Holy Smoke!
He had only one thing on his mind...but so did she!
Kate Winslet (Titanic, Sense And Sensibility) and Harvey Keitel (U-571, Pulp Fiction) add scintillating performances to a seductive , darkly hilarious motion picture that's met with overwhelming critical acclaim! While on a journey of discovery in exotic India, beautiful young Ruth Barron (Winslet) falls under the influence of a charismatic religious guru. Her desperate parents then hire PJ Waters (Keitel), a macho cult deprogrammer who confronts Ruth in a remote desert hideaway. But PJ quickly learns that he's met his match in the sexy, intelligent and iron-willed Ruth! Another memorable motion picture directed by Academy Award winner Jane Campion -- you'll feel an undeniable comic charge from the sparks that fly as PJ and Ruth face off in an electric battle of the sexes!
Member Reviews
Amazon girl - luminol
Unless you question the underlying absurdity of it all, the humour here is so fricking sly and dead pan the film could actually be read as a drama. "Jeez, I didn't find the denouement quite believable." "But you bought Harvey Keitel arriving at the airport like a gunslinger?" "He interrupts her deprogramming process to go out clubbing?" Of course, the underlying idea is that Keitel is not breaking her attachment to a religious cult, but her "crazy" belief that women can forge their own indentities and be independent and self sufficient.
Ruth always seemed bright and intelligent to me. Out of everyone in their family only she notices their father's having affair with his secretary right under their noses. She actually tells her giggling friends, her guru, Baba is only a "symbol" of love. Not for a second did I believe she was in peril.
What better odds than a seasoned moustached American deprogrammer and an impressionable young woman (case 190). One of the tricks of the trade in destroying the pysche is to remove all the subject's identity props, this wouldn't be so bad if during the process of breaking her down, she notices Mister Man clings to quite an awful lot of those same identity props himself, which she takes careful aim upon before letting her sugary arrows fly at his heart. Of course, three days later, she's got him eating out of the palm of her hand. Winslet is a golden Godess, but then, You already knew that.Holy Smoke - CrazyCatLady
I saw this movie because I'm a huge Kate Winslet fan and I'll see almost anything she's in. This is one of her small "art house" movies. Kate's family, concerned about her involvement in a cult, call him cult deprogrammer Harvey Keitel to get her out. His team-mate suddenly can't make it and Keitel embarks on the deprogramming by himself. He creates a transference relationship and sucessfully seperates her from her attachment to the cult. Keitel creates turmoil to break the transference, a necessary step for Kate to stand on her own.I love Kate Winslet... - cathyottawa
...and it's her performance that makes this movie at all bearable.
I largely agree with Maged, the first half of this movie is quite good, then it all falls apart.
Keitel's character isn't believable. He's supposed to be an expert de-programmer, but his efforts are amateurish at best, ineffective and stupid at worst.
The intention of the movie, I think, is to have alot of deep dialogue between Winslet and Keitel, about men and women, and religion, and what not. There are some nice exchanges, but most of it is nothing special.
And the ending? Not to give it away, but it seems Keitel now needs the de-programming. What's meant to be a clever twist is just silly and over the top.
Oh, that Jane Campion. When will she make another movie to match the brilliance of The Piano?
Member Reviews
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Amazon girl - luminol
Unless you question the underlying absurdity of it all, the humour here is so fricking sly and dead pan the film could actually be read as a drama. "Jeez, I didn't find the denouement quite believable." "But you bought Harvey Keitel arriving at the airport ...Holy Smoke - CrazyCatLady
I saw this movie because I'm a huge Kate Winslet fan and I'll see almost anything she's in. This is one of her small "art house" movies. Kate's family, concerned about her involvement in a cult, call him cult deprogrammer Harvey Keitel to get her out. His ...I love Kate Winslet... - cathyottawa
...and it's her performance that makes this movie at all bearable.
I largely agree with Maged, the first half of this movie is quite good, then it all falls apart.
Keitel's character isn't believable. He's supposed to be an expert de-programmer, ...