I've never before seen such an unrepentant scumbag as the subject of this film. A con man with a serious sex addiction along with several other possible mental illnesses who has remade himself as a sexual "healer" he takes money from those poor women out there who are lonely and/or gullible enough to buy his never-ending line of gibberish. He's a gigolo ,essentially, but unlike male prostitutes who provide an honest service to paying customers, this guy actually thinks he's rehabilitating, awakening the dormant, and generally doing the work of a saint.
The only woman in the movie who sees "Baba Dez" ("Dez" is short for Desert, even the guy's name is nauseating) is a woman named Mya, Dez's soon to be ex girlfriend. She never comes out and says it but it seems obvious she knows a grifter when she sees one. A thought occurred to me towards the end of the film: perhaps some the other women in the film see him as pitiable enough to let him think he's truly found his calling in life and is actually helping them. In other words they'll go along with his schtick as long they get pleasured well enough in bed. It's possible but unlikely - everyone here is so sickeningly earnest that any kind of untruth crossing their lips would surely cause an emotional breakdown.
I really have nothing against new age philosophies and practices, everyone needs to find their tribe, and I have no bias against prostitution when it's within the confines of consenting adults. My big objection with BD is the inherent dishonesty in his hustle. He's selling snake oil to damaged people without a trace of conscience, a reprehensible and vile human being. Despite my strong negative reaction to BD, the film is quite good. The directors see their subjects clearly and do a nice job of tying it together, creating a unified portrait of an interesting topic. I will seek out others they have directed.
