"MYSTIC MASSEUR" is the warm and sometimes funny tale of a young man in named Ganesh, living in Trinidad, and from Indian descent.  When Ganesh's father dies, he moves to his father's village to assume his massage business.  As with any Merchant-Ivory film, this film also has overtones of social/class structure, and it also explores the relationship between men and women, in this case, Ganesh and his wife, in a mature, introspective way. 

His finances are tight, while trying to write a book about the Hindu faith, and his financial limitations cause his wife, Leela, to leave him and move back with her parents temporarily. When working as a team with his wife, they devise a way to boost sales of the book and Ganesh becomes a celebrity of sorts, considered to be a "Mystic Masseur" or "shaman," by many.  His newfound fame begins to distance him from his roots and value system, and even more-so, after he enters the political arena.  While the film involves a variety of complex social issues, under Merchant's slow but deliberate direction, everything manages to pull together. The acting is excellent, especially on the part of Om Puri, whom plays Leela's father.

Some have sharply criticized the film's abrupt ending, but this reviewer feels it was perfect.  Merchant demonstrates that there's no ending that would have realistically tied up and resolved so many of the issues explored in "MYSTIC MASSEUR," and the ending brings about discussion.

COLUMBIA TRISTAR has preserved the film's 1.85:1 aspect ratio, with 16:9 enhancement.  It's generally a sharp transfer, offering excellent color values.  While the image is often rich, there are some instances of grain, but none of them are too distracting. Contrast is excellent, with deep blacks and grays, allowing for excellent clarity in darker scenes. Fleshtones appear natural throughout.

COLUMBIA TRISTAR has provided a Dolby Digital 5.1 mix for this release.  There is some separation in the front soundmix, but surrounds are used mostly to boost the music, and little else. Dialogue is always intelligible and free from distortion.

There are several trailers included.