Holy Smoke! poster & wallpaper
Get movie widget Recommend it Add to Favorites

Kate Winslet, Harvey Keitel, Pam Grier, Julie Hamilton, Sophie Lee ... see more see more... , Daniel Wyllie , Paul Goddard , Tim Robertson , George Mangos , Kerry Walker , Leslie Dayman , Samantha Murray , Austen Tayshus , Simon Anderson , Genevieve Lemon , Tim Rogers

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... read more read more... 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, Rovi

Flixster Users

45% liked it

7,503 ratings

Critics

45% liked it

80 critics

R, 1 hr. 54 min.

Directed by: Jane Campion

Release Date: January 14, 2000

Invite friends to see

DVD Release Date: December 4, 2001

Stats: 343 reviews

report incorrect info

Photos

Holy Smoke! Holy Smoke! Holy Smoke! Holy Smoke! Holy Smoke! Holy Smoke! Holy Smoke! Holy Smoke! Holy Smoke! Holy Smoke! Holy Smoke! Holy Smoke! Holy Smoke! Holy Smoke!
Upload a Photo | View All Holy Smoke! Photos

Your Rating


clear rating

Flixster Reviews (343)

  • deano
    January 31, 2007
    deano
    Unsustained comedy drama with Kate Winslet and Harvey Keitel in the Australian outback.
  • dreamfaeries
    November 7, 2006
    dreamfaeries
    Odd, but good.
  • fb1144932598
    June 18, 2010
    fb1144932598
    Holy Smoke is right! Kate Winslet definitely sets the screen on fire, literally and figuratively, in this one as Ruth Barron, a young, idealistic woman, whose parents (Julie Hamilton, Tim Robertson) become concerned when she joins a commune of like-minded seekers in India, under ... read morethe sway of a charismatic guru. Tricked into returning to her native Australia, she is ambushed by her family and whisked away to a secluded hut for deprogramming by a highly successful American deprogrammer, PJ Waters (Harvey Keitel). What takes place in this desolate location is outside the bounds of any reputable therapy. This is a game (or is it) of cat and mouse and the power shifts back and forth quite precipitously and nearly devastatingly. Excellent performance by the leads, and convincing character development by the supporting cast propel this compelling tale. Surprisingly light moments of wry humor keep this from becoming too unrelentingly dark but without causing it to descend into parody. The control of the plot by Jane Campion feels sure-handed and exhibits a director firmly confident in her craft. The scenery is beautifully desolate and the cinematography is striking. Only a slight letdown at the end detracts from the overall impact.
  • michaelcorleone
    April 28, 2009
    michaelcorleone
    Although this movie lacks in coherent ideas, it managed to keep me interested the whole way through. It touches on concept after concept, but never settles on a particular intention, or, for that matter, a particular genre. Being a fan of both Kate Winslet and Harvey Keitel, I wa... read mores interested in seeing this to watch them act together. Their work here is not disappointing. Both actors deliver fearless, intently psychological performances that prevent this film from being a total disaster. The sexual relationship between their characters is unpleasantly explored and often quite perverse, but they are talented enough to make it work better than it probably should.
  • cacutshaw
    April 8, 2008
    cacutshaw
    Great, underrated comedy from Campion. Keitel is amazing as the cool cult deprogrammer who by the end is the most pathetic fool in the world. A really fun and funny film.
  • RockabillySaint
    October 8, 2006
    RockabillySaint
    Okay, first off, Harvey Keitel is fearless. Seeing him in this movie just makes me respect him even more for what he'll go through for a role. But even with that said the movie was sub par; it had a great idea, and could have done a lot with it, but unfortunately it came up rath... read moreer short and wasn't that inspiring or philosophical (which I thought it was going to be). The first half was fairly decent, but the second half just got weird and was slightly uncomfortable to watch. It also ended rather ubruptly and with hardly anything resolved. Winslet was great, Keitel was. . . interesting, but it's not really a movie I'd want to watch more than once or twice.
  • khorace1
    July 6, 2008
    khorace1
    One of my favorite movies. Kate at her best and I'll be damned if Harvey Keitel doesn't look great in a little red dress.
  • tulsatech
    May 9, 2008
    tulsatech
    A miserable piece of shit. Not even Kate Winslet and Harvey Keitel could make it worth watching. The only reason it got one star is because Kate Winslet had a few nude scenes.
  • auntikrist
    February 16, 2008
    auntikrist
    Very strange film about a "cult de-programmer" who finds himself in over his head with an extremely stubborn woman.
  • jrmcm
    August 5, 2007
    jrmcm
    Unlike any other romance. Winslet pisses on herself and Keitel's character is very good. Campion cannot fail.

View All Holy Smoke! Reviews

Critic Reviews

Jonathan Rosenbaum
April 27, 2012
Jonathan Rosenbaum, Chicago Reader

All sorts of questions go unanswered, and there's little of the density found in Campion's early work; this is mainly smoke, not fire. Full Review

David Rooney
June 17, 2008
David Rooney, Variety

Original in every sense, this often difficult film about family, relationships, sexual politics, spiritual questing, faith and obsession further explores the director's abiding fascinations in excitin... Full Review

Andrew Sarris
April 27, 2007
Andrew Sarris, New York Observer

Ms. Winslet is, by contrast, champagne and caviar for moviegoing grown-ups with good taste. Full Review

Kevin Thomas
August 15, 2002
Kevin Thomas, Los Angeles Times

At once hilarious and serious, cruel and tender, and bristling with vitality, Holy Smoke is the right movie for the millennium, envisioning new possibilities in the way people view and relate to one a... Full Review

Rick Groen
April 5, 2002
Rick Groen, Globe and Mail

Nice try, but there's not a laugh in sight. Full Review

Jack Mathews
January 1, 2000
Jack Mathews, New York Daily News

Winslet and Keitel make this a must-view in a season where the scent of Oscar is in the air. Full Review

John Anderson
January 1, 2000
John Anderson, Newsday

Despite the good performances and Campion's visual reach, her characters are too specific/eccentric to transcend their storyline and make us feel that there's something to be absorbed from the P.J.-Ru...

Mike Clark
January 1, 2000
Mike Clark, USA Today

Every shot Campion and cinematographer Dion Beebe come up with is a compositional classic.

Jonathan Foreman
January 1, 2000
Jonathan Foreman, New York Post

A dreadful mess.

Joe Baltake
January 1, 2000
Joe Baltake, Sacramento Bee

A tightly wound, heady affair that actually comes to seem more deranged as it progresses. Full Review

Critic ratings and reviews powered by RottenTomatoes.com

Fresh (60% or more critics rated the movie positively)

Rotten (59% or fewer critics rated the movie positively)

Cast

More Like This

Click a thumb to vote on that suggestion, or add your own suggestions.

  • Little Children
    Little Children (14%)

More Movies like Holy Smoke!

Facts

Submit a Fact | View All
    • Ruth: [singing while drivng her car] 'Cause the love that you gave that we made/Wasn't able to make it enough for you to be open wide, no/And everytime you speak her name/Does she know how you told me you'd me/Until you died 'til you died/But you're still alive.
Submit a Fact | View All

Holy Smoke! : Watch Free on TV

Holy Smoke! Trivia

  • Name the actor common to these films: Taxi Driver; Reservoir Dogs; Pulp Fiction; Holy Smoke...  Answer »
  • What movie has this tagline? Young beauty seduced by macho American twice her age?  Answer »
  • Name the actress common to these movies: Heavenly Creatures, Hideous Kinky, Holy Smoke  Answer »
  • Which Actress starred in Holy Smoke, Heavenly Creatures and Titanic?  Answer »
More Holy Smoke! Trivia

Movie Quizzes

Create a Quiz |

All Quizzes

Video Clips

No video clips yet. Want to upload one?

Meet Other Fans

Add Holy Smoke! to favorites

Recent News

No recent headlines. Got one?

Recent Lists

Make a List |

View All Lists

Most Popular Skin

No skins yet. Interested in creating one?