". His cross-eyed Monk Mentor named Father Lubinon diSchlonga asked him and his rival friend, Bill Graham, as young boys why each wanted to become a Monk. Billy replied, "I want to be able to guide people into a life of spirituality," and the junior Love Monk replied, "It will make me more popular with girls." At which time he is fitted with a chastity belt until he learns to love God more than himself. Hmm, sounds like a film like this wouldn't be too well received in the USA now does it?
…hard to love.
On the bright side, actually, the acting is decently good. And, as mentioned, there are rare, solidly funny, non-offensive parts. On the whole, though, The Love Guru is hard to love.
Click for 'Review Lite' [a 150-word review of this film]
Other Projects Featuring The Love Guru (2008)
Cast Members
Mike Myers
• Jessica Alba • Justin TimberlakeRomany Malco
• Verne Troyer • Meagan GoodManu Narayan
• John Oliver • Stephen ColbertJim Gaffigan
• Telma HopkinsDirector
Marco Schnabel
Writers
Mike Myers
• Graham Gordy
1 comment:
Wow. Had no idea love guru was this controversial, but now I see how disparaging it is to hindus. You poked at some of the dangers of being involved in such an indirectly villifying satire; I hope this doesn't blemish mike meyer's career. He just had such cutting edge performances with stuff like Wayne's world and Austin powers. He should probably scrutinize the social impact of roles like this ahead of time, non?
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