Pluskylang Great Film overall

Sameer Callahan It really made me laugh, but for some moments I was tearing up because I could relate so much.

Paynbob It’s fine. It's literally the definition of a fine movie. You’ve seen it before, you know every beat and outcome before the characters even do. Only question is how much escapism you’re looking for.

Logan By the time the dramatic fireworks start popping off, each one feels earned.

Kris Rampersad Cold-blooded collateralNothing unusual means everything usual.That's a line from a long-time short story, "The Night Watchman's Occurrence Book" by VS Naipaul which the scriptwriter of The Mystic Masseur – the movie – has not yet .... the cineplex is now showing The Mystic Masseur, which is promotionally pitched as "a time and a place for magic and miracles."The movie, like the novel, is set in Trinidad. Need I say more on how misleading then that promotional line is?Nothing in the book, nor even the Caryl Phillips-scripted Merchant Ivory production remotely shows more....

Movie Critic This is one of Naipaul's first books in which he tries to capture the unsophisticated humor and simplicity of rural life in the Hindu community of Trinidad.The acting in the movie is superb and captures the essence of the book as perfectly as it is possible to do; in fact by adding the visuals it adds a lot to the story.. I did not picture Trinidad as scenically attractive as it is...I pictured a much drier flatter landscape. I also pictured the houses differently so in fact the movie opened whole new dimensions to Naipaul's story.I have read all of Naipaul's books at least once--the only one I didn't enjoy was the very last one (The Masque of Africa)--otherwise he is a genius. Criticizing Naipaul is rather like criticizing Tolstoy--and this movie does him justice: the cinematography is extremely well done all great acting all of it well done. Some reviewers say the actors do the Trinidad accent incorrectly--I wouldn't know so this possibility did not distract me.I will also make a bet that this movie as excellent as it is, made little or no money---such is the world we live in. Relatively few people alive today have living memories of the colonial world as it really was they have instead the PC negative uninformed view. Without authors like Naipaul this world would have vanished unappreciated and not understood.The movie does take artistic license a couple times...as I recall the young Naipaul did not have a good experience with the Mystic Masseur's visit to England..he was cold and haughty...Also the man who had sex with his bicycle I doubt was in the book it is too dumb. Neither of these things is major.RECOMMEND

noralee "The Mystic Masseur" is clearly a labor of love by director/producer Ismail Merchant that he feels close to as a member of the Indian diaspora.Adapting a V.S. Naipaul novel I haven't read that deals with his roots as an Indian in Trinidad, the movie works charmingly best when it stays within that Indian community, and is less effective as a criticism of colonialism when the striving "Pundit" at the center clashes pitifully with the Brits. The cause may be the basic hopelessness of his quest: to absorb all the book-learning of British culture and live a life based on his philosophical learnings.The first part has an enjoyable "Milagro Beanfield War" feel, with less magic realism, but just becomes sad and peters out as "Pundit" bequeaths his quest to Naipaul's generation, which clearly prefers staying at Oxford with British women than coming home to take on British hypocrisy directly.(originally written 6/4/2002)

thegreifs after making a special effort to get to see this movie..i was so disappointed..attracted by merchant,naipul, and trinadad..what a letdown..slow,dull, with a story that went nowhere..it definitely a film to miss