ComedyDrama

Holy Smoke

- He had only one thing on his mind... but so did she!

While on a journey of discovery in exotic India, beautiful young Ruth Barron falls under the influence of a charismatic religious guru. Her desperate parents then hire PJ Waters, a macho cult de-programmer who confronts Ruth in a remote desert hideaway. But PJ quickly learns that he's met his match in the sexy, intelligent and iron-willed Ruth.

Release Date : 1999-09-04

Language :HindiEnglish

Adult : false

Status : Released

Production Company : Jan Chapman Productions

Production Country : Australia

Alternative Titles : Holy Smoke!

Cast

Character Name : Ruth Barron

Original Name : Kate Winslet

Gender : Female

Character Name : PJ Waters

Original Name : Harvey Keitel

Gender : Male

Character Name : Mum

Original Name : Julie Hamilton

Gender : Female

Character Name : Yvonne

Original Name : Sophie Lee

Gender : Female

Character Name : Robbie

Original Name : Dan Wyllie

Gender : Male

Character Name : Tim

Original Name : Paul Goddard

Gender : Male

Character Name : Dad

Original Name : Tim Robertson

Gender : Male

Character Name : Yanni

Original Name : George Mangos

Gender : Male

Character Name : Puss

Original Name : Kerry Walker

Gender : Female

Character Name : Bill-Bill

Original Name : Leslie Dayman

Gender : Male

Character Name : Prue

Original Name : Samantha Murray

Gender : Female

Character Name : Stan

Original Name : Sandy Gutman

Gender : Male

Character Name : Fabio

Original Name : Simon Anderson

Gender : Male

Character Name : Carol

Original Name : Pam Grier

Gender : Female

Character Name : Cult Video Reporter

Original Name : Robert Lee

Gender : Male

Character Name : Rahi

Original Name : Geneviève Lemon

Gender : Female

Character Name :

Original Name : Marshall Applewhite

Gender : Male

Character Name : Chidaatma Baba

Original Name : Dhritiman Chatterjee

Gender : Male

Character Name : Jodie

Original Name : Tamsin Carroll

Gender : Female

Character Name : Cult Video Reporter

Original Name : Eric Schussler

Gender : Male

Reviews

Wuchak

@Wuchak

2023-11-10

**_The power of a whoa-man to turn even the most hardened male into a loaf of bread_** A young woman from Sydney (Kate Winslet) becomes a follower of a guru in Delhi, so her family hires a top deprogrammer (Harvey Keitel) to liberate her from the cult’s brainwashing, which is carried out at an isolated cabin in the Outback. "Holy Smoke" (1999) is similar to “The Piano” from six years prior (also starring Keitel), which isn’t surprising since it was made by the same writer/director. Both are adult-oriented drama/romances, but this one is set in the modern day and is just as much a quirky comedy. There are numerous highlights, including the charisma of the two stars, Kate’s voluptuousness (she was 22 during shooting, almost 23), the breathtaking scenery, the humor in which every Australian is goofy or eccentric, the beauty of Sophie Lee (Yvonne), insights on male/female relationships and the power of a beautiful woman. Unfortunately, I found the last act tedious; it needed reworked to make it more compelling. Also, are we to seriously believe that the woman from the first act, who swoons over a charismatic cult-leader in a patriarchal society, is the same one in the last act? _Why Sure!_ Lastly, the film flirts with interesting commentary on serious cult indoctrination, such as the Manson family, Koresh’s Branch Davidians and Jim Jones’ Peoples Temple, yet discards it for: Cult brainwashing, what cult brainwashing? I suppose the Campion sisters were shooting for amusing irony. The movie runs 1 hour, 55 minutes, and was shot in Sydney, Australia, and 1000 miles west in Hawker, Finders Ranges (the Outback scenes), which is located in southeast South Australia. The Indian sequences were done in New Delhi and Pushkar in north-central India. GRADE: B-