Search - Holy Smoke! on DVD

Holy Smoke!

Actor(s): Kate Winslet, Harvey Keitel, Pam Grier, Julie Hamilton, Sophie Lee
Director(s): Jane Campion
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Movie Details

MPAA Rating: R
Content Advisory: Nudity, Strong Sexual Content, Adult Language
Movie Release: 1999
DVD Release: 08/08/2000
Format: DVD - Enhanced Wide Screen Letterbox for 16x9 TV
Audio Tracks: English, French
Subtitles: English, Spanish
SwapaDVD Credits: 1
Number of Discs: 1
Run Time: 1 hrs 54 mins
Studio: Miramax
Members Wishing: 8
Genres: Drama, Satire, Psychological Drama, Religious Drama

DVD Synopsis

It's said that sex and religion are two subjects that no one can discuss without arguing; writer/director Jane Campion tackles both head-on in this satiric comedy drama. On a trip to India, Australian Ruth (Kate Winslet) has a spiritual awakening and embraces the teachings of a guru named Baba. Back home in Sydney, Ruth's mother and father (Julie Hamilton and Tim Robertson) are appalled to learn that their daughter now answers to the name Nazni and has no intention of returning. Mother visits her daughter in India in hopes of convincing her to come home, but it's not until she suffers a life-threatening asthma attack that Ruth agrees to return for a visit. Mother pretends to arrange a meeting with Ruth's father, who has been ill, and this trick lands Ruth in the clutches of P.J. Waters (Harvey Keitel), an American exit counselor who deprograms members of religious cults. Waters begins to loosen Ruth's belief in Baba's teachings, but P.J. finds himself sexually attracted to Ruth, and in time she allows him to seduce her. Ruth soon turns the tables on P.J., as she discovers that sex allows her to make mincemeat of his long-held beliefs as a macho, misogynist male. Jane's sister Anna Campion, herself a director, co-authored the screenplay; Pam Grier appears in a supporting role as P.J.'s partner and girlfriend. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

Actors

Kate Winslet - Ruth
Harvey Keitel - P.J. Waters
Pam Grier - Carol
Julie Hamilton - Ruth's mom
Sophie Lee - Yvonne

Editorial Review of DVD

Jane Campion directs Harvey Keitel and Kate Winslet in Holy Smoke, which comes to DVD with a widescreen anamorphic transfer that preserves the original theatrical aspect ratio of 1.85:1. An English soundtrack is rendered in Dolby Digital 5.1, and a French soundtrack has been recorded in Dolby Digital Surround. Spanish subtitles are accessible, and the English soundtrack is closed-captioned. There are no supplemental materials of any consequence, but this Disney/Buena Vista release boasts excellent sound and picture quality. ~ Perry Seibert, All Movie Guide

Member Movie Reviews

Vernon P. (Merlin) wrote on 1/20/2009...

This story is about the relationship between a young woman (Winslet) and the man (Keitel) hired to get her out of an India guru's "cult." From the very beginning everything goes wrong, from his point-of-view. His chosen assistant can't make it on time. The replacement offered by his "local contacts" is a moron. Then the young woman arrives early - and to top everything off, she's smart enough to see through his games! For every break-through he has with her, she breaks him down too.

Very, very, little is said about the fact that what he does is illegal in nearly every civilized country in the world. By the end of the film, he should be in jail 15 ways from Sunday, but he's allowed to leave like nothing illegal happened. That, to me, is the most disappointing aspect of the entire movie.

As far as the acting, story, and production are concerned, this is a high-quality movie. If you like movies similar to "The Hitchhiker", "Breakdown", or "Death Proof" then you should like this.