The Love Guru
Review
by Sean Lynch
For many,
Mike Myers treads a fine line between inspired silliness and downright
irritation. For the most part of his career, he has managed to dilute
the sheer energy with clever plotting and genuine sentiment amidst the
madness.
However his latest outing, The
Love Guru,
may test the boundaries of commitment between true fan and casual
observer - because this one doesn't let up on the energy from start to
finish.
In his first live action film since The Cat In The Hat,
Myers pretty much picks up where he left off from the Suess flick minus
the whiskers.
His latest original character is Guru Pitka, an American who was left
at the gates of an ashram in India as a child
and raised by gurus. He moves back to the U.S. to seek fame and fortune
in the world of
self-help and spirituality - desperate to lose the tag of being "Number
2" against Depak Chopra and appear on Oprah.
His
unorthodox methods are put to the test
when he must settle a rift between Toronto Maple Leafs star hockey
player Darren Roanoke and his estranged wife who split when Roanoke's
wife starts dating the giant schlonged star of the L.A. Kings Jacques
Grande (Justin Timberlake).
There is also a love story thrown
in there for Pitka involving Jessica Alba - and the rest is just an
excuse for Myers to indulge himself (even down to the inclusion of
Myers real-life obsession and love of Canadian ice hockey).
There
is a big difference in comedy between bland repetition and the clever
concept of reoccurring gags - and it's a critism that sadly plagues the
often misunderstood work of Myers. While many will complain that The Love Guru is a
case of "Didn't he do that joke in...", it is actually The Love Guru's
greatest strength that we get to see what is essentially an
amalgamation of every in-joke Myers has ever created since he shot to
fame on SNL.
There is barely a single frame here
where you won't recognise movements or styles from Austin
Powers, The
Cat In The Hat (which this film bears remarkable
similarities with - even down to the way The Guru shakes his hands
after a joke), So I
Married An Axe Murderer, Shrek, SNL, or even a few
non-subtle nods of the hat to Wayne's
World.
And it is entirely up to the viewer as to whether that is a bad thing,
or if it makes the film 95% more enjoyable.
The only problem, even from a fans perspective, with The Love Guru is
that the movie often lacks the focus of Myers previous efforts.
While
it is great to make a movie full of in-jokes, you kind of get the
feeling that as an audience member you've learned about the in-joke a
little later than everyone else who is in front of the camera. It's
something Myers isn't usually guilty of, with an ability to make his
comedy quite an inclusive experience.
But on this occasion,
sadly, he seems to keep the viewer at arms length from the fun, making
it quite difficult to ever be affected by the characters love stories.
That said, The Love Guru
is a bit of silly fun and should be viewed as such.
There
are some great childish gags (with "Ball Gazing" certain to be the next
drunken game you play with your friends), inspired silliness (a scene
in Vern Troyers office is the standout) and as is usually the case with
Myers flicks - a heap of quality celeb cameos.
It may be over
the top, but Myers sense of fun, silliness and goodwill is truly
infectious and I challenge anyone to try and escape the cinema without
laughing out loud at least once.
You simply won't succeed!
3.5 out
of 5
The Love
Guru
Australian release: 10th July,
2008
Official
Site: The Love Guru
Cast: Mike Myers, Jessica Alba,
Justin Timberlake
Director: Marco Schnabel
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