Rotten
A voice-over narrator supplies some of Yogananda's more inspired passages, but the affected tone makes it all sound rather silly.
Drew Hunt, Chicago Reader
Awake: The Life of Yogananda
Reveal your Self
2014 · 1h 27m · PG
Documentary
Directed by
Paola di Florio
,
Lisa Leeman
Overview
An unconventional biography by Oscar nominee Paola di Florio and Sundance winner Lisa Leeman about Hindu mystic Paramahansa Yogananda who brought yoga and meditation to the West in 1920 and authored the spiritual classic "Autobiography of a Yogi," which became the go-to book for seekers from George Harrison to Steve Jobs.
Director and cast
Critics on Rotten Tomatoes
Top critics, in their words
64%
Tomatometer
Fresh
If you want to understand yoga as something beyond a workout exercise, this spiritual documentary could be a fine start.
Colin Covert, Minneapolis Star Tribune
Rotten
Those looking for further enlightenment might want to pass on the feel-good cinematic hagiography known as "Awake: The Life of Yogananda."
Peter Keough, Boston Globe
Rotten
Unfortunately, while the swami taught his disciples to explore the depths of their very souls, the film barely scratches the surface of his life and teachings.
Kerry Lengel, Arizona Republic
Fresh
Yogananda's story is a fascinating one. And although the documentary will likely attract a discrete group, it has the potential for broader appeal.
Stephanie Merry, Washington Post
More films
Olympia Part One: Festival of the Nations (1938)
Documentary · Not Rated
Starting with a long and lyrical overture, evoking the origins of the Olympic Games in ancient Greece, Riefenstahl covers twenty-one athletic events in the first half of this two-part love letter to the human body and spirit, culminating with the marathon, where Jesse Owens became the first track and field athlete to win four gold meda...
- Runtime
- 2h 7m
- Director
- Leni Riefenstahl
- Cast
- David Albritton, Jack Beresford
IMDb
7.7
Rotten Tomatoes
89%
Olympia Part Two: Festival of Beauty (1938)
Documentary · Not Rated
Part two of Leni Riefenstahl's monumental examination of the 1938 Olympic Games, the cameras leave the main stadium and venture into the many halls and fields deployed for such sports as fencing, polo, cycling, and the modern pentathlon, which was won by American Glenn Morris.
- Runtime
- 1h 44m
- Director
- Leni Riefenstahl
- Cast
- Sheigo Arai, Jack Beresford, Ralf Berzsenyi
IMDb
7.6
Born Into Brothels: Calcutta's Red Light Kids (2004)
Documentary · R
Documentary depicting the lives of child prostitutes in the red light district of Songachi, Calcutta. Director Zana Briski went to photograph the prostitutes when she met and became friends with their children. Briski began giving photography lessons to the children and became aware that their photography might be a way for them to lea...
- Runtime
- 1h 25m
- Director
- Zana Briski, Ross Kauffman
- Cast
- Avijit, Geeta Masi, Kochi
IMDb
7.2
Rotten Tomatoes
95%
Metacritic
78
God's Ways (2006)
Documentary · N/A
A dual portrait of young drifters on the streets of Odessa, where every day seems the same and the future keeps getting further away.
- Runtime
- 1h 1m
- Director
- Eva Neymann
IMDb
6.8
Full Metal Village (2007)
Documentary · Not Rated
The film describes the microcosmos of the small village Wacken and shows the clash of the cultures, before and during the biggest heavy metal festival in Europe.
- Runtime
- 1h 30m
- Director
- Sung Hyung Cho
- Cast
- Uwe Trede, Lore Trede, Klaus H. Plähn
IMDb
7.1
The Lorax (2012)
Animation · Family · PG
A 12-year-old boy searches for the one thing that will enable him to win the affection of the girl of his dreams. To find it he must discover the story of the Lorax, the grumpy yet charming creature who fights to protect his world.
- Runtime
- 1h 26m
- Director
- Kyle Balda, Chris Renaud
- Cast
- Danny DeVito, Zac Efron, Ed Helms
IMDb
6.4
Metacritic
46
Banana (2010)
Animation · Comedy · Family · N/A
The Minions fight over a delicious banana... but is that all they want?!
- Runtime
- 4m
- Director
- Kyle Balda, Samuel Tourneux
- Cast
- Pierre Coffin
IMDb
7.6
Home Makeover (2010)
Animation · Comedy · Family · N/A
When a social worker visits Gru’s house to assess its suitability for children, chaos ensues. Margo, Edith, and Agnes, along with the ever-mischievous Minions, scramble to give the home a makeover in record time. Their attempts to create a warm and inviting environment quickly spiral into hilarity as the Minions’ unorthodox methods lea...
- Runtime
- 5m
- Director
- Kyle Balda, Samuel Tourneux
- Cast
- Miranda Cosgrove, Dana Gaier, Elsie Kate Fisher
IMDb
7.1
Orientation Day (2010)
Animation · Comedy · Family · N/A
The Minions embark on their first day of work, eager to prove themselves in their new roles. After watching a hilariously outdated 'Initiation Video,' three rookie Minions take on bomb-carrying duty. Predictably, their enthusiasm quickly spirals into chaos as they bungle the simplest of tasks. Packed with slapstick comedy and the Minio...
- Runtime
- 4m
- Director
- Kyle Balda, Samuel Tourneux
- Cast
- Pierre Coffin, Rob Huebel
IMDb
6.8
Gru, mi villano favorito presenta: La locura de los minions (2010)
Animation · Comedy
Comments
Talk about the film with other members