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wisDOM87's rating
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wisDOM87's rating
So, in my bid to watch at least one film from every country and territory in the world, I have arrived at American Samoa, not to be confused with Samoa, which is an independent country (the back story to this arrangement is quite convoluted - look it up if you're interested). I wasn't exactly spoilt for choice as - barring a couple of documentaries - this appears to be the only film ever made there.
To be blunt this is not a great movie by any means. There is not much of a plot, the pacing is off, the acting is not exactly stellar, and some of the humour is pretty cheesy (think Bollywood's Jonny Lever). However the film provides an interesting look at life on this tiny American territory (even the capital Pago Pago is barely more than a large village), and it held my attention through its 90 minute length. Some of the scenes are quite funny esp. those involving the OTT fa'afines (transgenders), and the film, despite being at heart a love story, doesn't take itself too seriously. Some of the local references went over my head so those with Samoan heritage or with a better knowledge of the islands may get more out of it then me.
Overall not a must-see by any means, but worth a watch if you have an interest in Samoa, or fancy watching a love story with a twist. My score would be lower for an Hollywood film, but I have made allowances for the low budget and lack of film making infrastructure on the islands.
To be blunt this is not a great movie by any means. There is not much of a plot, the pacing is off, the acting is not exactly stellar, and some of the humour is pretty cheesy (think Bollywood's Jonny Lever). However the film provides an interesting look at life on this tiny American territory (even the capital Pago Pago is barely more than a large village), and it held my attention through its 90 minute length. Some of the scenes are quite funny esp. those involving the OTT fa'afines (transgenders), and the film, despite being at heart a love story, doesn't take itself too seriously. Some of the local references went over my head so those with Samoan heritage or with a better knowledge of the islands may get more out of it then me.
Overall not a must-see by any means, but worth a watch if you have an interest in Samoa, or fancy watching a love story with a twist. My score would be lower for an Hollywood film, but I have made allowances for the low budget and lack of film making infrastructure on the islands.
So, in my bid to watch at least one film from every country and territory in the world, I have arrived at Aruba, a small Dutch-owned island in the Caribbean, very close to Venezuela. As it happens I wasn't exactly spoilt for choice, as aside from a few short films this appears to be the only movie made in the territory.
To be blunt if this wasn't Aruban it probably wouldn't be worth watching. It's a fairly familiar rehash of Romeo & Juliet-cum-West Side Story, in which a fairly well-off Aruban girl meets a Latino immigrant boy from the wrong side of the tracks and they fall in love, much to their respective families' consternation - nothing you haven't seen a hundred times before. That said, considering its low budget, it's a nice cheerful little film, and it moves along at a reasonable pace. The story is broken up here and there with some Bollywood-esque love songs which are a tad cheesy, but then I don't like musicals. The thing I found most interesting about this film was the insight it gave into Aruban culture, which appears to be a mix of Dutch, Latino, English and Amerindian, with its own language (Papiamento - also spoken on neighbouring Curaçao, and Bonaire). Some of the music used is very good and adds nicely to atmosphere - much of it by noted musician Padu del Caribe, who also pops up in a brief cameo. The film explores to a degree some of the tension that exists between Latino immigrants and native Arubans and the economic hardships faced by these 'new Arubans'. Perhaps more could made of the island's unique features e.g. by setting some scenes in the colourful capital Oranjestad, or the starkly beautiful countryside, as most of the film take place in a rather bland suburb on the edge of town. Also some of the scenes do drag and the acting is not grade A calibre, but everyone involved seems to be enjoying themselves and do they well considering the limitations (I've bumped the score up a tad to reflect this).
Overall not a must-see by any means, but worth a watch if you have an interest in Aruba, or fancy watching a love story not set in New York for a change.
To be blunt if this wasn't Aruban it probably wouldn't be worth watching. It's a fairly familiar rehash of Romeo & Juliet-cum-West Side Story, in which a fairly well-off Aruban girl meets a Latino immigrant boy from the wrong side of the tracks and they fall in love, much to their respective families' consternation - nothing you haven't seen a hundred times before. That said, considering its low budget, it's a nice cheerful little film, and it moves along at a reasonable pace. The story is broken up here and there with some Bollywood-esque love songs which are a tad cheesy, but then I don't like musicals. The thing I found most interesting about this film was the insight it gave into Aruban culture, which appears to be a mix of Dutch, Latino, English and Amerindian, with its own language (Papiamento - also spoken on neighbouring Curaçao, and Bonaire). Some of the music used is very good and adds nicely to atmosphere - much of it by noted musician Padu del Caribe, who also pops up in a brief cameo. The film explores to a degree some of the tension that exists between Latino immigrants and native Arubans and the economic hardships faced by these 'new Arubans'. Perhaps more could made of the island's unique features e.g. by setting some scenes in the colourful capital Oranjestad, or the starkly beautiful countryside, as most of the film take place in a rather bland suburb on the edge of town. Also some of the scenes do drag and the acting is not grade A calibre, but everyone involved seems to be enjoying themselves and do they well considering the limitations (I've bumped the score up a tad to reflect this).
Overall not a must-see by any means, but worth a watch if you have an interest in Aruba, or fancy watching a love story not set in New York for a change.
The Borderline is one of only a handful of films to come out of Zambia, the most notable being the internationally acclaimed 'I Am Not a Witch'. I really wanted to like this film - I love film noir and neo-noir, and African cinema.
Unfortunately this film is a complete mess. The plot - in so far as I understood it - has something to do with a Lusaka private eye investigating a murder in the bush, which has something to with some poachers, one of whom is in league with a witch doctor, and some incident from the private dick's childhood involving a local girl with an eye patch. However there are so many flashbacks, abrupt transitions, random characters coming in and out, bizarre dialogue, numerous random deaths, belaboured symbolisms and non sequiturs that it just ends up making no sense whatsoever. Also the whole thing is backed with this incredibly annoying synthy keyboard soundtrack which just kills what little tension and emotional resonance the film has.
Some of the shots of the Zambian countryside were nice, and parts of the noir-y opening 10 minutes were somewhat intriguing. But that's not enough to sustain a 90 minute run time. Avoid.
Unfortunately this film is a complete mess. The plot - in so far as I understood it - has something to do with a Lusaka private eye investigating a murder in the bush, which has something to with some poachers, one of whom is in league with a witch doctor, and some incident from the private dick's childhood involving a local girl with an eye patch. However there are so many flashbacks, abrupt transitions, random characters coming in and out, bizarre dialogue, numerous random deaths, belaboured symbolisms and non sequiturs that it just ends up making no sense whatsoever. Also the whole thing is backed with this incredibly annoying synthy keyboard soundtrack which just kills what little tension and emotional resonance the film has.
Some of the shots of the Zambian countryside were nice, and parts of the noir-y opening 10 minutes were somewhat intriguing. But that's not enough to sustain a 90 minute run time. Avoid.