Quartile rating: 8/10 · 1 rating
A documentary about a man who impersonates a wise Indian Guru and builds a following in Arizona. At the height of his popularity, the Guru Kumaré must reveal his true identity to his disciples and unveil his greatest teaching of all.
Kumaré is a genuinely singular documentary concept: filmmaker Vikram Gandhi impersonates a fabricated Indian guru, builds a real following, and then must confess the deception to people who have genuinely transformed their lives. The premise is audacious and ethically charged, and the film executes it with surprising emotional depth. The ending — the 'reveal' — is among the most moving and philosophically rich conclusions in recent documentary filmmaking, landing a genuine gut-punch about the nature of belief and self-reliance. Novelty is very high because nothing quite like this exists. The cinematography is functional but unremarkable, typical of low-budget indie docs. Acting is a mixed category for a documentary, but Gandhi's sustained performance as Kumaré is impressive, while the subjects are simply themselves.