neumu [ cinematronic ]




	The Mystic Masseur
	Ismail Merchant Aasif Mandvi, Om Puri, James Fox 2001		A delicately shot, impeccably acted period drama (with mild comic flavor) from director Ismail Merchant — one half of Merchant-Ivory, the team behind upscale film productions of literary works such as "A Room With a View" and "Howards End." Based on a book by Nobel winner V.S. Naipaul, "The Mystic Masseur" takes place in an improbable arena — the significant community of Indian immigrants prospering in Trinidad during the mid-20th century. Ganesh (Aasif Mandvi) dwells in this Caribbean melting pot. The young fellow has a hard time at school, but his big dream is to become an author. It's only when he discovers a talent for healing and gains a reputation as the Mystic Masseur that he earns enough money to write and publish a book. But Ganesh's pursuit of a career in politics could be his undoing. With Om Puri ("East Is East") as a conniving shopkeeper who attempts a love match between his daughter and Ganesh, and James Fox ("The Remains of the Day") as a dotty English spiritualist.