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Member since:02.09.2007
Reviews:18
The Film
A synopsis of this film is difficult without giving too much away, so, taken from the DVD description: Laurent Cantet's feature film stars Charlotte Rampling (Ellen) and is set in 1970s Haiti. The film examines a time and place in which wealthy women from the east headed to the country in search of sexual fulfilment among its young male population.
From the opening scenes, this film will have you hooked, or at the very least intrigued. As soon as you hit the beach, you're taken from the chaos of the bustling city to a quiet oasis of calm in a small town in Haiti, where rich tourists come to enjoy themselves, and far away from the harsh realities of the native people who live there. Eventually though, due to the nature of the relationship between these young men and the wealthy women who are entertained by them, these two worlds become embroiled. The first beach scene when Brenda (Louise Portal) arrives, gives the audience and automatic impulse to go on holiday, yet this is not quite the real/main reason why the main characters are here. These women are "at war", each one more desperate than the other to make one of these men fall in love with her; certainly the rivalry between the two main characters Brenda and Ellen is obvious from the moment they meet.
The film is well structured, the plot is consistent throughout - not once do you find yourself lost and wondering what's happening even if something is not explicitly stated; any inferences are clear. One of the things I liked best about this film was the monologues given by each main character. I imagine that this also helped play a part in keeping loyal to the novel the film was based on (I haven't read it, but I believe it was based on a series of short stories by a Haitian author) by allowing us further insight into the personalities of each character and reasons for why they were there.
The performances from the cast were good all round, the invariable star of the show (as always) was the one and only, the star, the legend, Charlotte Rampling. Her performance as Ellen really stood out from any of the other cast members. She played her character very well. Her mastery of both French and English is something that shines through in nearly all of her performances, and this one is no exception.
This film throws you straight into another culture and allows you to get lost in its world for an hour or two. Not only the Haitian culture itself is explored, but you the cultural mix of the main characters (American, French Canadian and English) and how they all interact and have different perspectives on each other. The mix of languages is fantastic if you like that sort of thing…English, French, a Haitian dialect of French and French Canadian. Recommended to those who are into their "World" film and who fancy something just a bit different.
The Bonus Features
The extras on this DVD aren't numerous - only 3 to be exact: • The trailer for the original film - this is self explanatory really • Biographies for Laurent Cantet (director), Charlotte Rampling (Ellen), Karen Young (Brenda) and Louise Portal (Sue) • Stills gallery - several photos taken during filming
There is also a short reel of (three) trailers for other films.
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Production Year: 2004 - Drama - Director: Nick Cassavetes - Original Language: English - Classification: 15 years and over, 12 years and over - Starring: Rachel McAdams, Ryan Gosling, Gena Rowlands
On the sun-drenched palm-fringed paradise island of Haiti at the end of the 1970s Brenda ... more
Ellen and Sue three North American women look for flirtation relaxation and respite from their mundane jobs and marriages. They find exactly what they are loo...
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On the sun-drenched island of Haiti at the end of the 1970s, tourists idle away their ... more
vacations in the palm-fringed paradise of the beach hotels. Brenda, Ellen and Sue, three North American women, converge on the island looking for flirtation, relaxati...
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Jan 1st, 2008
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