Displaying items by tag: Yann Gozlan

GOUROU/ GURU

France, 2025, 126 minutes, Colour.

Pierre Niney, Marion Barbeau, Anthony Bajon, Christophe Montenez, Jonathan Turnbull, Holt McCallany, Leonie Simaga.

Directed by Yann Gozlan.

An interesting French variation on the theme, the guru, popular in the United States, a personal coach, the influence, the public celebrity.

Pierre Niney has been building up a strong reputation as a leading French star over the last 10 years (recently as Edmond Dantes in The Count of Monte Cristo). This role as Matt makes demands on his versatility. The film opens with the audience seeing him going out to his large and adoring audience, his particular style as life coach, his speeches, interaction with the crowd, words of advice and affirmation, and his encounter with a young man, glum, gradually prepared to be transformed and entering into the exhilaration and joy of his transformation.

Matt has been highly ambitious since his childhood, many comparisons made with his brother, Christophe, far less successful, a sad man, ultimately humiliated by his brother.

While this kind of celebrity is acclaimed in the United States, television personality, the screenplay here has the French government wary and suspicious, inviting Matt and others to Senate hearings, the Senate President demonstrably hostile to this kind of public coaching, wanting to impose criteria for standards and credentials which alienates Matt more and more, campaigning, interventionist. And, dramatically, it is complicated by the decision of the young man he helped initially who wants to follow in his footsteps, intervenes, intrudes, challenges Matt.

And, in the meantime, there is his wife and support, in the studio behind the auditorium, communicating with Matt through his earpiece, singling out members of the crowd, giving background information – which he later exploits unscrupulously appropriating some details and publicly using them and targeting his brother.

And, in the background, is the United States, a star life coach, played by Holt McCallany, who is looking for someone from France to be with him in his show in Las Vegas. An ultimate goal for Matt – but complicated by his exploitation of his ambitions, the pathos of the effect on his brother, suspicions of his wife, a moment at the end, literally in the spotlight, when Matt has to make the decisions, personal and ethical, as to what he is going to do with his life and career.

1. The title the language coach, trainer…? Guru?
2. Audience attitudes towards in the opening sequence, his claims, his style, his interactions, the encounter with Julie and, the intensity, the following, feelings, bias, the crowds?
3. The settings, Matt and his apartment, the office of the star, the meetings, the space its vastness, the lights and spotlights, the seating, the control room, The staff and management, advice to in his earpiece?
4. Nat, his personality, enthusiasm, faith in himself, his ambitions as a child, his relationship with Adele, love, her love for him, supporting him, working for him?
5. Christophe, his brother, attitudes towards Matt, the encounters, the dinner, his companion, the thrust of the conversation, tension, the gradual revelation, stories of the past, store and his drinking, watching that on television, Matt revealing the stories about their childhood, the hurt (and drawing on information he had about other clients)? Matt and his theory about creating characters rather than real characters, for the audience, his own self-deception, the meetings with Christophe, the frank talk, suspicious of Christophe had recorded him, the discussions with Rooney, Christophe’s death and the consequences?
6. Julian, his character, at the meeting, his manner, gradual revelations, the encouragement, his story about his past, his work with computer games, subsequent behaviour, enthusiasm, coming to the office, Matt putting him off, his wanting to become a coach, studying, pressurising Matt, I’m actually action, the videos, Matt asked them to delete them, the further videos and attack, Matt’s visit, the gun, Julian’s behaviour, killing himself? Matt, the blood, burning his clothes?
7. The Senate enquiry, Matt agreed to go, and else advice, being interrogated by the senator, his stances, wanting government supervision and control, her demanding questions, his metaphors, his answers, his being upset? The aftermath? Denouncing the senator, denouncing public control? The journalist infiltrating, discovering the truth, confronting her in the meeting, her leaving? Further interviews, especially with Rooney?
8. Matt and his staff, the phone calls, their assessing applicants, arranging the sessions, Matt and his moods? Ruby, chauffeur, his past, present, rehabilitation, his desire to study, become a coach? The issue of Christophe and his death? Rudy, deceptions, blackmailing Matt, calling him and partner, going to America?
9. Adele, the suspicions of Matt, questions, his putting her up, presenting her to the audience, her confusion? The issue of Christophe?
10. The contact with Peter Duncan, the Guru in the United States, his following, his books, videos, his liaison officer, the welcome to America, the phone call, Matt is a candidate to go to Las Vegas? His finally getting the call? As a difficult time?
11. With Adele, going to Las Vegas, Rudy, the welcome?
12. Nat and his psychological condition, Christophe, his drinking, being sick, collapse? Adele and denouncing him, leaving? Rudy and his power?
13. The finale, the pep talk from Peter Duncan, Matt and his vomiting, nervousness, the challenge, his ambitions, his being called out, the delay, the spotlight, his final words, the theory and enthusiasm, but some weakness in his delivery… And his future?