Short Cut to Nirvana: Kumbh Mela
Release Date: January 14, 2005 CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
55
METASCORE
Mixed or average reviews based on 14 Critic Reviews
Positive:
7
Mixed:
6
Negative:
1
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Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
75
San Francisco ChronicleCarla Meyer
A snapshot of the festival, one that radiates good cheer and offers moments of true, godly goodness. Read full review
75
New York PostV.A. Musetto
Reaches its climax on the main bathing day, with a throng of naked holy men leading the charge into the Ganges. You would be forgiven for thinking you're watching a hot July day at Coney Island. Read full review
70
VarietyDennis Harvey
Casual, engaging documentary doesn't attempt a Hinduism 101 lesson, instead going for an impressionistic mix of on-the-fly spectacle and human interest. Read full review
70
Los Angeles TimesKevin Crust
If the film offers any lesson, it is that nirvana is not easily attainable, so there really are no shortcuts. Read full review
70
The New York TimesDana Stevens
Given the event's size and complexity, it is perhaps inevitable that this documentary feels haphazard and superficial, more tourist's photo album than analysis. Still, the glimpses it offers are never less than fascinating. Read full review
67
Austin ChronicleMarc Savlov
Remarkable and enlightening. Read full review
63
New York Daily NewsElizabeth Weitzman
Mostly, Benazzo and Day leave us alone to take in the extraordinary sights and sounds. Read full review
60
Film ThreatPhil Hall
A beautifully crafted documentary. Read full review
60
The Hollywood ReporterKirk Honeycutt
As an introduction to this mind-spinning festival, the film gets the job done. Read full review
60
L.A. WeeklyElla Taylor
An amiable and colorful, if dewy-eyed, documentary. Read full review
50
Boston GlobeTy Burr
At its strongest cataloging the sheer sensory overkill of the festival -- the faces, the food, the many roads to bliss. Only the slightest historical information is offered and no spiritual background whatsoever. Read full review
50
Washington PostDesson Thomson
An overture to the subject rather than a profound study. Read full review
50
Village VoiceEdward Crouse
A free-for-all doc that, like its subject, seems on several planes at once. Read full review
20
The A.V. ClubScott Tobias
Inept. Read full review
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