Sunday, June 03, 2007
Vers Le Sud (Heading South)
Someone recommended me to see this movie that had some honors at the 2005 Venice Film Festival. But the reason I accepted the recommendation is that one of the leads is Charlotte Rampling and having seen her in many good and many “strange” movies, I decided to see it.
The story is interesting, three over forty-five years old -lonely, forsaken and neglected by men in their native countries- female tourists go for summer vacations to late ‘70s Haiti where they indulge in the pleasures that local male natives provide for a few dollars. So you remember, Papa Doc and Baby Doc ruling of Haiti was a violent dictatorship.
Maybe is just me, but this story could have been relevant in the ‘80s or 90’s; but in 2005 (when the film was released) I find hard to believe that this movie could raise eyebrows because it touches issues like older women sexuality, male prostitution, interracial relationships, poverty, and other similar subjects.
As a movie I find it rather flat with medium shots and close-ups that are basically unimpressive and Laurent Cantet directorial technique fails to go beyond normal B movies.
Still, Charlotte Rampling performance is exceptional and Ménothy Cesar (plays Legba) performance is credible and quite good.
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