I like Matthew Broderick. I like him a lot. But he really tests my loyalty sometimes. The special effects in this movie aren’t really that impressive in a post-Jurassic Park context. The love-subplot is stupid. And, for that matter, so is the main plot. But the original Godzilla movies were never really all that good either, I guess. (*)

For all its weirdness, I actually liked this movie. It will almost certainly turn into a cult classic. I don’t generally like musicals, but it was fun trying to recognize the pop songs in this very, very odd production. Some of the songs were changed so much I couldn’t even pick them out. Visually, the movie is stunning, from the lavish sets down to the incredible costumes. Nicole Kidman and Ewan McGregor are really rather good, and they even sing their own songs in this movie. I disagree with the people who say that it would have been better with an original soundtrack. On the contrary, I think an original soundtrack would have made it “just another movie”. (****)

There is nothing that I can say about this movie that will do it any justice. It is a wonderful movie, and it is entirely thanks to Ben Kingsley’s performance in the title role. He is simply captivating. I wanted the movie to go on and on, telling me more about this mysterious man and his dream, but I suppose all good things must come to an end. I enjoyed learning about the history of India and South Africa too. I wonder, though, how many of the historical details were “Hollywoodized”. Regardless, this movie is a must see. [Note: I will readily admit to being quite ignorant of India’s history and Gandhi’s role in it, so I apologize if I sound like I am taking a political stance with this review.] (*****)