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Summary: .
Review: It is depressing to me that such a potentially rich, interesting premise could be so atrociously wasted. Holy Smoke is a dull, incoherent mess. Unfunny quirkiness is poorly balanced with abstract, confusing dialogue (coming from abstract, confusing characters.) The themes of the film are intriguing, but they are not so much explored as they are inanely, unhelpfully flirted with. In the situation Campion had set up, there was room for some real sparks to fly, room for some intense philosophical steam. Instead Kate Winslet pees herself and Harvey Kietel wears lipstick and a dress. The script is boring and flakey, and the characters make no sense at all. They didn't feel real; and yet on the other hand, they were not particularly interesting as fictional entities. It's a no win situation. This movie was a genuine disappointment to me.
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Summary: A Wild Original Movie!
Review: Though overexposed after the whole Titanic thing, Kate Winslet is an awesome actress. Even though Titanic was great I will discount her peformance there because of the overkill. So instead, look at her roles in Jude the Obscure, Hideous Kinky, and Sense and Sensibility. She is a beautiful and excellent actress.And we all know about Harvey Keitel. By far one of our best actors. Hands down on that. Both Winslet and Keitel took a big chance on this film. It is quite the movie and both actors took big risks in this film. I do not want to give anything away, but they both went over the top. The story is very original and raises many issues about cults, spirituality, sexuality, feminism, family, and whats really crazy. This is not a film for the lighthearted. This is not a Saturday night date movie. This is the type of film you need time and a lot of attention. Kate Winslet really steals the show with her beauty, her acting, and her courage to take on a role like this. If you have time and a rainy day check this film out.
Rating: 
Summary: It could have been so much better.
Review: The instant I heard the words "Kate Winslet" and "cult deprogrammer," I thought to myself, "Hey...this could be REALLY good." It's true. It COULD be really good. Unfortunately, it wasn't. The movie skims over Winslet's indoctrination and return to Australia, focusing instead on her relationship with the deprogrammer, played by Harvey Keitel. I thought that they were a strange pair to begin with, but together, they were simply nauseating. Winslet, as usual, was gorgeous; but Harvey Keitel? Come on, now. We don't need to see another film with Harvey Keitel's naked bottom; we've seen it enough times. There was almost no chemistry between the two of them and by the end, it becomes nearly obscene, with Keitel's character obsessing and chasing Winslet through the Australian desert. The film isn't about a cult member being deprogrammed at all; don't let the reviews fool you; it's about a perverted cult deprogrammer lusting and obsessing over his latest client. This was not what I had in mind, and it definitely wasn't what I wanted to see. The supporting cast could have been so much more, too; but they played a very peripheral role. They were the saving grace of the movie, especially Winslet's lusty sister-in-law. I gave the movie two stars; one star for the scenery (Australian outback, Winslet) and one star for the supporting cast.
Rating: 
Summary: A Smoldering Hot Film!
Review: This film is amazing! The story begins with Ruth (Kate Winslet) who joins a sort of Indian cult. Her whacky family then hires a very expensive American deprogrammer, P.J. Waters (Harvey Keitel) to "set her straight". Ruth is steamed. Ruth and P.J. then shack up in a hut in Australia. During the 3 days that they're there Ruth and P.J. sleep with each other (numerous times), and P.J. begins to be deprogrammed by Ruth. It is a very interesting plot. Kate Winslet mastered the screen again, and Harvey Keitel was also brilliant. I suggest this movie to anyone who likes to be shocked and thrilled. SEE THIS FILM!
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Summary: An amazing journey.
Review: This is a wonderful film exploring religion, sexuality as power, and so much more! It is wonderfully acted by Kate Winslet, by far her best performance to date. Beautiful cinematography, breathtaking scenery. This is one movie you're either going to love, or hate. Either way you will have a lot of material to discuss!
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Summary: THE BEST OF KATE I'VE SEEN!
Review: I'm a big Kate Winslet fan and I'd like to say that this movie was 100% fantastic. It had such a good story, great actors (Kate and Harvey), beautiful scenery, and some intense scenes. I recommend this to any Kate Winslet Fans.
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Summary: Holy Smoke!
Review: Holy Smoke is one of the most original movies I've seen. It'll make you roll with laughter, cry, pant, reflect, and scream out in rage. The first 15 minutes pushed so many of my buttons that I was ready to leave but had to stay just to see where it was going. I wasn't disappointed. Long term meditators and feminists may appreciate the sensitive exploration of those subjects in this film. However, this is a film where what you are will heavily color what you think it means. Kate Winslet's role (Ruth) is a strong one and reveals a deep inner conviction. She has a real spiritual experience through a teacher in India and dedicates her life to spiritual practice. Her mainstream Australian family is horrified and ignorantly hires a "deprogrammer", played by Harvey Keitel, to "exit" her from the "cult". Harvey's role (PJ) is provoking, somewhat slimy, egotistical, and belies and old wound from having fallen into the hands of a charlatan. They capture and force Ruth into this awful course which tests her to the core. She undergoes a spiritual crisis-compelling her to examine the whole of her being and convictions. Meanwhile, the course has a greater unraveling effect on PJ. It seems Ruth knows how to play his games too. In the end, both characters "win" though it nearly costs them their lives and sanity. Ruth's spiritual path re-reveals itself to her, giving her the warrior strength to free herself from the distressing situation and yet manage to have compassion. PJ is also reduced to his raw core and, as karma would have it, himself has a spiritual breakthrough via the Divine Mother. All ends well with Ruth resuming her spiritual quest with a few adjustments and PJ is transformed into a humble, more likable person. A win-win resolution to the battle of the sexes.
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Summary: HOLY HARVEY! SMOKIN' KATE!
Review: When I read about Jane Campion's next project featuring Harvey Keitel and Kate Winslet I knew the sparks were gonna fly. Kate's character(Ruth) is just perfect, as is Keitel(PJ Waters) as the deprogrammer hired by Ruth's family to bring her "back to her senses". It doesn't take long to realize who's deprogramming who! How, is what you want to check out! It's an excellent study on human behavior and the confrontation is mesmerizing. The supporting cast is quirky as all get out. The film cuts wonderfully from hilarious to tense situations. Some may frown on the ending, but I just took it as part of the whole experience Ruth and PJ went through. Campion's a marvel, whatever theme she chooses next will be another guaranteed gem of a film. ps:You can't compare this The Piano as another viewer did. This one's on a different level altogether, utterly and completely unique.
Rating:
Summary: Very good at first but ruined at the end.
Review: "Holy Smoke!" is one of the most interesting movies I have ever seen along with Jane Campion's now classic, "The Piano". But unlike "The Piano", this film gets very bizarre at the end and almost unwatchable. First off, Ruth (Kate Winslett) is living in India under a guru. Her parents in Australia worry and hire an American deprogrammer named PJ Waters (Harvey Keitel). At first you almost think your watching Keitel as The Wolf in "Pulp Fiction" with the way he is talking about the process of deprogramming. So Ruth and PJ set out to the Australian outback to begin the process. It all works fine at first but soon Ruth, using her feminist views (and sex), soon turns the tables and PJ becomes so vulnerable that by the end of the movie your watching a madman not a deprogrammer. I didn't like how the story ended up. It almost seemed like a man hating movie. Winslett and Keitel both gave excellent performances and the story is magnificant at first so I can't say it is not a good movie but the twist it took at the end left an upset feeling in my stomach.
Rating:
Summary: Fascinating and thought-provoking
Review: I saw the film in Los Angeles in January 2000. Ruth discovers in India an aspect of life different from anything she has known back home in Australia. Her family members mistakenly believe she has been brainwashed, hire a "cult exit counselor", and trick her into returning home for the deprogramming procedure. Director Jane Campion has said she hopes the film will prompt viewers to question Western thinking about commitment and illusion in the spiritual life. She says she doesn't tell the story in a simple way, and deliberately doesn't give the audience any solutions. "Simple" it is not. Complex characters engage in a battle of wills, each person losing something, but gaining much in the process. Betrayal, humor, and sensuality are all elements of this fascinating, engrossing film. Ms. Winslet delivers a very powerful, extraordinary performance. Critics have described her as "funny, erotic, scary, touching, real and utterly mesmerizing." Brava to her for continuing to choose characters of depth and complexity. Holy Smoke! is beautifully photographed, interesting, amusing and though-provoking - a considerable achievement for all involved.
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