Film Review: Holy Smoke! (1999)

In “politically correct” 1990s a female film maker could have expected favourable treatment, or at least a lot of attention by critics if her film dealt with women’s issues in a way that could be described as “feminist”. New Zealand director Jane Campion benefited from such phenomenon and her career included successes like Piano. But there were also some misses, like in the case of her 1999 romantic drama Holy Smoke!.

The protagonist, played by Kate Winslet, is Ruth Barron, independent-minded young woman from Australian middle class family. During tourist visit to India she befriends group of Westerners who travel that land in search of spiritual enlightenment. Under their guidance she meets guru named Chidaatma Baba (played by Drithiman Chatterjee) and joins his sect. When her friend tells her father Gilbert (played by Tim Robertson) and mother Miriam (played by Julie Hamilton) that Ruth won’t return home, they decide to hire P. J. Waters (played by Harvey Keitel), American psychologist who is expert in deprogramming people who had joined dangerous cults. After bringing Ruth back in Australia by falsely claiming that Gilbert is dying, they stage intervention and bring her to isolated cabin within the Outback where P. J. would conduct his deprogramming sessions. His task, however, isn’t easy because Ruth, despite being brainwashed, kept some of its rebellious character, as well as awareness of her seductive abilities. Waters, who was supposed to manipulate Ruth, becomes manipulated himself and that leads to unexpected consequences.

Script, co-written by Campion and her sister Anna, could have dealt with some intriguing issues like differences between Western and Eastern cultures, popularity of New Age concepts among modern people as well as psychological manipulations. Holy Smokes! does that in annoyingly superficial way and simplifies story into unoriginal battle of the sexes, during which even the brainwashed woman proves to be superior to any man. This ultra-feminist and misandrist message is conveyed at the expense of Ruth’s character being convincing, while P. J. is depicted as pathetic and utterly clownish figure. Although Campion obviously roots for Ruth and tries to make her into same kind of heroine, she fails because every character in this film ends being utterly unlikable. With so much misanthropy, intended or unintended, Holy Smoke! turns into unpleasant viewing experience and even the men who would otherwise appreciate Kate Winslett appearing in some scenes naked aren’t likely to enjoy this film. The cast does what she can with the material and some delivers decent perfromances, like Sophie Lee in the role of frustrated housewife Yvonne, but the end result is still unsatisfactory. Most of those who watch this film with expectations based on stellar cast and intriguing premise are going to be extremely disappointed.

RATING: 2/10 (-)

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