I'd read the book, and in my interest to learn Wolof, I checked out this film.
It's rare that the director and the author of the original book are the same person. That's the case here, I think.
The film really packs a wallop. Funny, poignant, it's a kind of African BLUE ANGEL with equal parts Jean-Luc Godard and a touch of Freaks: Funny, tragic, disgusting, and political. (Much of the politics are about internalized colonialism.) "You have a right to speak. But speak in French. You can curse and insult each other, but you must curse and insult IN FRENCH." It is a bit long. I recommend seeing it in two sittings. The obvious low budget sets are a bit distracting, but, in a way, they help give a poverty feel to the movie.
The acting varies. The first wife is incredible. You can see her anger and her dignity. The businessmen are a little on the weak side. Too much "ok, move your hands in denial now," "okay, nod like you agree." The ending was a surprise and a bit of a disappointment. (The lead actor must've spent months watching Emil Jannings.) But, to me, the ending seemed cut. Implying tragedy, but not showing the results. I got the feeling it was somehow shortened... as if there were more, that New Yorker Video did not want to present to the public. Also, the sub-titles were sparse, especially in the Wolof sections.
Still, it's a fine movie, and certainly worth a couple of evenings.
It's rare that the director and the author of the original book are the same person. That's the case here, I think.
The film really packs a wallop. Funny, poignant, it's a kind of African BLUE ANGEL with equal parts Jean-Luc Godard and a touch of Freaks: Funny, tragic, disgusting, and political. (Much of the politics are about internalized colonialism.) "You have a right to speak. But speak in French. You can curse and insult each other, but you must curse and insult IN FRENCH." It is a bit long. I recommend seeing it in two sittings. The obvious low budget sets are a bit distracting, but, in a way, they help give a poverty feel to the movie.
The acting varies. The first wife is incredible. You can see her anger and her dignity. The businessmen are a little on the weak side. Too much "ok, move your hands in denial now," "okay, nod like you agree." The ending was a surprise and a bit of a disappointment. (The lead actor must've spent months watching Emil Jannings.) But, to me, the ending seemed cut. Implying tragedy, but not showing the results. I got the feeling it was somehow shortened... as if there were more, that New Yorker Video did not want to present to the public. Also, the sub-titles were sparse, especially in the Wolof sections.
Still, it's a fine movie, and certainly worth a couple of evenings.