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Movies / On DVD / Darshan - the Embrace
Darshan - the Embrace

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Darshan - the Embrace (2006)

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Reviews Counted:20

Fresh:10

Rotten:10

Average Rating:5.7/10

Rated: Not Rated

Runtime: 1 hr 46 mins

Genre: Education/General Interest

Theatrical Release:Jul 26, 2006 Limited

Synopsis: Amma, one of India's most famous "Mahatmas" or spiritual guides, is known internationally for her charitable donations, fight for peace, and work with illiteracy. In 2002, she won the Gandhi King... Amma, one of India's most famous "Mahatmas" or spiritual guides, is known internationally for her charitable donations, fight for peace, and work with illiteracy. In 2002, she won the Gandhi King Prize for her work, joining the prestigious group of winners that include, Nelson Mandela and Khofi Annan. DARSHAN, THE EMBRACE chronicles her journey throughout India and traveling with Amma and her inner circle to visit with her disciples. This intimate documentary captures her charisma and loving spirit by talking with her and those close to her. One can easily sense how special she is and how fortunate they feel to be in her presence. This is further illustrated as the people of India wait for hours on line just to hear her captivating speeches, and upon the conclusion line up again to get a hug from her. She is an absolute inspiration to all, and a comfort to those who have little hope to cling to. -- © IFC Films [More]

Director: Jan Kounen

Director: Jan Kounen
Studio: IFC Films

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Release:

Nov 14, 2006

No Details Exist
 
 

Reviews for Darshan - the Embrace

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Lacks both narrative edge and a complex world view.

Full Review Source: Film Journal International | comment Comment
03/01/07
Eric Monder
Eric Monder
Film Journal International

a beautifully filmed portrait of a woman who embodies a human love that is nothing short of miraculous

Full Review Source: Filmcritic.com | comment Comment
11/16/06
Keith Breese
Keith Breese
Filmcritic.com

It may have been Ari Gold on HBO's "Entourage" who coined the phrase "hug it out," but it's Indian guru Amma who lives it.

Full Review Source: Arizona Daily Star | comment Comment
11/02/06
Phil Villarreal
Phil Villarreal
Arizona Daily Star

Her teachings are trite.

Full Review Source: Chicago Sun-Times | comment Comment
10/06/06
Bill Stamets
Bill Stamets
Chicago Sun-Times
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

You may walk away from Darshan, if it moves you at all, smiling yourself. After all, we could all use a hug.

Full Review Source: Chicago Tribune | comment Comment
10/05/06
Michael Wilmington
Michael Wilmington
Chicago Tribune
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

Less National Geographic and more personal history would have added a dimension to Darshan.

Full Review Source: Newsday | comment Comment
09/21/06
John Anderson
John Anderson
Newsday
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

Unless you're already a true believer, Amma comes across in Darshan as a perfect angel, a frustrating enigma and a rather dull cinematic subject.

Full Review Source: L.A. Weekly | comment Comment
09/21/06
Tim Grierson
Tim Grierson
L.A. Weekly

Director Jan Kounen clearly reveres his subject, too; you begin yearning for some skeptics to restore the balance, but they never appear.

Full Review Source: Minneapolis Star Tribune | comment Comment
09/14/06
Colin Covert
Colin Covert
Minneapolis Star Tribune
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

Kounen captures the squalor of Indian everyday life, as well as the tranquil faces and holy places of everything that passes his camera's gaze.

Full Review Source: Seattle Times | comment Comment
09/01/06
Ted Fry
Ted Fry
Seattle Times

Works better as a sad meditation on the spiritual hopes of a poverty-stricken people than as a portrait of a charismatic guru.

Full Review Source: Seattle Post-Intelligencer | comment Comment
08/31/06
Bill White
Bill White
Seattle Post-Intelligencer

A loose and often not-so-engrossing assortment of scenes intended to showcase Amma's hold on her followers.

Full Review Source: San Francisco Chronicle | comment Comment
08/18/06
John McMurtrie
John McMurtrie
San Francisco Chronicle
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

The effect, however, is tranquilizing. It's disorienting and misleading, too, having the unintentional effect of making the holy woman seem like a mysterious kook.

Full Review Source: Boston Globe | comment Comment
08/18/06
Wesley Morris
Wesley Morris
Boston Globe
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

[A] handsomely photographed but one-sided documentary.

Full Review Source: New York Post | comment Comment
07/26/06
V.A. Musetto
V.A. Musetto
New York Post
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Even if the idea of spiritual gurus and personality cults make you slightly uncomfortable, Jan Kounen's beautifully filmed portrait of Sri Mata Amritanandamayi offers enough beautiful shots of India to seduce even the least spiritual of travelers.

Full Review Source: TV Guide's Movie Guide | comment Comment
07/26/06
Ken Fox
Ken Fox
TV Guide's Movie Guide

Filling our heads with pretty pictures and not much else, Darshan: The Embrace is likely to leave audiences enchanted but unenlightened.

comment Comment
07/25/06
Jeannette Catsoulis
Jeannette Catsoulis
New York Times
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

Without explanatory narration, the impressionistic editing is likely to prove tedious for the uninitiated.

Full Review Source: Village Voice | comment Comment
07/25/06
Ben Kenigsberg
Ben Kenigsberg
Village Voice
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

A documentary about Amma, India's hugging saint, that reveals her large reserves of unconditional love, playfulness, compassion, and service of the poor.

Full Review Source: Spirituality and Practice | comment Comment
07/20/06
Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat
Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat
Spirituality and Practice

This well-made film illuminates the power of a charismatic personality in rousing the multitudes.

Full Review Source: Hollywood Reporter | comment Comment
07/15/06
Duane Byrge
Duane Byrge
Hollywood Reporter
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Far from inundating viewers with a litany of facts, Jan Kounen has his lilting camera drift through the colorful streets of India, recording Amma from a you-are-there vantage.

Full Review Source: Variety | comment Comment
07/15/06
Lisa Nesselson
Lisa Nesselson
Variety
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

Jan Kounen's Darshan- The Embrace extols the healing power of touch, revealing, cinematically and without condescension, the appeal of Sri Mata Amritanandamayi Devi.

Full Review Source: Slant Magazine | comment Comment
07/11/06
Ed Gonzalez
Ed Gonzalez
Slant Magazine
 
 
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