The Mystic Masseur
THINKFilm | Release Date: May 3, 2002 CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
64
METASCORE
Generally favorable reviews based on 26 Critic Reviews
Positive:
16
Mixed:
10
Negative:
0

Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
63
New York Daily NewsJami Bernard
There is a very sharp, funny critique of ambition and self-made gurus in The Mystic Masseur, but it is obscured by a softening bloat.
80
Los Angeles TimesKenneth Turan
The result is an eccentric, amusing fable that moves at an unhurried island pace, a picturesque tale that Merchant seems to have invested with an almost personal sense of spirit. Read full review
63
Baltimore SunMichael Sragow
At its best, The Mystic Masseur is like a tall tale that grows more beguiling and credible the taller it gets.
90
Rolling StonePeter Travers
Thanks to the clever, caring touch of director Ismail Merchant, working from a script by Caryl Phillips, this steadily engrossing film captures the book's bracing humor and humanity. Read full review
63
New York PostJonathan Foreman
It's only because the performances are so vividly entertaining -- Mandvi and Puri are particularly good -- and the painstakingly reconstructed locations so lovely that the saggier sequences are tolerable. Read full review
63
The Globe and Mail (Toronto)Liam Lacey
A mildly enjoyable if toothless adaptation of a much better book. Read full review
70
L.A. WeeklyChuck Wilson
The film is being sold as a comedy, and it is amusing. Secretly, though, it's a romance, with Merchant's roving camera discerning the tempestuous love triangle at the heart of Naipaul's novel.
90
Washington PostDesson Thomson
Merchant's attention to Trinidadian culture, locales and general atmosphere is inescapably alluring. Read full review
100
Christian Science MonitorDavid Sterritt
This delicious fable reflects Merchant's great love of language, his delicate visual sense, and his ability to make you think and laugh out loud, often at the very same time. Read full review
80
The New York TimesStephen Holden
A subtle, humorous, illuminating study of politics, power and social mobility. Read full review
80
Washington PostMichael Dirda
A soft-focused, wistful big-screen art film. Read full review
63
Miami HeraldMarta Barber
Though difficult to understand at times, the language -- a combination of local patois and the characters' particular Indian accent -- is as lush as the cinematography. Read full review
75
Chicago Sun-TimesRoger Ebert
A wry, affectionate delight, a human comedy about a man who thinks he has had greatness thrust upon him when in fact he has merely thrust himself in the general direction of greatness. Read full review
80
Chicago ReaderTed Shen
A wry, nonjudgmental look at the blind faith and materialistic ambitions permeating the superstitious Indian subculture, though the tone becomes more caustic as the hypocrisy and corruption of colonial politics strip Ganesh of his moral authority. The cast is uniformly excellent. Read full review
75
Chicago TribuneKevin M. Williams
A warm-hearted gem of a film based on the V.S. Naipaul novel of the same name. Read full review
70
VarietyDennis Harvey
Succeeds as light entertainment -- even if at the cost of the material's greater potential. Read full review
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